African Cuisine Restaurant
Lelapa, which means ‘the home’ was established in October 1999 in Langa, Cape Town’s oldest township (or informal settlement), when Sheila and Monica Mahloane (mother and daughter) converted our home in order to seize an entrepreneurial opportunity. We saw all the tourists’ buses driving past our township on the way to the winelands and our idea was to create a restaurant serving tradition township cuisine and invite guests to experience a bit of township life.
At the beginning our capacity was 25 seating restaurant. During ups and down of the business thinking that all these buses we saw passing our township are going to make a stop over at our restaurant. It was like a dream for 18 months likely it was our home, no bank loans and the over heads were of homely operational.2001 things started to shift were we started to sell our restaurant by going international to go and cook for south African activities as a promotional thing but the payment was to sell the name of our restaurant. But all in all it make us to be recognize even people like Brain Turner of Carlton food network work with us in our restaurant.
2002 we won the emerging tourism entrepreneur of the year for the Western Cape, which took us to WTM London in UK and ITB Berlin in Germany. We won at the good food and wine show (bronze award). 2005 we were one of the finalist for the ethnic cater of the year.
Today we can accommodate up to 100 diners in our home but that does end there because we are busy extending so that we will have private dining area for three groups in one time . We entertain them with a marimba band and serve local cuisine as per menu. Our focus is on providing our guests with great ambience and an authentic township experience. We involve them in the African tradition of storytelling by sharing the tales of our history with them. As mother and daughter team we believe that our success lies in giving our guests a sense that they have entered into the warmth of Lelapa, the home.
