OnTap Magazine

32 | Summer 2025 | ontapmag.co.za MISTER SOWETO GOLD FEATURE JOYA TAFT DICK THE LEGACY OF NDUMISO MADLALA In June of this year, Joya Taft-Dick visited Soweto for the first time with friends and had a truly delightful experience. Part of that experience was taking her very first sip of Soweto Gold, and hearing pieces of the story behind this iconic brand. Her interest piqued, she returned to Cape Town with the intention of looking into the status of this beer, and the whereabouts of its barrier-breaking brewer. A mere two months later, she learned of founder Ndumiso’s tragic passing. This isn’t then, the story she had hoped to tell—and likely isn’t the whole story—but it is an attempt to honour a man whose impact on beer in South Africa is undeniable. ʼʼ ʻʻ N dumiso Madlala’s love for beer began in his childhood in KwaZulu-Natal. His grandmother, Christina Zenzile Madlala, was said to be the best Zulu beer maker in their village. When she passed away, the Madlala kids— of which there were seven—gained a new “caretaker granny,” Florence uMaNdluvo, who looked after them in their parents’ absence. Florence happened to also be an exceptional brewer of umqombothi . While all of the children would sit and watch her with interest, it was Ndumiso who paid the closest attention, even remembering the measurements she used. Ndumiso went on to study chemical engineering at the University of Natal. His classmates recall that Ndumiso never had to repeat a course, and even ended up befriending some of his lecturers who were encouraging of his inquisitive mind. Eager to further his studies, Ndumiso moved to the Netherlands for about two years to acquire a master’s degree at the University of Twente. During his time off from school, he would occasionally bring a friend or two home from Germany or the Netherlands, so they could experience Zulu culture in South Africa, and umqombothi specifically. Ndumiso’s elder brother, Phakama, tells me that as a family, they were not surprised when Ndumiso’s dissertation at the University of Twente ended up focusing on brewing. “I remember his excitement, explaining how a certain culture of bacteria was essential in the fermentation… process.” When he returned to South Africa, Ndumiso began working in the beer industry, in various capacities, starting with what was at the time SABMiller, and then later Heineken, and then finally South