Sepanta Bagherpour moved with his parents from Iran to Germany, and then finally to South Africa in 1991. He grew up in Ferndale, which he recounts as a big secondhand car lot of a suburb. Since then his roots have been anchored in Johannesburg, which he describes as “fast, abrasive, young, willing and addictive”. And it’s residents as “awake, fleet footed, determined, cautious, real”. Wow! With that kind of lingo he naturally succeeded in becoming the International Marketing Manager at Nando’s, where he apparently causes trouble in a handful of countries.

His other favorite city is Beirut.

Sepanta’s route between the airport and the city: Out of Arrivals and onto the Joburg highway. On the N12 via the Gilooly’s Bolognaise, past “the South” and mine-dumps that follow, onto the Gordon off-ramp and into the hills of Northcliff.

Follow Sepanta around Johannesburg… On Saturdays I like to sleep in and appreciate my home by taking the time to make a perfect cappuccino and a basic breakfast – usually good bread, butter and honey. I like to fire-up the 1974 Audi Coupe S and set about town taking a leisurely drive to the Afrikaans butcher or the Portuguese fishery, Greek baker, Italian delicatessen and the fruit-n-veg guy whom I can’t quiet place. I like to choose and touch the food I am going to eat, at least on this day. If I’m not driving I take photos out of the window of the car of each destination and respective suburb, and try and capture the changes in scenery and faces – maybe stop and look at an off-beat looking shop. At a very leisurely pace, with music and perhaps a bit of activity in the background, I like to prep and make the food and share it with one or two people I care about. Lazy afternoon, winter sun and contemplating the moves for the evening; I get excited about gallery openings, new lounges, private parties or launches that a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend, has put together. I like to spend the rest of the evening mingling with friends and meeting theirs – and in a convivial space make plans, talk shop, life, Joburg, gossip, music, art and get a little hammered! … and end the evening-off with some plans for the week ahead…