G20: Baristas come to the rescue to keep the media cycle moving

As world leaders meet behind closed doors at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the massive media centre at Nasrec has become a world of its own, a hive of screens, snacks and non-stop caffeine.

While the headlines are being written elsewhere, reporters from across the globe are being fuelled by an army of baristas working overtime to keep the news cycle going.

Cape Talk’s Lester Kiewit has been roaming the media floor and the coffee queues to find out more.

He has painted a picture of scenes from inside the ultra-modern G20 media centre at Nasrec, saying the energy is surprisingly calm.

Rows of desks, glowing laptops, and journalists are waiting for the next drip of news from behind the security cordons.

On the big screens are President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening remarks. On the tables are snacks refilled almost as fast as they are eaten.

But the real action is happening at the coffee stations.

Baristas, the unsung heroes of every major summit, are pulling shots at a pace that would impress.

Sbuzani Ndlovu is the man in charge. He and his team are serving hundreds of cups an hour, barely stopping to wipe down the machine.

He says roughly between the two bars they have made about 1900 cups of coffee. In two hours.

Dozens of journalists queue for cappuccinos, Americanos and macchiatos, anything to fight jet lag and keep the live blogs flowing.

Article by Lester Kiewit