Origin Coffee Roasting

Overview

Origin was founded in 2006 by Joel Singer — a Montreal-born former Microsoft program manager — and David Donde, who later left to start Truth Coffee. Operating from a converted 1898 tobacco-and-snuff warehouse in De Waterkant, Origin essentially created the specialty coffee market in Cape Town and helped establish the Specialty Coffee Association of South Africa. More than 4,000 baristas have trained at the roastery, and four South African National Barista Champions have come through its ranks.

Known for

• Effectively founded Cape Town's specialty coffee scene
• Helped establish the Specialty Coffee Association of South Africa (SCASA)
• Four SA National Barista Champions trained at the roastery
• Alternative brewing methods bar with rotating selection of 12 coffees daily
• Subject of UCT Graduate School of Business teaching case (2021 AABS/Emerald award)

Why it matters

Origin is the foundational name in South African specialty coffee. Most of Cape Town's prominent roasters and baristas trained or started here, and the company's longevity through COVID and a crowded competitive landscape proves the durability of its model.

Production

roastery location

De Waterkant, Cape Town

Café

28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town 8001

Recognitions

• Subject of award-winning UCT GSB teaching case (2021 AABS/Emerald 2nd prize)
• Co-founder of SCASA (Specialty Coffee Association of South Africa)

Sources

• https://freshcup.com/the-cape-of-good-coffee/
• https://thecoffeevine.com/reviews/cafes/southafrica/cape-town/origin-coffee-roasting-cape-town-za/
• https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/ideas-exchange/entrepreneurship-and-innovation/its-all-about-relationships-brew
• https://magazine.coffee/blog/1/5212/profile-the-origin-coffee-story
• https://za.linkedin.com/company/origin-coffee-roasters-south-africa