One tends to think of shebeens as uniquely South African institutions, but the word, which refers to an unlicensed drinking establishment, is of Irish origin. South Africans have, however, given shebeens a spirit and culture the Celts could never have imagined.
Shebeens came into their own during the dark days of apartheid, when they served as meeting places for people in need of a break from the struggle and oppression of everyday life. They were, as the name suggests, illegal, and were frequently raided and shut down, but as soon as the police had gone and the dust settled they were once again open for business.
They were not purely drinking establishments either. As political meetings of any kind were prohibited in the townships, shebeens were a convenient place to meet and discuss any pressing political, social or community issues.
After the 1994 elections, shebeens ceased to be illegal and many owners applied for official licenses (although as many didn’t). These days, it’s not uncommon to find shebeens in residential suburbs. And while most white people still tend to avoid them, ostensibly because they don’t feel comfortable, the number of white patrons is slowly rising, particularly among the younger generations.
Shebeens have come so far out of the illicit apartheid shadows that many tour operators offer day and night shebeen tours. In preparation for the World Cup, South African Breweries (SAB) invested millions of rands into renovating shebeens across the country, lending them support and helping them capitalise on opportunities that were mostly being afforded to large-scale, franchised operations.
But if you really want to see how shebeens have infiltrated the modern world all you have to do is go online. A number of events companies offer Shebeen corporate themed evenings; Mammas Shebeen in Johannesburg has its own website and even has a Facebook group. The City Lodge, one of the most recognisable hotel franchises in the country, has opened a White Boy Shebeen restaurant at one of its Joburg-based hotels.
Not all shebeens have shaken the stigma attached to the label. Many are still plagued by violence and crime. Many shebeen owners are reviled by community members for propagating alcohol and drug abuse and teenage delinquency, as they continue to sell alcohol to underage drinkers. Mothers and wives are particularly outspoken about the dangers of shebeens as their breadwinners spend their meagre, hard earned money at these drinking establishments instead of feeding their families. Even regulars admit that the proliferation of shebeens has contributed to the breakdown of many township families.
Shebeen owners are not complaining about their success. Having survived the turbulence of apartheid, many owners are now revelling in their licensed status and making money hand over fist. This is especially true for establishments that have managed to attract the new black face of corporate South Africa. The emerging black middle-class may choose to work and live in white traditionally white areas, but they often return to the townships to relax and wind down with a drink in a shebeen after work or at the weekend.
Sixteen years into the democratic South Africa and racial and cultural barriers are still slowly being broken down. It might be ironic that white foreigners have more experience of township living than ordinary white South Africans living side-by-side with shacks, poverty and shebeens. But as more tourists return unscathed and brimming with stories of good experiences, shebeen owners can expect to count a lot more white faces among their regulars.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
