Coffee Magazine has been a media partner to Hostex for over a decade…this was our 6th show and for us, it was the best one yet! It is also fitting that it was the 40th anniversary of the show, and the Hostex team pulled out all the stops.
From live chef demonstrations in the SA Chefs Village, industry conversations in the Industry Hub powered by Bidfood, the SCASA Gauteng regionals and much more, there was a real energy and sense of people doing a lot of good business and taking a lot away from the show, rather than just walking around it…in fact if you can sum it up in one word it would be….ENGAGED.
Hostex 2026 was buzzing!
Traditionally, we’ve focused heavily on the coffee industry and the coffee activities at Hostex, but this year, it was wonderful to see so much more integration of coffee discourse into foodservice stands, into broader hospitality offerings, and into business discussions. We certainly felt like we spent our time with Chef’s, Business Owners, Product Specialists from all walks of F&B life and we met a lot of interesting people, outside of coffee, all with their own unique story in hospitality!
Coffee friends playing on the best equipment!
Mel (Coffee Magazine), Stevo Kühn (SA & Africa Barista Champ), James Odendaal (Culture Coffee, PTA) and Tiny Obakeng (TriBeCa Coffee).
A highlight for us was definitely, The Bidfood Industry Hub, which was jam packed for every speakers session, and this is testament to the short, sharp discussions and relevant industry leaders on the panels (and an engaged audience - full of questions!) from experienced chef’s to top beverage managers, business coaches and experts across multiple sectors giving their insights. It was very good!
The SCASA Gauteng barista competition competitors.
The quality of the exhibitors was also really a step up from previous years… and this was palpable from the energy of the visitors - both floors had a LOT to offer, from the SMME’s on display, the SCASA coffee competition and Industry Hub on the bottom floor to the many expertly curated stands on the top floor - our favourites (other than the coffee stands of course!) were the ICE TEAM gelato, the Good Food Merchant (caviar, truffles, luxury balsamic vinegar and other Italian treats!) and the fresh baked goods from Clearworld ..it was a treat to be able to experience the products and the passionate people behind them.
Weissenhof Coffee's Watiko Mithi is one of the industry's favourite characters! He poured a winged horse in my take-away cup!
Real gelato at the Ice Team stand! Yum.
We cupped 8 of our favourite coffees from our Middle East roasters with coffee friends at Hostex!
