To Trend or Not to Trend?
by Melandri Taljaard, Beverage Consultant at VDP Distributors.
To trend or not to trend, that is the real question. Trends help us stay relevant, meet ever-changing customer expectations, and remain competitive in a fast-moving industry. While some trends are best left on TikTok, others, when chosen strategically, can add real value to a café business. The key isn’t chasing every viral moment, but understanding which trends align with your brand, your customers, and your long-term goals.
Next time you doom-scroll or skim an article, take note of the smaller shifts happening in the background — they might just be the next big thing.
Globally, over 2.5 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day, making coffee one of the most valuable beverage categories in the world. South Africa’s coffee industry continues to grow, driven by café culture and a rising demand for premium experiences.
One category quietly but confidently shaking up the coffee space is matcha. Once considered niche, matcha has moved firmly into the mainstream, especially among younger, wellness-focused consumers. What makes matcha so disruptive is not that it replaces coffee, but that it sits comfortably alongside it — offering a different kind of energy, ritual and experience. With its slower caffeine release and naturally calming effect, matcha appeals to customers looking for focus without the jitters, making it an ideal alternative for afternoon and non-coffee drinkers.
From a café perspective, matcha broadens the customer base without taking anything away from a cafés coffee-led identity. It attracts health-conscious consumers, those reducing caffeine intake, and customers who may not traditionally order coffee at all. Matcha drinks also perform exceptionally well in iced and flavoured formats, lending themselves to premium menu builds, strong visual appeal and healthy margins. A well-executed strawberry matcha latte or iced matcha mojito can quickly become a signature offering that strengthens overall the beverage menu by broadening choice and increasing repeat visits.
This shift feeds directly into a much larger movement shaping the future of coffee: functional beverages.
Coffee is no longer just a hot drink grabbed during the morning rush, it has become part of a lifestyle. Imagine this: you’ve just finished a 5am stroll along the promenade. You walk into a small café, drawn in by the aroma of freshly ground beans. Soft music plays, quiet conversations hum, steam wands hiss rhythmically, and an enthusiastic barista calls out orders with confidence. You decide to try something new, a sceletium-based iced coffee tonic. You leave feeling focused, calm and energised, without the familiar shake-up that sometimes comes with caffeine.
Functional coffees are one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry, valued at $4.48 billion in 2025 and still climbing. These drinks combine espresso with added benefits such as adaptogens, botanicals, protein or collagen. Matcha naturally sits within this space too with its antioxidant profile, calming properties and clean energy making it a functional option by nature.
Take that coffee tonic you ordered. You had the choice between a functional base designed to support focus or relaxation, elevating the coffee beyond caffeine alone. This approach allows cafés to meet growing consumer demand for wellness-driven choices without moving away from coffee culture. As more people lean toward nature-inspired, purpose-led products, functional beverages help cafés broaden their customer base and stay relevant.
Alongside functionality, one trend remains constant and non-negotiable: sustainability.
Worldwide, over 80% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainably produced products. Sustainability is no longer a marketing angle, it’s an expectation. Brands that can verify their impact through transparent supply chains, responsible sourcing and long-term environmental commitment are the ones earning trust.
We can use a brand like Douwe Egberts as a good example, with a long and rich history that started over 260 years ago. The DE brand has gone lengths to ensure all round sustainability with their “Common Grounds Program” that focuses on the responsible sourcing of beans via regenerative agriculture, minimizing carbon footprint and connecting people with equal opportunity. If there is one trend to follow it would be looking after mother nature and its people and what better way to do that than supporting a brand that does.
Douwe Egberts has also followed the RTD’s (Ready-to-drink) trend. This is the only solution for immediate, on-the-go consumption that requires minimal preparation for baristas.
Looking ahead, flavour innovation is where creativity truly comes into play.
In 2025, we’ve seen specialty and dessert-style drinks start to peek through — and in 2026, they’re likely to make a stronger entrance. As consumers become more adventurous, the standard iced caramel latte may no longer be enough. Drinks inspired by desserts create emotional connection and nostalgia. A strawberry cheesecake frappe can transport someone back to a childhood birthday, while a tiramisu cappuccino might evoke memories of a candle-lit dinner.
Consumers are craving experience, personalisation and storytelling. Classic flavours like caramel, vanilla and hazelnut will always sell — but the question is whether they give customers a reason to return.
The future of coffee isn’t about abandoning the basics. It’s about knowing when to evolve, when to enhance, and when to let a trend pass. The cafés that succeed will be the ones that curate their menus thoughtfully — blending innovation with familiarity, functionality with flavour, and experience with execution.
To trend or not to trend?
The answer lies in choosing the trends that serve both your business and your customer.