What better way to start a new month than with your favourite morning coffee, which also happens to be International Coffee Day?
Today is International Coffee Day (1 October). It was officially started by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) in 2015. This year also marks its tenth anniversary.
It’s a double shot of celebrations, if you will, celebrating coffee and the decade. So while it’s International Coffee Day, let’s bring it home to South Africa and unite as a coffee-loving nation.
International Coffee Day in South Africa
The theme for this year’s International Coffee Day is “Collaboration”. It aims to highlight and acknowledge all partnerships that make coffee possible, from production to consumption.
The ICD (International Coffee Day) also encourages and invites all coffee lovers to unite and engage through its digital campaign. It offers various free downloadable posters that explore the prompting phrase, “Coffee is Collaboration because…”.
It goes without saying that many coffee consumers merely enjoy their favourite brew and are often unaware of its origins. The ICD encourages us not to take our coffee just at face value. We are asked to look deeper and question: What are the deeper collaborations when it comes to what is ‘behind the beans’, so to speak?
South Africa isn’t typically a coffee producer. It imports coffee from other countries; however, some provinces, such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal, have become producers. They’re not as prolific as other countries, which is mainly due to the type of climate conditions.
Nonetheless, this doesn’t reduce the significant growth that coffee has had in South Africa. One example is the RedBerry Collective. They have produced the RedBerry blend, a 100% Arabica coffee, right here on our doorstep in KZN and Mpumalanga.
You can also find numerous quality, award-winning roasteries around South Africa. They are run by coffee lovers who dedicate time and effort to producing the best, most sustainable cups of coffee, keeping the spirit of collaboration fresh.
So wherever you are in South Africa, be sure to check out your local coffee shop and savour each sip.
