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