Had Mhlengi Ngcobo had taken his doctor literally, his life would probably have taken a completely different direction, writes Neo Webb
Diagnosed a young hypertensive in high school and advised to forgo caffeine, Mhlengi Ngcobo never gave up on coffee.
Instead he chose to delve deeper into the world of the brew, starting CoffeeMM – the coffee roastery start-up that catapulted him onto the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of young entrepreneurs in 2023.
Just 22 and studying civil engineering at Stellenbosch University, he picked the coffee business as a topic for a project management course. CoffeeMM grew from school project to a roastery, a coffee shop, and a barista academy, standing out in the market through its deliberate approach to sourcing, roasting, and preparing coffee, coupled with its unwavering dedication to fair treatment of everyone involved in its operations.
But its seven-year journey has not all been plain sailing.
“The biggest challenge was limited access to capital and resources, and the reality of failure sometimes coming before success,” he says. ”I had to become the business’s biggest asset, which included upskilling myself to handle tasks like graphic design, website building, and even coffee roasting.”
Tough lesson
The closure of his second coffee shop in Somerset West within four months of opening was a tough lesson in market research and the importance of understanding demographic and geographic segmentation.
CoffeeMM wasn’t spared the difficulties that arrived with the covid pandemic in 2020. By 2021, its turnover had shrunk 80% and Ngcobo had lost all production machinery and personal assets to theft.
He started anew with just R2,000 (about $100).
“This hardship taught me that anyone could bounce back from any catastrophe,” he says. A little older and much wiser, he diversified, with his biggest turnover now coming from services rather than coffee.
Making it onto the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2023 “was a humbling experience and shows that what I’m doing is working. It has enabled me to expand my network to meet other like-minded young people who are driving different industries.”
Ngcobo’s business philosophy revolves around creating value and prioritising customer satisfaction. “Profitability is directly proportional to the value that I can create,” he explains. Feedback mechanisms and offerings tailored to customer needs are integral to CoffeeMM’s strategic approach.
Barista Battle
Fostering a working environment where employees feel valued and have a sense of ownership has been crucial in aligning Ngcobo’s team with CoffeeMM’s goals.
Ngcobo emphasises CoffeeMM’s commitment to local community development, exemplified by initiatives such as
entrepreneurship courses for high school students, offered in collaboration with SEDA. Last year CoffeeMM ran an entrepreneurship programme for more than 300 learners from nine schools in the Western Cape, aiming to instil an entrepreneurial mindset among youngsters.
CoffeeMM hosts The Barista Battle in Stellenbosch. The competition unites coffee enthusiasts to celebrate the art of coffee making. Its categories – Coffee Connoisseur, Best Latte Art, and Overall Winner – offer an opportunity for baristas and coffee enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to participate in and contribute to this exceptional experience.
Ngcobo’s vision for CoffeeMM is ambitious and forward-looking. He plans to expand operations to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and has set his sights on going public by 2030.
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is rooted in practicality and perseverance.
“Start with what you have, and focus on execution,” he says. The start of entrepreneurship is rarely glamorous. It is about learning and reflecting at each step.