Soweto's bookworm creates hub for reading, games and learning

Thami Mazibuko's café in what used to be a dangerous area attracts schoolkids and tourists, who gather to browse, play and connect. By Bridget Hilton-Barber

- Bridget Hilton-Barber

Thami Mazibuko, owner of the Soweto Book Café, says there are now more than 10,000 books at his shop.

He's been sitting quietly on his own, listening to classical music while reading The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born, a novel by Ayi Kwei Armah, about corruption and moral decay in postcolonial Ghana.

He loves these peaceful mornings, Mazibuko says, before people start popping into what has become a popular bookstore, library, learning hub and venue.

The Soweto Book Café is at the end of a cul-de-sac in Zondi, on the second floor of a quirky double-storey house with long passages and round windows. A soft light floods the room, which is filled with books.

A self-proclaimed bibliophile, Mazibuko says he got "cultured" when he lived in Yeoville for several years, hanging out with intellectuals, musicians and artists who exposed him to new ideas, political theories and social issues.