Schedule of Events

Creative Coffee Week 2025

This event would not be possible without the support of the amazing sponsors that have come forward to support coffee education and growth in South Africa. Each year we have had the opportunity to shift and refocus this platform. The idea is that this is an intimate event, open to all, that should leave attendees feeling inspired to do better in their sector of the coffee industry. We have created the program to two week days, so people have to take less time away from their businesses, but we've maximised every minute and we've been able to reduce the ticket prices, thanks to the help of our partners who all value what this event means on the coffee calendar.

Magic happens in between the sessions too! We will be releasing new details and Topics up for Discussion constantly up until the event, but our format is a bit different to maximise engagement and fun. We are aiming to create a coffee experience that inspires all the amazing humans in the industry and hopefully encourage a few more to join us.

****Program and topics are subject to change****

Wednesday 17th September - Doors open at 9.30am at Rooftop on Bree

9.30-11.30:

Morning Coffee - You will be spoilt for choice and ready for sparkling conversations about coffee

Cuppings:

An exploration of Processing with Lalcafe
Green Coffee Supply Selection
Undugu Coffee Farms
Taste Challenge with 32Cape

Activations:

Unpack the Eversys Cameo and how it can impact your business: Hear about the inner workings and capabilities of this incredible equipment

Sample roasting with Dario Scilipoti

Blended: Mikro X Rosetta Collab

Creative Coffee Week Bingo

11.30 - 1.30pm:

Fermentation: The Good, the bad and the Popular

Microbiologist, Margaret Fundira, unpacks the sometimes crazy world of coffee processing and how it effects roasters and consumers. Make sure to taste the coffees on the cupping table in morning session for a full view into this talk.

Meet the Farmer: Charles Kimiti of Undugu Farms

Charles runs the dry mill of Undugu Farms, an often overlooked part of the coffee process. But if you're a roaster, you know that the better this part of the process, the easier your job (and the less chance there is of a chaff fire!). This and other insights on coffee farming in Kenya.

In Conversation: Trizanne Barnard of Trizanne Signature Wines

Trizanne is a highly skilled wine maker, we pick her brain about working with grape farmers, evolution of brand and what recognition means in a competitive market.

1.30pm-2.30pm Lunch and tastings

DaVinci Gourmet Refresh

Trizanne Signature Wines

Cuppings:

Nordic Roaster Selection presented by POMA Coffee
Zuka Green Coffee Selection

2.30 - close (latest 6pm):

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT WHOLESALING COFFEE: With Jacob Vestergaard of POMA Coffee, Copenhagen.

“This is not a crash course in B2B-business. This is a sharing of my experiences that shape how we are building the wholesale program @poma.coffee, all in an effort to spark questions and conversations that we can all learn from.”

PANEL DISCUSSION: Roasting with the Consumer in Mind

From Brew Method to skills to volume, there are many factors for a roaster to consider beyond what brings out the best in a coffee! We chat to experts across the industry for insights into ways to deal with these considerations.

Jacob Vestergaard (coffee in a hospitality setting ie Noma Restaurant!), Winston Thomas (Eversys - Bean to Cup solutions and barista training), Daniel Pretorius (4WKS, capsule R&D)

PANEL DISCUSSION: The Benefits of Certificates

Is formal training important? When it comes to roasting and for the people who represent the roasted coffee to the consumer, the barista, what is our strategy and what can we improve on?

Percy Chikwira (AST Roasting Instructor), Shannon Black (Plato Coffee, Head of Academy), Dario Scilipoti (Bluebird Coffee Roasters, Head Roaster)

Bread&Butter: The Coffee Blend and its importance in our industry

Michael Macdonald has some thoughts on the necessary, but in specialty circles, often maligned, House Blend.

****More to be added****

Thursday 18th September 2025

9-11am: Small Group Online Roasting Workshop with Scott Rao

11am - Doors open to CCW Attendees

11am - 12.30pm - Rootstock Experiment on Typica - 35 people capacity, booking essential

ALL DAY ACTIVITIES

Cuppings: Taste coffees grown in South Africa

CCW Bingo Card: Guess the Origin, Test your Tastebuds with Red Espresso

Sample Roasting with Dario Scilipoti

Eversys Cameo Demos

2pm: SA AeroPress Championship - You've still got time to enter, do so here!

All fun, nothing serious! A great way to end off our inaugural Creative Coffee Week in Cape Town.

SA AeroPress

****Program and topics are subject to change****

The program is subject to change. And we will be adding to it constantly this month as more speakers and activities are confirmed, please feel free to get in touch with ideas.

Please pop any questions you may have to Mel: mel@magazine.coffee

Why should you come?

The first of the three CCW Events is at the end of July. The Durban event (30th & 31st July) is the Flagship event and promises to be a hardworking networking opportunity for you to rub shoulders with some of the most influential global people in coffee, taste some of the best coffees in the world and meet the people connected to the Farmers, Producers and stakeholders behind these coffees. The Cape Town and Joburg events will similarly focus on coffee roasting, service and cafe culture and how to maximise your coffee business in the context of global trends and opportunities.

Business Owners:

The majority of delegates attending CCW are business owners, Senior Management, Procurement or technical coffee professionals.
The quality of the audience is very high, It’s only 120 -150 people per event - and they are directly responsible for making the decisions for their coffee businesses.
The utility of the group is very high! This means they are excited and in a very happy place when they are at CCW - which is the perfect time to network, discover best practise, build relationships with suppliers and see what the global trends are in coffee.

Roasters:

The connection between Roasters and Producers is a crucial one. CCW allows you as a roaster to have the critically important and meaningful discussions around sourcing, pricing, and roasting coffee with the very people connected to the coffee itself.
Network with other coffee roasters, meet suppliers and colleagues. Share best practise and insights around roasting and green coffee.
Learn how to service your wholesale customers better, how to maximise operational efficiency, and manage your workflows.
Cup amazing coffees and have fun on our Farm Tour!

Baristas:

Deepen your understanding about where coffee comes from, how it it processed and the journey it takes in getting to you.
Meet Roasters and other coffee professionals that will help you unpack the coffee value chain for your customers.
Learn from the World Barista Champion, in Durban!
Get inside insights into competing and why barista competitions are so important to your career.
Get your hands on the latest equipment and innovation - join a masterclass breakaway session.
Win amazing prizes in our Latte Art factory Throwdown!

Consumers:

If you love coffee, which you do, because you are reading this…then this is your chance to level up your understanding of coffee - where it comes from, the flavour profiles and language used to describe it, the processing methods and what they mean in your cup, the appreciation of the value chain. You will come away from CCW inspired and informed!
Taste some of the best coffees on the planet - ever tries a Colombian Geisha or a Pink Bourbon? Now is your time!
Learn how to “cup coffee” - it’s all in the slurp!
Meet the World Barista Champion and take p[art in his very excluding OMAKASE Session - with head Chef Johannes of the Living Room - voted Chef of the Year 2024!
If you have ever dreamed of owning a coffee shop, this is a MUST.