Inside The Barista League: Steve Maloney on Accessible Coffee Competition and the South African competition

Cape Coffee Beans founder Phaedon interviews Steve Moloney, founder of The Barista League, ahead of the 2026 Johannesburg event after attending the first Johannesburg competition in 2025. Steve describes The Barista League as a low-barrier, festival-like barista competition that judges a broader range of skills across drinks, concept, and service, aiming to be more accessible and more engaging to watch than traditional formats. He shares his background in music festival production, how he entered coffee in Sweden, and how the The Barista League began as a way to create an affordable, inclusive competition experience for baristas. They discuss why Johannesburg was chosen, the format’s suitability for Africa, the new judging structure with live feedback, future plans, and how to attend or apply via thebaristaleague.com, with free tickets for working South African baristas.

Where to find The Barista League

• The Barista League website
• The Barista League on Instagram (@thebaristaleague)

Time stamps & chapters

00:00 Podcast Intro
00:45 Episode Intro
02:19 What is the Barista League?
03:14 The Vibe & Atmosphere
06:03 Steve's Backstory & Scandinavian Coffee
08:30 Origins of the Barista League
09:32 Events, Music & the DIY Ethos
13:29 Why South Africa?
16:35 Accessibility & the African Context
21:49 The New Competition Format
27:10 Selecting Competitors & Who Can Apply
28:54 Why Attend & The Future
35:20 Outro

Phaedon, founder of Cape Coffee Beans, interviews Andre Blignaut, winner of South Africa’s inaugural Origami Cup. Andre shares his unconventional path into coffee, including training as a licensed aircraft engineer, spending three years as a missionary, and gaining early specialty coffee exposure in Cape Town through Cedar Coffee Roasters and later Harvest Cafe. He recounts winning the 2024 National Cup Tasters Championship and his work as a trainer and consultant, discussing the importance of practical barista experience alongside formal education and training standards. Andre also details his Origami Cup-winning approach.

How to support Andre

Here are three ways you can support Andre and help him get to the World Origami Cup:

• Attend the Origami Masterclass (2026-09-05) or a future event with Andre
• Shop at Cape Coffee Beans using Andre's affiliate link
• Sponsor Andre through his Back a Buddy campaign

Resources & links

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the video:

• Blog: Managing Astringency in Coffee Brewing by Scott Rao
• Video: Think Your Coffee Is Bitter? It Might Be Astringent (Here’s the Fix) by Lance Hedrick
• Video: The Ultimate Infused/Funky Coffee Recipe by Jay Kim
• Instagram: Chris Lee of HIFLUX Coffee (filter paper science)

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, I interview Henlo van der Westhuizen about his South African espresso-machine manufacturing startup. We talk about how Henlo got started and his unique approach to designing coffee equipment.

You can learn more about Henlo's espresso machines on our website.