The smell of roasted coffee beans saturates the air as Thembinkosi Matimba finishes off a latte with a foam heart. At Sonder Cafe in Observatory, Cape Town, Matimba is whipping up a tale of overcoming. Before becoming a barista, he had a troubled life. “I grew up in different places so I didn't have a stable upbringing,” Matimba says. Having never experienced a sense of belonging, he fell into gangsterism. But today, Matimba is brewing the spirit of community. “Here we believe every stranger has a story,” he says.
Originally from the Eastern Cape, Matimba moved to the Western Cape as a boy where he was ushered from one family member to the next. In his teenage years, he found solace living on the streets. But this is also where he discovered drugs and a life of crime. “I bounced into different gangs, continuing with the housebreaking,” he says. “It resulted in me getting arrested.” When Matimba was released from prison, he turned a new leaf and channelled his energy into a healthy passion. He ended up at Ground UP Academy, a non-profit offering skills training to unemployed individuals and received his qualifications to work as a barista. “Now I live and breathe coffee,” he says.
At Sonder Cafe, Matimba is an open book, using his life experiences to inspire others who may have their own struggles. “I was given a chance to share my barista skills and my story,” he says. “I have a community of people who keep me on the right path.” Matimba fosters togetherness between the new and familiar faces he encounters everyday. “When you are living your purpose it's easy for you to find people that can support you and engage with them,” he says. No two stories are the same, and Matimba has created a space free from judgement. “I hope to be a role model for a younger Thembinkosi out there,” he says. “Unity is our greatest strength.”
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