Single Origin · Roasted in Cape Town

Every cup
tells a story
of origin.

We source direct-trade beans from Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Colombia — roasted in small batches from our Woodstock warehouse, so every note reaches you at peak expression.

Shop Coffees Our roast process
12
Origins
3×
Weekly Roasts
7 yrs
In Woodstock
Small-batch · Woodstock
Espresso dripping from a steel portafilter at Cape Roast Co.
Our Origins

From ridge to roaster, direct.

We work exclusively with smallholder farms and cooperatives in the highland growing regions of East Africa and South America. No importers, no middlemen — just a direct relationship with the farmers who grow what ends up in your cup.

CAPE TOWN Roastery HQ ETHIOPIA Yirgacheffe · Guji RWANDA Nyamasheke COLOMBIA Huila · Nariño PRIMARY ORIGIN SEASONAL ORIGIN
Current Offerings

What's on the roaster.

Three coffees, always. Each chosen for distinct character — roasted Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

ETHIOPIA Konga Natural Process Blueberry · Jasmine · Dark Choc ROAST LIGHT ━━━━━━━━━━━━ DARK ALT: 1850m R280
Ethiopia · Yirgacheffe
Konga Natural
Unmistakably Ethiopian — big blueberry fruit, white-flower aromatics, and a silky, wine-like body that finishes clean.
Altitude 1850m
Process Natural
Score 90.5
R280 / 250g
Free shipping over R600
RWANDA Kanzu Washed Peach · Lemon Curd · Caramel ROAST LIGHT ━━━━━━━━━━━━ DARK ALT: 1960m R260
Rwanda · Nyamasheke
Kanzu Washed
Crisp and bright — stone fruit sweetness over a citrus backbone, with a honey-caramel finish that rewards slow drinking.
Altitude 1960m
Process Washed
Score 88.5
R260 / 250g
Free shipping over R600
COLOMBIA El Paraíso Honey Process Mango · Brown Sugar · Almond ROAST LIGHT ━━━━━━━━━━━━ DARK ALT: 1720m R240
Colombia · Huila
El Paraíso Honey
Tropical fruit upfront, brown-sugar warmth through the middle, a long nutty close. The crowd-pleaser of our current lineup.
Altitude 1720m
Process Honey
Score 87.0
R240 / 250g
Free shipping over R600
Find Your Roast

Three coffees. One's yours.

Answer three quick questions and we'll point you to the bag off our roaster that fits how you drink.

Question 1 / 3 Brew method

How do you brew?

How We Roast

Precision from green to cup.

Roasting is not guessing. Every batch follows a documented profile and is cupped before release — no exceptions.

01
Green Selection
Samples from each lot are screened for defects and moisture before any green is approved for purchase.
02
Profile Development
We roast each lot 3–5 times to develop a profile that expresses the bean's natural character, not our preferences.
03
Production Roast
Small-batch 12 kg drum roaster. Every run is logged: BT, ET, rate-of-rise, charge temp, first-crack timing.
04
Cupping & QC
Every batch is blind-cupped within 24 hours. Score below 86 = doesn't leave. No retail exceptions, ever.
05
Rest & Ship
Coffee rests 3–5 days post-roast for CO₂ to settle, then ships immediately. Roast date always on the bag.

Reading the curve.

Every production batch generates a logged roast curve. In an ideal medium-light profile: controlled rate-of-rise, first crack at 8:30–9:00, drop at 11:00–11:30, development time ratio 22–25%.

Charge Temperature 195°C
First Crack ~8:45 min
Drop Temperature 210–214°C
Dev. Time Ratio 22–25%
Total Roast Time 10:45–11:30
220° 190° 160° 130° 0 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12 1ST CRACK ~8:45 DROP 11:10 BT Curve ROR
Brew Guides

Extract the best, every time.

Four methods, four personalities. All tuned for how our roasts behave.

Hario V60
The purist's pour. Clean, transparent, and revealing of origin character. Perfect for our Ethiopian naturals.
Ratio1:16
Water Temp93°C
Brew Time3:30–4:00
GrindMedium Fine
AeroPress
Forgiving, fast, and versatile. Great for travel or when you want a concentrate to build a long black on.
Ratio1:12
Water Temp88°C
Brew Time2:00–2:30
GrindMedium
Chemex
Beautiful on a counter and in the cup. Thick filters produce a super-clean, tea-like clarity.
Ratio1:17
Water Temp94°C
Brew Time4:00–4:30
GrindMedium Coarse
Espresso
Our coffees pull beautifully as espresso — dial in with a lower extraction temp to preserve origin flavour.
Dose / Yield18g / 36g
Water Temp91°C
Shot Time26–30 sec
Pressure9 bar
Barista loading green coffee beans into the drum roaster at Cape Roast Co. Woodstock
Our Story

Started by two baristas who got tired of waiting for better coffee.

Thabo Dlamini and Lisa van Rensburg opened Cape Roast Co. out of a 60 m² garage in Woodstock in 2018. No investors, no launch strategy — just a secondhand Probat, a grinder, and a standing order from the café downstairs.

"We didn't want to be the biggest roastery in Cape Town. We wanted to be the most honest one." — Thabo Dlamini, Co-founder

Seven years on, we roast three times a week, work with eight farms directly, and still cup every batch before it leaves the building. The garage is bigger now — but the rules haven't changed.

We source from regions where altitude, soil, and microclimate create coffee that doesn't need intervention to taste extraordinary. Our job is to not ruin it.

2018
Founded
8
Farm Partners
3×
Weekly Roasts
What People Say

The verdict is in.

★★★★★

"I've been ordering the Konga Natural for eight months straight. The blueberry-jasmine combo is unmistakable — and the roast date is always two days before it arrives. Nothing else comes close in SA."

Sipho Ndlovu
Coffee Enthusiast · Johannesburg
★★★★★

"We switched our café's house filter to Cape Roast's Kanzu Washed six months ago. Customers notice. The peach-caramel thing is real — it's not a marketing line."

Amahle Khumalo
Café Owner · Stellenbosch
★★★★★

"The brew guides actually changed how I dial in my espresso. Getting the El Paraíso Honey as a shot is a project — but when you land it, it's the best thing you'll drink all week."

Ryan Pietersen
Home Barista · Cape Town

Fresh coffee,
on your doorstep.

Subscribe to a weekly or fortnightly delivery and we'll rotate you through whatever's tasting best off the roaster — no commitment, cancel any time.

Start a Subscription Visit the Roastery
Mon–Fri 07:00–15:00 · 14 Albert Rd, Woodstock