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
9.30-11.30am:
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
- Blind Cupping with Top of the Crop
Activations:
- Unpack the Eversys Cameo and how it can impact your business: Hear about the inner workings and capabilities of this incredible equipment with Winston Thomas
- Roasting with the Kuban 1kg and 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.
PANEL: Brand Building and how we communicate with our customers
What's in (or on) a Bag? Roasters have an incredible task to communicate with their customers through their brand and their packaging.
Shewaan Khan (Yellow Jacket Coffee), Trizanne Barnard (Trizanne Signature Wines), David Donde (What‽ Food Group)
In Conversation: Trizanne Barnard of Trizanne Signature Wines
Trizanne is a highly skilled winemaker, 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):
Relationships with Producers: Unpacking the Value Chain
Andrew Brose of Migoti Coffee, based out of Burundi is joined by his partners in South Africa, Andrew Boltman of Zuka Green Coffee and Dario Scilipoti of Bluebird Coffee Roastery as we unpack what a direct relationship with producers can look like and what is sustainable in the drive to know where our coffee is grown.
Bread&Butter: The Coffee Blend and its importance in our industry
What if we could make our lives so much easier when creating a blend?
This talk introduces the three category system to develop a blend- Base, Connecting and Top note Coffees. Origin, processing method and green quality all play a critical role, then it’s up to the Roaster and Barista to add their mark.
By Michael MacDonald (Green Coffee Supply and A Shot in the Dark Head Judge)
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 and how to make the right decisions)
Winston Thomas (Eversys - Bean to Cup solutions and barista training), Daniel Pretorius (4WKS, capsule R&D), Rob Stein (Loring Coffee Roasters)
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 (Infood Coffee, AST Roasting Instructor), Shannon Black (Plato Coffee, Head of Academy), Dario Scilipoti (Bluebird Coffee Roasters, Head Roaster), Chris Abrahams (Electrical Industries, AST Trainer)
Thursday 18th September 2025
10am - Doors open to CCW Attendees
10am-12pm: Sample Roasting with Dario Scilipoti and Siphosethu Luningo
Cuppings:
Taste coffees grown in South Africa
Rootstock Experiment on Typica
Cupping Relay!!!
CCW Bingo Card: Guess the Origin, Test your Tastebuds with Red Espresso
Eversys Cameo - Go deep with this incredible piece of equipment with
2pm - 6pm: SA AeroPress Championship - You've still got time to enter, do so here!
A fun way to end a great two days! We've got specials for food from Truth, we've got beer from Jack Black, we've got vibes from the greater coffee industry. Let's do this thing!
4-6pm: Small Group Online Roasting Workshop with Scott Rao
Hosted by Channel Mobile. 12 Roasters get the opportunity to learn from one of the best.
****Program and topics are subject to change****
Please pop any questions you may have to Mel: mel@magazine.coffee
Why should you come?
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.