MY PERFECT WEEKEND

Maps Maponyane, actor, model, presenter

Maps Maponyane likes to catch up on some beauty sleep

As a person who is typically awake by 6am every day, the perfect Sunday needs to start off with a bit of a lie-in. I’ll catch up on some much-needed beauty sleep until about 8 or 9am, followed by 15 to 20 minutes of meditation. Once I’ve centred myself and my mind feels clear and ready for the day, I can officially get started on the right note.

Heading out, I’ll usually have brunch with friends at Nice cafe in Parkhurst. It’s a tradition.

As weekends are for enjoying food, I’ll head to another spot for some lunch. I’ll go to Royale restaurant on Jan Smuts Ave in Craighall Park — it has Cuban-ish food and a good atmosphere, or I’ll have a relaxed afternoon spent enjoying my mom’s home-cooked seven-colour meals.

One of my favourite things to do for the evening is join the crew at Great Dane in Braamfontein for Sunday Roast. It’s a braai-party concept run by a group of my friends that is always a great vibe with good food and music.

In between meals I like visiting a local gallery to see what’s on. If I’m not doing that, I’ll probably get in a round of golf with my old man to make the most of the outdoors and our wonderful Joburg weather. It’s a rare opportunity to spend some time together that’s made even better if I can win some lunch money off of him now and again.

Of course, the people I love to spend my weekends with are my friends and family, enhanced by the dulcet tones of Nina Simone and the Afrobeats of Fela Kuti.

Sometimes I have to catch up on some work over the weekend — but then, I guess, that particular weekend wouldn’t be considered as perfect.

I am active. I try to work some sort of activity or exercise into my weekend. It’s a great way to keep the endorphins on a high and to keep blood flowing through the brain.

I love reading, and open a book as much as I can on the weekend. I enjoy nonfiction, history, science and technology, English literature classics, thrillers and any pan-African titles I can get my hands on. I rarely watch TV. The last thing I do on a Sunday night is read a chapter or two from a book before turning off the lights and calling it a night. ●