Mzoli's Place Founder Mzoli Ngcawuzele Laid to Rest

"Mzoli's Place" founder Mzoli Ngcawuzele was laid to rest this week amid an outpouring of tributes for the Cape Town business pioneer.

From humble beginnings as a modest Gugulethu butchery, Mzoli's grew into an iconic township restaurant and cross-cultural attraction, popular with locals and tourists alike. Ngcawuzele generated vital employment and directly fostered adjacent informal businesses in the township economy. High-profile visitors over the years included Springbok rugby stars and global celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

“Athlete, entrepreneur and founder of Mzoli’s Place, he ran the tracks of segregation-era Gugulethu with the same ferocious self-belief with which he built one of South Africa’s most beloved institutions from a garage full of meat,” wrote journalist Malibongwe Tyilo in a Daily Maverick tribute.

Cape Town councillor Angus McKenzie described Mzoli as a "true legend”.

“Mzoli did more for nation-building than many who spoke about it from podiums. He created a space where people from all backgrounds, races, and communities could come together in Gugulethu, share a meal, share stories, and celebrate what unites us rather than what divides us,” McKenzie said. “He helped make it normal for South Africans from every walk of life to gather, connect, and enjoy each other's cultures. In doing so, he brought people together in a way that few ever have.”