Nicolene Elhadad
Nicolene Elhadad is co-founder of Xpressocafe (Pty) Ltd, the South African flat-price takeaway coffee franchise launched on 1 October 2016 in Durbanville, Cape Town. She is the public face of the brand and its primary spokesperson, regularly appearing in media and radio interviews. Her self-described focus within the partnership is brand development, innovation, and identifying opportunities for entrepreneurs — contrasting with her husband’s operational and systems focus.
Nicolene Elhadad [defines] Xpressocafe (Pty) Ltd Nicolene Elhadad [relates] Tomer Elhadad
Nicolene and her husband are serial entrepreneurs who started their first business approximately 18 years before March 2026 (i.e., ~2008) from a home garage. The nature of that earlier business is not publicly disclosed. After nine years operating that first enterprise, they opened the first Xpresso store, suggesting a deliberate and planned pivot into food & beverage retail rather than an opportunistic leap.
Nicolene Elhadad [precedes] Xpresso Cafe Business Model
Her leadership philosophy, as articulated in the How We Made It In Africa interview (Feb 2025), centres on three axioms: hire slow and fire fast; stress-test every new initiative against worst-case cost scenarios; and trust instincts despite external scepticism. The R14 price point reflects her conviction that affordability, not aspirational branding, is the durable competitive advantage in South Africa’s mass consumer market.
Connections
- Xpressocafe (Pty) Ltd — co-founder, 2016–present, source: BusinessTech 2026-03-23
- Tomer Elhadad — married co-founder, source: multiple
- Jackass Roastery — co-established, source: BusinessTech 2026-03-23