What Ciro Coffee academy does

Ciro Coffee Academy, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Bryanston, Johannesburg, is the largest manufacturer of pure coffee in South Africa. The company operates a vertically integrated coffee and beverage solutions platform that spans product manufacturing, equipment supply, technical support, national distribution, and SCA-certified barista training across nine training centers and eight branch locations nationally.

The revenue model combines multiple streams: sale of proprietary coffee brands (Ciro, Blacksmith, Red Espresso, Five Roses) and exclusive distribution of Lavazza in South Africa; equipment sales and servicing for forecourt, hospitality, and retail operators; fee-based training through the Academy (including the first SCA Premier Training Campus in South Africa); and ancillary services such as the Coffee Squad customer support program and the Ciro Coffee Boutique e-commerce channel. Sub-brands include Blacksmith (social-impact coffee), Red Espresso (rooibos espresso alternative), and Coffee Squad.

Ciro serves B2B clients across forecourt retail (BP/Wild Bean Café, Shell/Deli, Sasol, FreshStop), grocery (SPAR Bean Tree), hospitality (Southern Sun, City Lodge, Papachinos), and institutional segments (UNISA). The company holds a Level 2 B-BBEE status (achieved 2023), is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, and reports that 6,000+ baristas have been qualified through the Academy.

Name

Ciro Coffee academy

Legal name

Ciro Beverage Solutions Pty Ltd

Website

https://ciro.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ciro Coffee Academy, founded 1950 in Johannesburg, is South Africa's largest pure coffee manufacturer. It supplies coffee, equipment, distribution, and SCA-certified training to B2B clients across forecourts, hospitality, retail, and institutional segments, and holds exclusive Lavazza distribution rights in SA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee & Beverage Solutions

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (312)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC), Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI), Powdered & Instant Beverage Mixes (Drink Mixes, Instant Coffee/Tea, Electrolytes) (CRADAHAN), Coffee Shops, Cafés & Beverage Programs (EDALADAG), Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD)

Keywords

• Coffee manufacturing
• Barista training
• Beverage distribution
• Coffee equipment supply
• Specialty coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee and Beverage Product Sales: Ciro sources, supplies, and produces coffee and beverage brands including their own Ciro brand, Lavazza, Blacksmith, House of Coffees, Five Roses, and various instant coffees, teas, hot chocolate, biscuits, and snacks. Products are sold through wholesale accounts, the Ciro Coffee Boutique e-commerce platform, and distribution across Southern Africa.
2. Equipment Supply: Ciro offers an impressive range of high-quality coffee equipment for commercial and office use.
3. Barista Training Services: Ciro Coffee Academy provides SCA-certified coffee training courses through 9 training centers nationally. Training includes barista skills, brewing, roasting, and specialty coffee courses with certification through the SCA Coffee Diploma System.
4. Distribution Services: Ciro provides full beverage solution distribution throughout Southern Africa.
5. Technical Support Services: Expert technical and coffee support services for equipment maintenance and coffee quality optimization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ciro manufactures, sources, and distributes coffee and beverage products (proprietary Ciro brand plus distributed brands such as Lavazza, Blacksmith, Five Roses, and Red Espresso) for commercial clients across Southern Africa. Through Ciro Coffee Academy, the company delivers SCA-certified barista, brewing, roasting, and specialty coffee training across nine national centres. The offering is rounded out with coffee equipment supply, beverage distribution, technical support, mobile coffee bars for events, and B2B and B2C ordering platforms.

Product overview

Ciro is a comprehensive coffee and beverage solutions company operating as the largest manufacturer of pure coffee in South Africa with over 70 years of experience. The company offers a platform-plus-services architecture comprising: Ciro Coffee Academy (SCA-certified training across 9 national centres), proprietary Ciro brand coffee products (filter, espresso beans, instant, capsules), distributed premium brands (Lavazza, Blacksmith, Red Espresso, Five Roses), the Ciro Coffee Boutique e-commerce platform, Ciro Orders B2B portal, coffee equipment sales, beverage distribution throughout Southern Africa, technical support, mobile coffee bars for events, and the Barista Upliftment Programme for youth employment. The product portfolio spans from training and education to products, equipment, and support services serving wholesale, retail, hospitality, and business & industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blacksmith: A social impact coffee brand focused on job creation and training of new baristas through the Barista Upliftment Programme
• Ciro Coffee Boutique
• Coffee Squad

Products and services

• Ciro Coffee Academy SCA-certified coffee education and barista training across nine national training centres, offering barista skills, brewing, roasting, sensory, and Coffee Diploma System modules. Targeted at hospitality, retail, and commercial coffee operators as well as individual baristas seeking certification.
• Ciro Brand Coffee Ciro's proprietary coffee line including filter coffee, espresso beans, instant coffee, and capsules. Sold through B2B accounts, the Ciro Coffee Boutique e-commerce store, and Ciro Orders B2B portal across South Africa.
• Lavazza Coffee Premium Italian espresso beans, capsules, and filter coffee distributed exclusively by Ciro in South Africa under its partnership with Lavazza.
• Blacksmith Coffee Sustainably sourced coffee blends sold by Ciro with proceeds supporting the Blacksmith Barista Upliftment Programme for unemployed youth and deaf candidates.
• Red Espresso Award-winning rooibos tea espresso range (ground, pods, capsules) distributed by Ciro as a caffeine-free alternative to coffee for retail and hospitality customers.
• Five Roses Tea Premium black, rooibos, and green tea range in envelope formats distributed to retail, hospitality, and office customers.
• Hug In A Mug Hot Chocolate Hot chocolate product line including powder and ready-to-drink options distributed to hospitality and retail channels.
• Coffee Equipment High-quality espresso machines, grinders, and ancillary coffee equipment supplied alongside beverage products for complete commercial coffee service solutions.
• Ciro Coffee Boutique Online shopping platform at cirocoffeeboutique.co.za selling coffee, tea, hot chocolate, biscuits, and accessories with delivery across South Africa to small-medium offices, businesses, and consumers.
• Ciro Orders Portal B2B online ordering portal at orders.ciro.co.za enabling existing commercial account holders to place product orders across the full Ciro beverage and equipment range.
• Beverage Distribution Full beverage solutions distribution service covering wholesale, retail, hospitality, and business and industry sectors throughout Southern Africa via Ciro's branch network.
• Technical Support Expert technical and coffee support services for equipment maintenance, coffee quality assurance, and barista troubleshooting for commercial customers.
• Mobile Coffee Bars Professional mobile coffee bars and trained baristas supplied for corporate and private events.
• Barista Upliftment Programme Three-month social impact barista training programme (City & Guilds certified) recruiting unemployed and under-skilled South African youth, with provisions for deaf candidates, supporting employment at commercial clients.
• Ciro Coffee Squad Customer service excellence programme where Ciro representatives visit valued customers on a scheduled basis to improve coffee quality and upskill baristas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000+ baristas qualified through Ciro Coffee Academy training programmes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LavazzacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 October 2024Exclusive distribution partnership for Lavazza coffee products in South Africa. Ciro hosts Lavazza Barista Challenge South Africa competitions and Lavazza Excellence Awards. Ciro's Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal training centres are authorized Lavazza Training Academies. The partnership includes exclusive rights to distribute Lavazza products through Ciro's channels.
• BP South AfricacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 December 2023BP South Africa's Wild Bean Café concept, operating for over 22 years, sources coffee and beverage solutions through Ciro. Ciro supported the refresh of the Wild Bean Café concept.
• Spur CorporationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2023Ciro partnered with Spur Corporation for Rise Against Hunger Africa meal packaging initiative for World Hunger Day on May 28th, 2023. Ciro team members participated in packing nutritious meals for Early Childhood Development centres.
• Brave To LoveminorOthers · 3 February 2023Non-profit organisation reaching, rescuing, and rehabilitating victims of sex trafficking. Ciro Coffee Academy provided barista training to survivors to empower them with skills for a safe path to recovery and employment.
• SPAR Bean TreecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 September 2017SPAR Bean Tree is a key retail partner operating coffee shop concepts within SPAR stores. Ciro supplies Lavazza coffee and provides training through Ciro Coffee Academy including deaf barista placement programme. Jointly hosts SPAR Bean Tree Regional Barista Competition.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiro Coffee Academy is authorized to deliver SCA-certified courses and Coffee Diploma System qualifications. Ciro's Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal training centres certified as SCA Premier Training Campuses. 9 Authorised SCA Trainers (ASTs) deliver courses across the network.
• red espressominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCiro distributes the award-winning red espresso rooibos tea espresso product range through its channels in South Africa. red espresso is a caffeine-free alternative to coffee available in ground, pods, and capsule formats.
• UNISAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNISA introduced Short Course in Barista Skills as part of their curriculum, with Ciro Coffee Academy as training provider. UNISA provides sponsored enrollment for 30 deaf barista candidates. Course is NQF Level 4/5 certified.
• Blacksmith Coffee MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlacksmith is a social impact coffee brand focused on job creation and training. Ciro distributes Blacksmith coffee and runs the Barista Upliftment Programme through Ciro Coffee Academy, training unemployed youth and deaf candidates.
• eDeafminorOtherseDeaf promotes education of deaf people and recruitment of deaf candidates for barista training. Partnered with Ciro Coffee Academy and SPAR Bean Tree for deaf barista placement programme.
• Rise Against Hunger AfricaminorOthersInternational hunger relief organization working to end hunger and malnutrition. Ciro joined Spur Corporation's initiative to raise awareness and pack meals for World Hunger Day 2023.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Strauss Group (Elite Coffee / Café Landwer): Israeli food and beverage group with coffee operations. Comparable as a regional manufacturer-distributor of branded coffee for retail and foodservice, though operating in a different geography than Ciro's Southern Africa footprint.

Broad incumbents

• illycaffè: Italian premium coffee manufacturer with its own Università del Caffè training programme. Comparable as a roaster combining proprietary espresso blends, capsules, equipment, and certified barista education — closely mirroring Ciro's integrated model.
• Caffè Nero: European coffee chain and roaster with its own training programmes. Comparable to the broader Ciro model combining roasting, equipment, training, and operated retail/hospitality coffee bars.
• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Global coffee manufacturer owning brands such as Boncafé and Chock full o'Nuts. Comparable as a B2B-focused roaster supplying foodservice and retail accounts across multiple geographies with private-label capabilities.
• Nestlé Professional (Nescafé): Nestlé's out-of-home coffee and beverage division. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying soluble/instant coffee, machines, and service support to hospitality, forecourts, and offices — directly overlapping Ciro's enterprise segments.
• Lavazza: Italian global coffee manufacturer and Ciro's exclusive distribution partner in South Africa. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated coffee roaster with training academies (Lavazza Training Center), foodservice accounts, and branded capsule/equipment ecosystems.

Direct peers

• Truth Coffee Roasting: Award-winning South African specialty coffee roaster. Comparable as a domestic competitor competing for premium hospitality and retail accounts in the same South African market, though focused on specialty rather than mass/forecourt channels.
• Tribe Coffee: South African specialty roaster supplying wholesale accounts. Directly comparable to Ciro's B2B coffee supply motion within South Africa, particularly in the premium café and hospitality segment.
• Bean There Coffee Company: South African Fairtrade specialty roaster with wholesale accounts. Comparable as a domestic roaster competing in the same wholesale and hospitality channels as Ciro, with overlapping training and barista development activity.

Others

• JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): Global coffee and tea manufacturer with strong presence across retail and foodservice. Comparable as a multi-brand pure coffee manufacturer with roasted, instant, and capsule formats serving wholesale and B2B channels similar to Ciro's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciro-coffee-academy
• Facebookfacebook.com/CiroCoffee

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ciro Coffee academy