Wolf and Co. Cafe: Tsakane's self-styled hipster cafe

Wolf and Co. Café, pioneered by the social creative Sphiwe Giba, is located in Ncobo street in Tsakane, in the east rand of Johannesburg (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)
   

Wedged in between the front lawn of a grey coloured four-roomed township house and the tarmac surface of Tsakane's Ncobo street is Wolf and Co. Café, a shipping container which has now become a makeshift venue for dinner parties to hosting alt music bands. Sphiwe Giba is a man with many titles from the business founder, illustrator, marketing expert to even being known by those who know him well as an aspiring band manager. So when he opened his food and coffee café outside his house he probably knew that he was adding more titles to his name. I am sure name titles mean nothing to this Tsakane born creative; Giba just wants to get things done. Well, you never know since he does so much. 

For more than three years now Wolf and Co. Café has become Giba's side project as the guy has a "9-5" job. With the vision to create an alternative spot where township locals and visitors from outside the area would have an experience of good food (unlike your typical shisa nyama or the usual humdrum kota) and a place which would boast 'positive' vibes ekasi, Giba did just that.

With his customised menus, Wolf and Co. Café is a perfect spot for an unpretentious dining experience in the East Rand. The home cook takes time to design healthy meals which are homey and at any given time you come back to Giba's crib you will not have any meal cooked the same way twice. The meals are avant-garde and the experience is designed to avoid a 'commercial' expected end.



Social entrepreneur Sphiwe Giba (left) and cinematographer Bonga Nkomo (right) in Giba's kitchen dishing up for guests visiting his Tsakane-based Wolf and Co. Café. The Café, which boasts a day-to-day special menus, hosts intimate music performances, poetry sessions, book readings and township bicycle ride sessions. (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)    


Over the years, I have been impressed at the adaptability of the menu. From one sitting, you will have a meaty curry with dumplings on the menu and next time around its a vegetarian offering of bean salads to falafels on offer. You just never know what's on. And that is part of the excitement of the place. The experience is flexible and malleable to the hosts' ideas and creative mood.



Bean salad served as the star of the show for vegetarians attending the Last Dinner; a private dinner Wolf and Co. curated to end the year of 2019 (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama).

Not only does Wolf and Co. Café offer you food experience. However, if you take time to visit the Wolf and Co. Café Instagram you will find that the venue makes way for book clubs, township bicycle rides, poetry readings and stand up comedy sessions. What has also been a delight is that the venue has hosted some quiet yet dynamic DJ sessions, with the likes of funk-to-marabi music DJ Bob playing alongside the innovative cassette player Sello Tapes. So paying Sphiwe Giba a visit you might end up just to find the afro-rock band, the Muffinz hanging out in his front yard serenading a bunch of their East Rand fanatics - you just never know.




Wolf and Co. Café's event in collaboration with J&B (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)

More food eye-candy to wet your taste buds (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)

With a long list of past successes from hosting intimate concerts (featuring the likes of Somethang Soweto, MXO and Nomisupasta, amongst others), encouraging a culture of literature amongst the youth and promoting a sense of positive entertainment in the township it seems Sphiwe Giba has more ideas in the pipeline for Wolf and Co. Café concept. He now recently opened a new café spot at the Life on Iris, a medical lifestyle centre in Norwood, Johannesburg and I am yet to visit to see what he has in store for the space. So I'll keep you updated on my Instagram to let you know how the new space is going.

 To find out more about the Café and about their events visit their Instagram on: Wolf and Co. Cafe



Lamb amongst the veggies. (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)



Sunflower greets you at the gate of Sphiwe Giba's home and café (Pic: Benjamin Moshatama)

Hey, if you know of any great movements, places, spaces, interesting food and music holler at me. Also for blog collaborations email me on: benjamin.moshatama@gmail.com.

You can also find me on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_moshatama/

Thank you for reading the picture-driven blog. Spread the word.

Comment below: I've just picked up a camera, tell me what you think about my picture taking. Your ideas are always welcomed.

Ta, Benjamin Moshatama.