Would you like good vibes with your coffee?

“When people come here for coffee, they’re not just thirsty for coffee. They’re thirsting to engage with people,” he said.

“When people buy coffee here, they’re getting good energy, good vibes, with it.”

The four-month-old coffee shop in trendy Maboneng Precinct is fast becoming a popular space in the area, and while proudly African coffees form the backbone of the business, smiling is an important part of the business plan.

“I think we took a bold decision to open, knowing that it’s easy to open a coffee shop, but it can be hard to sustain them,” said Ragophala.

“Our philosophy is to have high energy. We want to see more smiles, and we want to make every person who walks into the shop smile.”

Ragophala also said he was working on a plan that would operate on the Fair Trade model, as he wants to support African coffee farmers, adding that coffees from Kenya and Ethiopia were among their popular sellers.

The shop also stocks pastries and biscuits, and the menu will expand to include sandwiches and pies.

Ragophala said that the shop had also begun hosting cultural events.

“We started a reading group that initially met on Thursdays, but we’ve had to move it to Saturdays, due to popular demand. We support a culture of reading, and find that more and more people want their children to start reading earlier in life,” he said.

People are encouraged to bring their favourite book along to the informal meeting and share readings from it.

“This is another way in which people can engage with others at Kahawa,” he said.

“It’s not about trying to fit in. This is a vibey place, a jol, where people can be themselves.”

Kahawa Club is at The Main Street Bizarre, corner of Main and Maritzburg streets, Maboneng Precinct.

Details: 076 737 3159; 084 023 3229; pitsira@gmail.com