Dreams without ambition are like a fruit tree that bears no fruit. In a feat of bravery coupled with clearing lots of hurdles, young Sihle Magubane has made headlines throughout South Africa by producing his first coffee brand, Sihles Brew, which coincidentally is also the country's first coffee produced by a black South African.
Having lost his mother at just sixteen, Magubane had to step in and take care of his two siblings while completing high school. This did not stop him from dreaming – and dreams fueled his destiny.
Magubane went from being a casual gardener working two jobs to meet his family’s needs to being the proud owner of Sihle’s Brew, South Africa’s first individually black-owned coffee brand.
“The first time I drank a cappuccino it tasted so good it was a life-changing moment – I was like wow. My mind was blown away, and I decided that I would focus my energy on becoming part of this coffee world,” he explained.
Magubane said since then he has embarked on a journey with coffee and began by training as a barista, eventually obtaining a certificate in international barista skills. Sihle’s Brew was born in 2012 when Magubane decided that he was ready and could wait no more.
He started sourcing coffee beans from Ethopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, and Guatamala, which Magubane described as a combination of African flavours with a hint of Latin America.
He then created his own blend from the beans at his location in Strijdom Park, and started selling his coffee one bag at a time.
The coffee is available in five blends: Original, Java Press, Espresso Signature, and Decaf, and with only one per cent caffeine across all the coffee brands, Sihle’s Brew offers coffee lovers a unique taste.
Magubane said that his proudest moment was when he made coffee for former South African president Kalema Motlanthe in 2013.
Magubane has expressed a desire to see Sihle’s Brew grow into a global brand. Judging by the way his dream has grown, it’s only just a matter of a few cups before his brand becomes internationally known.
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