FREE TO READ: Wealth and all its many guises

ED'S NOTE:

When the news broke of the closing in 2024 of the world-famous Noma restaurant, I reached out to Wanted food columnist Yang Zhao to see if she would riff on it. She had, it turned out, pre-empted my text and already started. In The Read she uses this development as an entry point to interrogate the sustainability — in every sense of that word — of restaurants, let alone fine-dining theatres. In this, the Wealth issue, she recalls her own experience as a former restaurant owner: an experience that left her with a wealth of lessons and memories but not much of the financial kind.

But it wouldn’t be Wanted if we didn’t indulge, just a little. To that end, we tapped leading chefs from around the country for their go-to, kill-the-budget indulgent ingredients. Salivation guaranteed. You can expect our usual fare of exquisite timepieces, timeless jewels, coveted tipples, designer fashion, and a “controversial” new BMW 7 Series.  

Our job in dissecting the world of luxury will always be incomplete if we neglect our own continent, and Sandiso Ngubane takes a fascinating look at how Africa — and yes, creator Papama Mtwisha has long told us that we are of the now — is poised to lead the world in luxury innovation, craft, sustainability, material, and practice.

A passionate supporter of African luxury and a student of all the things that anchor our world at Wanted was the late Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane: entrepreneur, chef, and king of cool. He was brutally murdered last month alongside his long-time mate Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.  

Communicating in hushed, unhurried tones, it was his work and impact that spoke loudest. The East Rand boy was an exercise in single-mindedness and precision movement: whether on the basketball court, building the career of an unknown AKA, running the Jozi night scene, starting a wine label, embracing and innovating in visual art, or simply stunting on us on the gram. He was a fellow culture nerd with wide interests, one of the people I would turn to for the temperature on the ground, even in the early hours of the morning at a club many years ago, after stumbling upon a sensational “unknown” female DJ on the decks. On the night in question, after listening to one or two mixes on speaker, he knew, without hesitation, that I had finally been introduced Ms Cosmo. “You need to get out more,” he trolled, before rejoining what was naturally a cooler party than the one I was at.

While he liked and had nice things, Tibz wasn’t what you would call wealthy, but many with bigger bank balances wished they had even a smidgeon of the man’s taste and dedication to the work behind fine craft. Coincidentally, chef Wandile Mabaso — also featured in this issue — is the one who set him on his way to being credible behind the stove. According to Mabaso, their trade exchange was simple: he would teach Motsoane how to cook better, while the chef would learn how to be cool. While Mabaso is better suited to telling us how the lessons in cool went, Motsoane’s progress in the kitchen unfolded right before our eyes, as the party guy became the food guy, going on to host countless multiple-course sit-downs, from “Café Tibz” to “Seasoned”.

Tibz’s turn in Wanted was coming sooner or later. I never imagined it would be like this, so sudden, with so much left to resolve and even more to say. He had much more to give, and yet, what we are left with is rich. It’s enough.

Rest up Tibzozo, I trust that wherever you are, the stogie smoke blows sweet, the wine is chilled, and the pork belly crispy and flavourful.    

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