Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Key takeaways
- North Africa’s coffee consumption is rising fast, driven by younger generations.
- Specialty cafés must focus on quality and experience to attract consumers.
- Better access to equipment is raising barista standards and consumer expectations.
- North African roasters have a geographic advantage, building direct trade relationships with countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya.
North Africa’s coffee scene is changing fast. The region – home to Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, and Western Sahara (and Mauritania, according to African Union regional definitions) – is quickly becoming one of the world’s most dynamic coffee scenes.
Across major cities like Cairo, Marrakech, Tunis, a younger generation of consumers is redefining what coffee means, not just as a drink, but as a cultural and commercial force.
“North Africans aged under 35 don’t see coffee as a commodity anymore. They see it as a lifestyle signal,” say Omar Abdalla and Medhat Hassanein, co-founders of Brown Nose Coffee in Cairo, Egypt.
Economic growth is supporting this shift. In 2025, North Africa was the fastest-growing region in Africa and the Middle East. Combined GDP growth of all countries (excluding Sudan) was expected to reach 4% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund.
A sharper focus on coffee quality and flavour, different brewing methods, and the café experience is also helping to bring specialty coffee into the spotlight. Once defined solely by traditions such as qahwa and Turkish-style coffee, North Africa is developing its own distinct specialty coffee identity.
You may also like our article on how specialty coffee is taking over in Turkey.
The steady growth of specialty coffee across the region
Coffee has been an integral part of North African culture for centuries. Historically, coffee consumption has focused on ritual, hospitality, and community across a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, with brewing methods like qahwa recognised on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural World Heritage list. As such, coffee consumption is deeply ingrained in daily life across the region.
Recent data shows North Africans are actually drinking more coffee than ever. Consumption in Egypt has doubled over the past five years, while Morocco recorded a 23% increase in coffee imports in 2024.
This surge in consumption across the region has driven significant growth in North Africa’s branded coffee shop market. According to World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Middle East 2025 report, Morocco and Egypt are two of the top three fastest-growing markets by outlets across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, with Saudi Arabia coming in second.
Younger, middle-class consumers, in particular, are supporting this growth. In countries like Egypt and Tunisia, younger generations have encountered specialty coffee abroad and now want the same focus on quality, brewing methods, and origin at home. In turn, there has been a noticeable rise in specialty cafés and roasters.
“Where they drink coffee says something about who they are,” say Omar and Medhat. “Design, social media presence, limited drops, collaborations, and signature beverages now drive traffic and pricing power.
“Cafés transitioning into specialty must evolve from being beverage outlets to becoming lifestyle brands with strong storytelling and community engagement.”
Coffee equipment as a marker of change
The availability of professional-grade equipment has been another marker of the region’s growth. In Egypt and Morocco, well-known specialty coffee equipment brands are increasingly accessible, a shift that reflects both growing barista skill and consumer discernment.
“High-end espresso machines and grinders are no longer just luxury items; they are essential technical tools that allow baristas to perform at their best,” Omar and Medhat explain. “An educated customer often chooses a shop based on the visible quality of the machinery, considering it a guarantee that the owner has invested in the best possible tools.”
Economic liberalisation in Egypt has also created space for independent specialty roasters to emerge and scale, while local roasters in Tunisia and Morocco are gaining traction.
The number of coffee-focused events in the region is increasing, too. The 2025 Egypt Coffee Festival, for example, attracted international specialty coffee experts and World Barista Champions, drawing greater attention to specialty coffee in North Africa.
“Events bridge the gap between baristas and consumers, turning coffee from a commodity into a craft,” say Omar and Medhat. “The high standards seen at live competitions are quickly becoming the new baseline for customer expectations.”
In June 2026, the Global Coffee Awards will also expand into the MENA region. North African roasters of all sizes can submit their best coffees, with entries open until 10 June 2026.
What’s in store for the North African coffee market?
At the branded coffee shop level, the MENA market is expected to reach 16,460 stores by November 2029. In turn, the number of specialty cafés and roasteries is set to increase.
Geography adds another layer to the story. North Africa’s proximity to major East African origins, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, means shorter transit times than to Europe or North America, giving regional roasters an advantage.
“They have access to fresher green coffee and less exposure to freight volatility,” say Omar and Medhat. “But the bigger drivers of price stability remain global C-market movements, currency fluctuations, and freight rates. The real advantage comes from smart sourcing, inventory planning, and currency management rather than land transport itself.”
Opportunities for growth
In November 2025, Morocco opened its first pan-African coffee centre at the Tanger Med port complex, positioning it as a global gateway for African coffee exports to Europe, the US, and Asia.
This opens up new opportunities for direct trade relationships, but challenges lie ahead. The recent conflict in the Middle East has hampered North Africa’s economic growth, particularly for Egypt.
Still, Omar and Medhat remain optimistic. They tell me that for today’s North African coffee consumers, traceability and direct trade are becoming markers of quality, much like brand names once were.
“North African roasters are redefining what prestige means in the regional coffee market,” Omar and Medhat explain. “By building direct-trade relationships with producers in countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda, they cut out middlemen and secure exclusive, high-quality beans.”
Specialty coffee in North Africa is no longer following a script written elsewhere. “We are moving from copying global trends to building our own identity,” Omar and Medhat conclude. “North Africa isn’t just drinking specialty coffee, we’re starting to define it in our own way.”
For anyone tracking where the coffee industry moves next, the North African coffee market is worth watching closely.
If you’re interested in increasing your sales & acquiring more leads, check out our sister marketing agency, PDG Media.
Photo credits: Brown Nose Coffee
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