Barka Fund Invests $1M in Kenyan Macadamia Exporter Orient Enterprises

Barka Fund Backs Kenyan Macadamia Exporter

One deal that stood out this week comes from Kenya’s agribusiness sector, where Abidjan-based climate-focused impact investor Barka Fund has invested US$1 million in Orient Enterprises, a macadamia processor and exporter.

Founded by Rajiv Pandya, Orient operates a processing plant in Juja, Kiambu County, producing vacuum-packed macadamia kernels, macadamia oil and flavoured kernels under its Orient Chef brand. The company sources its nuts from a growing network of smallholder farmers and exports to Europe, North America and Asia. It generated US$1.2 million in revenue in 2025.

The investment combines US$500,000 in preferred equity with a US$500,000 working capital loan. The funding will support processing capacity, strengthen working capital and expand agroforestry initiatives. It’s a financing structure that’s becoming increasingly common in African agribusiness, giving businesses the long-term capital to grow while providing the liquidity needed to operate.

What makes the deal particularly interesting is its focus on sustainability. Rather than treating environmental impact as a separate initiative, Orient’s sourcing model integrates tree planting and land restoration directly into its relationships with smallholder farmers.

Before the investment, founder Rajiv Pandya participated in the fund’s founder readiness programme, reflecting a growing trend among African impact investors to work closely with entrepreneurs before deploying capital.