Creative director of the fab Little Gig micro-festivals, Celebrity MasterChef winner, strategist, writer, photographer, Norval Foundation trustee … Seth Shezi is a busy guy. He’s also an all-round aesthete who’s just as at home in Cape Town as he is navigating London’s stylish haunts. His life is a heady mix of travel, taste and creative pursuits – blended with deep thought, a great sense of humour and sharp perspective. Shezi is also one of our go-to guys on where to eat, so you’d better bookmark his recommendations below.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year? And why?
First, Weeping Becomes a River by Siphokazi Jonas. It’s a brazen, contemporary poetry collection that really resonates with people who came of age in so-called post-apartheid South Africa – while still navigating the invisible codes of survival and success in those newly opened spaces.
It’s tied with the original manuscript of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Everyone knows the story, so when I got the book, it was more of a collectable – one of the oldest copies that exist, if the historian didn’t lie to me. I loved reading it because I barely understood anything, it’s a very different kind of English, the modern version of the book has been translated and there’s something quite poetic about reading it in the original language. I read at a 10-year-old’s pace and it was really grounding.
How do you keep fit?
It depends on where I am. In Cape Town, I do yoga at Loft Yoga Studio every other day and hike Lion’s Head often. In London, I’m more disciplined. I use the Soho House gym – it’s in the same building as the members’ club that I use as my office, so it’s easy to go daily (except weekends). I also cycle everywhere – on electric bikes, admittedly, but I swear it still does something for my heart rate!
Weeknight, low-key restaurant go-to?
I eat out five nights a week, so I have a long list!
Cape Town faves:
- Kiki (the slow-cooked lamb is an experience)
- Ouzeri (get the mushroom dish and pork starter)
- Seven Colours Eatery (the Seven Colours Plate plus a gwinya on the side)
- South China Dim Sum (order the full dim sum menu plus the braised beef on rice)
- Bao Down (chicken bao, prawn toast, and the miso tart)
London hits:
- Kiln (signature noodle dish – very spicy!)
- Akara (suya, cabbage, and the akara with prawn)
- Kudu (every single starter is a journey home)
- Dove (for radical burgers – but get there early, they only make 10 a day)
- The Rex Deli (everything’s excellent, but I always go back for the flaky savoury pies)
Art you’ll always love?
I call this “my awakening series” – the Queen’s in Exile series by Athi-Patra Ruga. And one I’ve fallen in love with recently – waar wolke huil, a dizzying 2m mixed-media tapestry by Thania Peterson. And one I actually own: a “reflective form” wall sculpture by Rodan Kane Hart.
What you regret most?
How much I colour within the lines. I have a rebellious streak in me that hardly gets its time in the sun. I find comfort in order and progress and often feel too scared to give in to my more rebellious creative energy, which I view as regressive or chaotic. The older I get the more disruptive I’m letting myself be.
The one unusual item you can’t live without?
Sudoku to zone out when I’m travelling, and my fragrances – I travel an insane amount and I love the changes of sights and sounds, but often need my signature scents to keep me cocooned in familiarity.
Who was your high school celeb crush?
Thembi Seete – Boom Shaka had me in a chokehold.
Three songs you’d take to a desert island?
It’s cruel to ask a melophile to choose just three – but off the top of my head: The Rapture Pt.III by Black Coffee, &Me and Keinemusik; Wildfires by Sault; and Both Sides of the Moon / Stop This Flame by Celeste.
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