Africa’s premier Pan-African cocktail and spirits festival is back for its second year, bringing together top global and local bars for extraordinary pop-ups, bar mash-ups, and masterclasses in Joburg from Sun, Mar 9 – Wed, Mar 12, 2025 and Cape Town from Wed, Mar 12 – Sun, Mar 16, 2025. Tickets are free, but book your spot here. 

Top bartenders from world-renowned venues, including Panda and Son in Edinburgh, Tommy’s in San Francisco, and Hero in Nairobi visit South Africa for the AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival 2025. Co-founded by Colin Asare-Appiah and Mark Talbot Holmes, AJABU is Africa’s largest bi-annual cocktail and spirits festival. The name comes from the Swahili word meaning 'wondrous' or 'miraculous'. The festival celebrates Africa’s hospitality industry, fostering connections across the continent while uniting global and local bars through world-class collaborations. 

This year’s featured cocktail is the Porn Star Martini. Bars in Joburg and Cape Town allow you to taste exclusive, innovative interpretations of this iconic drink. Your ticket gets you a free cocktail at each participating bar. (See your ticket for details). AJABU’s bar mashups see top global and local bars team up to craft incredible cocktails using Africa’s rich ingredients. Participating bars in Joburg include some of our faves: Sin+Tax, Smoking Kills, and Obscura. 

Beyond the cocktails, masterclasses and seminars dive into the industry’s hottest topics like women in bartending, sustainability, and the rise of agave spirits. Expect insights from industry legends like Steve Olson, Simone Caporale, Kate Boushel, and Leo Robitschek. 

For the festival this year, the AJABU scholarship programme, launched last year in November, returns this March with 50 new scholarships, offering hospitality-focused training to African bar professionals. Supported by educational institutions, brands, and industry leaders, the programme provides courses from the World Spirits Education Trust, Professional Bar Training, and Edinburgh Whisky Academy. With 70% of scholarships awarded to women, AJABU continues its mission to empower African bartenders and promote female representation in the industry.

The AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival runs from Sun, Mar 9 – Wed, Mar 12, 2025 in Joburg and Wed, Mar 12 – Sun, Mar 16, 2025 in Cape Town. Book your tickets here.