By Nontokozo Gemani
- Motloung and her business partner Mpho Goodman Seyama built Street Talks Eat House together from scratch, in her Langaville backyard.
- A grilled chicken plate with chips and salad costs R50, and mocktails such as a strawberry daiquiri are R50 too.
Mbali Taylor Motloung quit her full-time job to help build Street Talks Eat House from scratch, with her business partner Mpho Goodman Seyama. The restaurant now runs from the backyard of her home.
“I’m all in,” she said.
She left her job once she started building Street Talks Eat House, so she could focus on it completely.
Motloung, 27, and Seyama opened the restaurant in Langaville Ext 3, Ekurhuleni, in May 2026. Locals now have a place to eat, relax and socialise without leaving the township.
Before that, she sold chips, chicken and other fast food outside a pub while working full time. She and Seyama saved every cent from their jobs, with one goal, to open a restaurant together.
“I had a vision of what I would like to see and did it myself,” she said.
A grilled chicken plate with chips, salad and coleslaw costs R50. Mocktails such as a strawberry daiquiri or virgin mojito are R50 too, and milkshakes start at R50.
Motloung studied hospitality at Springs College, and her love of cooking goes back to her childhood. She built the menu around food that looks elegant but is still affordable.
“My aim is to serve food that feels luxurious while remaining accessible to people in the community,” she said.
Customers describe the spot as fancy and elegant. Others call it “on,” local slang for a place that is lively and worth being at.
Keeping enough stock, and finding items that meet her standard, remain her biggest challenges. Street Talks also offers catering and décor services for events held away from the restaurant.
Motloung hopes to open Street Talks in other locations, and eventually turn it into a franchise. For now, she and Seyama are focused on growing the business they built together.
Pictured above: A grilled chicken plate with chips, salad and coleslaw at Street Talks Eat House. This meal costs R50.
Image source: Supplied
