Ethiopia - Girma Tamiru - Aricha

Yellow Jacket Coffee is a specialty micro roastery based in the Kenilworth neighborhood of Cape Town, co owned by Shewaan Khan, a qualified Q Grader whose commitment to quality control defines the operation's sourcing and roasting standards. The roastery is built around a custom yellow Genio roaster that sits prominently on display inside the cafe space known as Ikigai, where the roasting process is visible to every customer and the machine's distinctive color has become the brand's visual signature. Khan runs three times weekly cup tasting competitions for the entire team, a rigorous internal training program designed to sharpen palates and ensure that everyone involved in serving the coffee understands it at a sensory level before it reaches the customer. The operation roasts top graded specialty coffees sourced from around the world and serves them in a halal friendly cafe environment that opens six days a week from early morning, making it one of Cape Town's most inclusive specialty destinations. Yellow Jacket brings a disciplined, competition informed approach to small batch roasting in a city already rich with specialty talent, standing out through the transparency of its open roastery format and the relentless palate training that underpins every cup.