Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii)

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) is a tea estate located in the Thyolo district of southern Malawi, operating at an elevation of 906 metres. The estate produces both black and green tea and is recorded as supplying the tea trading house Finlays.

Terroir & Climate

At 906 metres above sea level in the Thyolo highlands, this estate sits within a mid-elevation band that typically experiences moderate temperatures and steady rainfall, conditions that tend to favour continuous vegetative growth across much of the year. Malawi's position at approximately 16° south of the equator generally allows for year-round cropping, though estates at this latitude and altitude often see a slow-down in flush intensity during the cooler, drier months of the southern winter.

Thyolo's clay-loam soils and reliable moisture patterns have long made the district one of Malawi's principal tea-growing regions. Estates at this elevation often benefit from a balance between warmth—which drives photosynthesis—and cooler night-time temperatures that tend to encourage the accumulation of polyphenols and other flavour compounds in the leaf. The result is typically a crop suited to both orthodox and CTC processing, depending on market demand.

Tea Produced

The estate produces both black and green tea. Black teas from mid-elevation Malawian estates in Thyolo generally yield a clean, bright liquor with moderate body and a gentle astringency; they are often valued for blending. Green teas produced in the region tend to exhibit a fresh, grassy character, though styles can vary depending on withering and firing protocols. Estates at this altitude typically produce leaf that is versatile across processing methods, offering both the briskness sought in everyday blends and the subtlety required for speciality production.

Supply Chain & Market Position

The estate is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the world's largest tea trading and blending houses. This relationship places Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) within a major international supply chain, with its production likely destined for blended retail brands distributed across multiple markets. Supplying a buyer of Finlays' scale suggests the estate meets the volume, quality consistency, and traceability standards expected by multinational blenders and brand owners.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) lies at -16.0693, 35.1406 in Thyolo, Malawi. Its 906 m elevation is the joint 3rd highest of 7 estates we map in Thyolo. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• CHAWANI — under 1 km away
• Makandi Tea \u0026 Coffee Estates — under 1 km away
• MBELUKO — under 1 km away
• Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Satemwa — 3.6 km away
• Namingomba Tea Estates Limited — 6.5 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii)

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) (906 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) recorded 1,525 mm in 2025, 35% less than the 2,333 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Namunukula Plantations, Kinellan	Uva Province, Sri Lanka	907 m	2,206 mm	26.0 °C
Wentworth Tea Estate	Cherambadi, India	903 m	2,378 mm	26.4 °C
Blairlomond Tea Estate	Madulla Road, Sri Lanka	903 m	2,658 mm	26.7 °C
Namring Tea Estate	Darjeeling, India	923 m	3,324 mm	23.4 °C
Roscommon Estate, Wanganella	Chimanimani, Zimbabwe	928 m	1,101 mm	27.0 °C

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) Compared with Thyolo

In Thyolo, Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) is the driest of the 7 estates by 2025 rainfall; lower than 83% of the others by elevation; the coolest of the 7 estates by daytime temperature. The table sets Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) against the 6 other estates we map in Thyolo, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii)	Region median	Region range
Elevation	906 m	906 m	891 to 1,022 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	1,525 mm	1,525 mm	1,525 to 1,655 mm
Mean daily high	24.1 °C	24.1 °C	24.1 to 24.4 °C
Mean overnight low	16.4 °C	16.4 °C	16.2 to 16.7 °C

Observed Climate at Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii)’s coordinates recorded 1,525 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was December (342 mm) and the driest was September (10 mm). Daytime highs averaged 24.1 °C and overnight lows 16.4 °C over the year; January was the warmest month and July the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	1,525 mm
Wettest month	December (342 mm)
Driest month	September (10 mm)
Mean daily high	24.1 °C
Mean overnight low	16.4 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) located?

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) is in Thyolo, Malawi, at coordinates -16.0693, 35.1406, at an elevation of about 906 metres.

Who operates Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii)?

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) is operated by Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii), according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) produce?

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) is recorded as producing black and green tea.

Which buyers does Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 1,525 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in December (342 mm).

How does Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Satemwa Tea Estates Limited, Magara (Tii) recorded 1,525 mm in 2025, 35% less rain than the 2,333 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.

Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].