At the heart of every great coffee spot is a sense of comfort – a place where the warmth of the atmosphere matches the quality of the brew. Wihan and Lise Brink, the dynamic husband-and-wife team behind the MIKRO/Molo Coffee group, have mastered this balance. 

The couple met at culinary school in 2009, and after qualifying as chefs, moved to Franschhoek, where they lived and worked for several years. In 2015, a new opportunity brought them to Hermanus when Wihan accepted a sales position at Hermanuspietersfontein Wines (HPF).

Wihan and Lise’s pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee eventually inspired them to begin roasting their own beans. In 2018, they launched MIKRO Coffee Co from their home with just two small roasting machines, each capable of producing 250g at a time. Their first clients were Lizette’s Kitchen in Hermanus and Gabriëlskloof in Bot River – both of which they still proudly supply today.

That same year, the couple began selling their coffee at Die Markie at HPF, as well as at HPF’s tasting room in Hemel-en-Aarde Village. It was here that MIKRO began developing a following among coffee lovers.

The brand continued to grow, and in 2021, Wihan and Lise opened their first physical coffee shop and roastery, MIKRO Coffee Co, at Aberdeen Square in Hermanus.

As MIKRO’s reputation grew, the couple began receiving enquiries from people interested in franchising the business. Wihan and Lise decided to decline the offers, wanting MIKRO to remain under their control to maintain the quality of its roasting. This prompted them to develop a second brand that could grow independently of the MIKRO roastery.

In 2023, they opened Molo Coffee in The Courtyard, behind The Wine Glass in Harbour Road. With the potential to expand through future franchise opportunities, Molo focuses on showcasing African coffee beans, whereas MIKRO utilises beans from around the world. Local designer Natalie Hauman developed Molo’s interior identity, using warm tones and organic shapes to create the relaxed, inviting atmosphere.

Molo has since moved to larger premises in the new business park in Hemel-en-Aarde Village, bringing the couple back to the area where they first sold their coffee.

“It’s amazing – we have come back to where it all started,” says Wihan. “So many people have helped us along the way, and we hope to add value and experience to the village.”

MIKRO will continue as the group’s roasting business, responsible for roasting and supplying coffee. Molo will become the customer-facing coffee shop brand, centred on African coffee and hospitality. As part of this new direction, the existing MIKRO coffee shop at Aberdeen Square will also be rebranded as Molo. There may be another Molo on the horizon, but Wihan and Lise are keeping the details under wraps for now.

Although the brands are entering a new phase, the businesses retain the personal service for which they have become known. Both MIKRO Coffee Co and Molo Coffee have friendly and welcoming staff, with Robin Lee Ellis overseeing the management of both, as well as their social media and design. Lise oversees all the coffee roasting, continuing the hands-on approach with which the business began in 2018. 

Wihan and Lise have also acquired local support to assist with the growth of their two brands. “We have recently brought two local partners into the business, one less silent than the other, who add financial and strategic experience,” says Wihan. “The focus is on building the group carefully, strengthening the underlying operations and supporting sustainable growth.”

The brands support other local producers and stock products from businesses such as Emilia’s Croissants and Just. This local focus complements the couple’s aim of contributing to the wider Hermanus community rather than simply operating within it.

Molo shares its new Hemel-en-Aarde Village premises with another new local business, Marble and Oak. Owned by Jurie Swart and Martin Byleveld, Marble and Oak will specialise in bespoke furniture. The business is scheduled to open on Friday 31 July, adding another locally owned offering to the new business park.

Visit Molo Coffee at its new premises in the business park next to The Brewery in Hemel-en-Aarde Village. It is open seven days a week.

Recently, the community took to the streets for an inspiring Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) Awareness Ride. The event brought together cyclists of all ages, children on push bikes, parents with prams, and people with disabilities, who set off in groups to highlight the need for accessible routes. 

Many young families have made Hermanus their home, drawn by good schools and a small-town lifestyle. Unfortunately, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure hasn't kept up with this shift, especially around school zones. Even though many students walk to school, safe crossings are concentrated near the hospital and town centre.

In August 2025, Ward 3 Councillor Kari Brice submitted a proposal titled “NMT Development Plan and Proposal – Hermanus Ward 3” to help fix this issue. The plan has a simple goal: to prioritise non-motorised transport and make the streets safer for walking, cycling, pushing prams, and using wheelchairs. As Hermanus continues to grow, attracting more families, tourists, and daily commuters, the development of pathways has not kept pace. 

Phase 1 of the plan zeroes in on Northcliff, Eastcliff, Hermanus Heights, Fernkloof, and Kwaaiwater. Phase 2 focuses on Voëlklip, Westcliff, and central Hermanus. These areas are dealing with missing sidewalk ramps, blocked paths, and more. Once successfully implemented, similar improvements can be expanded to the wider Hermanus area through initiatives led by other wards. The proposal suggests some practical, budget-friendly changes that could be implemented immediately to get things moving in the right direction. These include:

• ​Adding much-needed pedestrian crossings near schools, sports fields, busy intersections, and the traffic circle by Lizette's Restaurant on the R43.

• ​Installing proper sidewalk ramps at key points so that everyone, including those in wheelchairs or with strollers, can get around easily.

• ​Fixing up and extending the sidewalks along Jose Burman Road and Fernkloof Drive to create safe, smooth routes to local schools.

• ​Painting clearer, standardised bicycle lanes along the R43 and expanding them into quieter residential streets to give cyclists safer alternative routes.

Implementing the plan could provide additional benefits such as connecting key attractions, providing visitors with a scenic and accessible way to navigate Hermanus. The plan could also provide opportunities for new small businesses, such as bicycle repair and rental shops. Additionally, it could help revitalise commerce in the town centre by allowing shoppers and diners to easily bypass the limited parking.

To get this project off the ground, the next steps involve creating a detailed NMT Network Map and setting up a local forum. The plan aims to make Hermanus a safer and more connected place for all. For more information contact Latetia on 083 299 2931. 

When Danelle du Plessis and her fiancé relocated from Stellenbosch to Onrus in 2024, she couldn't wait to dive into the Hermanus scene. However, she quickly realised that tracking down information on local activities was a real struggle.

Danelle frequently found out about events only after they had already taken place as details were scattered across various social media platforms. To solve this problem and save everyone the hassle of hunting in multiple places, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

In August 2025, Danelle launched a WhatsApp group dedicated to sharing local events and activities that she discovered. What started as a small circle of 20 people quickly grew to roughly 500 members in just a single month.

As the group's popularity grew, local companies began reaching out to see if they could advertise on the platform. In response, Danelle set up extra WhatsApp groups specifically for business promotions and local job listings.

She also created a dedicated space to document her own firsthand experiences at local establishments. This was born out of her time as a newcomer trying to find recommendations for a good beautician, nail salon, hairstylist and go-to coffee shop, which had previously forced her to rely heavily on Facebook community groups.

Realising how much the community valued a centralised hub for discovering and supporting local events and businesses, a friend encouraged her to take the idea to broader social media. In November of that same year, Danelle started the WhatsUp Overberg Instagram and Facebook pages.

Danelle emphasises that these pages aren't intended for advertising: they are dedicated exclusively to her authentic, personal experiences. She carries the overhead costs and only promotes businesses she genuinely recommends. She also does her due diligence to ensure the places she highlights are legitimate and compliant with local health and operational standards.

Shortly after getting WhatsUp Overberg off the ground, Danelle crossed paths with Deidré Stofberg in Hermanus. The pair struck up a friendship, and Deidré quickly became an essential part of the behind-the-scenes team. Deidré brings her talent for beautiful photography to the table, handling the reels and pictures, while Danelle is the face in front of the camera.

Ultimately, Danelle's mission with WhatsUp Overberg is to highlight the businesses, experiences and people that make the region so unique. She hopes to shine a spotlight on what the area has to offer and inspire everyone to support local.

Be sure to follow WhatsUp Overberg on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. To join the WhatsApp Community groups, message Danelle on 079 188 9555. 

BY U3A OVERBERG HISTORY INTEREST GROUP

Hermanus has long been a sought-after destination. The first European settlers travelled a few kilometres from Hawston in 1855 when it was known as Herries Bay, and visitors and settlers kept coming through the 19th and 20th centuries. 

The following are two accounts of journeys to Hermanus. The first dates from around 1890. We know that the second journey was undertaken in 1900, as it refers to the travel restrictions associated with the Anglo-Boer War. 

1890: The Pienaar Family

SJ du Toit recorded a journey undertaken by the Pienaar family from Somerset West to their holiday camp at Voëlklip: Ds. Pienaar and his family travelled by ox-wagon, and taking the seaside route past Rooiels and Kleinmond, arrived at Voëlklip (then known as Mosselrivier). As the wagon was loaded with provisions and camping equipment, most of the children had to walk all the way, next to or behind the wagon. One of the smaller girls once could not keep up the pace and was left behind. When it was discovered that she was missing, some of her brothers had to walk back a long way and found her where she was docilely ambling along. One of the small boys, on another occasion, becoming very tired, wanted to know why “Jesus had made Kogel Bay so very far.”

There were no proper bridges across the Steenbras or Palmiet Rivers, and crossing them often posed a hardship. During years of heavy summer rains in the area, the Steenbras River was quite deep for the wagon and oxen to ford, but they managed to get through. At one time, Mrs Pienaar had to wade through the river carrying her baby on her shoulders when, much to her dismay, her baby’s dummy was washed away seaward!

Today, motorists can travel from Somerset West to Hermanus in less than an hour. In those days, the journey by ox-wagon took three days. Their first outspan – the unharnessing of the oxen – and overnight stay were at the Steenbras River, while the following night was spent at the Palmiet River. 

It was quite late on the third day when they arrived at Mossel River. The camp was pitched near what is now Kammabaai, and freshwater could be collected from the Mossel River. Huge milkwood trees gave protection, and there was a natural kraal where the oxen could sleep at night. They grazed in lush grass in the clearing between the trees.

1900: The Gearing Family

The Gearing family came to South Africa in the mid-19th century and settled in Cape Town. The eldest son of the family, Sydney Gearing, was a qualified engineer and set up a prosperous iron and steel manufacturing company in the city. For some years, Sydney was elected Mayor of Rondebosch, which was then a local government of its own separate from Cape Town. As an industrialist and Mayor, Sydney was undoubtedly friendly with William Hoy, who was not then knighted and worked at the Cape Government Railways. 

It is probable that Sydney first heard of Hermanus through William Hoy’s fishing trips to the little town. In the 1890s, the Gearing family built a cottage on Marine Drive and named it ‘The Anchorage’. The cottage still stands on the corner opposite the parking area at Gearing’s Point. The family visited Hermanus every year, and this account of one of their journeys dates from 1900. We know this because Gearing had to obtain special permission from the military authorities during the Anglo-Boer War.

The story appears in Arderne Tredgold’s book ‘Village of the Seas’: Sydney Gearing's daughter, Mrs OM Grant-Dalton, described the journey they made to Hermanus in 1900. Mrs Gearing had to make preparations for a family of eight. “That was a real undertaking for my mother. She had to think not only of clothes for a family of eight but also food – we took most of our groceries with us (the shops were primitive in Hermanus then) and a large tin of Australian butter that was supposed to last one month. How far off Hermanus seemed then, a trek of two whole days.

We left Rondebosch before eight o’clock in the morning and reached Sir Lowry’s Pass by train about 1pm.” This station was the terminus. There they all packed into a covered wagon with eight mules belonging to a Mr Erwee. Some of the passengers walked part of the way up the pass to help the mules. “We usually made camp at Grabouw on the grass by the Palmiet River for the night. We children slept under the wagon and the grown-ups inside the wagon tent. There was a canvas manger for the mules along the “disselboom”, and they were tethered there. We went to sleep to the sound of munching. In the middle of the night, I woke everyone up by shouting, ‘Mother, Mother, the mules are eating my hair!’“

When the Bot River was too full to be crossed at the usual drift, travellers had to make a long detour which brought them round to a little shop on the Hermanus side of the drift. They outspaned for lunch between Afdak and Hawston, and the last part of the journey seemed very long until they reached Onrus and caught the first whiff of the famous sea air of Hermanus.

They travelled on and “at last we rumbled down the Main Street of the little fishing village in the afternoon (of the second day), the wagon wheels bouncing over the rocks especially as we turned through the rickety gate and over the grass to arrive with a flourish in front of the cottage”. The cottage stood on the corner of Marine Drive and Harbour Road, across the way from the house under the cypress tree.

The house referred to in the final sentence was originally built by Louis Wessels in 1860 as a boat repair and building business. Later it would become The Cypress Tea Gardens  (top image) and today is the Burgundy Restaurant (bottom).

BY CORRIE DU TOIT

Microbiologists from Stellenbosch University (SU) have discovered a previously unknown bacterial genus within the phylum Acidobacteriota in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. It is the first genus from this phylum to be described from Southern Africa.

Although Acidobacteriota are among the most abundant bacteria in soils worldwide, only a small fraction has ever been successfully grown and formally described.

The new species, Dedyshia acidiphilia, was isolated from soil collected in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and announced in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology recently.

The genus, Dedyshia, is named after the Russian microbiologist, Dr Svetlana Dedysh from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, in recognition of her significant contributions to the discovery and description of novel Acidobacteriota isolates. The species name, acidiphilia, means acid-loving.

Dr Janca Pieters, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology at SU and first author on the paper, says they collected multiple soil samples from different locations across the reserve to capture the natural diversity of the soil microbial community.

"The exciting part is that every soil sample contains thousands of bacterial species, many of which have never been cultured or described. By using specialised cultivation techniques, we can sometimes grow organisms that have remained hidden until now, such as Dedyshia acidiphilia," she explains.

Acidobacteriota are extremely slow-growing and often require nutrient-poor conditions that resemble the soil they naturally inhabit. These and other conditions, such as interactions with other microorganisms, are difficult to reproduce in the laboratory.

"Finding the right growth medium therefore involves a great deal of patience and optimisation. Some Acidobacteriota take months or weeks, rather than days, to produce visible colonies."

In the case of Dedyshia acidiphilia, it took almost a month.

"This represents a significant advance in our knowledge of the rare species in soils that contribute to important soil nutrient cycles," says Prof. Karin Jacobs, a specialist in microbial ecology and lead author on the paper.

For Dr Pieters, this discovery demonstrates that South African soils, and particularly biodiversity hotspots such as the Cape Floristic Region, still contain an enormous amount of unexplored microbial diversity.

"With improved cultivation methods, many more previously unknown bacteria are likely waiting to be discovered. Every new cultured strain helps scientists better understand how these organisms contribute to soil health, nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning," she adds.

Now that the bacterium has been formally described and named, the next step is to investigate its ecological role in the soil. "We want to understand what nutrients it uses, how it interacts with other microorganisms, and what contribution it makes to nutrient cycling in the fynbos ecosystem," Dr Pieters explains.

Its genome also provides clues about genes that may produce novel enzymes or metabolic pathways. These could have future applications in biotechnology, agriculture or environmental science.

"At the same time, we continue searching for additional Acidobacteriota species from South African soils, as each newly cultured strain helps fill gaps in our understanding of this important bacterial group," she concludes.

The Cape Floristic Region, encompassing the Western and Southwestern regions of South Africa, harbours exceptional botanical diversity. It occupies a mere 0.5% of Africa's landmass yet boasts over 20% of the continent's flora (UNESCO, 2004). Remarkably, this biodiversity hotspot holds an estimated 9 500 plant species – 68% of which are endemic.