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Mzoli's

Tourists outside Mzoli's in April 2006
Location	Gugulethu township, Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates	33°58′35″S 18°34′11″E / 33.97639°S 18.56972°E / -33.97639; 18.56972
Owner	Mzoli Ngcawuzele
Type	Butcher shop Restaurant Nightclub
Genre(s)	Deep house Kwaito Cape jazz Marimba
Capacity	Several hundred
Opened	2003
Closed	2021

Mzoli's was a butchery in Gugulethu, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. Since Mzoli's opened in early 2003, the restaurant had become a popular gathering spot for Cape Town residents and a tourist attraction. Amongst Gugulethu's residents, Mzoli's Place had a reputation for public drunkenness and disrespect for the local community. Mzoli's is named after the founder and owner, Mzoli Ngcawuzele. The restaurant closed indefinitely in May 2021 due to several factors.

History

Mzoli's opened in early 2003. Its owner, Mzoli Ngcawuzele, obtained start-up funding from the Development Bank of South Africa. In October 2006, an economic study by the University of Cape Town said that Ngcawuzele had moved "from selling meat informally from a garage, to owning one of the most popular hangouts in Cape Town".

On November 19, 2006, more than 40 people including a group of tourists and Democratic Alliance councillor Masizole Mnqasela were arrested in a police raid outside Mzoli's for drinking in public. The restaurant did not sell alcohol, but Ngcawuzele explained that he could not stop people from bringing their own. Three years later, Mnqasela sued the police for his wrongful arrest. He won the civil case, and received 100,000 South African rand in compensation.

Some local residents near a long-planned shopping mall that was being built by a business partly owned by Mzoli's owner criticized his plans in 2008. Some businesses were evicted or threatened with eviction from older buildings owned by Mzoli, which were then knocked down to make room for the new property development.

In 2018, Mzoli's was temporarily closed due to a car in front of the butchery being set alight in a protest for better housing. In 2020, amidst rumours that Mzoli Ngcawuzele had died, the Daily Sun reported that he was "still alive and well" and was celebrating his 66th birthday. In May 2021, the restaurant was closed indefinitely. Mzoli Ngcawuzele's daughter Sisanda Mangele said it closed due to "a lot of things, from physical safety to the state of the economy and restrictions of the pandemic".

Reception

Located in the township of Gugulethu, a black neighbourhood 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast of the centre of Cape Town, Mzoli's was a "do-it-yourself" market and eatery, selling meat to patrons who in turn hired independent entrepreneurs running braai stalls on the grounds to grill the meat and prepare meals. Mzoli's also provided live entertainment and has become noted as a venue for deep house and kwaito music. As well as local people, Mzoli's attracted television stars, DJs such as DJ Fresh, politicians such as Tony Yengeni, businesspeople, tourists, and college students.

British chef Jamie Oliver featured Mzoli's on the cover of his magazine in April 2009. He described Mzoli's as "sexy" and praised the "incredible flavor" of its grilled meat. He added that due to the hot temperature in South Africa they can't hang meat like in Europe so they would just kill it, gut it, skin it and eat it. Tina Walsh of The Guardian called it "a big open-air shack" which "has a devoted following".

See also

• List of butcher shops

Media related to Mzoli's at Wikimedia Commons

• South Africa
• Food
• Companies

Notes

1. Also known as Mzoli's Place, Mzoli's Meat, Mzoli's Butchery or Kwa-Mzoli.

References

1. ^ Lukas, Byron (5 May 2021). "Mzoli's Place closes its doors for now". Cape Town Etc. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
2. ^ Unathi Kondile. "Mzoli's Meat". Youth Radio. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
3. ^ "Sizzling times at Cape Town's hottest hangout". CNN. 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
4. ^ Allen, Karen (11 December 2010). "Street life in tarnished township". Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
5. ^ Masweneng, Kgaugelo (5 May 2021). "Tourism goes cold as popular shisanyama, Mzoli's Place, closes its doors". SowetanLIVE. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
6. ^ Walsh, Tina (7 April 2016). "Barbecue and beats in Cape Town's Gugulethu township". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
7. Majivolo, Thandile (26 June 2013). "Mzoli's: the "Pride" of Gugulethu". GroundUp. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
8. Ana Deumert and Nkululeko Mabandla (18–20 October 2006). "Language, Communication Networks and Economic Participation, Towards an Inclusive Economy" (PDF). University of Cape Town. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
9. Nicholson, Zara; Williams, Murray (20 November 2006). "Restaurant raid nets DA councillor". Independent Online. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
10. Witten, Jade (2 October 2009). "Judge rules he was locked up without reason". Cape Argus. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
11. Joubert, Pearlie (20 November 2008). "David vs Goliath in Gugulethu". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 December 2009.
12. Makora, Misheck (11 October 2020). "Mzoli: I'm still alive and well". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
13. Magadla, Mahlohonolo (6 May 2021). "Cape Town's popular shisanyama, Mzoli's Place shuts down indefinitely". News24. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
14. Nkalane, Michael (3 July 2018). "Inside Mzoli's home". Independent Online. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
15. "Jamie magazine". Jamie magazine. No. 2. 24 February 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
16. "'Mzoli's Place is heaven'". News24. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
17. Fairbanks, Eve (9 July 2010). "At the World Cup, Searching for the 'Real' South Africa". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

• 2003 establishments in South Africa
• 2021 disestablishments in South Africa
• Black-owned restaurants
• Buildings and structures in Cape Town
• Butcher shops
• Defunct restaurants
• Food and drink companies based in Cape Town
• Restaurants disestablished in 2021
• Restaurants disestablished due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Restaurants established in 2003
• Restaurants in South Africa
• Shops in South Africa
• Tourist attractions in Cape Town