Djono Darmaputera, a coffee trader in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, shares the story of his venture, Sahang Mas, which markets coffee products under the brand Benua. Kopi Benua is processed from robusta coffee beans grown in the Semendo plantation of South Sumatra (Sumsel), making it the first to receive the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) certification. Started in 1998, Djono's Sahang Mas initially marketed products like pepper, chocolate, and various food items. In 2019, his unwavering efforts to expand his business led Sahang Mas to become one of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that received support from the Sampoerna Entrepreneurship Training Center (SETC). SETC is an MSME empowerment program initiated by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. (Sampoerna) under the Sustainable "Sampoerna Untuk Indonesia" (SUI) Program.
 
In August 2023, Djono brought his coffee product, Kopi Benua, to the Wellness Food Japan 2023 exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, alongside several other MSME products in collaboration with the Business & Export Development Organization (BEDO), a partner in Sampoerna's social responsibility initiatives. For Djono, the opportunity to participate in Wellness Food Japan 2023 is a significant chance to introduce the distinctive flavour of Semendo coffee through Kopi Benua. At the Wellness Food Japan 2023 event, Sahang Mas showcased "Kopi Benua" and coffee blends with ginger and pasak bumi to adapt to the theme of herbal drinks and the coffee powder itself is characteristic of Semendo. After participating in Wellness Food Japan 2023, he hopes that Semendo coffee gains more recognition. Until now, Semendo coffee has mostly been exported in raw form as coffee beans. In recent years, Djono has been striving to add more value to South Sumatra coffee. It's marketed in various forms, from roasting to powder, not just raw beans.
 
Source: https://m.tribunnews.com/amp/bisnis/2023/08/22/kopi-robusta-asal-sumatera-selatan-tembus-pasar-ekspor-jepang