COFFEE THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY
Jackie Chan once said: “Coffee is a language itself”, and I couldn’t agree more. To me – coffee is more than just a caffeinated beverage. It’s a hug in a mug, it’s a conversation, it’s poetry, it’s both comforting and elevating. I don’t think there is any other beverage in this world that I love more than coffee. So naturally, being a coffee lover, I chatted with Johannesburg-based power couple and coffee enthusiasts Msizi and Angela James, about their lovechild – Gaya Coffee Company.
WORDS: CARLA LOUISE GAILEY
Meet Msizi and Angela James
Born and raised in sunny Durban, Msizi traded tea for coffee in 2018 and never looked back. He moved to Johannesburg in 2017 to work at 5FM on the drive show and that was when he was introduced to “good” coffee by friends who were in the coffee business themselves. Thereafter, he was quickly hooked. Soon after, he developed an interest in the business side of coffee. Msizi has always been someone who believes in combining passion with business, and in 2020 he took the leap of faith and combined his passion for people, coffee and good food and opened up his first of many cafés. Msizi was headhunted and now works for 94.7 doing the Morning Show from 9 AM – 12 PM. Angela was born in Durban, KZN and born into her love for coffee. She is a graphic designer by trade and a creative at heart. No job is too small or too big, as long as it is powered by coffee! Her love for coffee, mixed with her passion for success in life, topped with her love of branding led her down the path of creating Gaya with her husband, Msizi James. Angela runs all of the back ends of the businesses – from finances to branding down to stock take.
What drives the two of you?
We are both extremely passionate about travelling! There are so many people, cultures and places out there to discover and learn more about. It’s safe to say that after our first trip together to Thailand 4 years ago, we have been hooked. We both have a passion for people which heavily ties into our love for travelling. We love to emerge ourselves in the culture and learn languages and the roots of every place we visit. Everyone has a story to tell and even if we can play a small part in relaying that story to people who aren’t able to travel, makes us happy! With that said, the end goal is to be able to frequently travel to the farms in which we source our beans and give back directly to the farmers and communities that help us provide the best coffee beans!
Tell me a bit about why you started Gaya Coffee.
To start, Gaya is the isiZulu word for grind and Gaia, in Greek mythology is the personification of the earth. We established Gaya in 2021 with the vision of creating a coffee brand that is aspirational yet attainable. We aim to bridge the gap between speciality coffee and commercial coffee, a coffee that can be enjoyed by both casuals and connoisseurs. Gaya was created to introduce coffee to people who have been turned off by the pretentious coffee snobs of the world. Our motto is “The Flavor of Africa in every cup” so our signature blend comprises mostly roasts from Tanzania with a touch of South American coffee, Brazil to be exact, to add that chocolaty taste. We are the perfect example of when passion meets opportunity. We now have two cafes open in Sandton which we are so proud of!
I love your tagline - “The Flavor of Africa in every cup” - do you only stock coffee from Africa? What countries do you source your beans from?
We try and keep it local as we have some delicious beans locally but sometimes the South African palette isn’t accustomed to the acidity found in beans from Africa which is why we add in additional beans from elsewhere in the world for a more chocolatey rich taste. Our signature blend is primarily from Africa but essentially we can source beans from all over the world to suit the customer’s needs.
What sets you apart from the other coffee brands?
We think the thing that sets us apart from other coffee brands is our relationships with people and how we communicate with our customers. Coffee is such a relationship-based product which is why we love it so much. We are so deep within our coffee community every single day and are more than happy to spend time chatting with our customers for feedback and comments. We believe in our brand so much and live it in our everyday lives!
Where can we find Gaya Cofee?
You can find Gaya coffee at both our cafes, one at Golds Gym Sandton and the other at Primedia Sandton, alternatively, we are available online at gayacoffee.co.za. We have dreams of expanding so keep an eye open!
Get Connected