New York restaurant Madiba offers South African soul food

Global Business

A new South African eatery is setting up shop in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. “Madiba” is the clan name for the late Nelson Mandela. The restaurant aims to pay tribute to both Mandela and the country he loved. CCTV America’s correspondent Patrice Howard reported this story from New York.

It’s where soul meets South Africa. Chefs are cooking up delicacies you might call “Afro-fusion”, a culinary mash-up dedicated to a vision of South Africa as a “whole world in one country.”

“We don’t just have one kind of person living in Africa. You know. We have Asian, Dutch, Indian, White, Black, Europeans that’s all becoming part of the culture of the cuisine.” owner of Madiba Restaurant Mark Henegan said.

Madiba’s menu is as diverse as its clientele. Mark Henegan said he opened the eatery in an eclectic neighborhood with hopes that locals would stop in to wine and dine with Africa on mind.

Madiba may be offering locals a new cultural experience, but it’s one of a number of franchises also bringing new business to the area, and quickly turning Harlem, a large neighborhood within New York City, into a hotspot.

New franchises have replaced empty storefronts. The change came with new zoning laws a decade ago, prompting a new building boom that brought new neighbors and new businesses looking to serve a growing population.

Harlem, which has drawn crowds in search of authentic soul food and black-eyed peas, will get some competition with Madiba’s peri peri chicken and safari platters. It’s drawing an upmarket clientele and some don’t welcome the change, but others believed the new businesses are creating new opportunities for a historically deprived community.