Recent social media posts
25/05/2026
Inspired by mbwire mbwire ( toasted grain),
Busted out this quick no-knead green millet ( mhunga) bread , served with a coconut shrimp curry
25/03/2026
Delicious frozen baobab, egusi and sour milk tart
12/02/2026
Exciting exciting news! I am putting on a solo exhibition from March 7th. Solo in terms of literal output and very much communal in terms of input. Telling stories of the continent that were here long before us.
Nyora (n) - body and facial marks often made to note moments of significance or transition. Birth, death, initiation, courtship.
Nyora (v) - mark making, painting, writing, calligraphy, caressing
I have always been inspired by the stories of this place and the different ways in which we have shared those stories over millennia. I took my sabbatical from Tapi Tapi for the year because I wanted to share these stories with you in a different format.
The exhibition will feature rock painting, wood carving, clay, charcoal and sand as pigment, acrylics, textiles, music and photography. We will explore portraiture, spirituality, issues of land access and identity.
The opening is on the 7th of March , 2 pm at , inside the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town. It will live here for several months beyond June.
It would be lovely to see you there for chats, celebration and reflection.
17/12/2025
Just an FYI for anyone passing through here. We are closed from June 2025 until September 2026.
I am on a 15 month long sabbatical after 7 wonderful years of Tapi Tapi. We will be back in the new year, taking the time to get well deserved rest in preparation for the next 7 years.
Thanks
Tapiwa
08/11/2025
An opportunity for one person of African descent to get an original one of a kind textile pattern designed and printed for free. The design has to be based on some cultural aspect of your identity, as all my textile projects are about telling African stories. Spirituality cosmology, philosophical, tribal/clan identity, nature and other themes synonymous with the continent.
Fill in the form in the bio to apply to be considered. The story that appeals to me the most will be chosen and the winner will be announced December 31st 2025. Entries close December 15 2025.
Available only to people based in or are able to get into South Africa to collect the fabric or arrange shipping for themselves outside of SA.
Funded by Tapi Tapi and Created by Kasvikiro
28/05/2025
Farewell Party Shenanigans.
As you may know Tapi Tapi café is closing Sunday June 1st, 6 pm.
We are taking the time to recognise the moment and where we have come from, celebrating with friends old and new. Please come along and mark the moment with us.
Bring your wallet as there will be treats to be had and we need to sell all our food stock, waste not what what.
The schedule is loose until 3 pm where we will have the first ever tasting of our 5 year reserve fermented sorghum and teff spirit (available for sale too). 4 pm we have an informal formal chat. Questions, thoughts, reflections, sharing our stories with each other.
See you there, or in the next moment.
Taps
23/05/2025
Be The Change
Set out to clean my house this morning and managed to find R460 squirreled away in coins all over the place.
I'm cleaning up the house and café since this chapter is winding down, I couldn't help reflect on the many rewards that present themselves when you set out to "tidy house".
I realised the house was unclean and infested in 2018 and set out to "spring clean". Ice cream being the detergent. Seven years of spring cleaning and many rewards have shown up. Money is an obvious return but it never was the thing I set out to do.
Just like this morning, from 7 years of Tapi Tapi I learned about the home we all love and live in. I found the lint under the mattress, the mold in the shower, the assorted corpses laid waste by infection. I found old notes of wisdom, gifts from friends and strangers. I found community and my place within it. Moved things around and shook the foundations a little bit. The house remains but my footsteps have left a well worn path. One that many followed and countless more pulled me along.
This little baby of mine paid people on time, suppliers, employees and every bloody digital subscription debit order. It paid my rent, it fed me even if the pantries ran low from time to time. I got to witness cute dates, young and old lovers. Starting their journeys or headed towards the end. Got to see elders laugh with babies, got to disappoint a few looking for vanilla and chocolate. Broke many hearts, crying for the flavour from last week that's now gone forever. I got to romance y'all too!
I got to enjoy people's kindness and some of their viciousness. Learned to be bored by the predictable racism and always surprised by generous intimacy with strangers. So many feet through our door, so many podcast, TV,radio chats, contributions to books, festival curation, exhibitions, food comas! Messy dresses & ugly laughs and cries.
All because of scoops of home. What a treat. What a journey. What a pleasure and what a F*CKING life!
this new chapter is so exciting. The café is closing but Tapi Tapi is not done. In the meantime I'm gonna be chasing the sun and making art. is where I'll be doing that if you want to follow along
22/05/2025
Folks. As a little treat and farewell gift, we have discounted our ice cream until the shop closes on June 1st. All single scoops going for R35 and you can mix and match multiple flavours in the doubles.
We are also selling our famous hot chocolate powder mix and some tea blends to keep you warm once we have closed shop.
Made a small batch of everything so do note it's first come first serve for the accessory products.
01/05/2025
Going on sabbatical - June 1st 2025 until September 2026.
Hey everyone, it's been an amazing 7 years. When I set out on this project I was clear I was starting a cultural advocacy and educational space and specifically not a business. That kind of work is challenging and I set myself a timeline of how long I would be willing to do this work in this format and that time passed on February 23rd 2025. Burnout is a real thing and I'm trying not to live within it.
It is now time for a new chapter and I will be taking a sabbatical to travel, rest and reconfigure the approach Tapi Tapi will be taking into the future. The Obs cafe will close on 1 June 2025, so we have all of May to say our sala muhle and fambai mushes!
We are going to have a few farewell experiences and offers throughout the month so please join us in whatever way you want to. It's been an absolute treat getting to know all of you and to celebrate this wonderful home of ours and its immeasurable cultures.
Maita basa!
23/02/2025
Five years at No. 76 today.
Korona. Load shedding. Break ins. Thefts.
New neighbours, old ones gone. Lovers and friends too.
Older face, few more greys, sore knees, busted shoulders .
Harsh winters, short summers. Equipment failures and DIY mechanics.
Accountant, HR, food curator, and every other job! Need better systems.
Fatigue, disenchantment, sadness, defeat, heartbreak
_______________________________________________________
And also, laughs, joy, memories. Visitors from here and all the way over there. Mentored 15 young minds. Always paid staff without fail. Made a little bit of money and never acquired any debt.
4500+ flavours, thousands of visitors and hundreds of languages. Met so many elders who had their very first scoop of ice cream from home. Their home. Helped so many kids see themselves on a menu. Kids who will never have to know that African ice cream isn't normal.
Travelled to visit home in the diaspora. Met other Afro babies. Changed menus there too. Opened hearts and minds.
It's been a lot. It's been fun. It's been difficult. It's been a pleasure and a pain.
It's been a journey.
Happy birthday to No. 76 Lower Main Road, Observatory, CT
28/01/2025
UMQOMBOTHI + TEJ - An inspiration
It's difficult to identify legal classifications of the many types of fermented alcoholic drinks we have on the continent. There are a lot of drinks terribly named in English from very inaccurate approximations of Eurocentric alcohols.
Phrases like "palm wine", "African beer", "banana gin", "Ethiopian meade" are near ubiquitous in the lexicon and the drinks themselves are of course enjoyed, typically in informal contexts. They rarely are recognised by their indigenous names in legislation and do not often have legal status as actual alcohol categories and are brushed off or lumped into some existing irrelevant category. Of course the opposite is true for beer, wine, gin, brandy etc. recognized not only in their homelands but also accepted as the norm here in Africa.
What is truly upsetting is that hwahwa/umqombothi are nothing like beer, palm wine doesn't even know what grapes smell like and meade should be called European tej, as old as it is.
Now, I myself I don't drink but this discrepancy has always bothered me. White supremacy rearing it's ugly head once again. Does it not know of rest?
I started this little project in 2021 as an intervention to this status quo and a provocation for my African friends in the wine, gin and beer injuries and it is finally ready.
I popped open my first bottle of sparkling continental deliciousness today. Inspired by umqombothi, hwahwa and tej, it's a fermented blend of grains and honey used around Africa/diaspora and it sings proudly.
Fermented for 6 months in 2021, rested until and clarified in December 2024, carbonated and bottled in January 2025. Ultimately started the day the first Africans managed to intentionally ferment for the first time.
What a privilege to be part of this ancestral story! Thousands of years in the making. Stay tuned for updates in the next few years. Or go make some of your own right now.
Ancestors aren't made in death. They become through living.
Address
Closed Until September 2026
Cape Town
7695
To get to the location on Lower Main Road in Observatory, you can either take public transport or drive.
If you are taking public transport, you can take the train to Observatory Station and then walk for approximately 10 minutes along Lower Main Road until you see the destination.
Alternatively, you can take a bus that runs along Lower Main Road and get off at Observatory Police Station, which is just a short walk away from the location.
For those who prefer to drive, there is on-street parking available along Lower Main Road. However, it can get quite busy during peak times so it may be worthwhile considering other transport options if possible.
Opening Hours
| Tuesday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
| Wednesday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
| Thursday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
| Friday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
| Saturday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
| Sunday |
12:00 - 18:00 |
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What people say
TAPI TAPI is a unique and exciting ice cream shop and restaurant located on Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town. This establishment is not just your average ice cream parlor, but rather an educational initiative that celebrates African food and culture through their approachable scoops of han. TAPI TAPI offers visitors the opportunity to discover and enjoy both familiar and new flavors from the African continent. The handcrafted Tapi Tapi ice cream flavors are a must-try for anyone looking for a delicious and authentic taste of Africa. Whether you're an African or a visitor, TAPI TAPI welcomes everyone to come and experience the rich food culture of the continent. So why not stop by today and indulge in some truly unique and delicious treats?
