Cape Town’s Beerhouse to close doors after fending off extortion underworld for 11 years

“Bring your friends, share your favourite dishes, sips, stories, and make this the best last weekend ever. Let’s raise our glasses as we celebrate the legacy of Beerhouse together.”

That was the message shared on social media by the Long Street tasting room and eatery, Beerhouse, as it prepares to close its doors. Management cited extortion as a major factor behind the decision, marking the end of an era for a venue that has become a staple of Cape Town’s nightlife.

Beerhouse first opened its doors in 2013, supplying one the continent’s biggest selections of beer varieties under one roof. Its bright yellow facade became an iconic feature on Long Street, one of Cape Town’s nightlife hubs. The closure of its final branch follows the shuttering of two other locations in the country, which failed to recover from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to Daily Maverick on Friday from Germany, owner Randolf Jorberg recounted his disturbing encounters with Cape Town’s criminal underworld that led to the decision to close. Just days after opening 11 years ago, Jorberg was approached by a man offering “protection” services.

“I did not need the services, so I declined,” he said. But two years later, the same man returned with a group, causing a commotion that ended in tragedy. That night Beerhouse doorman Joe-Louis Kanyona was stabbed to death by the group, who left the knife in his neck before fleeing.

Read more:GroundUp: Murder on Long Street – Congolese bouncers and the private security industry

CCTV footage captured the chilling moment when four men entered Beerhouse at 10.38pm. One asked the doorman if there was a cover charge, while the others attacked Kanyona. The 33-year-old Congolese man was pronounced dead at the scene. Three men were arrested for the murder, but the mastermind behind the attack remains at large.

This harrowing incident forced Jorberg to begin paying extortion fees. “My management was very clear; after the murder, they said if we do not pay, they will walk out. They obviously saw the risk, so I had to give in,” Jorberg said..

They paid the extortionist until 2017 when ambitious and aggressive new actor Nafiz Modack entered the scene. The Modack group’s entry was a direct challenge to the so-called Lifman group, named after Mark Lifman, a controversial businessman and leading Cape Town underworld figure who is currently out on bail on a charge of murder.  

Modack vied for the control of nightlife security in central Cape Town through a “hostile” takeover of many of the security “contracts” previously linked to the Lifman group. They used new, much rougher and unconventional practices in doing so.

Read more: Nafiz Modack, Mark Lifman and the spread of protection gangs from Cape Town’s CBD to Khayelitsha

Jorberg said there was an attempted abduction of a family member and he had to look for alternative security solutions to protect his business and family. 

“I spoke to the cops again and provided evidence of the intimidation happening. I met a security company that was operating differently. I signed up with him and he took care of my security for two years.” 

The security company was owned by Timothy Lotter, who was shot dead on 20 January 2020 in a bakkie in Goodwood. Lotter’s company, Extreme Measures Security, operated in areas including Cape Town’s CBD.

Jorberg left the country that year and, while overseas, started a campaign against extortion. 

In September 2020, in the midst of the Covid lockdown, then-police minister Bheki Cele visited Beerhouse, assuring the pub that he had nothing to fear. Cele spoke to the staff in front of the media while Jorberg was still abroad. The following evening, Modack also visited, delivering a similar message, according to Jorberg.

While not related, just 24 hours later, top detective Charl Kinnear was murdered as he was leaving his home in Bishop Lavis, a crime for which Modack is currently facing charges. One of the accused in the case, Zane Kilian admitted “pinging” Kinnear’s cellphone to trace his location and claims he was acting on behalf of Modack. Initially, Kilian was the sole accused when he was arrested shortly after the murder, but Modack was added to the charge sheet. The pair have also been charged with attempting to murder lawyer William Booth on 9 April 2020.

Read more: Charl Kinnear murder: Hawks closing the net on mysterious Mr X

“I was on the same list of the phones being pinged and for my safety I stayed out of the country for nearly three years,” Jorberg told Daily Maverick on Friday.  

Speaking to Carte Blanche, Jorberg said the pandemic gave him a reprieve but as things began to normalise, the extortionists came back. “I returned and I was considering rebuilding and be quiet about this forever, but I realised I cannot be quiet. Most businesses do not want to deal with what I am going through, they just pay.” 

While Jorberg is closing the Beerhouse, he will continue to raise awareness and fight extortion from abroad. He said if extortion continues unabated, it will reach a point where kidnappings for ransom become common. 

According to Jorberg, the problem now is that an estimated 300 to 400 businesses in the city centre are paying extortion fees. “The entry price is R2,000,” he said. “Then you get upgraded depending on how you trade. Then they come with additional offers like ‘why don’t you take our doorman’, they suddenly own your door and now you have a house dealer selling crappy drugs.” 

While the closure of Beerhouse marks the end of a chapter in Cape Town’s nightlife, Jorberg remains committed to fighting extortion and supporting the family of his slain doorman.

“It will be my job to explain to her [Joe’s daughter] that it is my fault that led to the death of her father.” 

Business owner Belal Hussain, who sells refreshments near Beerhouse, expressed his disappointment at the closure. “People come from far to enjoy here. Most people come in here to buy food and drinks because the club does not sell those, so we benefited from that,” he said.

Lesley Maconal, a long-time customer and Cape Town resident, lamented the loss of a beloved local institution. “The Beerhouse has been around for many years, and they have great beers. To hear that they are closing down is terrible. The government could and should have done more to keep them open.”

Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith acknowledged the challenges faced by businesses like Beerhouse and emphasised the need for a stronger response to the growing threat of extortion. 

“We urgently need to do more to combat this ever-growing threat. We call on SAPS to ensure greater integration and use of City resources and technology through the extortion and kidnapping task team to clamp down on the syndicates and gangs behind extortion,”  Smith said.

He added that the City’s enforcement agencies conduct enforcement patrols in the CBD, where the City has deployed an additional 100 law enforcement officers, and work closely with other agencies in this regard. 

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