Bootlegger brews up expansion. Plus: SA’s demerit points disaster artwork
Bruce Whitfield’s Business Week

Bootlegger brews up expansion. Plus: SA’s demerit points disaster

Jul 9, 2026 · 00:30:38

This week, Bruce chats with Ricky Ruthenberg, CEO of Bootlegger Coffee Company, about building one of South Africa’s most recognisable coffee chains from a single Sea Point store in 2013 to 116 locations today – with 15 to 20 more planned before year’s end. Ruthenberg unpacks the two-model strategy, the cautious push into Namibia and Africa, and why the coffee revolution in South Africa is still f…