The CEO and founder of a local coffee roastery was nominated for Forbes Africa 30 under 30, in April. This was according to Chanel Retief, multimedia journalist and curator of Africa Forbes’ 30 under 30-project.
Mhlengi Mluleki Ngcobo is the owner of a Stellenbosch-based gourmet coffee roastery, CoffeeMM. He founded the business in 2017.
He sources coffee beans from around the African continent, such as Uganda, to create local gourmet coffees, said Ngcobo.
Mhlengi Ngcobo, CEO and founder of CoffeeMM, a Stellenbosch-based gourmet coffee roastery that was founded in 2017, at the CoCreate Hub in Stellenbosch.
CoCreate Hub is one of the businesses which sells CoffeeMM beans, according to Ngcobo. PHOTO: Liam Voorma
Making Forbes Africa
Various requirements must be met in order to be nominated for Forbes Africa 30 under 30, said Retief. Nominees must be under the age of 30, not have a criminal record, not be under debt review, and undergo various other background checks, according to Retief.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” said Ngcobo in reference to his nomination. The recognition of Forbes Africa allows for CoffeeMM to reach more people around the continent, said Ngcobo.
The beginning
“When I was 13, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure,” said Ngcobo. “The doctor said I had about 10 months to live. The epiphany I had was… life is short, live everyday as if it’s your last day.”
After being informed that his diagnosis was influenced by high caffeine consumption,
Ngcobo adjusted his caffeine consumption and began to educate himself on the effects.
Over the years, he studied coffee to understand caffeine, and realised not all caffeine is bad, explained Ncgobo. However, he didn’t know how to convert this knowledge into a business, he said.
In 2016, he completed a project management class, within his civil engineering course at Stellenbosch University, and felt that he had then acquired the skills to launch his own business, said Ncgobo.
Dorothy Chapinga, barista at Cocreate Hub, which utilizes CoffeeMM coffee, said that she was proud to call Mhlengi her boss. “[He] is a good, humble man,” said Chapinga.
Mhlengi Ngcobo, CEO and co-founder of CoffeeMM, processes Ugandan coffee beans in a Has Garanti coffee roaster.The processing machine is in the CoffeeMM factory on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, said Ngcobo. PHOTO: Liam Voorma
Plans for the future
Meanwhile, CoffeeMM will be launching an independent academy, CoffeeMM Academy, in May 2023, said Ngcobo. Through the academy, Ngcobo aims to empower young people by offering a five module entrepreneurial skills training course, focusing on the coffee industry, he said.
Mhlengi Ngcobo, the CEO and founder of CoffeeMM illustrates the difference between dark roast coffee beans (left) and medium dark roast coffee beans (right). Dark roast coffee beans have a wet appearance as oils within the bean are excreted further under the heat, said Ngcobo. PHOTO: Liam Voorma