We now live in a world where walking into a coffee shop on a random Tuesday at, let’s say 2 p.m., means you may struggle for a place to find seating because it’s crowded. At first, I would ask myself, “Why are all of these people not at work!?”; until I realized they were at work and the coffee shop was their office for that day.
According to Forbes, more than 36 percent of U.S. workers are freelancers, which equals to approximately 57 million people. Living the life of a freelancer isn’t easy, but there are awesome benefits, like being able to travel.
Most freelancers only need their laptop, quick WiFi and coffee to get their work done. This makes being a digital nomad a role that many freelancers naturally fall into; including myself.
Since living in Johannesburg, I’ve been to over twenty coffee shops on the hunt for the best work space possible. Coffee shops are the prime working locations for digital nomads, so it is important to find the right one.
Luckily, after many cappuccino’s and exploring; I found five.
Here are the top 5 coffee shops in Johannesburg for the digital nomad (in no particular order):
Bloom Coffee
This coffee shop is one of the recent additions to the Parkhust neighborhood of Johannesburg. Opened in January 2019, Bloom is the ideal place for creatives, freelancers and entrepreneurs.
Breakfast is served all day, the coffee and tea selections are amazing as well as the WiFi being efficient. To top it all off, Bloom has small boardrooms that you can book for free to use for quiet time or a meeting.
Seattle Coffee At The Marc
If you love working in a luxe environment, Seattle Coffee at the Marc is the place for you!
Filled with plush leather seating, free WiFi and charging outlets, this is a location you can work from with ease all day. They also have a rewards program where every tenth drink order is free — even more of an incentive to make this your go-to working destination.
There is an outdoor seating area where you can take in the opulent views of The Marc and Sandton (the richest square mile on the continent).
Naked Coffee, Morningside
Naked Coffee in Morningside is the perfect destination for the digital nomad that craves a laid-back environment to work from. The forest green tiles and spacious seating are welcoming and comfortable.
The menu appeals to the health conscious crowd; offering vegan and gluten-free options. Naked Coffee in Morningside is the ideal place to fuel yourself with great coffee and nutritious food so you can be your most productive self.
Motherland Coffee In Rosebank
Priding itself in Africa; Motherland Coffee in Rosebank offers coffee sourced only from countries in the Motherland. This coffee shop is a reminder that some of the finest beans are grown and roasted in Africa.
They offer two hours of free WiFi and all of their baked goods are made daily in store.
Although Motherland Coffee is located in the busy business area of Rosebank, there is a strong sense of community there that acknowledges the greatness of Africa and the people in it.
So if Johannesburg is ever a destination on your digital nomadic journey, be sure to check out one of these coffee shops.