R40, 25kg, and 15 Years
Jake Easton founded Tribe Coffee on 10 October 2010 with R40 in cash, 25kg of espresso blend, two months' rent paid forward, one tank of petrol, one SA visa, and R3,000+ owed to FNB. First sale: Café Paradiso, Cape Town.
"I started Tribe Coffee because of my love of coffee, this humble bean literally gave me a chance at a new life. Also, I am the single worst employee 'of All Time', so working for others was out." — Jake Easton
He used to split payments from one back pocket to another, roasting at different Cape Town roasteries by offering training in exchange for machine time. They had no idea he was using more than one.
The 2023 Merger
The wholesale sides of Origin (2005), Truth (2009), and Tribe (2010) merged. The cafés continue independently. Jake was an Origin consultant in 2009 before founding Tribe — the Origin alumni thread that runs through Cedar, YAAWK, Origin, and Tribe finally has a structural ending. They came back together.
Six Blends, Two Formats
Espresso Blend
Tube R140 · 1kg R420Up to 9 coffees fused — truffle, chocolate, red cherry, cinnamon, hazelnut. Italian miscele tradition.
Malawi Gold
Tube R150 · 1kg R440Sweet peaches, truffle goodness, candy floss, milk chocolate. Malawi is a commitment to lesser-known African specialty origins.
Guatemala Chocolate Block
Tube R160 · 1kg R460Chocolate for breakfast. Runaway customer favourite.
Sunday Morning
Tube R145 · 1kg R430Hazelnuts, berries, milk chocolate. Robusta kick. Conceived at Empire Café in Muizenberg — for that sun-on-the-wall feeling.
Lovers Blend
Tube R145 · 1kg R430Chocolate, honeysuckle, red cherries — and maybe just a little bit of love. Made as a goodbye letter, mothballed after heartbreak, resurrected six months later.
Decaf
Tube R180 · 1kg R520"Decaf with main character energy." Six words. That's the entire product description.
Handcrafted Ash Ceramics tumblers — the cup is part of the identity
Tribe × Ash Ceramics
Handcrafted colourful tumblers: Flat White cup R295, Cortado cup R260. The first archive entry where the cup is part of the retail identity. Each piece is uniquely glazed, full of personality, and perfectly sized for your favourite coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Tribe Coffee start?
Jake Easton founded Tribe Coffee on 10 October 2010 with R40 in cash, 25kg of espresso blend, two months' rent paid forward, one tank of petrol, and over R3,000 owed to FNB. His first sale was to Café Paradiso in Cape Town.
What is the Origin, Truth, and Tribe merger?
In 2023, the wholesale operations of Origin (2005), Truth (2009), and Tribe (2010) merged into a single supply-chain entity. The individual cafés continue operating independently under their own brands.
What is the Tribe × Ash Ceramics collaboration?
Tribe partnered with Ash Ceramics to create handcrafted, uniquely glazed tumblers — Flat White cups at R295 and Cortado cups at R260. It's one of the few SA roasters where the cup is part of the retail identity.
What is Tribe Coffee's best-selling blend?
Guatemala Chocolate Block — literally chocolate for breakfast — is described as a runaway customer favourite. The Espresso Blend, fusing up to 9 coffees in the Italian miscele tradition, is their flagship.
Where to Find Them
The Woodstock Foundry, 160 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915
Roaster: Bertha