Dining out – Gemelli
Meet the talented black women who are at the forefront of making one of Joburg’s trendiest restaurants, Gemelli, the place to be
GUGU KHOJANE, 29, Brand & Social Media Manager
Born in Zambia while her parents were in exile, Gugu calls Durban home and was raised by her grandparents. Tell us about your chilhood. “I’ve always loved journalism and photography — my dad bought my first camera when I was 15. I studied journalism at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).” Please share how you got to this job. “I paid my dues by being a magazine journalist. I then took a keen interest in brand marketing. So I quit my job and did my honours in strategic brand management at Vega in 2014. After graduating, I landed a job at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris in 2015. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur so I left and started a company with a friend called Hiro Digital. Gemelli was one of our first clients.” What’s your role at Gemelli? “The founder and owner of Gemelli, Alex, is my husband. I’ve been with it from day one, and became brand manager after establishing my company.” What does your day entail? “I’m responsible for managing how the brand is perceived by the public and our customers – from the menu, staff uniform, the interior and social media.” What inspires you? “Working with different clients, getting unique briefs, and the whole Gemelli team.”
KELEBOGILE ‘KELZ’ MABUNDA, 27, Public Relations Manager
Bethlehem-born Kelebogile has been running her thriving PR company KLM Publicity for five years now, specialising in tailoring unique communication and publicity strategies for brands.
Tell us about your childhood. “I was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Bloemfontein. For me, everything started when I moved to Joburg to study PR and communications at UJ.”
How did you get to this point? “I started doing internships before I even graduated. I got my first PR-related internship when I was a third-year student — I worked at a global PR agency called Text 100. I then moved to Media24 and became part of the team that started Grazia. Following that, I worked at Brand Ambassadors Firm and that’s when I knew I’d learnt all I could and decided to branch out on my own. Soon enough, KLM Publicity was born. It was hard at the beginning. I moved into my parents’ home and started from the ground up using my savings. I used my connections and freelanced for other agencies before making it on my own.” What’s your role at Gemelli? “I manage all the media relations to ensure Gemelli remains a top notch fine dining establishment.”
What does your day entail? “I’m up at 4am-5am to do my admin, then gym follows before I have breakfast at The Pantry. I prefer to set up my meetings there because it’s convenient. I meet with the team on Wednesdays for briefings. I also check on my other clients or go back to my office in Morningside to do the rest of the day’s work.”
AMY BONOLO SIMON, 25, Front of House Manager
Amy learnt to be independent from a young age while working in the retail and hospitality industry. She describes the latter as her happy place. Tell us about your childhood. “My mom passed away while I was very young so my grandmother raised me. She made sure I got an education while she worked as a domestic worker. I started waitressing in Parkhurst when I was 16 and didn’t complete my studies in graphic design due to money reasons.” Talk us through your career so far. “I used to work in the evenings, managing a store in Melville because it was close to campus (I studied at UJ). I did that for two years before joining a law firm as a recruitment coordinator – I hated it! I went back to the restaurant I used to work for in Parkhurst, and that’s where I met Alex. I was serving him and he said I should come see him. That was in July 2017, and the rest is history.” What’s your role at Gemelli? “I manage Gemelli’s prep-kitchen and the sister restaurant called The Pantry, located below Gemelli. We serve breakfast from 6.30am and in the evenings we host private dining events based on the chef ’s experience.” What does your day entail? “Our day starts at the crack of dawn, to make sure breakfast is done well and the menu is set. I deal with the admin, and prepare for functions and set the decor. We serve tapas to Gemelli clients because it’s closed during the day. I’m the first to get there and the last to leave. The Pantry is beautiful and peaceful. You can eat, chill and work the whole day.” What inspires you? “Gemelli – we’re getting bigger and better every day.”
ABIGAIL DUBE, 30, Executive Brand Assistant
Abigail has worked in hospitality for most of her life, and is now Gemelli’s brand assistant.
Tell us about your childhood. “My mom is South African and my dad is Zimbabwean. I spent some years in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa when I completed high school; this was also after I’d lost both my parents. I was raised by my mom’s sister in Orange Farm.”
How did you get into the hospitality industry? “I started working at my sister’s boutique when I was 20. I also used to waitress in Greenside and Sandton. When I had my child, the hours became too strenuous so I opted to work in a club as a waitress. After a while, I decided to rebuild my career and searched for better jobs online. I interviewed at Gemelli and was hired by the chef. Alex said he actually didn’t need more waitresses at the time so he told me I should be a hostess. While doing that, I’d jot down his appointments and inform him of upcoming meetings. He was impressed with me and promoted me to his assistant.”
What’s your role at Gemelli? “I run the admin – I handle suppliers, payments, payroll and make sure everything runs smoothly. If anyone wants to meet with Alex they go through me, and I deal with any complaints before informing Alex.”
Who inspires you? “My boss, Alex. Seeing how he started and where he is now, amazes me.”