📖 First-hand story — Read Bibi's Bean There barista course review →
The Story
Bean There Coffee Company is South Africa's first Fairtrade-certified coffee roaster. Founded in 2005 by Jonathan Robinson, it was built on a simple conviction: that the people who grow the coffee should benefit directly from its sale. Twenty years later, that conviction hasn't budged.
They work exclusively with African farmers — Direct Fair Trade partnerships in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, and Uganda. Every bag is single-origin, every origin is traceable, and every relationship is long-term. No middlemen, no blends hiding cheap filler.
Their café and roastery at 44 Stanley, Milpark is part gallery, part classroom, part neighbourhood living room. The Chesterfield sofas, the framed origin photos on the wall, the Mahlkönig grinder humming behind the counter — it's a space that takes coffee seriously without taking itself too seriously.
20 Years of Fair Trade
Founded as South Africa's first Fairtrade-certified roaster
Expanded to Rwandan and Tanzanian Direct Fair Trade partnerships
Added DR Congo Kivu to the single-origin range
New packaging design reflecting deeper African partnerships
Zebra-print bags launch — bold rebrand
20th anniversary — Ethiopia Sidamo redesign, current era packaging
Inside the Roastery
The Retail Wall
The retail corner doubles as a coffee equipment showroom. Bialetti moka pots, manual grinders, AeroPress kits, MiiR travel mugs, and of course their full range of single-origin bags — all under one roof. It's the kind of place where you walk in for a flat white and leave with a red Flair espresso maker.
The Range
Ethiopia Sidamo
Fruity, floral, bright acidity
Tanzania Kilimanjaro
Wine-like, chocolate, full body
Kenya AA
Blackcurrant, grapefruit, vibrant
Rwanda
Caramel, citrus, clean
Burundi Kayanza
Honey, stone fruit, cocoa
DRC Kivu
Chocolate, nutty, smooth
Ethiopia Decaf
Smooth, sweet, low acidity
All single-origin. All African. All Direct Fair Trade.
Barista Courses
Bean There runs hands-on coffee courses from their 44 Stanley roastery. The one-day barista course covers espresso theory, grind calibration, milk texturing, and latte art — taught by their in-house team on a commercial La Marzocco and Mahlkönig setup.
They also do cupping sessions and private group tastings. It's how Bibi ended up writing a 3,000-word blog post about it.
Read the course reviewWhy They Matter
In a specialty coffee scene that's increasingly focused on competition scores and experimental processing, Bean There is a quiet reminder that coffee is, first and foremost, an agricultural product grown by people. Their Direct Fair Trade model cuts out the commodity market entirely — farmers are paid above-market rates, and Bean There visits the farms in person.
They were doing this before “ethical sourcing” was a marketing buzzword. Twenty years of receipts.
Fairtrade Certified since 2005
South Africa's first. Direct Fair Trade partnerships in 7 African countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, and Uganda. Every bag traceable to the farm.
Visit
44 Stanley Avenue, Milpark
Johannesburg, Gauteng 2092
Mon–Fri: 7 am – 5 pm · Sat: 8 am – 3 pm · Sun: 8 am – 2 pm
Trust & Transparency
Every roaster in our directory is scored on four factual criteria — roast-date stamping, origin transparency, SCA score reporting, and sustainability certifications — plus community votes.