One of the perks of what we do is discovering new and exciting things brewing where you’d least expect them (sorry - puns fully intended). During our travels this year we enjoyed more than our fair share of coffee pit stops and fresh java. Naturally we had to share, so here’s our top 5 pick of the best spots to grab a good cuppa in your city or on one of our community tours.

1. The Department of Coffee – Cape Town

Khayelitsha’s first coffee shop was established in 2012 with the purpose of exposing coffee culture to the township’s ever-expanding middle class and to create an alternative to the pull of the city centre. The coffee shop serves up five blends with unmistakable local flavour: Mzansi (Medium roast), African (Medium dark roast), Umlungu (Light roast), Runaway (Medium roast) and Station (Dark roast).

Drop by for a cappuccino at 158 Ntlazane Street in Khayelitsha or enjoy a cup of their coffee on our Cape Town Heritage and Coffee Route Tour.

2. Saviour Brand Coffee – Durban

More a coffee co. than a straight up coffee shop, these guys are nevertheless serving up something fresh for Durban’s coffee lovers. You can pick up a packet of their unique blend of coffee or enjoy a cup brewed with a Burundian single origin bean, which tastes out-of-this-world amazing. We can’t heap enough praise on these guys; all we can say is be sure to stop by the shop, grab a coffee and just hangout.

Pop in for your morning Joe at 51 Station Drive in Durban or enjoy a cup of their coffee on our Complete Durban Experience Tour .

3. Kofi Afrika – Soweto

The first premium coffee shop in Soweto brews up a mean cuppa, from the warm frothy variety to cold options like frozen smoothies. Keeping it 100% African, every cup is made from exotic Ethiopian and Tanzanian beans. Its two owners, passionate coffee enthusiasts, explain that they took the challenge to transform the landscape in order to make coffee a beverage to be enjoyed equally by everyone. And their strategy is paying off, as they see upwards of 40 customers each day – most of them locals.

Stop by for a quick coffee at 7166 Vilakazi Street Orlando or enjoy a cup of their coffee on our Making Tracks or Ek Se Soweto Tours.

4. Origin – Maboneng, Johannesburg

Origin started out in 2006 in Cape Town and is widely recognised as one of the first artisan roasters in the country. They’re highly regarded among coffee lovers, something both Cape Town and Johannesburg can agree on. They’ve enjoyed enough success in the Mother City to start a second shop in Maboneng. And all their top hits have travelled well: they offer several different blends, among them their winter blend, which is a combo of Indian and Brazilian coffee beans.

Get your dose of java at the Arts on Main complex in Maboneng or enjoy a cup of their coffee on our Finding the Main Attraction Tour.

5. Craft Coffee – Newtown, Johannesburg

Craft is a coffee shop tucked away under the M1 highway bridge, but despite being a hidden gem, it manages to serve up big flavour cup after cup. Like Saviour, Craft is a coffee roastery as well as a coffee shop. After starting out as just a roastery and barista training academy the café was opened to the public, and what a gift that has been. You can choose from their Marshalltown Buzz Blend or sip on something a little lighter like their Marshalltown Daily Grind.

Drop in for a cup of their finest at 50 Gwi Gwi Mrwebi Street in Newtown or enjoy a cup of their coffee on our City of Gold. Home of icons or Making a mark in the city Tours.

Coffee anyone?