September 27, 2004
By Ndaba Dlamini
THE transformation of Newtown, a vibrant cultural and tourism area on the western edge of Johannesburg city centre, into a 24-hour shopping, entertainment, business, retail and residential hub promises a gold rush for entertainment joints in Newtown.
Entertainment hotspots located in the precinct are upbeat about the establishment of Central Place, a spacious entertainment area bordering Mary Fitzgerald Square to the north, the Turbine Hall to the east and the Bus Factory and Design Centre, which is being transformed into a development zone, to the south.
Construction on the first phase of the project, Number 1 Central Place - an office and retail complex near the M1 freeway overpass - has already begun.
Walter Mhlari, a supervisor at Shivava Café says the café is gearing up for the influx of visitors and shoppers set to descend on Newtown. "Plans are in the pipeline to refurbish the café, make it more spacious and redecorate the interior to give the place a unique feel. The outside sitting area where performances are held will also be revamped to create a permanent stage."
Shivava Café, diagonally opposite the Mineworkers Library, has plenty of parking space and, according to Mhlari, "provides everything that customers would like". "The café offers indigenous African cuisine which is popular with most customers. Based on the number of customers we get at the moment, Shivava will burst at the seams when developments in Newtown are complete."
The café serves more than 30 customers daily who come in to sample Shivava's menus and have drinks. "During weekends, we serve around 700 customers and a sizeable number are tourists from outside South Africa. After the completion of Central Place, we expect more customers," says Mhlari.
A stone's throw from Shivava, is the Horror Café located along Bezuidenhout Street. The café and night club manager Steven Peterson says plans to give the establishment makeover have been in the pipeline for some time. "We have always seen Newtown as a potential entertainment hotspot for the whole of Johannesburg. Due to financial constraints, we haven't been able to institute the developments."
The interior deco of the Horror Café is colourful and horror movie memorabilia ranging from Dracula to the masked Jason grace the walls. "In the near future the décor will be done anew and a bigger bar will be constructed. We also plan to give the café a new day name. Horror Café will remain as the night club name," says Peterson.
According to Peterson, the developments in Newtown are "positive". "The construction of retail and entertainment places will bode well for us. I know of some entertainment establishments in Rivonia who say residents have been complaining about noise and are planning to relocate to Newtown. The competition will be healthy for our business because these nightclubs will attract more people into Newtown," Peterson says.
The Horror Café staff complement at the present is handling the large number of customers well, "but we would like to educate our staff so that we set a high standard in customer service". Horror Café currently entertains between 30 to 40 customers per weekday. On weekends, the numbers swell and more than 500 revellers come through our doors for a jol," says Peterson.
Situated within the Market Theatre precinct is Kippie's Club, "an international jazz venue of note". Vusi Shabalala events manager at the club says the growth of Newtown signifies a boom in job creation. "The new developments will be fruitful in terms of sustaining our lives; I foresee more businesses being created and consequently more people being gainfully employed in the entertainment business."
"Kippie's is an old establishment and the venue has become rather cramped for the number of clientele that we host. We were supposed to start renovations to the club in June this year but we are still waiting for the Johannesburg Development Agency to give us the go-ahead," says Shabalala.
Kippie's Club was named after a renowned South African saxophone player, Kippie Moeketsi. The building that now houses Kippie's was modelled on an Edwardian toilet in order to blend in with neighbouring market building. Founded in 1985, the club also serves African cuisine, offers a bar for guzzlers and is a popular place for tourists, both international and local, who come in to sample live performances from jazz artists.
"We are venturing into a very busy season where we are expecting the number of visitors to skyrocket. Traditionally, winter is very quiet for us," says Shabalala.
Mbuso Nomadolo, manager of Niki's Oasis, a café which specialises in African foods, views the transformation of Newtown as "a good thing". "Newtown is going to be the main attraction in Joburg and Gauteng as a whole. Niki's Oasis will love to see more international tourists frequenting the café. Most tourists who come here not only eat and drink but buy artwork as well," says Nomadolo, referring to sculptures and paintings lining the café walls.
Niki's Oasis is strategically located at a street corner opposite the Market Theatre and the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown. The café offers African cuisine and provides a "shebeen feel" for patrons.
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