Categories: Guides

Is Durban The Real Coffee Hub Of South Africa?

All coffee snobs agree that Cape Town is the coffee hub of South Africa, right? “Hold up”, I can hear you thinking, “who are you calling a coffee snob?”. Well, if you:

Find yourself in animated Arabica versus Robusta debates
Can wax lyrical about the body, flavour and aroma of a good cuppa
Have nostrils that disdainfully flare at the mere mention of “instant”

Then you’re probably a (proud) coffee snob. Welcome, friend. Now, if all this coffee talk leaves you lamenting about Cape Town and your last fix at Truth, here’s a little inside information from a Durban local:

Durban may be the real coffee hub of South Africa.

I couldn’t believe it either. While you shouldn’t take the above as an official statement (I’m only a coffee snob, not the coffee police), I’m pretty sure Durban will surprise you when it comes to hunting down your next fix. Let’s take a brief journey through Durban’s many great coffee spots, which also happen to offer excellent 2-for-1 deals on your ENTERTAINER App:

#1 | Love Coffee

Only a few years old now, Love Coffee has quickly risen to institution status. Thanks to warm vibes and delicious brews, it’s home to many an officegoer before the clock strikes 8am, and many freelancers and pass-timers thereafter. Grab your delicious cuppa on Durban’s old Windermere Road – and maybe a vegan packed lunch to go. Love Coffee has a strict sustainability policy, which only enhances its awesomeness.

#2 | Jooma Coffee

Durban coffee-lovers can also get some vooma from Jooma. This Kloof-based coffee shop is down the Village Way, open early and striving to bring worldwide coffee culture to you. They serve up a 100% Arabica espresso blend with ‘vibrant and nutty undertones’, complete with a fresh, simple food menu, and plenty of baked goods to boot.

#3 | African Roots Coffee

A newbie on the popular Umhlanga strip, and a wonderful addition to our coffee hub, African Roots Coffee is – yup, you guessed it – all about the coffee. Their locally sourced, premium single-origin coffee will delight every coffee lover – as will the skilled prep of talented baristas. Bask in the gorgeous interiors while you listen out for the sea, which is just a stone’s throw away.

#4 | I Love My Coffee

Turn the tempo right down and settle in for a quiet cuppa at I Love My Coffee. This quaint coffee shop in Kloof is perfect for friendly catch-ups and quick (delicious!) bites between office hours.

#5 | Strength Café

Few combos are as complementary as caffeine and exercise. Step inside Ballito’s Strength Café, located within the I Move Fitness Gym – an elite high-performance centre. Strength Café takes great pride in their full-bodied brews (pun very much intended): Skyline and Mokador. There are also delicious, nutritious (and generously sized) meals on offer for the health-conscious. The upbeat, energetic and clearly fitness-focused ambience might just have you tempted to train as well. Step aside, caffeine buzz, exercise endorphins are ready to take over!

#6 | The Daily Coffee Café

Now, for something a little different. This New-York-meets-Karoo café is coffee refinery at its best. They offer the urbanism of The Big Apple combined with a scenic and down-to-earth South African appeal. The Daily Coffee founder, De Bruyn, believes that “manually-prepared coffee is the one place where humans are still able to do better than machines”, so you won’t find any automatic espresso machines here. Relish the taste of a carefully prepared cuppa Joe (in a chocolate-coated sugar cone, if you’d like), while you absorb the low-lit, upmarket atmosphere.

#7 | Wonderland Coffee

Instagram fans are calling it “the best coffee on the North Coast”. Which kinda sounds like you need to head to Wonderland Coffee right now and make your way through their menu, espresso by espresso…