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When Johannesburg couple Siphosethu Mandindi and Ahe Jafta migrated to Dubai eight years ago, they didn’t realise just how much they’d miss the Sunday Soul Sessions from back home and the seven-colour lunch that’s synonymous with Sunday in Mzansi.
But they were not the only ones longing for the taste of home, which is evidenced by the overwhelming support they’ve received so far.
They hosted their inaugural Sunday Soul Sessions Braai on 12 June and not only did other South Africans living in Dubai welcome the initiative, but Ahe says people from other parts of the world have been just as hungry for a hearty South African meal.
The lovebirds were gatvol of amapiano and Afrobeats, and they longed to show their new home that there was so much more to Mzansi and Africa as a whole.
“We wanted a space where we could reset and have a good home meal while surrounded by good company. More than anything, we wanted to build a community and it is slowly coming together. The South African consulate has also been supportive,” Ahe shared.
And so for the past four months, Ahe and Siphosethu have been gathering friends, family and other kindred spirits at the Embers Open Fire Grill at Dubai’s Novotel World Trade Centre where they wash down their braaivleis with the music of the duo, BoandMo.
The initiative has been such a hit that on Heritage Day, just three months after the first gathering, more than 200 people convened at the Sunday Soul Sessions, draped in the colourful traditional attire of various South African tribes.
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On the menu is boerewors, lamb chops, peri-peri chicken and steak with chakalaka, pap and potato salad.
But taking South African cuisine and leaving biltong behind would be a complete injustice, so of course the guests nibble on this delicacy before sitting down for the buffet.
“We also serve a buffet of unlimited salads and desserts like malva pudding. The most popular item on the menu is the braai platter,” said Ahe.
Whether here at home, on boat cruises or even in countries far, far away, a South African social gathering would just not have “that thing” if music was not present.
The patrons of Ahe and Siphosethu’s Sunday Sessions get down to some soul, funk and jazz on vinyl while enjoying their seven colours.
The couple may have thought they were dealing with their own feelings of being homesick when hosting the first session, but based on the response from the public it is clear that they have tugged at the heartstrings of various people from across the world.
Who knows? perhaps the trend catches on across the world and Mzansified Sunday Soul Session Braais become a global movement?
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