The Yeoville Dinner Club is one of Joburg’s best-kept gastronomic secrets − an unforgettable, intimate culinary experience.
Sanza Sandile, founder and host, has hosted this must-visit Joburg treasure as a cultural dining destination for a number of years. At its heartbeat is a food experience, known for its bold, eclectic Pan-African flavours and its deep-rooted celebration of African food identity.
Tucked upstairs at 24 Rockey Street in the Umri Siki New Day Gallery, the space transforms into a vibrant meeting place where stories, ideas and cultures are shared over generous communal feasts.
“Food has always been central to everything I do,” he says. “It has given me access to different cuisines and connected me to the people who live in Yeoville today.
“I’m dubbed the Gastronomic Smuggler, which is the title of my upcoming book about food and culture. I’ve been able to smuggle different African food cultures and stories onto the dining table as a pan-Africanist in Joburg.”
The Yeoville Dinner Club is no newcomer. It boasts a strong global following alongside a loyal base of in-the-know locals in search of distinct Pan-African flavours and delicacies. Real name Sandile Tshabalala, his sought-after 18-seater table has welcomed an impressive roster of guests, from the Global Citizen team to stars like Dave Chappelle and musical legends Hugh Masekela and Robert Glasper.
Born in Eswatini and raised in Soweto, he moved to Yeoville at 17, a shift that would shape both his creative path and cultural lens. A former broadcast journalist and filmmaker, he channels his passion for storytelling into the dinner table — creating a space where food sparks conversation, connection and deeply personal narratives.
“When I came to live in the city, I missed home, and I started being curious about what other home food is,” he says. “In those early days of YFM and being film students, whether we were in between television sets and radio stations, somehow a dinner table became a great space to tell stories.
“I also trained in photography and enjoyed theatre, films and TV. All those art forms of telling stories or sharing organically became the dinner table where I could share a lot of stories.
“I’ve tried other avenues of storytelling like writing, but food has always been a space where people would hear and feel me, and also through the art of food, which we could create the feeling of home.”
He credits his grandmother’s hand in his upbringing, which shaped his perceptions of the dining table.
“I grew up with the belief that food should be eaten together at one long table. At home, we had one big table, and we ate together. My grandmother treated me like a gentleman. And we were all seen as equals,” he says.
“My best guest was when Bra Hugh Masekela came to dinner. He was shooting a video in Yeoville, and he came with his trumpet. He told me that he knew of me and he was proud of my story because I was leaning towards Pan-Africanism.
“I don’t write a menu for the dinners beforehand. I always try to give my best. Every dinner is a party, and every night is its own unique story,” he says.
