If you live in Cape Town and are of a certain hue then perhaps this scenario will be familiar to you: you feel thirsty and make your way down to a bar that your friend recommended. Because the vibe was cool, because it has a tree growing in the middle, because hot models hang out there. So you splash on some eau de confidence and hit the streets running.
This is all going along swimmingly until you get to the door of this swanky bar. There will be bouncer or a manager or a hostess. All of who will tell you the same variation of one of two stories: sorry we are having a private function. Or sorry we are only letting people in who are on the guest list. At which point you will make the following observations. Firstly that all the pale skinned natives are cruising past you without any hindrance. And that the “guest list” is just a bar stock count sheet on a clipboard.
If any of this sounds vaguely familiar then you have been to Asoka and been a victim of their very –pre 1994 door policy. And no Ashton Kutcher is not going to jump out and say you have been punked. This is a reality that has been experienced by many Cape Town residents and visitors to the city. If it makes you feel better you are in very illustrious company: luminaries such as Khaya Dlanga, social commentator and renowned blogger, the legendary Vinny da Vinci , a house DJ as well as Beatmaker, a music producer have also been bounced from there.
This post was inspired by @TOMolefe who tweeted about being on the receiving end of Asoka’s door policy on Friday night. This tweet led to a chorus of replies from people who had experienced similar treatment.
A few month ago the writer of this story tried to report an incident like this to Paul, the owner of Asoka. We were very specific about the time place, dates, other people being let in ahead of us etc. At no point did we accuse them of racism: we merely detailed the events that occurred and asked for an explanation.
First the owner claims the manager on duty that night was not available and he would reply as soon as he had his side of the story. Days passed. After claiming that the said manager was off ,then watching the soccer the owner offered to respond on behalf of Asoka after doing an investigation of our incident.
The owner tried to shrug this off as a misunderstanding on our part. He claimed that they were very busy that night and as a result they weren’t letting anyone in. He then alleged that this was not about racial profiling because the “white people” (his speech marks, not mine) had been there the night before and spent a lot of money and so they “had” to let them in. He said he hoped we understood and that he looked forward to seeing us again. No apology was offered or overtures made to erase the bitter taste left in our mouths.
Several things struck me as peculiar in that scenario. because for somebody to identify a group of unnamed undesdcribed strangers 9 days later and correctly identify them as the big ballers from 10 nights before(on a night he wasn’t at the bar) is something that beggars belief. If Paul was adamant about sticking to that story then the corollary should have been that he acknowledges we too were regular customers and spent the equivalent of the GDP of a small island every time we were at his fine establishment.
I use the word were deliberately: I am voting with my wallet and have vowed to never darken the doors of Asoka again! I refuse to support people who treat me in a disrespectful manner and then insult my intelligence with flimsy excuses when confronted with their disgusting behaviour. Quite frankly I am puzzled by the numerous black people who whine about this treatment then keep returning to the same place for more.
The solution is simple: Don’t go back there and tell everyone you know about what really happens there. There are plenty of great bars in Cape Town, choose one that treats you with the decency and respect you deserve.
Yolisa Nehanda is an aspirant lady of leisure who spends her time exploring the finest Cape Town restaurants, clubs, and venues. When she is not doing this for herself, she is organising packages for her clients as she runs a boutique concierge services and lifestyle assistance company. You can contact her here
Interesting post. A similar experience is noted here by Xhanti Payi: http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2010-08-06-be-shot-down-in-jozi-or-sidelined-in-cape-town
Thanks Yolisa for writing about this terrible place – I’ve been too angry to write about. I hope people who read this do choose to never go there again and that they tell everyone they know.
The 1st thing every1 should have done was say piss off and go and spend your money somewhere else. WORST KEPT SECRET IN CAPE TOWN.
I have experienced the harsh treatment from Paul…what a douchebag,I had always heard about how rife racism is in CT but ignored it because I’d never experienced it…Till the door man @ Asoka,when his boss was out of sight told me to not even bother standing in the queue coz I’m black!
Buddy and I experienced something similar on the night of the world cup draw… funny thing is they let our pretty coloured girlfriends in five minutes before my mate and i arrived – fcuk them we’ll never go there again!
People dont believe me when I tell this story, I moved from CPT to Jozi solely because I could no longer take how white ppl in cpt treated black ppl, and the sad thing is that black ppl in CPT have opted to living ‘tolerating’ this problem. It ranges from being followed when you enter a supposedly ‘white’ boutique to the Notorious Asoka, which I have been victim of. I was visiting CPT and wanted a nice place to have fun at, we were bounced back by the people at the door of Asoka claiming a private party, they did’nt know that our friends who are white were waiting for us inside, when we told them we cant come in, they went to ask the management who then claimed the bar was too full. I tell everyone I know not to even bother abt that place, and I have never been there after that..
Please excuse me for asking this as it is not my intention to sound or be racist, but is this happening to all people of colour or just those of a darker pigmentation? And has this occurred only on there busy nights, i.e. weekends?
Honestly speaking, you think ASOKA is bad, try JADE. I will keep going and will constantly remind them that there is no private party nor is the bar full cause last week you said the same thing and if you let anyone in while i am standing outside you will need to call the SAPS. STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS.
If you are black and you feel there is a concerted effort to not let you into places (Asoka) based on your skin colour, then that sucks.
But it isn’t the only reason for not letting people in, and twice I have been told (I am white) either there is a guest list or that there were too many people inside or that we (two men) should have brought a girl with us, at the new bar/club on Long street which is situated close to the kloof st end of Long street. Its only been open about 2 months and management here clearly have defined a profile of who they want. One takes a look at oneself and wonders what they don’t like. Really annoying and degrading at the same time.
The upshot is, it cooks up the venom inside and makes you hate the establishment with zeal.
But its not only about race, and my feeling is that people can be too obsessive or sensitive about race being the issue. Perhaps other factors were genuinely a reason why people were not allowed in.
My experience is testament to that.
@ TOMolefe, I felt it was high time we spoke out about this problem and stopped acting like it was a dirty secert. I havent been back since and I dont intend to return there ever!
@Just lance This happens all the time, to anyone who isnt white. Sometimes during the week or on weekends. And its been happening for a very long time, at least 3 years….
@ Simon, I know the place you are refering to Fatback soul in Long street: they dont let in men who come in without women.
I am aware that bars and clubs have the right to refuse entry based on their policies and I have no objection to that. My beef with Asoka is that their exclusion is based entirely on race and I find that offensive
Totally agreed with Panganayi. Jade is far worse than Asoka. Letting a girl standing outside for an hour while her friends is having their birthday party is so not ON!
It pains me that so many of my friends – black and white, anyone with a conscience – still insist on going there in the face of the stories they’re privy to.
Donald Woods used to encourage Steve Biko to dine with him in ‘good’ whites-only restaurants, saying he’d “make a special arrangement” and “get him in”. Steve had to keep reminding him he wants no part of an establishment that wouldn’t let him walk proudly through its doors. Certainly not under the “exception” of being Donald’s friend.
Anyway – save that for another day…
New Years’ Eve, 2008. Plans to party at Caveau fall through when our friend with the tickets was ensonced deep in the V-VIP area (which is in a deep corner of the VIP area) in the clutches of a steady stream of Veuve Cliquot, and an unsteady cellphone signal.
We call trusty Asoka, because we’ve frequented it enough to know it’ll be a sure bet at the last minute, and what the hay, we’re 4 fabulous girls who could only improve the party, right?
My mate rings Paul – he’s keen on the business. Four girls? Fab. Just get here before midnight. What’s the name? Lindy. Perfect – see you then.
When we got to the door, 20minutes later, and 30 minutes before midnight, our 4 black faces were turned away immediately amidst claims of too many people… “fire hazard”… Not enough room… Not being on the guestlist… should’ve made a reservation… – From PAUL himself!
Mind you, the 2 white pieces of mutton in lambskin who drunkenly tumbled out of the Rikki we all shared from Caveau (New Years’ is a rough night to find parking) were let through without a hitch a few seconds ahead of us
It was only when Lindiwe – who does actually go by the name Lindy – reminded him of the phonecall they had JUST had that he reluctantly let us in. Don’t get me wrong, he tried to renege: ja but you guys are… Are you sure you’re Lindy? From now on the phone?
His poor little colonised mind couldn’t even fathom well-spoken English might’ve have come from a black girl. Shame.
Let me guess – telephone bookings will now be stopped…
Oh my god!!! JADE JADE JADE!!! Its ridiculous!!! The most racist place ever!!! Seriously! And the black bouncers literally look you in the eye and say “u can’t come in”. Then tell u to move aside as they let in old white people. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Cpt needs to wake up! And blacks need to stop accepting such nuts! Best club in cape town: St Yves!!! One of the best in SA actually!
Yolisa, Its crap to hear so many people saying Asoka turns people away because of colour. I always see a mix of people there. But hey, take your word for it. And I’ll think again about going there – which unfortunately is one of the nicer places to enjoy a civilsed drink in CT.
But how about this for food for thought: why all boycott the place as it will only just become more white – and we need more mixed places in town. If people continue to stand in the queue and demand to be let in, the sooner the reverse is likely to happen.
As someone who has just returned from living in Europe for 10 years the whole race thing in SA (for good reason I concede) which surrounds every aspect of everything is incredibly tiresome. You just want people to start living a normal life in this nascent democracy.
two words : BLACK LIST
How’s this for “not so coincidental”.
About a month or so back i found myself at the doors of the aforementioned establishment, completely unawares of their alleged racial profiling. To be clear, i, my girlfriend and the other couple who had accompanied us were all well dressed, good looking, COLOURED party-timers. So we show up at the door, big burly black bouncer says to us they’re hosting a private party entry by guest list only blah blah! So me with my back to bouncer raises an eyebrow at my mate who then, with an air of confidence, steps up and says “we are on the guest list under (insert my name my name here) for 4 people.” Bouncer steps back staring at him for a second, looks down at his clipboard for 3 more seconds, then lets us in!
And do you know how he did it? My mate somehow, with his magical super powers bestowed on him by Die Man van Staal managed to make my name appear on this guest list printed in invisible ink! Of course we had a good laugh over pink drinks whilst investing in their annual turnover but it is now, after reading of your experiences that it all begins to make sense.
I do recall on 1 other occasion (i can’t seem to remember where it was though) where the coloured bouncer suggested to me while his manager wasn’t looking that i probably won’t be allowed in because i’m not white. My response – F#$K EM!
And then yet another, probably my most nauseating prejudice encounter was at that AWEFUL place called Hemisphere – i say prejudice because they were even rejecting white American tourists because their sneakers were too scruffy and their shirts not quite douche bag enough.
We showed up at the door, a group of young peeps more colourful than a box of smarties and we were all let in at the street level entrance, payed our entrance fee up stairs and bobs your aunty.
About 20 minutes later one of the ladies who had indicated earlier that she was feeling a tad bit ill disappeared without word. We all started looking for her (she was without mobile coms), and after 10 minutes without a sign i went down stairs to see if she’d gone outside for some air. I walked up to the bouncer before exiting the thru street entrance, told him that i would be back in 2 minutes as i was just going to see if she’d gone out and he acknowledged. I searched from one street corner to the other, then got a call from upstairs saying that she’d been found.
When i returned to the entrance the bouncer wouldn’t let me back in. In fact they’d closed the doors completely and no1 was getting in, sighting the club was full. I professed that he knew i was coming back since 2minutes ago. And surely if they were doing a head count and the limit had been reached my noggin was a part of that round number. Alas, mother F%*&er wouldn’t budge! Back and forth, explaining that my friends were all still inside and flashing my stamp made little impact to his very limited understanding. So i called my friends back down, and as we left i nicely told “there, you now have 15 more spaces to shove up your arsehole! F#%K you very much!”
Sure we lost 50 bucks that night, but they got theirs. They always do…
Simon, I agree that this is a sad state of affairs especially because Asoka is a cool bar and I really liked hanging out there.I think that Paul has very clear ideas about that demographic he prefers his clientele to come from. After having experienced that first hand I would never go back purely on principle
But I agree with you that Cape Town needs more mixed places and I’m looking forward to finding such places
A response from Asoka was forwarded to me. They say they profile based on “class” and are “superficial”.
If anyone can decipher what that means, and what that has to do with a guest list, I’m all ears.
Please bear in mind in your response that the one and only time I was allowed in, I saw two elderly white guys in beach shorts and Crocs.
DEATH by Asoka Osiame! Death!
Lucie K: Well according to the owner of Asoka it’s not because you were black, its becauseawuna class. Death.
John: I read the Daily Maverick Piece. Terrible. Thanks for sharing the link.
Lance: ummm I dont think it should matter hey.
Simon: I love the idea of a mixed race place to hang out but I think, like Yoli said, it should be one where its organic, not black people pleading to be let in to a place they are clearly not welcome.
Malez: what a hectic story and the Biko analogy is awesome.
Chuck Thanks for your essay. it was hilar!
It’s amazing how many people have tweeted and facebooked and texted about incidents like this. I just think your dignity is worth so much more than standing in a place where you are not wanted. Imagine having to pray that the owner is having a blacks allowed night before you go out? Death. No thanks.
i wont be going there and have not been there when since i had more than first hand experience of this bs…i will not go there under any circumstances…
Thanks so much for your response Yolisa. I am a born and bred Captonian but like many, have moved abroad to further my career. Why I ask is because I have been to not just Asoka, but all of the venues mentioned in this blog, and on various days of the week, on my own, and in a variety of group combinations. I have not once encountered any kind of segregation or racism. The closest thing to a conflict was in Jade where I was abruptly shoved out the way by a young man in his haste to order a bottle of Champagne. I have seen this type of behavior many times and I usually shrug it off. Unfortunately for the young man the people who invited me to the establishment did not see things quite the same way. Long story short, the young man was asked to apologize or leave.
Getting back to the issue, when I lived in Cape Town I didn’t suffer from any segregation and on a recent visit to The Mother City, found it to be exactly the same. Many of the places I patronized however, I did find that although I did not encounter any real racist door policy (there are a few other door policies I would like to see abolished as they are rather antiquated), the clientele were predominantly of the same race. These venues are in the CBD where I would expect a more diverse crowd. Does this stem from the racist behavior of some of the new bar/club owners?
By the way, in case you were wondering, I am of mixed race or coloured in terms of the label South Africa has forced on me.
I have been fortunate enough to experience exactly what has been written about in this post.
I think we as black people need to start knowing our worth & if we aren’t wanted there let’s not go…
I have made sure all my white friends know this and they too will not go there.
This country has a number of rotten apples left and let us as the good people call them out and let them wallow together and watch their businesses suffer as a result!
Wow, is this black and white week? went to wild waters in boksburg just yestrday and about 20 minutes before the place closed, group of afrikaner boys tell us the place closes in 5 minutes and we must get moving (we were a group of 7 black persons).
long story short we were literally escorted to the exit after an argument tht lasted hte remaining 20 minutes and at one point one of them said we forget where we were-obviously meaning boksburg which is notoriously rumoured to be a racist city.
there are black and white comment boxes on this site-is this deliberate? i had to select text in the black boxes in order to read them.
racism or whatever term people feel comfortable with rears its ugly head in the most unlikely places. went to mozambique and was going to have lunch at sum restaurant near the beach. sat there for 15 minutes before hte menu was brought to me and by sheer observation could see that white patrons were served first before black ones. walked out obviously.
this sounds like a similar door policy of Clapham Grand in Durban. Tired of white owned clubs and the continually changeing door policies when people of colour bother to patronize them.
Name them and shame them!
Hi thanks for yet another nice and interesting post. Where do you receive your inspiration for all this
? – Tandarts
Great blog! I definitely love how it is easy on my eyes as well as the facts are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which ought to do the trick! Have a nice day!
what a great post!
i don’t think so
I don’t think it’s enough to name and shame these places or to stop going to these places. I’d like to be able to go wherever my heart pleases. We live in South Africa for goodness sake, can’t accept this situation as is. It is a start but something needs to be done.
“When you allow the normalisation of wrong you create an anything-goes society”
Im glad someone decided to expose Asoka. This is pure BS!! I mean, its 2010 for goodness sake! I have experienced this a number of times in Cape Town and Asoka is defi nitely one of the worst. Paul’s excuse or reason of the right of admittion being based on class is complete rubbish! Its not like Black people go there dressed in cardboard boxes begging. They go there to spend the same money White people spend! And YES it IS racism! Lets not try sugar coat it and wonder whether it was because it was a busy night and all that crap. Its pure and classi DISCRIMINATION based on skin colour!
Its all well and great to hope and wish for ‘mixed places’ but it honestly has to start at the grassroot level with people learning how to respect one another in everyday life! And the sad thing is that the party scene in Cape Town is tiny and has very few goo places that open until late hence people are forced to keep going back to places like Asoka for a good time. Jade also needs to be named and shamed! Their behaviour and mistreatment of non-whites is blatant and DISGUSTING!! Its shoking really!
This is bullshit. I have been going to Asoka for over 6 years (and yes, I am white) and find it to be a very mixed and diversified crowd of people. In fact, Asoka USED to be a great place until recently they decided to try become more exclusive. Now all of us get the same story at the door, have you booked a table? Are you on the guest list? etc.
Sop being so narrow minded and boiling EVERYTHING down to race. I think South Africa has had enough of that and its time to grow together as a nation. If we keep pointing all forms of discrimination down to race, we are not ever going to progress as a nation.
That being said, I no longer go to Asoka simply because they are now full of shit and no longer look after the locals
P.S- Go into Asoka on any given Saturday, the crowd is actually predominantly black. I agree with Simon on this one, there is no exclusion based on race.
My feeling is the same about Fatbacks. We were not allowed in because they have to maintain a 50/50 ratio of women to men. You also have to be on the guest list. The owner is black and I could easily base my exclusion into Fatbacks based on race, when quite simply, its their Right of Admission reserved policy
Hi Bradley, I think to reduce everyone’s comments to bs is glossing over the issue.
Especially when people say the bouncer tells them that he has quota of black people to let in.
So asoka allows black people in, but not too many as that will kill the vibe.
There is something extremely wrong with that imo. So its not reducing EVERYTHING to recae its noting that
There is something very wrong with, in 2010, inSouth Africa, not wanting black people at your establishment.
Thanks for your input.
Hi
Is it OK if I kinda off topic? I am trying to read the page on my new Macbook but it doesn’t display correctly, any solutions? Should I try and find an upgrade for my computer or something? Thanks for the help I hope! Jeana x 
Lol! Hi jeana, we were trying to be cute with the graphics. Will revert to one clour format.
Ta.
This is rediculous! I am a Xhosa person who like to party at Asoka on a regular basis. My mates (not just blacks) and I have never EVER experienced any discrimination of any kind at Asoka. I know for a fact that many of my WHITE mates & collegues have mentioned that that have been struggling to get into Asoka over the past couple of weeks; due to private parties etc… Stop pulling a Julius “Everyone and everything is racist” Malema card. The majority of blacks need to get over this “we are not good enough, because our skin is darker” mentality crap! Live is good, dammit!
Bradley:
-*ridiculous
-*life is good.
PS Although you are posting comments under ‘Brad’ and ‘Sam’ your IP address is exactly the same.
This is awkward. Maybe sort out your bar policy instead of posting fake comments on the site?
I run the site so see all the IP addresses of the comments as they come in. This is a bit sad..
Thanks.
Nzinga
I’d like to say that you always offer valid information and I have been an fascinated reader of your site for quite some time. I wanted to say thankyou really
for all the good work you do!
Sam and Bradley its VERY silly to say that this is bullshit! Just because you and your so-called Black mates haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. This is a FACT! It is not an isolated incident, it has happened numerous times to A LOT of people hence it has become a big and serious issue. This is a platform to create awareness not to disregard, dismiss or reduce people’s concerns by merely labeling them petty “Julius Malema’s racist card”!!
@Bradley: to dismiss Asoka’s exclusion of people because of race just because you have experienced “predominantly Black nights” does not make any sense at all. How do you explain bouncers saying a place is too “full” and then letting White people in even when you know for certain that they are not on the guest list because you all came together? If it is based on social status then thats also crap because there are a lot of Black people who are wealthier or have higher social standing than the Whites who are admitted without question! Obviously it doesn’t happen to every single Black person, come on…lets get serious!
And Sam, the “Julius Malema-we are not good enough mentality… crap” is actually very real. Except its not so much Black people feeling inadequate, its more White [certainly not all] people feeling superior hence the racism and segregation against Blacks! Again, progression in South Africa will only happen when ALL people are treated with the same respect and dignity! Yes, “Li[f]e is good” but lets not forget that its not like that for everyone because of serious issues like racism, poverty and crime!
I am not Sam. IP’s are allocated to us on behalf of our ISP, in my case Mweb. It could be that Sam is running off the same ISP. I have better things to do than post fake comments.
BTW- I do not run or own a bar
@nzinga- read the section under “Very Possible”- http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_it_possible_for_someone_else_to_have_the_same_IP_address_as_you
Ummm… “Sam” – I’ve been on your side of the table too… In fact, so was the writer of this blog. We were all regulars, the ‘acceptable blacks’ that Paul was unthreatened by as he welcomed our privately banked earnings… The House N-words that are allowed to touch the good china.
And when a *CROWD* of ‘acceptable blacks’ became threatening, I started to feel the racist vibe, but even then – the writer of this blog defended the bar vehemently against the racist claims.
Only when she saw it happen first hand – and then, only when she saw it repeatedly, and when the stories came out did it become a story to write about.
And the sad part is, if Paul spent more time watching the SPENDING PATTERNS of black men & women on expensive liquor versus their white & coloured peers, than their presence, he’d be such a rich man today. A bigot – but a rich bigot.
Sadly, he’s destined to just be a bigot. Like the day he was born, I guess.
I guess what I’m trying to say is: “Sam”, enjoy your time in the sun. And get there early!
Cos it’s almost season – and the Joburg blacks are comin’… and there will – unaware of the policy – very soon, very likely come a day when they get there before you.
With BEE money from the BIG CITY!!
And the flimsy-haired man in the WACK alice band won’t recognise you anymore… And then you’re just Field N-word.*woo-woo-woo* *sniff*.
I choose not to be a N-word at all… so…
Bring back the old Dharma management. The guys that used to run the old Fez. Back when CT was a cosmopolitan city of real people. Not just a cavern for breast-inflated waiters from the silicon side of the mountain forgetting my drinks order while waiting to be discovered… Thanks!
@nzinga – any time babygirl
I had the same expirienceon my bday! Oh my word and that manager with the blonde hair can spk Xhosa! I told him to go skrew himself! They r very rascist! – feel sorry for the blk bouncers! Why r they still working there? They shud find those poor white ppl that beg at the robots for money to b bouncers! I told that manager that I felt sorry for him cuz he never imagined that blk ppl wud b wealthy!
Nice publish. Always keep up the very work.
Wow, what a great read! Thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job with this, i’ll be reading regularly from now on.
Totally agree with Malez.
@Simon The rainbow nation you may have seen at Asoka includes the black people who have by some luck been able to make it in (several times) and then gone on to spend an ish load of cash there (because they can and on said several nights) which then ensured Management (said like Trveor Noah) knew who they are and would always let them in. Even if you are with them but a newbie or a sporadic visitor to the city and their establishment, you get some strange look from the bouncer and Management (again like Trevor Noah).
I’ve had an incident where they told me I could not walk in with my all stars and there were three paler South Africans all wearing all stars jamming on the deck in front of everybody. I pointed this out to the bouncer, one of their approved darker South African’s came out to help and only then was I let in…
I’ve also had an incident when I called to make a reservation with my first name and was told it was full. Then called again and just said my initial which could be taken for a white name and was given a reservation… (Oops there goes my “secret” for getting decent reservations in Cape Town if you’re a darkie but I’m very over with getting angry about it because it happens so often, not just at Asoka)
All very shameful of Asoka if you ask me… And kinda sad that I’ve become so jaded about it given the behaviour is so pervasive
Hey
Is it OK if I go kinda off topic? I’m tryin to view this page on my new iPod Touch but it doesn’t display properly (some of the images are half gone), any recommendations? Shall I try and find an update for my system or something? Thanks for the help I hope! Shawana x 
Awesome page you have, and it was a nice read. Appreciate it!
i have not been allowed entry into Asoka on many occasions. maybe they racist against white people aswell?
Guys, this is exactly the kind of thing that will fuel the debate around race rather than context. Let’s look at the context. Asoka is in Kloof street. White. Paul is well known among agencies, models and the social scene of these industries all too often flock there. White. In Jozi I see the opposite where it is classism, not racism. Some skinny white dudes outside because they’re not connected, they don’t arrive to spend. The reason I don’t go to Asoka anymore is not because of my skin tone but because I can never get to the bar, the next section, the toilets, it’s PACKED. On more than one occasion the first lounge was booked out with only young hip black diva’s partying it up in there and no one else was allowed in. They booked it, they were black. Does that make them racist? No. How did they get in? They probably booked it out beforehand. You can’t just rock up and think you’re getting in without knowing someone inside. Same with Fez, have you tried getting in there without being on a list? While I agree it is important to put these grievances on the table, let’s look at the sports car and call it a sports car and not be the crowd always preoccupied with rims and interior, that type of sh*t will keep our asses inferior.
Having worked at many clubs in Cape Town I can tell you that there is definitely a door policy. I can also tell you that the owner’s objective is to make the most amount of money at the bar. So that is why some clubs have a no under 25 policy etc – usually to keep the young students out who have no money and are wasting space at the bar. I have never heard of a racial policy but all I can say that perhaps Paul has found that white people spend more money at the bar. I am not trying to defend it by any means. It is totally unacceptable to profile people based on gender and race but at the same time, like it is mentioned above, certain clubs or bars don’t let men in without a girl with them.
I love Asoka and have been there many times with my friends of all races. And yes, sometimes me, a beautiful white female has also been told I can’t go into an establishment beacuse it is too full, DESPITE being a VIP member or knowing the owner or being on the guestlist.
I have also jumped the queue ahead of many angry people for the majority of my nights out because yes I know the DJ, the owner the bouncer etc etc. All I can say is that when you do get admitted. Make friends with the bounce (buy him an unopened redbull or something). Always goes a long way.
Peace.
@ Sam I hear you,but you not hearing the point,Ialso loved going to Asoka on a regular basis and loved the back bar the service is always good Istoped going there after the incident in the world cup season, me and my four friends we went there wearing bafana jersey and there was no bouncer in the door, and the was still two friends xoming also wearing bafana jeasery ,they foned us saying they weere not allowed to ecome in when i asked why they told dat the bouncer told that poul instructed dat not to allow any body whos wearing a bafana jearsery.yes poul do allow some of the africans (hate the name back) but to him it has to be 10% african inside and 90% Whites
i asked one of the guys who used to worked there but now hes a manager to some other place he said to me pou feared dat his place is gna turn up being the black crowed who hangs up there and black people dont spend much s than white, for example i started hanging in asoka 2007 but never seen any black manager they all white and new in the industry there guys whos been working to asoka for years but never given an opportunity.Sam try to bring seven of your friends and see the treatment is still gna be the same.
what a load of drivel. there is a big difference between having a rascist door policy and being exclusive. or trying to keep a good mix of people. we live in a reality people. its not pleasantville.
This Julius Malema view on the world is sooooo damn boring
Oh – and as i recall i have been to Mzolis Place a few times over the last few years.
it is generally friendly and fun. but i have heard many a time “hey whitey, why you so far from home”
can u imagine what would happen if that had happened to a black guy in Asoka. There would be like a ANC lead national enquiry and possible high court supreme action taken to shut the venue immediately.
come on people
Was @ Asoka last night after reading thid blog and relative comments. Very mixed crowd as always. This blog seems to more about bruised egos and jealousy rather than any real substance.
Worked at asoka as hostess for 2-3weeks before realising it was a racist establishment. I was shocked as the initial impression was that of one of the only integrated place sin Cape Town, very dissapointed as a mixed race individual and am willing to be involved as an individual putting a stop to this kind of shit in Cape Town and Africa <3 PEACE
Its easy to just bullshit a remark when you have never been a victim. Or say you’ve been called whitey @ mzoli and forget you were left to enjoy yourself without ever being prejudised coz of colour of skin. If you were sayin mzoli called you whitey and threw you out of his establishment, I would go and lay a charge myself. You do have small problems hey? Or maybe that’s just it, they are small
This is a very interesting read!The reality is people that there are not many intergrated bars\clubs in Cape Town. Lets put this in perspective,apart from a small minority of venues, most venues have a predominant clientele racially …. For example,Cubana and Capellos-Black,Caprice and Fez-white,Galaxy and Barmooda-Coloured .Its a world wide trend that popular bars have door policies…. Is Asoka’s classist or racist? Personally on most nights I always experience a multi racial crowd there… I have stood for ages in their que many a time witnessing black peolple skipping the line,granted its usally the beautiful girls and the rich dudes who pull up in their Range Rovers.Thats the unfortunate reality of our society!The whos who,the beautifull,the rich and the connected get preference and the sheep stand around outside trying to get in.Fcuk this I would rather go to a trance party!
Nice By the large volume of comments here, it seems that this article did it’s job and got people stirred up. Hey, at least it’s generating a conversation. That’s always a good thing.
I am young black African, proudly so.Its said that people go to bars and get bounced because of the colour of their skin. i mean that is so 1700′s. I have been to Asoka and really had a great time, service was great. if i am in CT during the week, i usually go there on Tuesdays.