It’s not just a cup of coffee: Specialty coffee culture in South Africa.

Abstract

With an estimated six million consumers purchasing coffee in South Africa, they are demanding that various factors be present in a coffee business for quality experiences. Local specialty coffee businesses have followed international processes; however, there is little information on how the industry perceives the changing consumer market for specialty coffee. The study’s purpose is to investigate the perspective of specialty coffee business owners on consumption reasoning and changing consumer knowledge. This descriptive qualitative design with a judgment sample of specialty coffee business owners, using semi-structured interviews was conducted. Analyses were performed using inductive content analysis. Specialty coffee business owners have recognised that consumer knowledge has changed, with consumers asking more informed questions about the products being served, demanding quality products and consistency. A recommendation is to focus on the training and education of both service personal and customers to improve the specialty coffee experience.