South Africa Aims To Turn Its South Coast Into A Coffee Production Hub – CoffeeTalk

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is aiming to turn the South Coast into a hub for coffee production and investment by signing a social compact. The initiative, aligned with the Provincial Reconstruction and Transformation Plan, brings together government, labor, business, and civil society to revitalise the local economy, unlock agricultural growth, and create sustainable jobs. The Ugu District Social Compact was signed as part of the program, representing a collective commitment to revive coffee farming in the region by encouraging smallholder farmers to plant trees and participate in the value chain.

Coffee thrives on smaller parcels of land, making it well-suited to rural development farming models. The Ugu District Social Compact strengthens partnerships to encourage communities to grow, process, and invest in coffee farming, creating sustainable livelihoods and positioning the KZN South Coast as a leading agri-investment destination. Two established players, Beaver Creek Coffee Estate in Port Edward and Mpenjati Coffee Farm, both feature on SCTIE’s Agri Tours, which promote agri-investment through tourism.

Beaver Creek Coffee Estate, South Africa’s longest-standing coffee farm, is part of the RedBerry Coffee Collective, which has partnered with vida e caffè to supply locally grown RedBerry coffee in stores across KwaZulu-Natal. The signing of this social compact is a milestone for rural development, as coffee is an inclusive sector where small growers are central, making it a catalyst for agrarian reform, value creation, and job creation.

Mpenjati Coffee Farm, the largest in the country at 55 hectares, produces single-origin beans, offers processing tours, and runs a roastery supplying outlets nationwide. By supporting smallholder farmers with seedlings and a guaranteed market, the farm can transform backyards into thriving farms and build a vibrant coffee economy that could create 50,000 jobs within the next 10 to 15 years.

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