Welcome to the 8th Annual Coffee Magazine Awards Shortlist of Nominees for 2025.
There are some very recognisable names, and there are some brand new ones! If you don't know all the nominees, please use the links to look them up, (maybe you’ll discover something or someone new in your area!) and support them in the run into the final awards announcement on Friday, December 12th!
We are always striving to make this platform a tool to uplift and empower the industry, to shine a light on excellence in the coffee community and to reward those who continue to push the boundaries of coffee in South Africa.
We received thousands of nominations across the 17 Award Categories. We take into account the number of nominations for Awards like Cafe Community and the Best Cafe, Roastery and Barista. We use our discretion and try to talk to as many people as possible in this process. Awards are always subjective, but let's focus on the positives!
Please note the reason for the * is this:
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN COFFEE - This year, as per last year, we are NOT going to have a specific category for this. This does not mean that there is gender equality in the industry, rather that trying to single out one woman in that (growing) group is near impossible. But they are still a minority overall, so we are continuing with our tactic, where, I (Mel) said I would remove the Award when it was no longer necessary. I still believe that acknowledging and supporting women in coffee is hugely necessary, but as ever, we need to evolve. So, we are again removing the category as a separate award and I have put an asterisk* next to every female nominee or business that has female leadership. You are all OUTSTANDING. This is to recognise you as being a group who are pushing this industry forward and also so that we can all clearly see that there is still work to do as a community to encourage women to be in more leadership roles, both in thought and business and in the spotlight. Onwards and upwards!
The NEW category this year is "Technician of the Year" presented by Caffenu.
A big thank you to our Sponsors who help us make this celebration possible! We are proud to welcome YOCO on board this year as the Presenting Sponsor, as well as welcoming back Sanremo/Electrical Industries and Selati as Gold Sponsors. We are so grateful to all the returning coffee industry brands who see value in celebrating the hard work of these nominees through the year and shining a spotlight on our industry.
Join us at the event! It's the Unofficial End of Year Coffee Industry Party, and you deserve it! Everyone is invited! Bring the Team! It's on the evening of Friday 12th December 2025 at The Venue Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. You can buy tickets here.
Best New Cafe
Presented by Red Espresso
Homeground Coffee Bar
Hue Cafe
Here
Kohi by ifuku
Burnt Clubhouse
Max Bagels at One Park
Best New Roastery
Presented by YOCO
Alcove Coffee
Gather Coffee
Sumo Cat Coffee
Ramkat Coffee
Upper Room Coffee
Smak Coffee Co
Excellence in Coffee
Presented by Sanremo
Shewaan Khan - Yellow Jacket Coffee
Henlo van der Westhuizen – Henlo
*Alicia Steyn - Sorcery Coffee
Craig Smith - Ikusasa Coffee
*Retha van Rhijn - Plato Coffee
Mike MacDonald - Green Coffee Supply
*Shannen Mackay - Rosetta Roastery
Stevo Kühn - Stevo Brews/Platō
*Raissa Dabaji - Marunic Trading
Dedication to Education
Presented by Ciro Coffee Academy
Henning Lubbe – Kushinda Academy
Dylan Cumming - Red Berry
Obakeng Tiny Tshabalala – TriBeCa
Winston Thomas – Cedar Coffee
Shannon Black – Plato Coffee
Theo Le Roux – CupoCafe
Fikile Dlamini – La Marzocco SA
Best Café Design
Presented by Selati
Cafe Sofi by Tashas - CT
Here - JHB
Humble Cafe (Morningside, new space)
Rosetta Cafe (Claremont, new space) -
Yoon's Eatery - White River
The Dressing Room Café - CT
Coffee Instructor of the Year
Presented by HOSTEX 2026
Chris Faragher - Holiday Coffee
Christopher Abrahams - TP Coffee Academy
Thandoluhle Mnyandu - Bluebird Coffee Roastery
*Nicole Terra - Deluxe Coffeeworks
Oz Davids - Avanti Coffee
Siphosethu Luningo - African School of Coffee
Winston Thomas - Cedar Coffee
Technician of the Year
Presented by Caffenu
Jacques Cilliers - EQUISERVE
Paul Lukhele - 9Bar
Ricardo Mitchell - Mitchell Dynamix
Owen Chirilele - Chillarz Tech
Keanen Thompson - La Marzocco
Andre Kleinsmith - Electrical Industries
Gareth Harriss - CoffeeNiqua
Franchise of the Year
Presented by Selati
Bootlegger Coffee Company
Plato Coffee
Seattle Coffee Co
Motherland Coffee
Vida e caffé
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
Presented by YOCO
Lawrence Mtombeni - Shorty's Coffee - https://www.instagram.com/shortys_cffee_co/
Rodney Mudzengerere - Kōhī by Ifuku - https://www.instagram.com/kohi_by_ifuku/
Etienne Abrahams - Kole&Deeg - https://www.instagram.com/kole_en_deeg/
Linda Majola - Hue Cafe - https://www.instagram.com/_huecafe/
Munashe Gumbo - Pulse 99 - https://www.instagram.com/pulse.99coffee/
Best Coffee Packaging
Presented by Brazmata
Nominees are:
Cedar Milky Way x Sweet Lion Heart Collab - Custom bag + Cups
Bean There Coffee 20 Year Packaging, Cups, Olga's Reserve - https://www.instagram.com/p/DOvQ19DiEIC/
Home of the Bean 8th Birthday Special Edition Packaging - https://www.instagram.com/p/DOfzJYNjYfb/?hl=en&img_index=2
Mikro Coffee Reserve Range - https://mikrocoffeeco.co.za/
Pause Coffee Illustrated Cups - https://www.instagram.com/p/DHSUkclhBmp/
Father Coffee - The Factory Line of Goods and Merch - https://www.instagram.com/p/DK4sQactn0o/?hl=en&img_index=7
Deluxe Coffeeworks - Single Origin Packaging - https://www.instagram.com/p/DLpjMgQKSkV/?img_index=1
Best On the Go Coffee
Presented by Dartpac
Nominees are:
Seam Hatch, Stellenbosch - https://www.instagram.com/p/DPt380BjERn/
Cedar Hatch Lemkus - https://www.instagram.com/p/DLm38RRtjCL/?img_index=1
Die Koffie Man - Polokwane - https://www.instagram.com/diekoffieman/
Kufefi Coffee - https://www.instagram.com/kufefi.coffee/
Treat Coffee POD - https://www.instagram.com/p/DK-CCj9tN0n/
The Pantry Rosebank - https://pantry.co.za/
Coffee Box Drive Thru, PMB - https://www.instagram.com/p/DPGHtrvCAqW/
Kei Coffee - https://www.instagram.com/keicoffeeza/
Bumble Coffee & Bakery - https://www.instagram.com/bumblecoffeeza/?hl=en
Best Alternative Brewing Experience
Presented by Hario
Nominees are:
*Hey Stranger Coffee Collective
Ikigai | Yellow Jacket
Bluebird Coffee Roasters
*Mikro Coffee
Espressolab
*Now Coffee
Café Community Award
Presented by Red Espresso
Nominees are:
*Hey Stranger Coffee Collective – CT
Heavenly Coffee – Centurion
Culture Coffee – Pretoria
Holiday Coffee - Port Elizabeth
*Mikro Coffee – Hermanus
Wally's Coffee - Port Elizabeth
*AfricaBlack – JHB
Plato – Nationwide
Ekhaya Coffee - Strand
Coffee Team of the Year
Presented by BWT Africa
Nominees are:
*African School of Coffee
Seam Coffee
Bluebird Coffee Roastery
Avanti Coffee
Yellow Jacket Coffee
Culture Coffee
*Humble Coffee
Father Coffee
Deluxe Coffeeworks
Café of the Year
Presented by Morrico Coffee Specialists
Nominees are:
Home of the Bean - Maboneng, JHB
Father Coffee - Kramerville, JHB
Butter - Seapoint, CT
*Humble Cafe - Morningside, Durban
Origin Cafe - De Waterkant, CT
*Hey Stranger Coffee Collective - CBD, CT
Kole & Deeg - Tulbagh, WC
*Republique, Stellenbosch, WC
Holiday Coffee Co. - Port Elizabeth
Manaka Coffee - Midrand, Gauteng
Fond Eatery - Linden, JHB
*Espressolab De Waterkant, CT
Treat Coffee - Durbanville, WC
Roastery of the Year
Presented by Loring
Nominees are:
*Sorcery Coffee Roasters
Bluebird Coffee Roastery
Cedar Coffee
Father Coffee
Brothers Coffee
Yellow Jacket Coffee
Seam Coffee
*Rosetta Roastery
Origin Roasters
Manna Roastery
Mikro Coffee
Barista of the Year
Presented by Sanremo
Nominees are:
Joshua Machelm - Yellow Jacket Coffee
James Odendaal - Culture Coffee
Moses Masiu - Rosetta Roastery
*Hee Ye Kim - Cedar Coffee
Khutso Menyoko - Hey Stranger
Munashe Gumbo - Pulse 99 / Father Coffee
Siyanda Tose - Plato, Observatory
