Ajabu Festival Champions Diversity With Scholarships For Pan African Bartenders And Mixologists

South Africa AJABU, the continent’s leading cocktail and spirits festival, has officially announced the recipients of its 2025 AJABU Scholarship Programme, recognising exceptional bartenders, mixologists, and hospitality professionals from across Africa.

The program, launched in 2024 to champion education and equity in the bar industry, returned with renewed force this year, awarding a considerable proportion of scholarships to female applicants in line with AJABU’s mission to increase women’s representation behind the bar, in leadership roles and in key decision-making positions that shape the drinks industry.

Through the AJABU framework of talent-spotlighting, recipients from Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and beyond will now undergo formal training through prestigious institutions such as the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, the World Spirits Education Trust (WSET), and Professional Bar Training. Each graduate will emerge with globally recognised qualifications and a place in a growing Pan-African network of bar leaders.

“Congratulations to this year’s winners! We recognise them all for their incredible dedication and we’re excited to see them grow through the AJABU Festival alongside our global industry partners. Africa is rising, and AJABU remains focused on putting talent from the continent on the global stage,” Colin Asare-Appiah, co-founder of AJABU says.

The AJABU Scholarship was created to support the professionalisation of the bar industry in Africa and to reposition its centre of gravity. It aims to ensure that African bartenders, particularly women, are equipped not just to participate, but to lead, both on the continent and internationally. This year’s selection includes a strong representation of women working across the sector: from mentorship and advocacy to mobile bar enterprises, gin education, and spirits consultancy.

Luyanda Peter, based in Cape Town, says the scholarship reinforces what she already believes: that hospitality is a serious, skilled profession. “I want to shift the way this work is seen – not just by consumers, but by the people who do it. There’s dignity in the job, but only if we protect it and professionalise it.”

Namibia’s Nande Ishuna, who runs the Bar Masters Training Academy and has trained over 250 bartenders to date, sees this as part of a longer process. “This recognition helps. But we’re still building. What we need now is structure, consistency and long-term thinking across the industry.”

Many of this year’s recipients are already running training programmes, shaping local bar culture, and mentoring the next generation. The AJABU Scholarship exists to support that momentum, offering tools, visibility, and formal accreditation to those already making an impact. As the industry continues to evolve, AJABU remains focused on amplifying African excellence and connecting it to global opportunity.

“This is just the beginning,” said Mark Talbot Holmes, co-founder of AJABU. “What we’re building is a long-term ecosystem that connects African talent with global platforms. The future of the bar world includes Africa at the centre of the conversation, and we’re here to make sure that future is realised.”

Spotlight on the 2025 Scholars

This year’s cohort includes bartenders from both bustling city bars and remote hospitality hubs united by passion, potential, and purpose.

Review the recipients for 2025