Happy new month and welcome to another informative issue of Melville Untold. Reply if you’re loving the fun facts! Did you know that May’s Chemist is currently the longest-running business still operating in Melville? And it's still owned by the same family!

In today’s newsletter,

• Book Circle Capital - Nurturing African Stories in the Heart of Melville 📚

• The Pet Winter Wear Competition Is Underway! 🐾

• The Importance of Reference Numbers 📲

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson

The Digest

Book Circle Capital - Nurturing African Stories in the Heart of Melville 📚

The Power of Literature

Literature plays a vital role in recording a culture's history. Among the many media available to us, nothing really gets as in-depth or nuanced as literature does. Humans love stories and have been telling them forever. Not only is this a way of recording history, but it is also arguably the most cost-effective way to equip, empower, and give people access to knowledge that can transform their circumstances.

Sitting on the ground floor at the centre of the Joburg Artist Market (27 Boxes) is a small independent bookshop that has identified a massive literature gap in Africa that's crippling her people's history and knowledge base. But with a finger on the pulse, this shop is deliberately taking constant action to realise this vision. We're talking about none other than Melville's very own, Book Circle Capital.

From Small Town Beginnings

It all began with a young Loyiso Langeni, growing up in a tiny town in the Northern Cape called Britstown. Loyiso used books to mentally escape the confines of his little area, accessing worlds and ideas beyond Britstown. He had a deep connection to books early on and realised the power they have. He wanted to share those empowering effects with kids in similar situations across South Africa.

Loyiso started a book subscription service - something like a Netflix for books (He was truly ahead of his time!). The business took off, focusing more on African literature, and even orders from the big cities started coming in.

He worked a corporate job but carried on with his monthly book subscriptions on the side. He realised that there was a huge interest in African literature and that a good subscriber base was growing. In 2016, Loyiso got retrenched and decided to pursue his side hustle full time and so he opened a bookstore in Jozi.

Sewela's Literary Journey

Sewela and Loyiso have been together since they were young. She grew up around books. Sewela's mother had books all over the house and read them to solve her real-world problems. "I remember seeing books on crocheting, books on herbs, she wanted to understand how herbs work, you know? Homoeopathy, anything."

As Sewela grew older, she got into the Reader's Digest's 3-in-1 book bundles of novels. Her reading matured at varsity, where she studied journalism and got her master's in Marketing abroad.

Sewela started getting exposed to some of South Africa's great writers at varsity, following authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Toni Morrison. She initially used books as research for school, but started getting really excited when she came across black authors, being exposed to local stories. She began her career in writing, gaining experience in corporate, government and eventually settling as a marketer for Liberty Life Insurance, a position she still holds to this day.

Book Circle Capital Takes Shape

When Sewela's husband decided to open the book shop in 2016, she played a supporting role, helping where she could as a loving partner would do. The business eventually became a joint venture with both partners' skills and knowledge balancing each other out. Loyiso, the visionary and Sewela, the marketer.

The Langenis set up shop in the then-vibrant Maboneng and named it "Book Circle Capital". The name was a testament to their mission. A circle symbolising a community meeting, networking and sharing. Capital speaks to the wealth of information gained from each other and books, knowledge as a form of capital. The business was registered in 2016, and its doors were officially opened for trade in September 2017.

When It Rains, It Pours

It was a great start, all fine and dandy until a sudden disaster. The landlord wasn't forthright about some of the building's issues, and the building had a major leak in the roof. Three months later, when 2017's summer rains poured, Book Circle Capital flooded. Books and shelves were severely damaged. It proved a massive blow that punctured Loyiso's sails. The rains were a douse to his passionate flames.

Moving to Melville

Down, but not out, the couple were told to check out 27 Boxes in Melville. They listened and before long had migrated to the Ville and were trading in their current location by March 2018. The move to Melville came with its own challenges and lessons. The Langenis learnt that hard work and resilience were essential. They had to overcome initial naivety about how quickly the business would take off.

A major difference between the Maboneng location and 27 Boxes was that they were not on a busy street but instead tucked in a mall Sewela calls "a destination centre", where once people have been, nothing necessarily compels them to go back regularly. They had to make their own traffic. A challenge that as a marketer, Sewela took right in her stride.

Sewela Takes the Reins

In those early days, Sewela really came into her own, using her knowledge from her day job and experiences to get a stronger grip on operations. She began taking more of the responsibilities, relishing the challenges and started running the show. Before long, roles reversed and Loyiso withdrew from the business more, giving Sewela the platform to flourish, and he started playing a supportive role as his wife began building Book Circle Capital up.

Building a Unique Book Business

She had to get creative and quickly learn how to source good books, what type of authors to work with, how to market and partner with publishers and how an independent book shop can hold its own in a very competitive landscape and a country that has a small reading culture.

Sewela focused on the stories and how they speak to Book Circle's mission as a specialist book shop. Her mantra is that if the story is affirming, where readers (especially children) see themselves in it, then it's a good choice to add to their collection. Another criterion is if the book challenges erasures of history or brings back narratives that were previously banned.

After that, she has to use her business sense to understand the amount of work it would take to sell the book. Is it a self-published author? Or are they backed by a publisher who will share the load in terms of budget and marketing? Is the author themselves building a profile and personal brand by leveraging social media and making good use of the resources and platforms available to them? These factors usually determine if a book will sit on the shelves or move.

Taking Books to the People

Other strategies Sewela has developed over the years are pop-up book shops. She regularly looks for opportunities to join book markets, universities and any other platforms where they can set up a mobile book store and take the books right to people who would be interested.

They have also developed a culture of vibrant book launch events that serve as a hub to cultivate readers and writers, fostering connection and networking. They've had many stories of people meeting there and eventually collaborating on other work in the future. These regular events have become a space where that communal circle can happen and thrive.

Supporting Local Authors

Book Circle Capital also supports local authors through various initiatives like book reviews, facilitating book discussions, hosting interviews both in-store and on external platforms, with Sewela having previously had a slot on ETV's morning show, talking about books and showcasing authors. 

They heavily support their authors on social media and other media engagements. Sewela notes that their "support comes in a way where there's that PR value about people knowing who you are", she uses her PR and marketing knowledge to get the most PR value for their authors.

Melville: A Perfect Fit

Sewela feels that the move to Melville turned out to be a blessing in disguise, saying that Melville "hums with energy, creativity and an unmistakable urban pulse." They have had tremendous support from the Melville community benefiting from tourists and its diverse families visiting the shop, curious about African cultures and history.

They have also benefited from being so close to the universities, with UJ and WITS ordering books for educational purposes but also inviting them to speak and pop up at some of their events. Despite the challenge of foot traffic inherent in the 27 Boxes concept, Melville still works well for them.

Community Support Through Thick and Thin

The community showed marvellous support during the pandemic, people were asking if they could support them, donating to help keep them afloat. They introduced vouchers through Yoco, and many people in the area bought these vouchers and to this day, many still haven't redeemed them – they just wanted to help.

Sewela acknowledges the ups and downs Melville's gone through since 2017, and thinks that crime has seen an increase since they first arrived. She believes the Melville community is very resilient and can see how hard we're fighting to regenerate and keep Melville safe. She finds comfort in these united community efforts.

Looking to the Future

Loyiso still plays an important role at Book Circle, not only supporting but helping with ideas, sourcing books and suggesting authors to work with. He is still the visionary who helps keep the bookshop (book ship?) steering in the right direction.

For Book Circle's future, they're looking at expansion. In the short term, they want to double down on what is already working, focus on and perfect their systems and executions. Looking further to five years and beyond, they're looking to establish another shop in Pretoria.

They've seen more and more people travel from Tshwane to attend their events, especially academics, government officials and people connected to educational institutes there. So that seems like the logical next step. They aren't trying to franchise or create a chain of stores nationwide, but feel that the Pretoria market is hungry for what they're building here.

 The overarching hope for Book Circle Capital's legacy is to "drive the culture of reading and to celebrate African stories," aiming to make a significant dent in recording South African history", and presenting it in a positive light. For Sewela, the most rewarding aspect of running the bookstore is witnessing people, especially children, interacting with books, "dreaming and enjoying... not for exams just to dream and enjoy," recognizing the significant developmental benefits of reading.

I Love Melville

We ended our talk with Sewela by finding out what she loves about Melville and her most memorable moment. She reminisced on one of their best-ever events, where they launched Nokuthula Mkhize's book. Nokuthula, a well-known spiritual healer, truly set the bar for how launches could be. She brought out traditional food and decor and had the crowd chanting and singing along as she created a memorable experience for her readers and the Book Circle Capital community.

What she loves about Melville is the diverse nature and resilience of its people. She describes Melville as a mixed and cosmopolitan community. She appreciates the support for the arts that exists in Melville and is thankful that things worked out the way they did, and that the shop found a home here in our community.

Visit Book Circle Capital at 27 Boxes, 4th Avenue, Melville to check out their unique collection or contact them at 066 408 4992. They’re open Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 16:30.

And If you enjoyed today’s digest consider buying us a coffee. 

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

With Mother's Day coming up, below are some ideas for things to do with mum.

Check out the events calendar for regular events - The Melville Pulse Events Calendar 

Melville Weather For The Week 🧣

Wednesday 

24° 🌡️ 8°  | ☀️ |  🌧️ 1% | WNW 7 km/h 💨

Thursday  

25° 🌡️ 8° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | NW 7 km/h 💨

Friday 

23° 🌡️ 8° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | NNW 11 km/h 💨

Saturday 

24° 🌡️ 7° |☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | NNW 11 km/h 💨

Sunday

20° 🌡️ 4° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | SW 11 km/h 💨

Monday 

19° 🌡️ 4° |☀️ |  🌧️ 25% | WNW 7 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

18° 🌡️ 5° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 1% | NNW 6 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

It seems like it's going to be a quiet week of music events. After a hectic end to April, maybe a little breather to recuperate our pockets? Here's what's on…

10/05 | Saturday | 7 pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Wowo Mndau Quartet ft. Wowo Mndau, Peter Masilela ,Nathanial Swarts and Nathan Swarts | R180

10/05 | Saturday | 7 pm | Smoking Kills Bar | Inifinity Guitars ft. Rosie Parade, Sis Mdlisa, Rom, Likkyliks, Likhona Camane | R50

10/05 | Saturday | 2 pm | Spilt Milk | Michelle Kayn’s Soiree: Pop & Pour ft Nokwazi, Sol-K, DJ Pride,Neo Zulu, Lasasa and Maxie DJ | Free

For more updates as the week goes on, visit our instagram page @snapson7th or our new Melville Pulse event calendar

Civil Matters 👷‍♀️

The Importance of Reference Numbers

The importance of SAPS and JMPD reference numbers cannot be overstated.

SAPS issues anyone calling 10111 with an IR number and anyone who's opened a docket with a CAS (Crime Administration System) number.

Logging a matter with JMPD will also provide you with a ref number.

Why these are important: When unaddressed or persistent matters need to be taken further, the relevant portfolio requires these numbers. They prove that the matter is formally being reported and that concerns aren't being addressed adequately or effectively.

The MRA, MBA, MSI or Beagle Watch logging a matter is not seen as a special log or higher priority by SAPS or JMPD.

While community bodies may log issues they come across, it doesn't substitute resident reporting. Residents should log any outage, leak, pothole, reinstatement, criminal act or bylaw infringement they see to the relevant department or service.

Our Ward Councillor Returns From Leave

Councillor Kyle Jacobs took a short breather but has returned from his leave last week. 

He left his ward in the capable hands of councillor Devon Steenkamp who did well to handle urgent issues while he was away. If you needed the councillor, great news, he's been back as of last week Tuesday the 29th of April. 

Welcome back councillor Jacobs, we hope you're well rested and re-energised to help make Melville great!

Environmental Issues

The 7th Street power debacle this past week has highlighted the need for community support services yet again.

While city departments took on the work and are responsible for achievements made, in the background members of CREASS community services were on site, shining torches, adding extra hands, ensuring safe and responsible access to properties and providing real-time updates of the work being done.

Sadly, this has delayed some of their own project tasks as they aim to push on with MRA's Community Upliftment Project.

The Tail End 🐾

And we're off! The Pet Winter Wear competition has begun! Thank you to everyone who sent an email last week signalling interest in participating! We're excited to see those cute furry friends in their best drip!

Send your pictures to [email protected] to enter, or enter in-store at Ziggy's Pet Pamporium and stand a chance to win the awesome prizes!

Art In Melville 🖼 

Nkululeko Mabe wasn't lying when he told us that he, together with Melville Mansions (Kgalagadi Ko 7th), will be working hard to bring the Art experience back to our hood!

This month they open another amazing exhibition called "Comfort Art (7 Several Colours" featuring artists Victor Makhubalo, Funeka Shuping, Katlego Ya Modemo and Spesihle Melato.

Join them on the 11th of May from 1 pm to 7 pm for an artist walkabout and talk by Dr Kgafela oa Magogodi. This art experience is curated by Nkululeko and brought to us by OnitLIVE.Africa at Melville Mansions on 7th Street, Melville.

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for tapping in to a short but sweet issue of Melville Untold as we wave autumn goodbye and usher in the winter season. Get your big jackets and coats out, it's getting chi-lly! 🥶

If you made it this far and enjoyed this week’s newsletter, consider buying us a coffee.

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Til next week Melville,

keep close, stay warm and keep the Melville spirit ablaze!

Bok ✌️