This issue of the Discover Great Coffee Club celebrates the TOP 6 roasters in South Africa, as announced at the Gala Dinner of the Coffee Magazine Awards in Johannesburg recently. These 6 roasters have sent us their current favourite coffees for you to taste – so you can see how Champions do it!
Durban
Winner of A Shot in the Dark 2025, Amy Gardiner made sure this year that the trophy stays in Morningside, Durban. This, after her right-hand woman, Lindokuhle Mvambi won the competition in 2024! This is an unprecedented feat in the competition over the last 8 years, for a roastery to win the title back-to back. Obviously these ladies are taking their roasting to the next level. Taste their Muki Fruity from Mt. Elgon Uganda, and experience notes of cherry, dates and sweet caramel. Yum!
Maboneng
Leroy Kgopa has quietly been making a name for himself and the Maboneng precinct in downtown Joburg with his team at Home of the Bean. Winning Café of the Year in 2025 and placing second in A Shot in the Dark, this marathon runner knows how to pace himself in the coffee world. Taste this exciting new release, Burundi, Nyangar, Kigina Hill, natural in the new packaging to get your 2026 off to the perfect start.
Cape Town
Cedar have had an incredible year, and this accolade for Leigh Wentzel and Euan Adriaanse is a huge moment for the small team with big dreams. Not only did they take the bronze for roasting, but they walked away with Best On the Go Coffee for their Cedar Hatch at Lemkus, and they won the BIG ONE…Barista of the Year 2025, awarded to Hee Ye Kim. Oh, and there's 3x SA Barista Champ, Winston Thomas in the mix for good measure, working on opening their first official cafe! Taste their Keyna Kathende AA for a coffee bursting with skill, energy and ambition!
Malalane
Mel Preddy is the roaster from RF Coffees, and has been a stalwart for quality coffee in the far north of Southern Africa. His operation is unconventional to say the least. “I have teamed with a non-profit to establish a new coffee shop in Malelane, which means that 13 years' worth of roasting passion will be channeled into an outlet which has development of excellent coffee service at its heart, on top of delicious coffee in its own right.” Mel has chosen the Kenya Highlands AA - the actual A Shot in the Dark 2025 competition coffee - taste it and tell us this isn't one of the most talented roasters in the country!
Cape Town
In 5th place this year is Yellow Jacket. Probably one of the most talked about coffee brands in South Africa right now. With an incredibly talented and hungry team, Yellow Jacket are deeply invested in the coffee community and their standard line when asked for absolutely anything do with coffee is "We're in!" Besides investing in education both locally and internationally, they won SA Aeropress 2025, went to the World AeroPress Champs in South Korea, attended every single Creative Coffee Week, and smashed out at Top 6 position in A Shot in the Dark. Absolute legends…this is Yellow Jacket's Circus Bear.
Groot Brak Rivier
Ben Ferreria and his team at Brothers Coffee from Grootbrak on the Garden Route have over the past 10 years, carved out a name for themselves as one of the best roasters in the country. They have entered all the A Shot in the Dark competitions since 2019, the past 4 years with two roasters each edition (Ben, Carmen and Peter), they have come 2nd twice (2019 & 2024) and placed in the Top 10 six times! What Brothers has done for coffee in the Garden Route and beyond is unprecedented. Taste this Bugolobi blend to see what passion, consistency and dedication to the craft taste like.