Nandi Dlepu on yoga, small-batch wines, and Asian flavours

The one indulgence you would never forgo?

I really try to meditate or practise yoga or Tai chi daily. It feels like an indulgence, because I still struggle with seeing anything other than work as productive. 

What are your beauty essentials?

Skoon’s Gel-to-milk Cleanser, The One Super Moisturiser, Glowdrops, and the brand’s Ruby Marine Overnight Hydrating Mask; Swiitch Beauty’s Superhero Spray, the Glass Skin Edition; Suki Suki’s Açaí Gentle Exfoliating Mask; and the Body Shop’s Coconut Butter.

What gadget couldn’t you live without?

My portable Marshall Kilburn speaker for sure!

Your drink of choice?

I prefer white wine and enjoy a fine and dry chenin the most. I buy from our local wine merchant, Voisin at 44 Stanley.

Where do you eat out?

Glory by Chef Nick Scott. It’s known for the astounding Asian flavours of its menu of primarily pescatarian tapas. I order in but also enjoy eating at the Highlands North restaurant, which has an urban-jungle feel to it. It’s very unpretentious. I’m also a fan of the wine selection — often small-batch wines with great stories.

The last meal that really blew you away?

Crispy pork belly, steamed rice, and Asian greens at Tomson, a very unassuming South Cantonese restaurant on Bree Street in Cape Town. A relatively simple meal, but I was fulfilled.

The single item in your wardrobe that signifies your individual sense of style?

My kimono. I can throw it on right after a shower, receive guests, and even run an errand in it. It’s a statement piece that doesn’t try too hard.

The last item of clothing that you added to your wardrobe?

A pair of trousers from Good Good Good. They’re from the Magenta Vrou Vrou Work Wear range and made from a classic waffle-weave linen produced by SA textile designers Mungo. They’re warm, cosy, bold, and contrast with my predominately black-and-nude wardrobe items — but they have grown on me.

Last thing you bought and loved?

A Ben Mrirt rug from The Storer at 44 Stanley. It’s my little piece of the world, purchased during a time when it felt that the world was lost to us.

What item are you eyeing next?

A work from LRNCE. I am a huge fan of her design aesthetic and process.

The best gift you’ve been given recently?

Please And Thank You from local perfumery Apartment.

The first thing you add to your trolley when you go shopping?

Eggs. I’m that particular about how my eggs should be made and taste.

Something that recently caught your attention?

Botho Project Space, an artist-run visual-arts platform launched late last year. I’ve been captivated by the programming they’ve had so far: the solo Nelson Makamo launch exhibition, followed by a group exhibition including up-and-coming artists such as Bahati Simoens, to its last event, An Afternoon with Mandisi Dyantyis.

A watch brand you love?

The Must de Cartier Vendôme is a beauty and a really well-designed “basic” watch.

What you enjoyed most in the last place you travelled to?

The great food and coffee in Melbourne, Australia.

What book can we find on your bedside table?

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, which is about hidden forces that shape our decisions.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Texas Sun, an album by Texan trio Khruangbin and Leon Bridges. I especially love the melancholic track Conversion.

What’s your favourite city?

Home, Johannesburg, a city of limitless possibility.

• From the August edition of Wanted, 2021.