COFFEE
Grinding out a space in the leisure industry
Drinking quality coffee in SA is on the uptake and entrepreneurs are profiting from this trend, writes Edward Tsumele
We meet in Maboneng, the trendy, gentrified neighbourhood at the edges of the Johannesburg central business district. There are at least 10 coffee shops and other eateries. Drinking quality coffee in SA is on the uptake and entrepreneurs are profiting from this trend. Nyakallo Mokoena, 27, teamed up with a friend to provide for the growing demand. Mokoena and Thabang Rankoe started Mcofana two years ago. They first sold coffee at events and then opened their first coffee shop in Maboneng at the beginning of March. Mokoena used to sell promotional bottled water, but there was a quiet season in winter, which got him thinking about hot beverages. "Since then I haven’t stopped researching. I had an idea to sell coffee, but what kind of coffee? I didn’t have any knowledge, didn’t know the word barista, but my love for knowledge drove me to coffee," he says. "I researched coffee beans, and the difference between coffees originating in different regions. This led me to find out who prefers...
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