Kenya First CSWC on African Mainland

In 2025, Mauritius was going to be the second African location after Réunion, to enter the Cigar Smoking World Championship circuit, but the competition got canceled. This year they will make a new attempt to be the next place to add some African flair to the slowest race on earth. As will Kenya, which means the CSWC will be held on mainland Africa for the first time ever.

“With this historic move, CSWC is now present on every mainland continent in the world, making it one of the biggest international competitions overall, not just in the cigar industry,” CSWC founder Marko Bilic says.

The qualifier will be held at Diani Beach, regarded as one of the most stunning beaches on the African continent, and the man behind it all is Courtney Douglas, an American on a work mission in Kenya. He first encountered the contest last year at the Qatari qualifier in Doha, where he met and connected with Bilic and CSWC instructor, Dino Tomic.

“I love cigars not only for the smoke and the craftsmanship, but for the conversations they spark, the patience they teach, and the people they bring together,” Douglas says. “They create space for meaningful moments, shared stories, and lasting memories, and I’m truly excited to be here in Kenya representing the art of slow smoking.”

“Thanks to Courtney’s initiative and his vision of how he could contribute to CSWC as a great global platform, he became more deeply involved and decided to take this historic step,” Bilic explains. “We were thrilled with this initiative and honored that people like Courtney recognize the strength of CSWC and are willing to contribute to it.”