Simnikiwe “Niki” Sondlo
Women Defining Sports, Arts and Culture
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Project Name/Description:
Niki’s Oasis Jazz Restaurant – Owner/Director
Over the past 20 years, the name Simnikiwe Sondlo has become synonymous with jazz. She is the force behind Niki’s Oasis Jazz Restaurant, an iconic eatery in Newtown, Johannesburg, where famous jazz cats have entertained crowds over the years. This passionate entrepreneur holds a number of business qualifications from various institutions around the world, including a bachelor's degree in marketing from Georgia State University in the US. Sondlo’s passion for business has not gone unrecognised. In 1998, she was a finalist in Sowetan-Sanlam Businesswoman of the Year. She was declared a winner of South African Breweries – Women in Business Awards in 2008. To top it off, in 2019, she received a Standard Bank Joy of Jazz award for “preserving a jazz venue for all time”. “I believe in developing and promoting jazz musicians and visual artists. As a result, Niki’s Oasis affords them a permanent exhibition space and open stage,” she says. In a city that lacks venues for live jazz performances, Niki’s place is a true oasis.
