Addis Ababa is set to be positioned as a global coffee destination under a new city-branding campaign, “Addis Ababa: The World’s Coffee Capital,” spearheaded by Ethiopian communications firm Adsolute Communications.
The initiative aims to showcase the Ethiopian capital as the epicenter for experiencing the country’s rich coffee culture – from traditional Jebena Buna coffee ceremonies and local neighbourhood coffee spots to modern specialty cafés, roasters, and emerging coffee attractions across the city.
The campaign is scheduled to be officially presented at Oromia Tourism Week on 30 September, a day ahead of International Coffee Day on 1st October.
More Than a Beverage
In Ethiopia, coffee holds a unique place in daily life and national identity. In Addis Ababa, it is more than just a drink; it is a social ritual and a community experience that defines the city’s rhythm.
“Addis doesn’t need to invent a coffee identity,” said Tewodros Balcha Mulisa, Founder and General Manager of Adsolute Communications. “It already has one. The opportunity is to make that experience more visible and easier for visitors to discover — and to connect the city’s coffee culture with the wider Ethiopian coffee story.”
Connecting the City to the Origin
The campaign builds a tourism narrative around Addis Ababa’s existing coffee ecosystem. It seeks to link the city’s coffee ceremonies, cafés and roasteries with new attractions such as the Coffee Park and the planned Ethiopian Coffee Museum, while also connecting them to Ethiopia’s broader coffee-growing regions and its status as the birthplace of Arabica coffee.
Adsolute Communications has a track record in coffee-focused promotion, including its COFE Fest / Coffee Origins Festival initiatives held around International Coffee Day since 2024 during Oromia Tourism Week. The firm also promotes Ethiopian coffee stories to global audiences through its dedicated coffee media desk, Buna Kurs.
Designed as a city-branding and tourism communications proposition, the initiative aims to draw greater international attention to Addis Ababa and to the people, businesses, and destinations that shape its vibrant coffee scene.
“Coffee gives Addis something very tangible to invite the world into,” Mulisa added. “You can experience it right from the airport, in a home, on the street, in a café, at a roastery or through the landscapes where the coffee itself is grown. That range is part of the story.
“The campaign will be rolled out through media storytelling, digital content creation, and strategic partnerships to boost the global visibility of Addis Ababa’s coffee scene and the destinations linked to it.
