WeeklySA_AdminONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME: Highly experienced Pretoria coffee maker’s feat takes him to international championships..
By WSAM Reporter
American coffee franchise Starbucks has announced its 2025 Barista Champion, Kabelo Majoro, who is heading to London to take part in the group’s international championships.
As winner of this highly-sought-after title, Majoro – Jori, to his friends and co-staffers at Starbucks – is on his way to Europe for an extreme coffee training experience, and, most excitingly, to explore the chance to win Starbucks EMEA Championships. It’s a dream come true for the Pretoria lad, who is also a manager-in-training at the franchise’s Irene outlet.
“I am always trying to improve my knowledge, so this is a fantastic opportunity. I’m also looking forward to showing the EMEA region what we in South Africa are capable of,” Majoro says.
What is a typical day like for a barista? Well, as a barista, Majoro spends his working life preparing and serving espresso-based coffee drinks, often in cafes, coffee shops, or bookstores. He honed the skill over years, using espresso machines, frothing milk, and creating latte art. Beyond making drinks, Jori also handles customer service, takes orders, and maintains the cleanliness of the coffee-making area.
For Jori, becoming a Barista Champion means stepping closer to earning “the prestigious purple apron”, a remarkable achievement at Starbucks. In South Africa, only two colleagues currently wear it: Phuti Mmotla and Teddy Nzama. Each apron colour at Starbucks holds deep meaning.Jori isn’t just brewing coffee. He’s brewing boldness, resilience, and a legacy, the very spirit of brave in action.
He’ll have a chance to show off his personal brave when the champions take part in an immersive range of activities, starting with several days in Amsterdam, where they will visit the coffee roasting plant that houses and roasts all green coffees from across the growing regions around the world where Starbucks sources its coffees.
They will also learn from different coffee specialists, like Starbucks’ master roasters, quality and sourcing teams. Jori and his fellow champions will also get to meet with senior leaders and key Partners and, because no trip to London would be complete without seeing the sights, they’ll squeeze in some touring.
“Few baristas in the coffee industry are able to go through such a detailed learning experience, nor do they enjoy these levels of exposure or global training.
This is unique to Starbucks, and it is both life- and career transforming,” says Ishan Natalie, Coffee Excellence Lead at Rand Capital Coffee, the sole-licensee of Starbucks in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jori has travelled a long road to reach this point. The biggest challenge for him now is the EMEA Barista Championships, where at least 37 Partners from around 3 226 stores in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region are out to do their best.
For the winner, the ultimate prize is being named a Starbucks EMEA brand ambassador – plus, getting the chance to show off their coffee knowledge, creativity and passion in the global championships.
