If the walls of South African townships’ once illicit shebeens could talk, they would tell the most fascinating and harrowing stories. From first popping up in the 1800s and then being even more popular from 1927 — when the Liquor Act formally prohibited black South Africans from entering licensed establishments and selling alcohol themselves —they gave birth to indomitable shebeen queens.
These were resourceful black women who quickly learnt they had a lucrative market for their mqombothi (African beer brewed by using generations-old recipes made up of maize, malt, sorghum, yeast and water) and used this elixir to quench the physical and emotional thirst of hard-working black men who needed relief from the economic downturn of the 1920s’ Great Depression.
Over time, shebeen queens realised that their establishments were safe havens for those who wanted to express themselves freely, without fear of prosecution. They evolved into platforms where African arts, culture and heritage were prized, being breeding grounds in the 1950s for influential musicians such as Johannes “Spokes” Mashiyane (one of the most prolific pennywhistlers to come out South Africa). Guitarist Allen Kwela, after whom the genre of kwela (a pennywhistle-based street music evolving from the marabi sound) is named, is another product of groovy shebeen life.
In the ’60s and ’70s there were more than 10 000 shebeens in Soweto alone and this elevated the profile of shebeen queens, who were known to do anything to feed their families and make the first generational foray into financial freedom.
Modern day shebeens are part of South African townships’ DNA, being curated cultural establishments that not only hark back to a bygone era, but are now richly entrenched in what it means to be South African. What has not changed in all this time are the strong-willed women who are the faces behind these enterprises in Soweto.
The God-fearing shebeen queen
Alina Sishange – who has owned Alina’s Place since 2012 - is known as a vibrant businesswoman and a supportive mother in her neighbourhood. What made her the perfect candidate for Showmax’s new reality series Shebeen Queens is that she used to practise as a traditional healer and is now a pastor in a Christian church.
“At first, even I was concerned about selling alcohol on one hand then being an active church member and spiritual person, as it seemed a bit wrong. But then I realised that if I operated my shebeen in a legal and responsible manner, I was not doing anything wrong. I ensure there are no underaged and immature people who come to my place. What makes things even better now is that some of my church members even frequent Alina’s Place, as they understand what responsible alcohol consumption is,” she says.
“Believe it or not, I prayed to God asking him to provide me with a business that would allow me to provide for my family, without interfering with my church duties, and the answer was a shebeen. That is why you will never see me at my shebeen on a Sunday morning, as I am attending church service. It is only after I’m fully done with church that I will tend to the flock at Alina’s Place
The queen with a big personality
Emily Thabang Leeuw, affectionately known as Big Mama, inherited her shebeen from her mother Onica Violet, who ran it for years before Leeuw officially obtained a liquor licence in 2004 to run Big Mama’s Tavern. Due to her strong personality and her business hours stretching well into the wee hours of the morning, she constantly butts heads with her neighbours, but is not too perturbed.
“My neighbours have had to reluctantly understand that this is how I feed my family, and this is the only income I have. And of course, it has been difficult for me to raise three girls in a shebeen, but I have managed,” she says.
“Shebeens are not necessarily rough places, as long as the owner is strict, and you do not let patrons do as they please. For instance, I had to lay the law down for my male customers regarding being too friendly with my girls, and they duly obliged, because I treated them as part of my extended family, giving them the respect they deserve.”
Leeuw’s love life is also a big part of who she is, having been with her partner Siya Nama for the last 18 years, and being engaged for the last six. Their loving relationship has periodic fireworks as Nama is known for being a Casanova…— with a homing beacon. “Siya will disappear for weeks, but he always comes back to me. At my age, I don’t see myself being with another man. I have accepted that men cheat, so I’m not leaving my fiancé thinking I’ll find better. Men have been cheating for years and it’s just how they are,” she says.
The young-at-heart shebeen queen
Xoliswa Shwayimba may not look like a typical Amapiano fan, but given half a chance, she will most likely be the one dancing the most at any gathering. This is the jovial environment she is proud of fostering at her shebeen, Rama Tavern.
“I started off as a domestic worker, and I swore to myself I’d one day run my own business, so I could take care of my four siblings. That is exactly what I’ve achieved, and I am extremely proud,” she says.
Shwayimba’s drama comes in the form of her fiancé Joshua Mtshali, who is still married to his first two wives and is still to give her a huge gold ring and the wedding of her dreams.
• Shebeen Queens airs every Thursday on Showmax until November 14.
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