JOHANNESBURG, October 12, 2021 (www.drewafrica.com)- Waterfall City is about to get a new lavish online restaurant, one that very deliberately shatters the glass ceiling.

The restaurant, SHOKA Fresh Foods, will be both owned and managed by women and minorities, who also happen to be young black sisters of age 23 and 26 -- a rarity in an industry long dominated by White, older men. SHOKA Fresh Foods is finalizing a partnership with one of the leading online food ordering and delivery platforms in South Africa.

The young partners expect this restaurant to extend frontiers from mergers and acquisitions to profitable and fully functional luxurious chef-style franchises across the globe.

SHOKA Fresh Foods is the brainchild of Rixongile Ngobeni who most recently was the youngest black female franchisee at Sausage Saloon, and Katekile Ngobeni, an outstanding Corporate Finance and Insurance graduate from the University of Witwatersrand.

Early on, the joke was that the restaurant’s name is a joint name of both founders and amazingly, caught people’s attention as a restaurant that continues to “shock” people with excellence and class amidst other well known restaurant competitors in the luxurious Waterfall City neighbourhood.

“We spent so many months, days and hours trying to make sure we launch a restaurant that people would want to be seen supporting, I can’t believe the puzzle is slowly coming together”, said Katekile.

“Being sisters and business partners at the same time comes with so much responsibility, it’s also emotionally taxing, especially when you also live together; but I honestly don’t think I would’ve been able to keep pushing if I wasn’t doing this with my sister”, says Rixongile.

The banging sister bosses can’t wait to see what life has to offer with this amazing new restaurant officially beginning it’s operations this October.

The Sunday Club launches at the Blanko Restaurant in Constantia.

Happening every Sunday at noon, this is the perfect chance to get the whole family together and enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon with us.

A delicious three-course lunch for R240 is on offer and can be paired with a selection of award winning wines whilst being entertained by live jazz.

The Sunday Club also offers a supervised childrens fun area provided by entertainment experts, Bazinga.

Adults can sit back and relax while the children choose from face-painting, balloon sculptures, a jumping castle, games and more!

A childs fee of R50 for these activities will be donated to the Cape Peninsula Feeding Association.

So come and enjoy your Sunday with family and friends at The Sunday Club!

Booking is essential.

For bookings: Tel: +27 (0)21 795 6300

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Address: Alphen drive,
Constantia

www.alphen.co.za/home

This contemporary new Italian eatery is located in the height of luxury at the iconic Alphen Hotel in Constantia. Blanko boasts a vibrant “all day” atmosphere, where locals can eat and drink in a series of beautifully designed spaces within a heritage location.

Blanko’s all-white gallery-style space reflects the contemporary style synonymous with the Kove Collection. Italian marble tables, a dramatically-lit white bar and textured furnishings all highlighted in ambient lighting provide the perfect backdrop to the sumptuous food.

The outside terrace with a central water feature is the ideal spot for a meal with friends or family. Group Head Chef, Amber-May Deetlefs delivers her culinary philosophy in her unique Italian style, “I believe the best food is prepared from the heart – it not only has to taste good, it should be something sincere and uncomplicated”. 

In a first for Cape Town, in collaboration with Cape Town’s Goodman Gallery, the walls of Blanko feature work from some of South Africa’s greatest contemporary artists.

MD of the Kove Collection, Paul Kovensky has a passion and appreciation of art which is evident in every aspect of Blanko. The restaurant’s white interiors provide the perfect canvas to compliment great art.

Artists who feature include Diane Victor, William Kentridge, Brett Murray, Mikhael Subotzky, Robert Hodgins and Walter Oltmann. Blanko is the freshest addition to The Kove Collection’s hotel & restaurant group.  

The Kove Collection creates personalised experiences, highlighting fresh food, good service and innovative design and culture, while upholding a strong, sustainable approach towards the people and environment they operate in.

Kovensky is excited about the opportunity, “The current social “buzz” in Cape Town, paired with the locals need for exciting new places to eat, Blanko is the ideal concept for foodies & families.

We believe Blanko’s contemporary concept provides a charming contrast and antidote to the “old world” architecture and ambience of the Alphen Hotel, bringing a breath of fresh air to the neighbourhood.

We’ve always placed a high value on offering our guests the best, most memorable experience possible. And Blanko is simply a natural evolution of this”.

Open from Monday to Sunday, 12h00 to 24h00. To make a booking contact: +27 (0) 21 795 6313   

Breaking the barriers between the hearing and the Deaf

I Love Coffee, South Africa’s first Deaf-run coffee shop will officially open its doors in Cape Town in June. In partnership with Tribe Coffee, the entirely Deaf-run coffee shop launches with the aim of breaking communication barriers between the hearing and the Deaf. The shop offers an experience unlike any other, where customers are encouraged to engage verbally as well as visually with the Deaf staff, patrons are given the opportunity to be taught rudimentary sign language to place their orders and engage with the staff. The idea is the brainchild of social entrepreneur, Gary Hopkins who explains: “It’s more than just coffee shop space, it’s about a mind-shift and correcting the perception that Deaf people are disabled, Deafness isn’t a disease and should be recognized as a culture, much like American, Italian, South African etc.” Of the estimated 2-million disabled people in South Africa, 500,000 are classified as ‘Deaf’ and almost 1.5-million South Africans are considered to be ‘hearing-impaired’ which means that 4.5% of South Africa’s total population is Deaf.

While South Africa recognises 11 official verbal and written languages, it has yet to recognise South African Sign Language (SASL) - the visual language that is common across all South African Deaf people. This in turn has deeper social implications as it limits opportunities for tertiary education and results in high unemployment amongst the Deaf. Employment is one of the biggest challenges the Deaf face in South Africa - this is evident in light of the fact that currently 70% of persons who are hearing impaired are unemployed.  Hopkins adds: “Most people know very little about Deaf culture and even fewer understand it, we are hoping that by bringing an ordinary everyday experience like ordering a cup of coffee or a toasted sandwich with the use of sign language or by service expectation being met, we can bring a better understanding about the capability of the Deaf. “The i love coffee brand aims to be a cool, fun and engaging and is not out to garner a sympathy vote,” he says.

“We specifically chose a fun name and incorporated Deaf language into the brand by replacing the heart symbol with the SASL sign for ‘I Love You’.” “We have had incredible support from Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, who most don’t know has a Deaf sister as well as The National Institute for the Deaf who has assisted us with the recruitment of staff and are receiving barista training from Tribe Coffee,” he says. “DeafSA, the non-profit organisation who acts as the national research, information and community action organization on behalf of more than 600,000 South Africans who are culturally and linguistically Deaf have assisted tremendously in bringing this project to life.” On choosing the venue, Hopkins points out that the decision to launch in a gym in Claremont was a conscious one with a long-term view to expand the national footprint of the brand as well as having to launch on a very tight budget.

“This entire project has been self-funded with the assistance of some really great partners and as we get closer to opening we have other activities that will assist us in getting the brand off the ground,” Hopkins adds. “We are running a crowd-funding campaign and fundraising event so we are able to purchase more equipment.”

“Our world’s currently feel so separate,” says, Deaf born, Jessica Botha who is in her third year at UCT studying a Bachelor of Science, Sociology and Environmental & Geographical Science. “We define Deafness as a way of life and not a disability. We aren’t blocked in living but only the language barrier between hearing and non-hearing people.” Botha adds: “If hearing people learn to sign, they gain the skill of communicating in a different way, increased interaction between the Deaf and hearing community will make our world more inclusive.”

“It is our goal to create more opportunities for job placement of visually impaired persons in the open labour market,” he adds. Hopkins, says that the coffee shop and I love coffee brand will help change how the world engages with the Deaf – view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG4Gs4asbL0 I Love Coffee will be officially open for business on the 6th of June and based at X-Body Fitness, The Mews, Draper Street, Claremont.

For more information visit: www.ilovecoffeeshop.co.za or join the conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/I-love-coffee-shop-1117086014981420 or Twitter: @ilovecoffeeshop