Johannesburg - Load shedding has forced yet another small business to close shop permanently. Load shedding is estimated to cost the country at least R4 billion a day.
Leano Restaurant and Live Music’s owners were among other young business owners who had to say goodbye to a business they were once passionate about and hopeful of its potential growth.
According to reports, thousands of small businesses shut their doors between 2021 and 2022 because of power cuts.
The establishment, formerly based in Braamfontein, was famous for hosting live performances where they serenaded patrons while guests enjoyed their meals with a drink or two, since its inception in 2021.
In its short trading period, Leano hosted live performances, hosting celebrated artists such as Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, Kelly Khumalo, Brenda Mntambo, Buhle Bendalo and Selaelo Selota.
Jazz legend and saxophonist Mabuse, who has performed multiple times at the venue, said the establishment’s closure was the second devastating experience for him after the closure of Kippies Jazz Club in Newtown over 10 years ago.
“I hoped Leano would revive the spirit of artist performances, and with the right kind of support, the place would have been one of the top places to perform at. It is a serious indictment on the South African arts community. I’m grateful I was given a platform to perform at Leano,” Mabuse said.
Leano co-owner Keitumetsi Molatlhegi said: “Leano was birthed from Moeng, a restaurant we opened in September 2020. Moeng was opened at the height of Covid-19, and we were new babies in the hospitality space during the pandemic. We needed to find unique ways to introduce ourselves to the market and stay relevant.”
Apart from the strain caused by load shedding, financial constraints were among the many challenges the establishment faced. On December 18, 2022, after the venue hosted its last show, Molatlhegi and her partner said they realised that their business had become unsustainable.
Molatlhegi said they tried to get organisations to assist with funding since that was their biggest challenge. However, no aid was offered, not even from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, despite the restaurant’s role in assisting many young creatives.
“We applied for assistance from various organisations, only to receive the same response of ‘declined’. We tried asking for guidance and advice on this, with no luck and a generic response from the said funders. We eventually gave up and pushed until we got to this point,” Molatlhegi said.
The restaurant’s closure does not only affect its owners but 26 employees who are now jobless. Molatlhegi expressed how heartbroken she was when she had to tell her staff that the company was shutting down.
She spoke about how she and the team carried each other through many storms, with the current being the hardest to hit them. She also touched on the beautiful relationship she had with the regulars there.
“The connection I had with the guests was everything to me. I met and connected with amazing human beings, musicians, artists, managers and promoters. I strived to connect with the guests personally. Thus, the relationship was not just a numbers game. I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity given to me and never took it for granted,” she said.
The establishment’s working relationship with students from Central Johannesburg College is one of the most memorable and fondest memories that Molatlhegi cherishes. She reminisced on the good times she had with them at the restaurant.
“I remember the first time those students took the stage after jazz legend Herbie Tsoaeli’s show. The goosebumps, and the energy in the room changed, and I remember one patron commenting and saying, ‘the future of music is in great hands’. I could not have thanked my ancestors and God enough for that moment. I truly believe in lifting others as you grow, which is why Leano had opened doors to all creatives to share our space with them,” she said.
As painful as the experience may be, Molatlhegi said the establishment’s closure did not kill her dreams of working in the hospitality and art space. “The dream is just paused. It is not dead.”