Transforming taverns into safe, profitable community spaces

Gift Sedibeng and Florence Rambuda are two of many restaurant owners benefiting from Heineken's Tavern Transformation project. By Bridget Hilton-Barber

- Bridget Hilton-Barber

What an unexpected delight to discover a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Alexandra township.

We are welcomed into Siga Culinary Restaurant in East Bank Avenue by Gift Sedibeng, who started what he calls his Mexi-kasi venture in 2018. “I failed IT,” laughs Sedibeng, “so I went into the hospitality business.”

He had the opportunity to be an exchange student and chef in Texas for two years, working at an upmarket resort with seven restaurants in San Antonio that catered to the rich, hip and famous. He returned with a wealth of experience and a love of their regional food.

He has since been tantalising locals and visitors with his Tex-Mex food with an African twist: kota burrito, pineapple salsa, nachos, tacos and quesadillas, which he says his patrons simply pronounce “kwesa kwesa”. “People here had no idea about Mexican food at all,” says Sedibeng. “And now it's become more than the food. It’s become a place where people gather to eat, talk, drink and connect.”