House of Shem

22/06/2026

This Sunday!

Cyrildene has been there the whole time — and this Sunday we're finally going in.

Join House of Shem and Chef Ishvara of African Secrets Cultural Walks for a morning in Joburg's Asian food quarter. Markets, tea, kimchi, tofu, ingredients you didn't know existed two neighbourhoods from where you spent last weekend.

Sunday 28 June | 10:00 — 14:00
China Gate, Cyrildene | Come by Uber

R370 | Junior Explorers R185
Grab your spot:
https://linktr.ee/HouseofShem

No man, you don't have to explore alone.

22/06/2026

Listening Spaces is back!

Vol. VIII takes us to Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major — written in 1786, reportedly as a joke, and somehow one of the most joyful and mischievous pieces in the classical repertoire. Go figure.
Twenty people. One room. No background noise. Just us, the music, and whatever comes up when we actually sit and listen together. Then we talk about what we heard — no expertise required. Not knowing is genuinely the whole point.
This is a space where curiosity counts for more than qualifications. Where learning happens in community.

Because ag shem, it isn't much fun alone, is it?

Grab your seat here: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1597713576

Bridge Books, Marshalltown. R50. Seats are limited — they always go.

18/06/2026

Belong.

The World Stage, Our Home Ground. 🏆🇿🇦

The global stage hits the big screen tomorrow at Breezeblock! Pull up to the courtyard for an absolute clash as South Africa takes on Czechia live from Atlanta. ⚽️🔥

🚪 Doors Open: 16:00 (Kick-off at 18:00)
🍔 Specials: Food specials and cold drinks running all night long.

📍 29 Chiswick Street, Brixton📞 RSVP: WhatsApp 078 175 2556 to secure your table today.

Come feel the “Breeze at the Block!”⚽️🔥

15/06/2026

We are ready for you.

COOK! Africa lands on 1 & 2 August at Bastion House in Irene — a residential weekend of fire, spice, and the extraordinary food of this continent, guided by Chef Ishvara of African Secrets.

Pan-African flavours. A Zanzibar seafood feast around the fire. A Moroccan morning. Preserved lemons to take home in glass jars.
Fifteen places. Three partners who genuinely cannot wait to share this with you.

Single occupancy — R3,800
Double occupancy — R3,300 per person
Scan the QR code or book via Quicket.

14/06/2026

https://facebook.com/events/s/journey-with-a-chef-through-ch/1025382936689964/

Three circuits in. Still discovering.

This is our third journey through Johannesburg with African Secrets : Cultural walks & events in Johannesburg — and if the first two taught us anything, it’s that this city has been hiding extraordinary things in plain sight the whole time.

Cyrildene is next. A neighbourhood most Jo’burgers have driven past a hundred times without ever properly stopping. Asian food markets, ingredient cultures, medicinal traditions, tea, kimchi, tofu — and the communities behind all of it, quietly building something remarkable in the middle of our city.

We started these circuits because we believed Jo’burgers deserved better than bus tours and sanitised narratives. African Secrets Cultural Walks believed the same thing. That shared conviction is what makes these mornings work.

Come and see your city differently. Bring someone who’s been meaning to explore it properly.

Sunday 28 June | 10:00 — 14:00
China Gate, Cyrildene | Come by Uber

R370 | Junior Explorers R185
Tickets: https://www.quicket.com/events/378232-circuit-chinatown/

No man, you don’t have to explore alone

11/06/2026

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is step away, get your hands dirty, and remember what actually matters.

COOK! Africa is a two-day residential cooking experience at the beautiful Bastion House - Irene — one of Gauteng’s most characterful guest houses. Over one weekend, a small group of fifteen people will explore the culinary traditions of Zanzibar and Morocco, guided by Chef Ishvara of African Secrets : Cultural walks & events in Johannesburg. Fire, spice, and the art of nourishing one another.

Saturday: a Zanzibar seafood barbecue over an open fire.
Sunday: Moroccan Chakchouka, a cooking class, and preserved lemons to take home.

All ingredients, tuition, and recipe books included. Fully residential.

Single occupancy — R3,800
Double occupancy — R3,300 per person

Fifteen places. That is all there are.

Book via the link in our bio or visit
linktr.ee/HouseofShem

Ag shem, you need to Rediscover. Explore. Nourish.

10/06/2026

The winter sun is out. Father’s Day is around the corner. And Lal and Brigid are ready to show you how to make something he’ll actually want to keep.

On Saturday 20 June, Ingos Coffee Bar becomes a crafting space where we make pop-ups, zines, and handcrafted cards — the kind of Father’s Day gift that takes thought, takes skill, and takes about two hours in good company. Zero experience required. Just show up and make something beautiful.

Lal and Brigid will walk you through everything. Jordan sets the tone with background music. Ingos does what they do best with fresh pastries, pies and good bread on the side.

R150 includes one drink and all materials. Everything else at Ingos is available to order.

Saturday 20 June 2026 | 12:00 - 14:00 | Ingos Coffee Bar

Get your tickets here: https://www.quicket.com/events/375836-soak-fathers-day-crafting/

More about Soak and everything else we’re up to: www.houseofshem.org

Find us on Instagram:

Ag shem, who’s your daddy?

07/06/2026

Three circuits in. Still discovering.

This is our third journey through Johannesburg with African Secrets : Cultural walks & events in Johannesburg — and if the first two taught us anything, it’s that this city has been hiding extraordinary things in plain sight the whole time.

Cyrildene is next. A neighbourhood most Jo’burgers have driven past a hundred times without ever properly stopping. Asian food markets, ingredient cultures, medicinal traditions, tea, kimchi, tofu — and the communities behind all of it, quietly building something remarkable in the middle of our city.

We started these circuits because we believed Jo’burgers deserved better than bus tours and sanitised narratives. African Secrets Cultural Walks believed the same thing. That shared conviction is what makes these mornings work.

Come and see your city differently. Bring someone who’s been meaning to explore it properly.

Sunday 28 June | 10:00 — 14:00
China Gate, Cyrildene | Come by Uber

R370 | Junior Explorers R185
Tickets: https://www.quicket.com/events/378232-circuit-chinatown/

No man, you don’t have to explore alone