Long Street barista Temba Tose has just the remedy to either wake you up or keep you up.
Temba has had a long career in the service industry, working at a number of restaurants across the city.
After matriculating in 2005, he knew that he wanted to ease the financial burden on his mother who became a single parent after his father died when he and his siblings were still young.
Temba was born in Fort Beaufort. He has fond memories of his primary school days and especially loved to play rugby.
“I really loved it there, I had so many friends and the stories we used to share always left me in tears.”
He has great respect for the way he was raised by his mother.
“My mother saw to it that there was food on the table, clothes on our backs and shelter over our heads, and I salute her for that.”
After Grade 7, Temba moved to Cape Town to complete his schooling at Matthew Goniwe High School as his mother felt he would get a better education here.
He stayed with his uncle and aunty and their two children in Khayelitsha.
He said they welcomed him and made him feel part of the household.
After completing high school, Temba was informed by a friend of vacancies at a coffee shop chain.
He said that he started in the scullery, became a baker and shortly after that he was introduced to, “the art of coffee”.
He was then moved to the front of the shop where he became a cashier and at a later stage became a trade manager.
“I learned that I love interacting with customers and putting a smile on their faces,” said Temba.
He spent six years at the shop and in 2013, joined another chain as a barista.
From here, Temba moved to a bistro in Groot Constantia and then a local grill in Woodstock which ended up closing down so he was forced to look for another job.
With his luck and experience combined, Temba said he has never experienced problems finding work, “that is probably why I have so many jobs,” he said jokingly.
Among the famous people he has served are coach and former footballer, Benni McCarthy, stand-up comedian Loyiso Gola and retired footballer Teko Modise, “to name a few.”
Temba was also awarded Best Barista in the Cape Town region when he worked at Woolworths Tribeca Cafe.
He has been based at Kamili in Long Street for four months and said it has been great so far.
He said he sees a lot of people because locals and tourists “come and go like taxis.”
“Working in Long Street is so refreshing and there are such a great number of people here,” he said.