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From Gauteng to global - Kabelo Majoro is heading to London as your 2025 Starbucks SA Barista Champion!  

As winner of this highly sought after title, Kabelo – or Jori, as he is known to his friends and fellow Partners at Starbucks is on his way to Europe for an extreme coffee training experience, and, most excitingly, the chance to win Starbucks EMEA Championships.

It’s a dream come true for the manager in training at Starbucks Irene. “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,” Jori says.

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 Partners currently wear it: Phuti Mmotla and Teddy Nzama. Each apron colour at Starbucks holds deep meaning. There is green – worn proudly by all Partners; black – worn by Coffee Masters, and the rarest apron, Purple; the most difficult to attain, symbolising true mastery and dedication.

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. It all started with the Starbucks Store Championships, where he beat 83 other Partners from the 72 Starbucks stores around the country taking part in the Store Championships. Winners from this round went on to take part in the District Championships, and the winners went onto the Regional Championships.

Jori shone as winner of the Gauteng/ Central region, along with Mduduzi Myana, the winner of the KZN Regional Championship and Siphamandla Betana, the winner of the Western Cape Championship.

Next, these brilliant baristas all showed off their skills the National Barista Championship held in Cape Town – the last stop before London.

It was a nervewracking contest, but the stakes are even higher at 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.

“We’re proud to say that South Africa has an excellent track record at the Starbucks EMEA Barista Championships,” says Ishan. “Our market has placed in the Top 3 more often than any other market. We’re also the only market to have won the title more than once, having swooped up the international titles in 2019, and 2022,” Ishan says.

Ishan has great faith in Jori’s ability to turn the South African market into a triple winner. Like the previous winners, Teddy Nzama and Phuti Mmotla, he shows outstanding perseverance. He’s also the living embodiment of Starbucks key values, Courage and Results.

For Jori, this isn’t just a chance to go overseas. It’s the culmination of years of trying: he has been honing his talent as a Starbucks Partner for eight years, and placed third in last year’s national finals. “I am definitely edging closer to that big win!” he says.

From his first pour in 2017 to the Global stage in 2025, Jori’s story is a reminder that every cup, and every moment, matters. He’s not just representing Starbucks South Africa, he’s representing the BRAVE hearts behind every apron.