Cultural curator Nandi Dlepu is reimagining Joburg’s creative landscape

Nandi Dlepu texts me early in the morning: “Honestly, you’re not getting anything out of me before a cup of coffee.” And so we first connect at Skinner Café, her preferred little coffee shop in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

It’s easy to spot Dlepu with her signature voluminous hair, unapologetic in scale and presence. She is the founder of Mamakashaka & Friends, an agency and cultural studio, and a creative connector, curator and sister.

But first coffee.

As the pavements of Braamfontein come to life and the caffeine rapidly kicks in, Dlepu tells me her family moved to Jozi from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape when she was in high school, and how she became a city girl.

“I was always attracted to the inner city. When I was young, we used to go to a day club for teens near Small Street Mall called Le Club Rippingtons, and as a young adult I got to know places like Maboneng, Doornfontein, Yeoville, Berea and Newtown.”

Dlepu, who is a champion of Jozi My Jozi’s Babize Bonke (isiZulu for let them all come) campaign, grew up loving television series such as Cheers and Friends, and always wanted to have that connected urban vibe portrayed in those series – think friendly locals, loft living, coffee shops, jazz bars, third spaces, community. Braamfontein has become that for her.

“Braam is practical. It’s a bridge between north and south, and it’s also nostalgic because I studied and partied here. I really want to be part of its restoration. And I live a song away.”

Dlepu has always worked in the creative and cultural space, from film and music to advertising and marketing. She graduated from Afda, where she studied film, TV production, business and project management, and went on to work for some of the top agencies and production houses.

She founded Mamakashaka & Friends in 2017 and is involved in music discovery platforms, brand development and creative collaborations with big names such as Nike and Spotify. She is the editor-at-large of House and Leisure magazine, a sought-after speaker, and now works with the Anglo American Foundation on the creation of a cultural hub at 44 Main in Marshalltown – where Jozi My Jozi is among the tenants.

We bounce off the walls, skip over the road and up the pavement to Mamakashaka & Friends, her self-described playground. It’s a gorgeous studio space – plus an outdoor area – decorated in neutral tones and organic lines that can be dressed to become a themed venue, film or music studio, workshop space, dance floor or chill lounge. The location is great, in between Little Kitchener’s and the Bannister Hotel, opposite Play Braam. It feels like a happy hub.

It was here at Mamakashaka & Friends that Dlepu and her team founded several groundbreaking brands, including Pantone Sundays, a colour-themed fashion experience where fashion, music, beauty and community meet. Each edition invites guests to show up and show off through the palette of the day.

Her Bloom brand is a series of workshops, talks and exhibitions that focuses on the stories of creative women, and the Feel Good Series is a staple of the Jozi and Cape Town music scenes, a live performance platform that supports and showcases emerging South African soul, jazz and hip-hop artists.

“Mamakashaka & Friends has a small permanent team,” says Dlepu, “but we work with lots of freelancers and interns; we do loads of collaborations. And there are so many women in my life, soulmates and colleagues. That’s a huge part of my journey and adventure.” DM

Bridget Hilton-Barber is a freelance writer who writes for Jozi My Jozi.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.