South African coffee chain Vida e Caffè is looking to expand its footprint in Namibia following the successful launch of its first outlet at Maerua Mall in Windhoek.
The company says it is actively exploring additional locations as it seeks to capitalise on what it describes as a growing and still unsaturated coffee market.
According to Vida e Caffè Chief Executive Officer Darren Levy, Namibia has long demonstrated a strong appreciation for specialty coffee, evidenced by the success of established local brands such as Slowtown Coffee and the recent entry of South African chains, including Seattle Coffee Company and Bootlegger Coffee.
The company believes the country’s growing urban middle class, increasing demand for specialty coffee and strong tourism sector create favourable conditions for further investment.
“Namibia has for many years demonstrated a strong appreciation for specialty coffee, proven by the fact that several strong local brands (like Slowtown) and South African brands (like Seattle and Bootlegger) are successfully operating in Namibia, but we know the market is not saturated yet. A growing urban middle class, increasing demand for specialty coffee and strong tourist support are also attractive,” Levy told The Brief.
He added that Namibia offers opportunities similar to those found in South Africa, including established shopping malls and high-traffic retail locations that support café culture and consumer spending.
Beyond expanding its store network, Levy said the company is committed to creating employment opportunities and transferring skills to local workers.
Vida e Caffè has employed Namibian staff at its first outlet and intends to continue hiring locally as it opens additional stores.
To support skills development, the company dispatches trainers from its headquarters training centre in South Africa to Namibia ahead of store openings. The trainers provide instruction in coffee preparation, food service and customer service.
The company said the programme is designed to facilitate skills transfer while maintaining the same customer experience offered across its operations in South Africa and seven other African countries.
“We have employed Namibian store staff at our first shop and intend to do the same for future shops. We are grateful for the opportunity to play this role in Namibia. We send our international trainer from the Vida HQ training centre in South Africa to Namibia ahead of each store opening to train local staff in coffee and food preparation, ensuring the transfer of skills and that the Vida experience in Namibia is the same as in South Africa and the other seven countries where we operate on the continent,” Levy said.
