South Africa’s Ajabu returns
Ajabu, Africa’s first biannual cocktail festival, will return to Johannesburg and Cape Town for its fifth edition next month (7-15 March).
The event is to be Ajabu’s ‘most ambitious edition to date’, with deepened bar collaborations and scaled educational programming.
Mark Talbot Holmes and Colin Asare-Appiah founded Ajabu in 2024.
The festival pairs international bartenders with African teams to craft cocktails that showcase regional spirits and locally sourced botanicals.
Ajabu also offers community-focused programming, including workshops, masterclasses, and tastings, to deepen skills and foster ongoing engagement across the trade.
This year’s edition will feature teams from international bars like Sip & Guzzle in New York, Rayo in Mexico City, and Press Club in Washington DC, as well as African venues like Funky Monkey in Diani Beach, Front/Back in Accra, and Revolver in Nairobi.
Tickets are complimentary and available from the Ajabu website.
The Ajabu festival has also brought back its scholarship programme for 2026, offering educational courses and mentorship for emerging African bar talent.
In the past 18 months, the programme received more than 500 applications from 11 African countries, with 150 scholarships awarded through partners Wine and Spirit Education Trust, Professional Bar Training, and Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Ajabu says the majority of these scholarships were awarded to women.
The programme
The festival will open on 7 March with a ‘tasting table experience’ with Johannesburg’s bar Sin+Tax. This will be followed on 8 March by a pop-up industry night with international partnering bars at the city’s Smoking Kills.
Saigon Suzy will host a community brunch on 9 March, which will be followed by a mentorship and leadership workshop Sin+Tax.
The final day of the Johannesburg programming (10 March) will see Sin+Tax will host two educational sessions: on the topic of conscious hospitality session hosted by Rayo’s Audrey Hands; and ‘From Coast to Coast – What’s Stirring’, presented by John Gakuru.
The bar will also host a French 75 reception for a Tales of the Cocktail workshop.
In the evening, the city will come alive with a series of takeovers: Revolver at Obscura; Accra’s Sol Lounge at Nine Lives; Funky Monkey at Mesh Club; Front/Back at Kanpai; and Rayo at Sin+Tax.
The Cape Town section of the festival begins on 11 March and opens with a film premiere Q&A at the city’s Labia Cinema. This will be followed by a happy hour at Chingadas.
Nkula bar will host a cocktail pop-up featuring local brands in the evening.
On 12 March, the city’s Tannin bar will host a community brunch and a rum experience by global rum ambassador Ian Burrell. The bar will also be the location of a Tales of the Cocktail workshop hosted by Charlotte Voisey and Anna Hoptrey.
At night, takeovers will include Funky Monkey at Batanga; Nairobi’s Hero at Unclaimed; Sin+Tax at Tjing Tjing; Revolver at Fable; Front/Back and Accra’s Bella Dolce Vita at The Drinkery; Sol Lounge at Nkula; and Smoking Kills at Talking to Strangers.
On 13 March, Hope Distillery will host a tasting table and a leadership session. Hands will also deliver her Conscious Hospitality session at the distillery.
The evening’s takeovers will include Press Club at The Drinkery and Revolver at Tjing Tjing.
On 14 March, Cape Town will see a plethora of pop-ups and activations, including an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Pornstar Martini.
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