Business

The man who founded a successful coffee franchise out of his mother’s garage in one of South Africa’s biggest townships

Kirsten Minnaar • 15 July 2026

A decade after founding his coffee shop in his mother’s garage in Khayelitsha, Sikelela “Siki” Dibela has grown it into a recognised brand with multiple locations, a coffee roastery, and a wholesale coffee supply business.

Today, Siki’s Koffee Kafe serves both locals and tourists, with branches in Khayelitsha and Cavendish Square, and supplies its coffee to cafés and restaurants across Cape Town.

Dibela was born and raised in Khayelitsha and attended school in the township. However, he never finished his high school career.

His first job was as a dishwasher at Vida e Caffè. While washing dishes and preparing food, he became fascinated by the coffee machines and the baristas’ work.

Over time, he worked his way up to become a barista and later a store manager. His dedication earned him the opportunity to spend two years in London.

He spent this time helping to open a Vida e Caffè store and train staff. The experience changed the way he viewed coffee.

When he returned to South Africa, he realised that while coffee culture was growing in many parts of Cape Town, it was almost absent in Khayelitsha. He decided he wanted to change that.

“I wanted to bring the coffee culture into the community of the township of Khayelitsha because at the time there were no coffee shops,” Dibela said in a 2022 interview with Cape Town Etc.

He explained that he wanted to create an environment where people from all walks of life could come together over a cup of coffee.

So, in 2016, Dibela invested all his savings into an espresso machine. Instead of renting expensive commercial premises, Dibela started with what he already had.

His mother’s garage became Siki’s Koffee Kafe during the day, but the family’s car was still parked there every night.

For locals, the shop became more than just a place to buy coffee. It offered Wi-Fi, hosted workshops and community events, and gave entrepreneurs and creatives a place to work and meet.

Dibela also wanted to educate customers about speciality coffee. He explained that many people in township communities were familiar only with instant coffee.

His café introduced customers to bean-to-cup coffee and taught them where the beans came from and how they were produced.

His signature blend combines African coffee beans from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Burundi, roasted locally by master roaster Mzukisi Xhati.

Building the business

Like many small businesses, the early years were difficult. Dibela previously told Coffee Magazine that he spent many days waiting for customers before word spread about the coffee’s quality and the welcoming atmosphere.

To expand the business, he turned to crowdfunding in 2018. His campaign raised enough money to buy a mobile coffee machine.

This strategy allowed him to serve coffee at markets and events and introduce new customers to the Khayelitsha café.

He later described the mobile coffee business as a way of taking his coffee to people across Cape Town while encouraging them to visit the flagship store in Khayelitsha.

The crowdfunding campaign also helped him move closer to another goal: opening his own coffee roastery. That dream became reality in 2021 when Siki’s Roastery officially opened.

Today, the business supplies its own roasted coffee beans to several cafés and restaurants across Cape Town. It has also expanded its footprint over the past few years, with Dibela opening a café in Claremont in late 2021.

He described this as an opportunity to “bridge the gap” by bringing a piece of Khayelitsha to the suburb while encouraging customers to visit the original café.

Unfortunately, the business was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, and Dibela was forced to close this branch. However, this did not deter him from expanding his business.

In 2024, Siki’s Koffee Kafe opened a new store at Cavendish Square, a large shopping mall in Claremont, Cape Town.

The company has also launched coffee trailers, including one in Green Point, and operates coffee outlets in other locations around Cape Town.

Alongside its cafés, the business also sells branded merchandise and continues to grow its wholesale coffee business.

Throughout the company’s growth, Dibela has always maintained that the business is about much more than selling coffee.

He has repeatedly described the café as a place where communities can connect and where local entrepreneurs can find opportunities.

“We’re selling an experience. It’s more involved than just that cup of coffee,” he said in a 2019 interview with the Cape Town Coffee Festival.

The Khayelitsha café has become a popular stop on township tours, introducing visitors to the area’s entrepreneurs while supporting local businesses.

It has also attracted several high-profile visitors over the years, including Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

In 2022, Siki’s Koffee Kafe received Coffee Magazine’s Emerging Entrepreneur Award, and in 2026, the business was nominated for the Township Coffee Awards.