Step through the doors of Hue Cafe in Windermere, and you’re immediately enveloped in a sense of belonging that defies easy explanation. Perhaps it’s the genuine warmth radiating from the staff, or maybe it’s the thoughtfully curated art adorning the walls. It could be the collection of second-hand furniture – each piece selected with care by owner Lindah Majola – that creates an atmosphere more reminiscent of a beloved living room than a commercial establishment.
A cursory online search might categorize Hue as simply another neighborhood restaurant in Durban’s eclectic landscape, but such a description fails to capture the establishment’s soul. Beyond serving what locals consider some of the finest coffee and most inspired cuisine in the city, Hue has established itself as something far more significant: a sanctuary where creative minds converge to collaborate, challenge one another, and build community.
The space speaks its invitation through multiple languages – the carefully curated library beckoning bibliophiles, the self-described “fleeting art gallery” offering visual conversation starters, and the verdant outdoor events area providing a natural backdrop for connection. These thoughtful elements, bathed in streams of natural light that flood through expansive windows, have made Hue a magnetic north for South Africa’s creative compass.
What distinguishes Hue is its remarkable ability to shape-shift throughout the day while maintaining its essential character. Dawn finds early-rising writers claiming corner tables, their creative process fueled by precisely prepared cappuccinos as they coax reluctant words onto waiting pages. By midday, the energy transforms as photographers exchange critiques with graphic designers across communal tables, and musicians translate inspiration into lyrics between appreciative bites of Lindah’s signature menu items. This fluid ecosystem, resistant to traditional categorization, exemplifies the space’s unique genius – neither fully café nor designated workspace, but something altogether more valuable.
About the owner
Hue Cafe is the brainchild of Lindah Majola, a name that might ring familiar to those who know him as Langa from Showmax’s hit series ‘The Wife.’ But long before his acting career took off, Lindah was forging his path as an entrepreneur with creativity at the core of everything he touched.
To call Lindah simply a cafe owner would be to miss the complexity of his vision. He is, in every sense of the word, a creative – both professionally and personally – and this essence permeates everything Hue stands for. More than a restaurant or cafe, Hue represents Lindah’s commitment to creating a home for Durban’s creative community, a mission he has pursued with remarkable determination.
Despite his rising profile in entertainment, Lindah remains refreshingly humble about Hue’s success. He consistently credits the community of creatives he surrounds himself with for helping bring the cafe to life. In quiet moments, he often reflects that the process of establishing Hue left him feeling it was “impossible not to believe in God” – finding divine presence in the serendipitous connections and opportunities that aligned to make his vision possible.
Lindah’s appreciation for seemingly simple elements of the space – like Hue’s high ceilings – reveals much about his journey. Having grown up in modest circumstances where his head nearly touched the ceiling of his childhood home, these architectural features represent more than aesthetic choices; they embody freedom and possibility that once seemed unattainable.
The Entrepreneurial Journey
The entrepreneurial spark ignited early for Lindah. While still in school, he sold sandwiches to classmates as a way to earn extra money – an experience he now credits with teaching him one of his core philosophies: success often requires “embracing the cringe.” This willingness to push through initial embarrassment and awkwardness became foundational to his approach to business.
After formal training in catering management, Lindah didn’t wait for opportunity to find him. Instead, he launched a mobile kitchen, transforming his culinary passion into a vehicle for connection. This venture served as both practical training ground and proof of concept for what would eventually become Hue Cafe.
Perhaps most telling of Lindah’s character was his approach to establishing the physical space. When he acquired what was once a dilapidated home on Campbell Avenue, others might have seen only obstacles. Lindah, however, saw possibility. With limited resources but boundless vision, he transformed the neglected structure into what is now one of Durban’s most vibrant creative hubs.
When asked the pointed question, “If your goal was to become a millionaire, would you recommend owning a cafe?” Lindah’s response reveals the heart of his entrepreneurial philosophy: “If your goal is to become a millionaire, you’ve already lost.” This isn’t just a clever quip but rather the cornerstone of how he approaches business.
For Lindah, reducing entrepreneurship to a pure profit motive strips away what makes the journey worthwhile. “When it becomes only about money, you negate the fun, the community, and the soul of it all,” he explains with the quiet conviction of someone who has chosen purpose over profit repeatedly. This perspective isn’t born from naivety about business realities – Lindah understands the financial challenges intimately – but rather from a deeper understanding of what sustainable success requires.
Entrepreneurship as Art
In conversation with Lindah, one question emerges as particularly compelling: Does he, as someone who moves fluidly between traditional creative fields and business ownership, consider entrepreneurship itself an artistic pursuit?
Oscar Wilde once described an artist as “the creator of beautiful things.” By this definition, Lindah’s creation of Hue is arguably no less an artistic achievement than his performances in “The Wife.” The cafe stands as a three-dimensional canvas where space, light, flavor, and community converge into something greater than their separate elements.
What becomes evident when spending time at Hue is how thoroughly the space functions as an extension of Lindah himself. His desire to create an environment where people feel genuinely safe and welcomed stems directly from his own experiences of displacement during a fractured early life. Every thoughtful detail – from the carefully selected furniture to those beloved high ceilings – represents not just aesthetic preferences but personal narrative transformed into shared experience.
“It’s spiritual work.” Lindah explains, gesturing toward the cafe around him. His characterization stands in stark contrast to the cold, transactional view of entrepreneurship that dominates conventional business discourse. Where others might see spreadsheets and profit margins, Lindah sees composition, harmony, and the delicate balance of elements that create a unified whole.
Perhaps what’s most radical about Lindah’s perspective is how it democratises creativity. “People are artists,” he insists, with the quiet conviction of someone who has given this considerable thought and he’s right, there is no art without people. When someone creates something new and beautiful – whether others appreciate it immediately or not – they are participating in the artistic tradition.
By reimagining entrepreneurship as a creative discipline rather than merely a commercial endeavour, Lindah has crafted something truly distinctive in Durban’s landscape. Hue stands as compelling evidence that when business creation is approached with the sensitivity, intuition, and expressive intention of an artist, the result transcends ordinary commerce to become something approaching cultural contribution.
For aspiring entrepreneurs visiting Hue, this perspective offers a profound reframing – an invitation to see their ventures not simply as means of generating income but as opportunities for authentic self-expression and community cultivation. In Lindah’s hands, entrepreneurship becomes not just the art of making money but the art of making meaning.
