Coffee Journal Launches as South Africa's First Independent Specialty Coffee Community Platform
Cape Town, South Africa — 3 June 2026 · For Immediate Release
Coffee Journal (coffeejournal.co.za) today launches as South Africa's first free, independent, community-driven specialty coffee platform — giving home baristas, roasters, and coffee lovers a single destination to discover, learn, log, and rate the country's specialty coffee scene.
Founded by Bibi Burness, Coffee Journal addresses a gap in the South African coffee ecosystem: a central, unbiased hub that connects consumers with local roasters while promoting transparency and education.
“I started Coffee Journal because I couldn't find a single place that told the stories of South African roasters — who they are, how they source, and why their coffee tastes the way it does. This platform is my way of learning in public and building something useful for every coffee lover in the country.”
— Bibi Burness, Founder
What's on Coffee Journal
27+ South African Roasters
A curated, trust-scored directory spanning Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, and beyond — with dedicated city hub pages.
Roaster Trust Score
South Africa's first transparency-based scoring system: roast-date stamping, origin transparency, SCA score reporting, and sustainability certifications — scored out of 100.
60+ Glossary Terms
A living A–Z coffee glossary covering every term from Americano to WDT, written for South African baristas and enthusiasts.
Grind Size Reference
The most comprehensive grind guide available: 7 grind sizes, 14 filter grinders with measured microns, espresso settings for 12+ grinders, and a 5-step dial-in workflow.
Espresso Brew Logger
Log every shot — grind, dose, yield, time, and taste notes. Track your dial-in journey bean by bean.
Community Voting
Rate your favourite beans and roasters. Community scores sit alongside editorial Trust Scores for a complete picture.
What Sets Coffee Journal Apart
- Transparency-first Trust Scores: Every roaster is scored on four factual criteria — roast-date stamping, origin transparency, SCA score reporting, and sustainability certifications — not paid placements.
- South African focus: City hub pages for Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, and Pretoria. Content covers load-shedding brewing, local roaster stories, and SA-specific terminology.
- Entirely free: No paywalls, no premium tiers, no sponsored listings. Coffee Journal is built for the community, by the community.
- POPIA-compliant: Explicit consent flows, a detailed Privacy Policy, and data rights for every user under the Protection of Personal Information Act.
- AI-search optimised: Structured data (JSON-LD), direct-answer blocks, and an llms.txt file ensure Coffee Journal's content is accurately cited by AI search engines.
By the Numbers
27+
Roasters listed
11
Deep-dive profiles
60+
Glossary terms
20+
Grinders referenced
Featured Roasters at Launch
Coffee Journal launches with in-depth profiles for 11 South African specialty roasters:
- Cedar Coffee Roasters — founded by 3× SA Barista Champion Winston Thomas
- Yellow Jacket Coffee — CMA Roastery of the Year 2024, led by SA's only Q Processing Professional
- Humble Coffee — Durban's women-led roastery, Café of the Year 2023
- Origin Coffee Roasting — five SA Barista Champions, 3,500 baristas trained
- Robin Chat Coffee — 2026 SCASA Gauteng Regional Barista Champion
- Brüder Coffee — Klerksdorp's garage-born roastery, best booth at Joburg Coffee Festival 2026
Additional profiles cover Tribe Coffee, Bluebird Coffee Roastery, Culture Coffee, Heavenly Coffees, and YAAWK Coffee.
Key Resources
- SA Roaster Directory — full directory with trust scores
- Coffee Glossary — A–Z terminology for South African baristas
- Grind Size Guide — the definitive reference for home baristas
- Blog — roaster spotlights, guides, and coffee culture
- Verify My Roaster — community trust voting
- Cape Town Roasters · Joburg · Durban · Pretoria
About Bibi Burness
Bibi Burness is a South African coffee enthusiast and self-described “coffee amateur” who built Coffee Journal to document her own learning journey and share it with the community. Based between Cape Town and Pretoria, she visits roasteries, attends festivals, and writes about the people behind the beans. Read more on the About page.
Media Contact
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