South Africa’s first black-owned coffee brand
STRIJDOM PARK – After years of dreaming about coffee, Sihle Magubane creates his own coffee blend.
Sihle Magubane lost his mother at 16, he had to step in and take care of his two siblings while completing high school. This did not stop him from dreaming – and dream big he did.
Magubane went from being a casual gardener working two jobs to meet his family’s needs to being the proud owner of Sihle’s Brew, South Africa’s first individually black-owned coffee brand. “The first time I drank a cappuccino it tasted so good it was a life changing moment – I was like wow. My mind was blown away and I decided that I would focus my energy into becoming part of this coffee world,” he explained.
Magubane said since then he has embarked on a journey with coffee and began training as a barista, eventually obtaining a certificate in international barista skills. Sihle’s Brew was born in 2012 when Magubane decided that he was ready and could wait no more. He started sourcing coffee beans from Ethopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil and Guatamala, which Magubane described as a combination between African flavours and a hint of Latin America.
He then created his own blend from the beans at his location in Strijdom Park, and started selling his coffee one bag at a time. The coffee is available in five blends: Original, Java Press, Espresso Signature and Decaf, and with only one per cent caffeine across all the coffee brands, Sihle’s Brew offers coffee lovers a unique taste.
The Cosmo City resident, said that his proudest moment was when he made coffee for former president Kalema Motlanthe in 2013. Sihles’ Brew can be found at selected Food Lovers Market outlets throughout Joburg and a few retailers in Pretoria as well as in Botswana.
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