It’s true, soon South Africans will be joining the ranks of Starbucks drinkers worldwide when the brand lands here in 2016. Adding to the already 22 000 other Starbucks stores globally.

The first store will open in Johannesburg in the begining of 2016 with other locations following thereafter. The full Starbucks menu will be on offer, so coffee drinkers can look forward to favourites like Iced Caramel Macchiatos,Vanilla Lattes and Skinny Mochas, with a few localised menu tweaks as well.

Starbucks announces an exclusive licensed partnership with Taste Holdings for the opening of stores in South Africa, the first in sub-Saharan Africa. Pictured above (from left to right) are Kris Engskov, president, Starbucks Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Carlo Gonzaga, CEO of Taste Holdings.

SA company Taste Holdings, the same people who brought us Dominos Pizza, are the folks bringing Starbucks in, “We are very excited to be Starbucks partner in Southern Africa. As we’ve visited numerous Starbucks markets and partners around the world we’ve come to realise that we share similar core values, including a commitment to localisation and uplifting both direct and indirect partners,” explains Carlo Gonzaga, CEO.

“Young people are the key to our success. The majority of our workforce is aged between 17 and 25 so talented youth has always been a priority and we will equip our new partners with the skills necessary to succeed in today’s economy. We look forward to using our partnership to leverage Taste’s strong track record of creating jobs and developing great people,” says Engskov.

With the South African coffee scene on the up, and with many artisanal roasteries fighting for market share, it will be interesting to follow the development of the brand in the SA market.