Coffee Lab at Ballito’s Lifestyle Centre brewed its way to victory, claiming the title of the best coffee shop in KZN.

The coffee shop has been awarded top honours in the Battle of the Beans competition, sponsored by sugar producers Selati, and run by Coffee Colab, a non-profit dedicated to elevating café culture.

A team of 30 judges went undercover, visiting more than 250 coffee shops across KZN, assessing them in various categories including flavour, appearance, presentation, barista skills and overall coffee shop vibe. The competition excluded mainstream restaurants and franchises.

Coffee Lab owner and founder Sbusiso Nkolothi (37) shared his winning formula.

“It’s all about simplicity and consistency,” he said.

Coffee Colab Co-founder Ingrid Shevlin credited Coffee Lab’s victory to its consistent rich and flavourful coffee.

“They consistently served richly flavoured coffee at the right temperature in the correct size cups with faultless crema in the case of the espresso and perfectly microtextured foam in the case of the cappuccino. In addition, his coffee shop offers a welcoming vibe and excellent, friendly service,” said Shevlin.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Sbu moved to South Africa in 2010 seeking work but ended up homeless in Durban for five months.

With determination, he found a restaurant job, where his hard work and eagerness to learn quickly made him stand out. After gaining experience, he became a barista, honing his craft until the Covid-19 pandemic led to his retrenchment. Undeterred, he pursued his dream, and at the end of 2020, Coffee Lab opened at The Gallery, inside Ballito Lifestyle Centre.

Beyond serving top-tier coffee, he has used the business as a platform to recruit and train young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, equipping them with barista skills to help them earn a living.

“You have to study the craft to be the best in it,” he said.

The North Coast provided the judges with a great many excellent baristers and cafés to sample, and Coffee Lab was not the only high achiever. They named Skyline Coffee in Salt Rock as the 2nd runner-up in KZN and Foam Coffee in Umdloti within the top three on the North Coast. Awards were given to the top three in each region – Greater Durban, Highway, North and South Coasts, and Pietermaritzburg and Midlands – plus the overall top three.

First runner up in KZN went to Lineage Coffee in Hillcrest and top barista was claimed by Keagon Chavoos of Crane Flower Coffee in Kloof.

The top three in each region (in no particular order):

PIETERMARITZBURG AND KZN MIDLANDS:

• Lineage, 103 Old Main Rd, Nottingham Road
• Next Coffee Cafe, Northern Park, Pietermaritzburg
• Home Slice Café, Karkloof Rd, Howick

BEREA:

• Boston Brew, Morningside, Durban
• Skyline Coffee Roasters, Morningside, Durban
• Saviors Café, Glenwood

SOUTH COAST AND AMANZIMTOTI:

• Berry Crafty Café, Munster, Port Edward
• The Stables, Marine Drive, Shelly Beach
• The Waffle House, Marine Dr, Ramsgate

NORTH COAST:

• Coffee LAB, Ballito
• Skyline Coffee, Salt Rock
• Foam Coffee, Umdloti Beach

UPPER AND LOWER HIGHWAY:

• Crane Flower Coffee, Kloof
• Velvet Coffee Co, Kloof
• Lineage Coffee, Old Main Rd, Hillcrest

CENTRAL DURBAN / BEACHFRONT / BLUFF:

• Hilton Hotel, Durban CBD
• Basi Bean Cafe – in the process of relocating
• Heidi’s Cafe, Anstey’s Beach Backpackers, Bluff

UMHLANGA / KWA MASHU:

• Tiki Tonga Coffee, Chartwell Dr, Umhlanga
• African Roots Coffee, Lagoon Dr, Umhlanga
• Moto Cafe, Meridian Dr, Umhlanga

DURBAN NORTH / GLENASHLEY / LA LUCIA:

• Now Coffee, Glen Ashley, Durban
• Colombo Coffee and Tea, Durban North
• Gatvol Coffee, La Lucia, Durban North

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