South Africa has been the hub of entertainment and
show business in the continent, and Mpumalanga businessman and owner of 13Sixty Lifestyle in Acornhoek, Rodney Mabunda (37) understands this.
Entrepreneurship runs in his blood and combine that with a passion for show business and a love
for good food, and you have a winning recipe. Mabunda is the co-owner of 13Sixty
Lifestyle in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga and this year they celebrate three years
of success and job creation.
He grew up in a poor household where his parents never held any permanent jobs but managed to put food on the table. However, he has always been passionate about
education. Mabunda holds a Btech in Tourism Management and a postgraduate
diploma in Public Admin. He is also an IDP officer in the local Municipality.
The nightlife and tourism business has always been in the pipeline.
His business, 13Sixty Lifestyle was inspired by the likes of likes Kwa Max Lifestyle in Durban and, Makubenjalo in Johannesburg. He also wanted to create job opportunities for his community, as he is passionate about
the township economy and growth.
In 2021, together with his brother Marvin and sister Fiona, they rented a small pub
together which they used to host artists. That is where the seed was planted. “We
got a bit of experience from that time on how to run that sort of business, and
we did well. The owner of the pub saw that we were getting good numbers, then
he decided to raise the rent. This caused disagreement and we decided to move.”
Luckily their father had a stand on the Acornhoek main road. “He had a small
car wash and food outlet. I have also been selling ice from the same place
since 2016. We then decided to build the business there,” Mabunda says.
Mabunda and his siblings started the 13Sixty Lifestyle business from his low savings
He and his brother dug into their savings accounts and he sold his Golf 7 GTI
to finance the building and got support while also family and friends supported
them where they could. “When we started, we had used the savings from the
tavern that we rented first. We’ve travelled around the country and in every
township or kasi there is a good shisanyama and pub, and that was lacking in
our town of Acornhoek,” Mabunda says. His bother Marvin has a passion for
food and therefore focuses mostly on the shisanyama and restaurant. Their
sister Fiona, manages the day-to-day running of the establishment. They are
also landlords of the Orpengate Sleepover Motel. “Acornhoek has always had that
vibe but most of the places that were opened couldn’t match the vibe,”
Mabunda says.
They now run a successful 13Sixty Lifestyle where they host artists from across
the country, serving delicious shiyanyama and traditional food. “We are
known for bringing all the best stars in the county to over venue. Our patrons
always feel safe and protected at all times. We are a tourist attraction and a
place visitors love to frequent,” Mabunda says.
The husband and father of three says it brings him joy to see his 20 or so employees being
able to feed their families. “Seeing the faces of employees come month end
pleases us so much as we see the difference we’ve made. Bringing something
different to our town and seeing locals and people from far appreciate the play
is a fulfilling feeling. The business is still in its toddler stage, but we are
seeing positive strides towards our vision.”
Rodney says the competitive nature of his business has kept him on his toes. “Not everyone is happy with what we are doing, and many negative things are spread about our business, but we always keep our heads up. The funding issue remains a
big challenge as there are many things that we want to do to take our business
to the next level. However, the highlight of running 13Sixty Lifestyle was
hosting the Savanna Comedy Night in December 2023, as well as the
Bernini-inspired event on 31 August and 01 September so we hope that will be on
that level too.\
