Shadrack Nyakoe
By Dennis Muritu
Octoflow Kenya, a dynamic flower marketing company, is making strides in the international floral market, with a strong presence in Australia and Japan and a renewed focus on expanding its European footprint.
Co-directed by Gertrude Jennifer Musembi and Matthew, the company distinguishes itself not as a farm or grower, but as a crucial intermediary connecting Kenyan flower producers with a diverse global clientele.
“We are a flower marketing company,” stated Gertrude Jennifer Musembi, clarifying Octoflow Kenya’s unique position in the industry. “We are not a farm, grower, or breeder. We are in between; our clients have the flowers, and we sell them to an international market.”
While Octoflow Kenya boasts a robust presence in distant markets like Australia and Japan, including various regions within Australia, and a burgeoning interest in China and Russia, the company is now making a concerted effort to deepen its engagement with Europe.
“Initially, we had stepped back a bit from Europe, but now we are doing Europe,” Musembi explained. “Just a week ago, our Kenyan team embarked on a trip around Europe to visit our customers in Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, and Switzerland—basically all of Europe.”
African Market and Unique Varieties
When asked about venturing into the African market, Musembi noted the continent’s primary role as a producer.
“Africa? Not really, because most of Africa is producers,” she said.
However, she highlighted South Africa as their sole consistent African market, primarily for events.
“At times, for events, we do have Ghana and a bit of West African countries,” she added, emphasizing that Kenya’s unique flower varieties set them apart. “Kenya has really unique varieties, only comparable to South America.”
She also acknowledged the emergence of Uganda and Rwanda as growing producers.
Beyond Roses: Diversification is Key
Octoflow Kenya, and the Kenyan flower industry at large, are actively diversifying beyond their traditional focus on roses.
“We have all kinds of roses—garden roses, spray roses, many varieties,” Musembi affirmed. “And now, more and more, Kenya is venturing out of being not just roses.”
She pointed to the increasing presence of summer flowers at industry shows, a significant shift for a company that “used to basically deal with just roses.”
This diversification is seen as a positive step for the industry’s growth, as it addresses the challenge of widespread rose production globally.
Eyeing Growth and New Partnerships at the Expo
Participating in the current expo, Octoflow Kenya is eager to capitalize on the increased visitor turnout.
“From this year’s expo, we hope to get a bit more exposure, get more customers,” Musembi shared. “Today we heard the CEO say that we have a third more visitors than last year.”
Despite the significant investment required for small companies to exhibit, the exposure to international buyers is invaluable, especially amidst challenges like freight costs and levies.
“Even two new clients is a big deal for us,” she emphasized.
Organic Growth and Personalized Service
Looking ahead three years, Musimbi envisions continued but mindful growth for Octoflow Kenya.
“Growing bigger, we hope,” she stated. “Our Kenyan team has now grown to a team of 12.”
” The company aims to expand its markets and operations without sacrificing its core values. “We want to grow but not so much that we lose our main core focus,” Musembi articulated, highlighting the company’s family-like team dynamic and commitment to personalized customer service. “Everyone can sell flowers, but we want to give very personalized service to our customers. So we want to grow organically so that we just grow as much as we can handle.”
