Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian mixologist, Ms Nengai Mollel, has emerged as Tanzania’s winner of Hennessy MyWay 2026, putting the country’s growing bartending and mixology talent in the spotlight at the regional level.
The Arusha-based mixologist earned the opportunity to represent Tanzania at the Hennessy MyWay Africa Regional Finals in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she competed alongside bartenders from some of the continent’s leading cocktail markets.
For Ms Mollel, the achievement is the latest step in a professional journey that has taken her from Tanzania’s hospitality industry to an international stage.
“Being selected as the winner from Tanzania and getting the opportunity to represent my country in South Africa was very special to me,” she told The Citizen during a recent exclusive interview.
“The experience helped me grow professionally, learn new things, meet people from different backgrounds and gain international exposure. It has motivated me to continue developing my skills and growing within the bartending industry,” she added.
Ms Mollel’s journey began after her trainer alerted her to the Hennessy MyWay competition, which challenges bartenders to combine technical skill, creativity and storytelling in developing original cocktails.
In the first stage, contestants created an original cocktail using Hennessy Very Special (VS) and submitted a video explaining the drink, its inspiration and creative concept.
Ms Mollel’s entry earned her a place in the next round, where she presented her cocktail before a live judging panel.
The face-to-face stage tested contestants on more than their ability to prepare a cocktail.
They were required to demonstrate an understanding of their ingredients, measurements and ratios, as well as presentation, sustainability and the story behind their creations.
They were then challenged to create a second cocktail using Hennessy VSOP, giving the judges another opportunity to assess their creativity, technical knowledge and ability to work with the brand.
Based in Arusha, Mr Mollel currently works at Namiri Plains lodge in Serengeti National Park, where she is continuing to build her career in hospitality and bartending.
Her success comes at a time when Tanzania’s hospitality industry is creating greater opportunities for bartenders and mixologists to develop specialised skills and gain exposure beyond the domestic market.
At the Africa Regional Finals in Johannesburg, Ms Mollel joined finalists from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya for mentorship sessions before competing in a live challenge at Nook, located within the premium SOLO restaurant.
The finalists were required to recreate their signature Hennessy VS cocktails before developing innovative Hennessy VSOP creations, with sustainability forming part of the judging criteria.
The judging panel included South African mixology expert Aimee May Donofrio, 2025 Hennessy MyWay Global Winner Sandrina Burkhardt, known as Trina on the Rocks, and industry professional Mmiso ‘Mmisology’ Luphondo.
Hennessy MyWay is designed to discover and empower bartenders while allowing emerging talent to showcase their creativity, stories, and perspectives to a wider industry audience.
For Tanzania, Ms Mollel’s achievement offers a glimpse of the potential within the country’s bartending scene and demonstrates that local hospitality professionals can compete alongside established talent from across Africa.
It also underscores the value of competitions that give young professionals opportunities to sharpen their craft, build industry networks and gain international exposure.
Following the Africa Regional Finals, Roxanne Read of South Africa, Brian Ohadha of Kenya and Happiness Cletus of Nigeria were selected to advance to the Hennessy MyWay Global Finals in Paris and Cognac, France, in October 2026.
