Celebrating 90 years of compassion: The legacy of Cape Town's Service Dining Rooms
Pictured at the back, from left are Zamile August, and mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. In front are Service Dining Rooms staffer Regina Philander and board chairwoman Dr Laurine Platzky.
Image: Fouzia van der Fort
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has nominated Cape Town's historic Service Dining Rooms for the Mayor's medal, a prestigious civic honour recognizing its outstanding voluntary contributions.
It will be bestowed on the institution, including its staff, board members, donors, and volunteers, at a special council meeting next month.
On Saturday, October 11, the red-brick kitchen at 82 Canterbury Street hosted a special luncheon with its donors, the mayor, grandnephews, and grandniece of the late Doris May Syfret, of Rondebosch, who built the dining rooms.
Mr Hill-Lewis said that the institution has been a beacon of hope, kindness, dignity, and care in the heart of Cape Town. Back in 1935, the city's most vulnerable would receive a meal for a ticket at the dining rooms.
On Saturday, the mayor had to drop a symbolic tickey into a box to collect his meal at the celebration.
"Food is the cornerstone of wellbeing, of dignity and of allowing you to build self-respect and to build a life off the street," he said, adding that the celebration was to honour the values and the principles that have allowed it to thrive and to help to transform lives.
"From humble beginnings born of empathy, compassion, and care that still runs through its heart today," he said.
"Cape Town is proud of the Service Dining Rooms," he said.
The Service Dining Rooms' volunteers Cynthia Hlanguza, Unathi Ncube, Sighle Seyibokwe, Lisa Klaas, staff Ikraam Baderoen, Tougeedah Britton, Nozuko Klaas, Regina Philander and Nazeera Carolissen.
Image: Fouzia van der Fort
Today, clients pay just R2 for a nutritious plate of food, continuing the legacy of the original 'tickey meal' that has sustained the hungry for 90 years.
Guests dropped symbolic tickeys in an empty yoghurt container, collected a plate of chicken biryani, with onion salad on their table, fruit, a cool drink, dessert cups of canned fruit and custard.
Ms Syfret began serving the destitute in 1933 during the Great Depression, which was a global economic crisis spanning from 1929 to 1939 ("Cape Town's Service Dining Rooms celebrate 90 years of feeding the vulnerable", July 10, 2025).
Since 1935, the charitable organisation has operated from the same property in Cape Town, serving millions of meals to the city’s most vulnerable.
Zamile August, who was born and raised on the streets of Cape Town, thanked Ms Syfret who founded the place.He said the place was still needed 90 years on.
"Most of us are dependent on this plate of food. The food we get here is of value. We are in a better position because of the food that we get here," he said.
Mr August explained that hungry people can behave irrationally.
"R2 is just a token; it is worth a lot more," he said.
He explained that they can eat a meal in a sheltered room, have running water and a toilet.
Simon Browne, grandnephew of Ms Syfret, said his great-aunt and those around her were always in service.
He explained that she was punctual, always served meals on time, and enthused her staff - including a butler, housekeeper, and cook - not to work but that they would serve each other.