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For Musawenkosi Blessing Mosikili (23), coffee has become more than a career. The Durban-born barista is heading for London this month, where he will represent South Africa at the Starbucks EMEA Barista Championship.
And while the international stage is certainly a big deal, Mosikili says it is the people and connections he has made along the way that matter most.
“I am because we are,” he says.
From financial struggles to coffee champion
Mosikili's journey into coffee wasn't exactly planned. In 2022 and 2023, financial difficulties meant he was unable to continue pursuing university as he had hoped. Rather than give up, he decided to find another path.
“I had to wake up and do something with my life,” he says. “That's when I presented myself to Starbucks Gateway, which is where the journey started.”
Three years later, now at the Starbucks Hillcrest store, Msoikili has been named Starbucks South Africa's 2026 National Champion, following the final at Starbucks Reserve in Melrose Arch in June.
He now heads to London from 16 to 18 September for the Starbucks EMEA Barista Championship. However, just before that, he gets to visit Amsterdam's Starbucks EMEA Coffee Roasting Plant to learn more about coffee roasting and ethical sourcing.
“The most exciting part of this journey is getting to travel the world while doing exactly what I love most, which is coffee,” he says. “As the days shorten, the pressure and nerves are starting to kick in, but pressure is a privilege, so I should be fine.”
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A cup of coffee, a connection
Ask Mosikili what he loves most about being a barista and the answer isn't about latte art or perfecting a roast. It's the people.
“I love to connect with people from different cultures and religions every single day,” he says. “Through those conversations, a better version of myself was discovered.”
That sense of connection is also at the heart of the drink that won him the national title. His Caramel Comfort Cold Brew is inspired by his mother, with chocolate, caramel, cold brew, velvety oat milk and white chocolate cold foam representing different aspects of her personality and the role she has played in his life.
“This beverage is basically a picture of my mom,” he says. "I can't wait to show the whole world the inspiration behind this South African Champion."
He says representing South Africa is a chance to tell the African story: “Africa is the birthplace of coffee, to be specific, Ethiopia, which makes us distinctive. As an African, I strongly believe that no one will tell an African story better than an African child.
“The spirit of Ubuntu. ‘I am because we are.’ The support I've received from partners is absolutely amazing. That really proved to me it takes a village to raise a child.”
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KZN's coffee story is growing too
Mosikili's journey comes at an interesting time for KwaZulu-Natal's own coffee industry. The province has a growing collection of coffee farms producing locally grown beans, with some turning these into an agritourism experience.
- Beaver Creek Coffee Estate & Roastery, Port Edward (KZN South Coast): South Africa’s longest-standing, the world’s southernmost commercial coffee plantation, and a ‘Disneyland for Coffee Lovers’, Beaver Creek is an experience. Visitors can take a guided Crop to Cup tour before enjoying the estate’s restaurant.
- Mpenjati Coffee Farm, Munster (KZN South Coast): Set across 55 hectares along the Mpenjati River, this coffee farm produces locally grown and roasted artisan coffee, offering an authentic taste of KZN’s emerging coffee industry.
- Fairview Estates, Port Shepstone (KZN South Coast): Joining the coffee movement is this KZN South Coast estate, with some of the trees expected to reach their first commercial production in 2026. It’s another sign of the growing interest in homegrown coffee in the region.
- Assagay Coffee Farm, Hillcrest (KZN Upper Highway): Tucked into Harrison Valley between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, this farm has been producing 100% Pure Arabica coffee for more than 30 years. The coffee journey happens on the farm, with production carried out by trained local community women. The farm is not open to the public, but its beans can be bought online.
- Coffea Racemosa (KZN North Coast): Grown on two farms in South Africa – in Hluhluwe and Ballito – this is considered the world’s rarest coffee species endemic to the coastal forest belt between northern KZN, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Although not open to the public, it’s great to know we’re home to such coffee gold!
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There are some great KZN flavours to try! Mosikili, however, always chooses a roasted flat white, but he suggests: “For someone who has never explored coffee beyond ordering their usual, I'd recommend our Starbucks Blonde Caramel Macchiato, which comes as a warm and iced version (you can thank me later!)”.
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