AFRICA

THE BARISTA LEAGUE:

JOHANNESBURG | 3 OCT

NOT YOUR STANDARD BARISTA COMPETITION

Built for baristas, by baristas, The Barista League is a competition where teams are judged on how well they deliver a full coffee experience, not just a single drink.

Around the competition, the venue turns into a packed, high-energy room, part coffee festival, part industry party.

Watch up close as our champions define the next big thing in coffee, mingle with people you normally only see on Instagram or just have some drinks with your coffee friends.

Click the image to zoom in

WHAT HAPPENS
AT TBL

A competition that rewards all the elements of an incredible coffee experience and doesnt need an operating manual to understand.
The Barista League is built on three pillars of Concept, Service and Product and watches more like Masterchef than technical demonstration.
See 6 of the most ambitious barista teams present the future of coffee experiences in front of 5 world famous judges.
We think it’s a huge waste when the only people who get to taste the amazing coffee from competitions are the 5 judges on stage.
At the Barista League Cafe you will get a chance to taste the exact coffee from the competition brewed by the people who sourced and roasted it.
Access coffee that you normally have to travel for. We have invited a bunch of our favourite coffee roasters from around the world to come and brew coffee for you.
The good bits of a trade show, without the stiff vibes. We bring some of the world’s leading companies into the the room so you can meet and interact with the people behind your favourite coffee brands.
You will get to demo the latest equipment technology, test your sensory and barista skills, challenge your friends in games and maybe even win some stuff.
When you need a break from coffee we will have alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available at the bar so you can ride the caffeine rollercoaster all night long or just have a drink and rant about the intricacies of barista competition scoresheets…
A global coffee event that ignores Africa is not really a global coffee event is it now… So we have ignored the calls for more events in London or New York or whatever and instead invite the South African coffee scene to show us what’s going on over there.

GET TICKETS

MEET THE SPECIAL GUESTS

RAÏSSA DABAJI | JUDGE

Marunic Coffee
@raissa.dabaji
Head of Quality Control and Branch Manager at Marunic Coffee in Cape Town. Placed 5th nationally at the Cup Tasters Championship in 2025 and brings a sharp sensory lens to everything she evaluates.
XANDER VENTER | JUDGE

Robin Chat Coffee
@xander_venter
Owner of Robin Chat Coffee, Leo Coffee and Late Bloomers, with a washing station in Malawi where he produces, imports and exports his own coffee — from farm to cup, all the way through.
SMAYAH UWAJENEZA | JUDGE

Elevate Through Coffee
@smayah_uwajeneza
Rwandan coffee professional with nine years of experience across the full value chain. East African Barista and AeroPress Champion, founder of Elevate Through Coffee, and a Cup Tasters judge at the Africa Barista Championship.
AMY GARDINER | JUDGE

Humble Coffee
@humblecoffeeza
Founder of Humble Coffee in Durban — a women-led roastery and café crowned Café of the Year at the Coffee Magazine Awards in 2021 and 2023 and Shot in the Dark champion in 2024 and 2025.

MEET THE TEAMS

2 BREWS

Alistair Chadwick & Tshidiso Lehloka — Johannesburg
Alistair Chadwick — Owner of Fond Linden in Johannesburg, who spent most of his career as a chef before pivoting into specialty coffee. He brings a kitchen discipline to everything he makes.
Tshidiso Lehloka — Barista at Fond Linden who moved from operations roles into coffee and never looked back. A natural performer with a DJ alter ego to match.
RE:COFFEE

Halston Van Lis & Sibongiseni Mainjana — Centurion
Halston Van Lis — Coffee professional at TriBeCa Coffee with a background in SCASA competitions, deep connections to Tanzanian coffee farms, and the locally awarded title of Tallest Barista in Coffee.
Sibongiseni Mainjana — Barista at TriBeCa Coffee, passionate about making people feel welcome behind the bar.
B-ALL-IN

Halston Van Lis & Sibongiseni Mainjana — Centurion
Halston Van Lis — Coffee professional at TriBeCa Coffee with a background in SCASA competitions, deep connections to Tanzanian coffee farms, and the locally awarded title of Tallest Barista in Coffee.
Sibongiseni Mainjana — Barista at TriBeCa Coffee, passionate about making people feel welcome behind the bar.
UNDERDOGS

Ofentse Kgabo & Dumisani Ndlovu — Johannesburg
Ofentse Kgabo — Barista at Father Coffee and philanthropic coffee professional, who competed in the 2026 SCASA Barista Competition and loved every second of it — even if he didn't make it to the national stage. This time, he's ready.
Dumisani Ndlovu — Barista at Father Coffee, Johannesburg. Still writing his story in coffee — and showing up to write it on the biggest stage available.
THE ORIGINATORS

Neelo Moremi & Kaylynne Poole — Pretoria
Neelo Moremi — Barista at Fomo Coffee Worx with a passion for hospitality and the craft of the cup. Driven by the belief that great coffee is about the people you serve it to as much as what's in the glass.
Kaylynne Poole — Barista at Fomo Coffee Worx with a background in psychology. Brings thoughtfulness and precision to everything she does behind the bar.
BREWMANCE

Tshegofatso Ndhlovu & Luyone Ndinisa — Johannesburg & Cape Town
Tshegofatso Ndhlovu — Coffee professional at Yaawk Coffee, runs a café called JustCoffee, and rides motorbikes in his spare time.
Luyone Ndinisa — Barista at Brewsky with 10 years in the coffee industry and a track record of volunteering at competitions across the country.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW…

…to avoid missing the coffee event of the year. Tickets are limited, get it baby.

Katy’s Palace Bar
6 Desmond Rd, Kramerville, Sandton, 2090, South Africa
Secure Parking is available and Security Guards are on site for safe arrival and exit of the venue.
Doors open: 5PM
Competition starts: 5:30PM
Prize Ceremony: 9:30PM
This venue is on the 3rd floor but accessible via an elevator. Please let the people at the door know if you require assistance.
For more information about the venue, click here.
FREE FOR BARISTAS.
We know that being a barista won’t buy you much, but it will give you access to the best coffee event of the year.
For non-baristas, tickets are just 120R and include unlimited coffee and other samples from some of the best baristas and roasters on the continent.
This event is strictly 18+