Cape Town Cocktail Week 2026 will mark the debut of its new Education Programme, shaped by the long-standing industry experience of Kurt Schlechter and Leah van Deventer. The call for seminar, panel, and workshop proposals is now open, with applications accepted until June 5, 2026.
Opportunity is a compelling one, offering the chance to take part in an initiative led by two respected industry figures, both of whom have earned nine appearances in Drinks International’s Bar World 100 rankings. The pair also played a central role in Bar Unity, the intensive training programme that, among other success stories, helped participant Keenan Williams secure a bartending role at the Planet Bar at Belmond Mount Nelson.
Cape Town Cocktail Week’s Education Programme
Cape Town Cocktail Week 2026 will run from December 7 to 13, with the Education Programme taking centre stage during the opening two days, December 7 and 8. The goal is to bring together the strongest national and international voices to create a meaningful platform for professional development.
Speaker proposals will be reviewed by Kurt Schlechter and Leah van Deventer. Schlechter serves as Education Director for the programme and is the creative force behind the award-winning Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen. Van Deventer, meanwhile, is the founder of Cape Town Cocktail Week.
Both are among the leading names in South Africa’s Bar & Beverage Awards landscape, with Schlechter recognised as Industry Icon and van Deventer as Mentor of the Year.
Building Something Meaningful
“Education only works when it is embedded within the industry it is intended to serve,” says Kurt Schlechter. “Cape Town Cocktail Week, a homegrown festival created to champion cocktail culture in the city, provides the ideal ecosystem. With our shared passion and experience, Leah and I know how to build something substantial and complete—something genuinely useful for a community we have dedicated decades to.”
“The Education Programme is a natural extension of what Cape Town Cocktail Week stands for, and with nearly 30 years of experience championing education across the continent, Kurt is the right person to lead it,” adds Leah van Deventer.
As for the venue, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, in Schlechter’s words, represents “the very best of Cape Town and is the ideal educational hub for the festival.”
The choice carries symbolic weight. Its Planet Bar became the first cocktail bar in the South African capital to enter The World’s 50 Best Bars list, back in 2009, the year the ranking officially launched.
Applications for the Education Programme remain open until June 5, you can register here.
Images courtesy of Cape Town Cocktail Week
