Our Fun Township Experience At Mzoli’s In South Africa

POSTED ON JULY 14, 2017

If you love barbecue meat, good vibes, and music then you have to go to Mzoli’s Place in the township of Gugulethu. The township of Gugulethu is found on the outskirts of Cape Town and is about 11 miles away from the city. This authentic shisha nyama (a Zulu term for an informal barbecue) open-air braai (BBQ), has become a popular hangout spot not only for the local Capetonians, celebrities, but also for the adventurous tourists. So if you want to experience what it’s like to party with the locals, Mzoli’s is the place to be. Mzoli’s is such a vibrant and energetic place, so be ready to dance the afternoon away after devouring the great and juicy barbecue meat.

 

Sundays are to have fun! And what better way to spend your Sunday than to head over to Mzoli’s. We decided to drive there but if you plan to drink, we suggest you take Uber. Getting there was a bit challenging. Driving around the township can be a bit intimidating and confusing. Since we got lost, we started asking locals who were able to point us in the right direction. We encountered a kind man that was heading to church and offered to ride with us to show us the exact location of Mzoli’s. We don’t recommend you do this if you’re traveling alone. Once we got there, finding a place to park was a whole other adventure. Keep in mind this is a township, so locals will do anything to make a few rands. Locals work as parking attendants who will try to catch your attention so that you can park in their area. This is how they make their money through tips. The parking attendants will help guide you, make sure that you are within the parking lane, and will assist you when leaving. This is so you don’t end up hitting a car, especially if you are using a rental. By the way, there’s an area that has cameras on top of the building for safety purposes.

When we arrived at Mzoli’s, there was already a long line of people waiting to order their meat. They have many types and cuts of meat for you to choose from that are already authentically spiced with their own rub. The flavor is very addicting! After choosing our meat and dropping them off to get grilled, we purchased tickets for each of us to enter to the main eating area. The main eating area within the lounge have plastic tables and chairs, but what makes this experience worthwhile is something you have to be there to know what it’s like. We did not make a table reservation prior to going so it was first come first serve basis. Finding a table was hard as there were already hundreds of people there. We were happy to encounter some awesome people who were from our area in the States who kindly invited us to sit with them in the lounge area.

Soon after picking up your huge platter of grilled meat, you’ll want to wash it down with some booze. Beer and barbecue meat go very well together. And what a convenient way than to enjoy your braai meat when shops or homes, for this matter, are literally directly across from Mzoli’s and will sell you alcohol from their house. Once you’ve purchased your beverages outside the Mzoli’s location, you’re able to bring them into the lounge area. Make sure you receive a re-entry stamp so you can keep going in and out of the eating area.

This authentic South African gathering spot plays booming music that will get your body moving and off your feet. After devouring your platter of delicious cuts of meat and consuming alcohol, what better way to burn up some calories than to get up and dance. Don’t be shy if you don’t know how to dance because the energy of the music will turn your body into a trance. Your body will move to the thumping music and it just knows how to vibe with it. Trust us, we know. At this location, you can enjoy live bands and a DJ who plays some old and current R&B, Hip Hop and House music. There’s also a fun guy carrying a drum that walks around the tables letting people play with is drum. It’s awesome!

 

While enjoying your time at this location and letting the music control your body, as always, make sure that you are aware of your surroundings at all times. It is so easy to get carried away while consuming alcohol and not making the right judgmental choices. As previously stated above, there are other options than going behind the wheel and driving. There is Uber available with just a click of a button. Make sure you always designate a sober driver. Remember, safety is always the number one priority! Have fun!!