MEET the man behind Cape Town’s popular Saint Champagne Bar & Lounge, who said his top clientele regularly spend more than R1 million a night – the price for a New Year’s Eve table that set tongues wagging this festive season.
Toussaint Bashala, like his customers, has a taste for the finer things in life – a fact that propelled him to build the business he has to meet the needs of Cape Town and its elite visitors looking to party in style.
His bar made headlines over the last few months – from naming and shaming delinquent debtors to the R1m New Year’s Eve table booking and Senegalese-US singer Akon’s no-show for a trio of performances.
Bashala said that, besides being a businessman, he was also a family man who entered the hospitality industry first as a bartender.
“I am someone's partner, the father of two beautiful children, and the founder of Saint. I am an ambitious entrepreneur who wants to take this place to its pinnacle,” he added.
The business man said he had worked at various clubs across the city during his years as a student. He then heard about how lucrative being a club DJ could be and decided to try his hand at the decks.
“I did a few courses, and then I started. I was booked at several clubs and made good money.”
After obtaining his degree in industrial engineering, he began saving money to start his own business. He approached his brother, Patrick Bashala, for assistance to birth Saint – a name he got from his first name, which is French for “All Saints”.
“We (own) this whole building. The first two floors (ground and 1st) are the club, the 2nd floor is our office, and the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors are apartments that are rented out on Airbnb or our website.”
The brothers also own apartments elsewhere in the city and specialise in the hospitality industry.
When asked about Saint's target market, Bashala said they catered to a broad clientele.
“The clientele we cater to has money to spend. We get people in here every weekend who don’t mind spending a million. From politicians and athletes to South African celebrities like AKA, Casper Nyovest, Bonang, as well as T.I. and Davido, these are the kind of people we cater for. These are the kind of people who come here. It is built for pleasure.”
Bashala explained that Saint operated as a bottle service lounge where prices ranged from R2 000 to R185 000 a bottle, and they had people who ordered more than one of those bottles per table.
“We have people who have dropped R2 million a night throughout the year. The million (for the New Year’s Eve table) included a full VIP experience, and there is a target for it, as it was booked.”
The most expensive bottle on the menu, Armand de Brignac Brut Rose, 3L Jeroboam, costs R185 000.
The “Saint of the Saint” himself drinks one of these expensive bottles every once in a while.
Bashala said he had big plans for the growth of his establishment.
“There are, of course, plans for expansion to other provinces, but first we want this one to reach its pinnacle. We want it on an international level. Yes, we are happy with the space that we provide, but we know it could be so much more,” he added.
The lounge employs more than 90 people.
“It’s not just me – there’s a whole team here, a manager for everything, and it ensures that everything runs like a well-oiled machine. The more money people spend here, the more jobs are created. Stay tuned – there’s a lot more in the pipeline.”
He added that, while there would always be negative perceptions of nightclubs and their owners, he was determined to change that.
“It’s a legitimate business with legitimate employees who work very hard to provide for their families. I started Saint alone, but we have all built it together.”
Weekend Argus