One of the first ever restaurants in Melville was Freddy's Tavern, an upmarket place on Main Road. Welcome to Melville Untold, your friendly neighbourhood good news bearers!

• Melville's Best-Kept Secret for Working Parents 👩‍🍼

• The Satellite Station’s Becoming Useful Again? 📡

• Learn isiZulu At The Sourcery 💪

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson, Cynthia Nxele (guest writer)

The Digest

Melville's Best-Kept Secret for Working Parents 👩‍🍼

Melville Untold is dedicated to gathering information that can better our community's quality of life each week and presenting it in a digestible manner. Sort of like a friend-in-the-know. So far, we've catered for our foodies, bookworms, art lovers, visitors, nostalgic friends and even Melville's pets. This one is for our little ones and their caretakers.

A Baby-Care Empire Flying Under the Radar

There's a baby-care empire operating quietly in our neighbourhood. It started humbly in a Cape Town home and is now spreading like wildfire across Mzansi, even beginning to stretch over our borders. It's called Nanny 'N Me.

This weekly childcare programme was founded by Capetonian Occupational Therapist, Lara Shoenfield, who spent time teaching her nanny the skills to stimulate her child's mind and supplement the work done by nursery schools. The idea was a huge success. Other families saw the value and asked Lara to do the same for them. Before she knew it, a business was born.

Nanny 'n Me quickly grew to over 20 franchisees across the country, Zimbabwe and the Middle East, and has now trained over 4,500 nannies. The curriculum was developed by Occupational Therapists and provides nannies with a pathway to grow professionally and get certifications. The programme has also empowered OTs across the country to run their own classes and spread Nanny 'N Me's impact, ensuring young children get age-appropriate stimulation and parents have peace of mind.

Meet Melody: Melville's Nanny 'N Me Champion

We caught up with Melody van Rooyen, an OT who's been quietly doing wonders for nannies and children with the programme in Melville since 2021, from 27 Boxes. Melody manages Nanny 'n Me's JHB Central arm and is based in Highlands North. She's worked with kids in different capacities all her life and personally oversees eight different classes alongside two other facilitators across Melville, Parkview, Parktown North, Melrose and Sandton.

Melody is passionate about the work and finds joy in the fact that the weekly groups have become a place where nannies can "really learn, gain experience and certifications for their CVs". One of her biggest revelations is that the classes are as much for the nannies as for the kids. She sees nannies, especially in Melville, building relationships with each other. They support and guide each other through the course, building strong friendships in the process.

Why Melville Works

Melody has really enjoyed working in Melville and says it's one of their best locations. Nannies were already bringing their kids to the play area at 27 Boxes and looking for ways to keep the children busy and entertained. She says the community spirit in Melville has made it easy and enjoyable. They've grown mostly by word of mouth, with little online advertising but still boast a large enough group to sustain growth. There's a proper community here, so parents and nannies talk. Other parents own businesses in Joburg Artist Market, and bring their kids to the play area, joining in as well.

How the Programme Works

They use a specialised, weekly play training curriculum. Kids are divided into two main groups based on developmental stages:

Baby Groups – For babies generally ranging from 4 months up to 14 months

Toddler Groups – For children starting around 14 months and continuing up to 4 years

Nanny 'n Me provides a structured environment where children enjoy a fun learning space while their nannies get hands-on training from qualified facilitators. They use a tried-and-tested curriculum that's been built upon and refined over the years. Sessions are held weekly for an hour from January to December. The work is organised into six-week blocks (modules). After a nanny successfully completes each block, she gets a certificate.

What They Actually Learn

The learning objectives focus on the foundational areas of development in the first 3 years – Small muscle, big muscle, sensory, thinking, language and social-emotional development and the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life. 

Nannies are specifically trained in key play skills, recognising that play is how babies learn. These skills include:

• Serve and Return: Picking up on the baby's cues and responding appropriately

• Scaffolding: Knowing where the child is developmentally and providing "just right challenge" and support needed for the task

• Simple Cycles: Understanding the play cycle and knowing how to follow the child's lead rather than taking over the play

Sessions involve age-appropriate activities designed to promote curiosity, exploration and problem-solving, such as water play, sand play with utensils, play dough with various objects, building blocks, pretend play games (like 'doctor-doctor') and unconventional play using household items.

Nannies then get "home fun" activities to continue the learning throughout the week. The certificates nannies earn every six weeks contribute to their Gold Nanny status—the highest certification a Nanny 'n Me pupil can earn.

Keeping Parents in the Loop

Parents are supported with weekly emails and reports that include photos of the session, a developmental explanation of the activities performed and tracking of the child and nanny's progress. This helps fight "mommy guilt" by showing that their child is receiving security and engagement while they're at work.

Parents can enrol their nannies and children through a straightforward online or call-in sign-up process that includes a free trial session.

The Melville Connection

We wrapped up the chat with Melody with the usual Melville connection in Snaps On Seventh style. Even though she's not based here, she loves coming to Melville weekly and has even expressed a desire to live here out of all the suburbs she works in. She loves the diversity in Melville and that it's still so community-based.

Her most memorable moments in Melville are in the connection she has with the children and nannies here. Some of the children attending the program have parents who are shop and restaurant owners, so one of her favourite moments was a class a couple of weeks ago when they were playing "shopkeeper" as part of their Social Development block buying and selling stuff from each other with cute little shop mock-ups.

To enrol your children and their nannies in the Nanny 'n Me program, contact Melody at 072 985 2269 or email [email protected]

If you enjoyed reading this week’s main story, consider buying us a coffee; Payshap id: 0605293425 (Standardbank)

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

This week's guide to things to do in our hood is here, check it out!

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

Melville Weather For The Week 🌸

Wednesday 

27° 🌡️ 13°  | 🌤️|  🌧️ 2% | SSW 11 km/h 💨

Thursday  

25° 🌡️ 12° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 55% | NE 17 km/h 💨

Friday 

25° 🌡️ 13° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 55% | NNW 13 km/h 💨

Saturday 

25° 🌡️ 13° | ⛅️ |  🌧️ 25% | WSW 6 km/h 💨

Sunday

21° 🌡️ 14° | ☁️ | 🌧️ 55% | NW 9 km/h 💨

Monday 

28° 🌡️ 14° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 1% | NNW 9 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

31° 🌡️ 16° | 🌩️ |  🌧️ 2% | NW 6 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

 More of a party person? Good, because Melville's always got a beat for you.  Here's what our party-people can do this week!

08/10 | Wednesday | 7 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | The Polyrhythmic Ensemble ft. Vuma Levin, Reza Khota, Sean Sanby, and Gontse Makhene | R180

10/10 |  Friday | 4 pm | Great Dane | UNDERGROUND #19 presents Open Mic and Beat Battle and live show ft. Roman Ciigar | R50

11/10 | Saturday | 4 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Last Supper Vimbs Mavimbs ft. Ntando Ngcapu, Robin Fassie, Keenan Ahrends, and Lungile Kunene | R200

11/10 | Saturday | 5 pm | 5th Avenue, Melville | Music for Palestine: South Africa (JHB) Middle grounds ft. Lefokolodi, Skrikkeljaar, Crash and the Void, Kaylin Hill, Necklace, and Drunk Wizard | R100

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

Civil Matters👷‍♀️

The Satellite Station Gets a Makeover

So much activity has been happening at the satellite police station on 1st Avenue. As the operational base for the Melville Safety Initiative (MSI), it's been home to security, safety and infrastructural initiatives for Melville. The local Community Policing Forum collaborated with the MSI to run their CIB Patroller operations from the station, whilst the MSI facilitated. The CIBs have since traded places with the more professional Ngoni Security after the CPF sadly pulled the plug on the CIB volunteer programme.

In the last few weeks, the new "kids" on the block have arrived: Vuka Spark's Vuka Yards in Melville initiative, "a programme for empowering communities through skills, innovation and opportunity", in partnership with Youth Employment Services (YES), People Solutions, Inala and Creass Community Services.

We're planning a main digest piece diving deeper into this incredible initiative and what it means for our community, especially at this crucial stage of the resurgence. Today, we're letting you know about a by-product of this new initiative: an upgrade to the satellite police station's role in the community.

Since the YES team arrived, they've brought positive, youthful energy to the station. Walking through those doors, you really feel the change in vibe. Facilitated by Gizelle Hutchinson of Vuka Sparks and Danny Nunes of Creass, the team has brought life to the station and is working on an innovative plan to make the station more interactive and useful to the community.

They're upgrading the facilities to better host community initiatives, and are throwing around ideas like having municipal and council members give talks and interact with residents, Beagle Watch hosting basic self-defence and security workshops for the community's domestic staff, community civil matters meetings and more!

You can find the YES team at the Satellite station learning, working on the station or out and about with Danny or Gizelle in the community. They are always looking for ways to be helpful, learning from Creass. You'll see them in their blue shirts and Inala caps. Stay tuned for the full story and introduction to the team we fondly refer to as Creass Junior!

Business Bites 🗂

isiZulu Lessons at The Soucery

There are so many exciting things happening at the Melville Mansions that we must disclaim that they're not paying us for any promo. (Though, honestly, a lifetime supply of coffee wouldn't hurt!) The pink building is doing so many amazing things that we can't help but shout them out from its rooftop!

There's always something new we're finding out, and this past week we were intrigued to learn about isiZulu lessons being run from the Sourcery by one of the most Melvillist Melvillains, a regular in the hood, known and loved by many, especially around the business node: Cynthia Nxele.

We caught one of her classes on Friday, as she was teaching local superstar author Anna Stroud and award-winning journalist Jenifer Malec, so we took the chance to snap some pictures. We would have loved to do a write-up, but she shared such a beautifully written article that we couldn't have said it better ourselves, so we've put it in this week's Business Bites. Have a read:

The Art of Preserving Culture Through Languages

By Cynthia Nxele

Language is the living pulse of culture—each word a breath of history, each phrase a thread in the fabric of identity. For me, teaching isiZulu is not just a profession; it is an intimate journey of preservation, a sacred dance between past and future woven through sound and story.

As a passionate freelance isiZulu teacher, I have walked this path for over a decade, guiding learners at every stage—from tender children beginning their journey at school to grown learners deepening their mastery of this profound language. My classrooms extend from the soulful, creative walls of The Sourcery in Melville, Johannesburg, to the limitless digital spaces where I teach all proficiency levels online. Whether tutoring learners from Grade 1 through Grade 12 studying isiZulu as a first or second additional language, I see myself as more than a teacher—I am a keeper of culture, an architect of voices that will carry isiZulu forward.

Beyond teaching, my commitment extends into the realm of linguistic craftsmanship. I have been honoured to support isiZulu literature and education through meticulous editing and proof editing for FUNDZA Literacy Trust, African Storybook and Cover2Cover Books. These roles have allowed me to help polish isiZulu stories so that they resonate authentically with young readers, ensuring that language and culture are conveyed with clarity, respect, and vibrancy.

One of the projects closest to my heart has been the translation of Mashudu’s Magical Superpowers, authored by Vuledzani Dangale. This children’s story gently explores the challenges of living with mental health issues, bringing an important conversation into the comfort of isiZulu homes. Helping to translate this story deepened my conviction that language is a powerful healer and connector—it holds the ability to embrace vulnerability and nurture understanding through cultural relevance.

My expertise also bridges the world of media, where I have contributed as a subtitler for Netflix productions, including Blood and Water Season 2 and the film Lobola Man. Crafting subtitles for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing—using respectful and inclusive language—is a responsibility I hold with great respect. It requires precision and cultural sensitivity to preserve isiZulu’s tone and nuance, amplifying its presence on international platforms while making it accessible to all.

Through every lesson taught, story edited, translation made, and subtitle crafted, I am reminded that preserving isiZulu is much more than maintaining a language. It is safeguarding a living heritage—the soul of a people—to be heard, embraced, and celebrated by generations yet to come. It is an art form that blends care, passion, and dedication, a gift I am honoured to share every day.

The Tail End 🐾

Here’s this week’s Bounty Hunter’s Cat Of The Week!

Markets Watch 🎪

Vendor Spotlight: Lorien's Cheeses

Let's touch down at the Melville Artisanal Market for a quick vendor spotlight. In our recent visits to what's currently the only weekly market in our hood, we found many important stalls selling essential goods and produce. One of the best stalls in Melville, without a doubt, is school teacher Tamsin Esilva's Lorien's Cheeses.

Tamsin sells an array of delicious cheeses sourced in the Cape, KZN and the Free State and brought to Jozi to sell at markets. They have zero preservatives, colourants or accelerants—just pure, unadulterated cheese goodness. It's so natural, it probably still has an accent.

She chose to sell at the Artisanal Market because she feels it's "a wonderful, caring place." She has a strong bond with market regulars and the other vendors. Tamsin says they make the market "just so nice, and it's just a special place."

You can get your taste buds touched by Tamsin's lekker cheeses by visiting the Melville Artisanal Market at the tennis courts on the corner of Carlow and Rustenburg Road, open every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. Your cheese board (and your soul) will thank you! You’re welcome.

Icing On The Cake 🧁 

Help Zoo Lake Bowls Club Rise from the Ashes

Zoo Lake Bowls Club needs our help! Our neighbours at Zoo Lake had a tragic moment on 1 October when a fire brought down the Bowls Club just as they were preparing for the grand reopening after building and renovating.

The Zoo Lake Bowls Club has since launched a crowdfunding campaign to "rebuild – restore, stronger" so they can continue being the important social hub for their community and surrounds that they have been for so many years. I’m sure we’ve all had some special moments there!

Click the link and show our neighbours some love!

Donation Link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/zoo-lake-bowls-fire-relief-help-us-rebuild

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for joining us for the 54th issue of Melville Untold. If you read a gem, consider buying us a coffee, give us a tip: Payshap id: 0605293425 (Standardbank)

Let's work! Want to collaborate on a competition or sponsor the newsletter? Reach out by replying to this email or maybe give us a call.

Forward this email to someone who loves our hood. 🤍

'Til next week, Melville,

Stay unique, stay unbeatable and stay united.

Xayr✌️