Meeting the founder: why an agronomist ventures into spirits

Before founding WINEX, Godwin Kodjo Akpédjé Agahu wasn't destined for spirits. His training is in agronomy — the science of land, crops, and raw materials. That's exactly where it all began.

"I'm often asked why an agronomist ends up creating liqueurs and gins," says Godwin. "My answer is always the same: because I knew the raw material better than most people who go into spirits."

A childhood steeped in botany

Growing up in Benin means growing up surrounded by cashew, soursop, coconut, moringa, medicinal plants that families use without necessarily knowing their scientific names. This closeness to West Africa's botanical wealth nurtured, early on, a conviction in Godwin: these resources deserved better than raw material export.

"We export raw cashew, fresh soursop, and then we import processed products made from those same resources, but manufactured elsewhere, sold at a higher price, under other brands. That economic absurdity is what I wanted to correct, on my own scale."

From agronomy to entrepreneurship

After deepening his knowledge of agronomy and agricultural product processing, Godwin founded WINEX GLOBAL INDUSTRIES in November 2017. The early days were artisanal: small batches, recipes tested and retested, local distribution, constant learning.

"I had no model to follow. There was no major African premium spirits brand I could ask for advice. I had to learn by doing, correct our mistakes, listen to consumers, adjust the recipes."

An ambition that goes beyond the company

Today, Godwin no longer speaks only of WAKIZA or OJU, but of a generation of African brands to build. "My ambition isn't purely commercial. I want WAKIZA to be a source of pride for African consumers, and proof that, from Benin, we can build brands capable of rivaling the greatest international references."