Potchefstroomers love Coffee. If you look at all the different coffee shops and pop-up stalls, you would know that we are spoiled for choice.

1 October is World Coffee Day – so go and support our local baristas and coffee spots with a soothing caffeinated cup of coffee – it is pure bliss.

Here are some interesting coffee facts

1. South Africa has its own coffee farms.
   Coffee is grown commercially in parts of the eastern half of the country, including KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
2. South Africa is home to one of the world’s southernmost coffee plantations.
   Beaver Creek Coffee Estate near Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal, is described as the world’s southernmost coffee-growing plantation and produces Arabica coffee.
3. Coffee discovered by goats? Legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia named Kaldi found coffee after his goats got very energetic from eating the coffee berries.
4. Finland love their coffee
   Finland drinks the most coffee in the world, averaging about 1,680 cups per person each year.
5. South Africa’s coffee-shop industry is substantial.
   In April 2025, restaurants and coffee shops generated about R3.16 billion in total income at constant 2019 prices according to Stats SA’s monthly industry statistics.
6. South Africans have been drinking coffee for decades — and the numbers are measurable.
   Stats SA reported that South Africa consumed approximately 31.5 million kilograms of coffee back in 2014.
7. Ricoffy still the top instant coffee brand in South Africa.
   Ricoffy is enjoyed by more people than the next five leading brands (Frisco, Jacobs Krönung, Nescafé, Douwe Egberts, and Koffiehuis) combined. (According to Eighty20)
8. South African coffee chains are increasingly going international
   Platō Coffee expanded beyond Africa in 2026, while other South African coffee brands have also pursued expansion into neighbouring countries and overseas markets.
9. Coffee isn’t just about Arabica and Robusta in South Africa
   A particularly unusual local example is Coffea racemosa, a naturally caffeine-free coffee species grown along part of the Zululand coast.
10. Coffee can protect the liver Frequent coffee drinkers have an estimated 41% to 53% lower risk of developing chronic liver disease and liver cancer. It protects against liver fibrosis and lowers harmful liver enzyme levels