📖 First-hand story — Read Bibi's Bean There barista course review →
Our Story
The distance Bean There is prepared to go to source the earth's best coffee knows no bounds. This is how they found the growers of the finest coffee in the world, who they pay directly for their beans, keeping their business sustainable and theirs meaningful.
When you drink a cup of Bean There coffee, you're not only enjoying the product of South Africa's first roaster of Certified Fairtrade coffee — you're helping to make a sustainable difference in the lives of African coffee producers.
Direct fair trade means producers receive fair payment for their coffee through equal engagement, regardless of market fluctuations, which ensures their community development and empowerment.
“By seeking the best, we explore, learn, and discover the best for ourselves.”
Their single origin, organic, unblended coffee beans can each be traced back to one country and region. To bring the best out of these beans, their optimal roasting process ensures the key coffee elements of aroma, body, acidity and flavour meet in perfect harmony.
Every cup of Bean There coffee is an adventure, transporting the taster from the misty valleys of Mt. Kenya to the fertile rolling hills of North Kivu while always delivering the taste of Africa's coffee heritage.
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.
Our Offering
Coffee
Their coffee is roasted to order so it always arrives at its freshest, wherever you are in the world. Choose from a variety of pack sizes, as well as beans or espresso, filter or plunger ground coffee. Using the right equipment helps to bring out the absolute best in their coffee.
Equipment & Service
Bean There sells a variety of machinery and accessories to meet the needs of individuals, corporates, hotels, lodges, restaurants and cafes. Ask for their expert advice on the best equipment to meet your needs and budget. They also offer machine installation and maintenance services, with advice to help you set up and create the best coffee experience possible.
Training & Consulting
Quality beans and the best equipment aside, a great cup of coffee comes down to the person making it. Their barista training teaches the techniques needed to make a perfect cup every time. Their dedicated training school at 44 Stanley, Milpark, offers a variety of courses designed for career and home baristas, with tailored courses to suit your expectations.
Events & Experiences
They don't only seek out the world's best coffee — they aim to deliver an exceptional experience. Come and join them on a sensory journey at one of their morning cuppings or have their events team serve coffee at your next corporate function, wedding or party.
Direct Fair Trade Coffee
Seven single-origin coffees, each traceable to a specific cooperative and region in Africa.
Burundi
BurundiKayanza
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Musema Cooperative in the Kayanza province.
D.R. Congo
DR CongoNorth Kivu
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Virunga Coffee Company in North Kivu.
Ethiopia Sidamo
EthiopiaSidamo
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Fero Cooperative in Sidamo.
Ethiopia Decaf
EthiopiaCO² Decaffeinated
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Ethiopian coffee farmers.
Kenya
KenyaNyeri
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Ruthagati Cooperative near Mount Kenya.
Rwanda
RwandaMusasa
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative in Musasa.
Tanzania
TanzaniaKilimanjaro
Direct Fair Trade partnership with the Tarakea Cooperative in the Kilimanjaro region.
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.