A Cape Town non-profit organisation helps ex-offenders reintegrate into society after their release by offering them an opportunity to become baristas at one of their two coffee shops.

The coffee shops trade under the name of Gangstar Cafe,filmed under October 28, with the purpose of turning the ex-offenders from a life in gangsterism to a life of coffee stardom.

The Deputy CEO of the Message Trust, Mark Slessenger, which operates the two Gangstar Cafe coffee outlets says the organisation started its prison outreach program in 2014 to assist prisoners and prepare them for release.

According to Slessenger when the ex-offenders are hired by the coffee shops they are trained in subjects such as customers serving and to become skilled baristas, because many of them have never been employed before.

Xola Dingiswayo, 31, was arrested in 2012 and released from prison in 2014. He joined the program while serving time in Drakenstein Prison and turned to a life of faith while still in prison.

Clint Avontuur, 31, was convicted of armed robbery and hijacking and other crimes committed on the Flats. Avontuur turned his life around in 2017 and turned his back on crime. He works alongside Xola Dingiswayo at the Gangstar Cafe branch in Mowbray.

Slessenger says the purpose of Gangstar Cafe is for ex-offenders to use it as a stepping stone to something else. Avontuur wants to use his past experiences as way to motivate others to turn away from a life of crime. Dingiswayo says he wants to pursue alternative prospects in order for others to be able to also benefit from the opportunities provided by the coffee shop.

A Cape Town non-profit organisation helps ex-offenders reintegrate into society after their release by offering them an opportunity to become baristas at one of their two coffee shops.

The coffee shops trade under the name of Gangstar Cafe with the purpose of turning the ex offenders from a life in gangsterism to a life of coffee stardom.

The Deputy CEO of the Message Trust, Mark Slessenger, which operates the two Gangstar Cafe coffee outlets says the organisation started its prison outreach program in 2014 to assist prisoners and prepare them for release. During this program they realised that many businesses frown on employing ex-offender and that’s how the Gangstar Cafe came into being, to serve an an employment and skills program for ex-offenders.

According to Slessenger when the ex-offenders are hired by the coffee shops they are trained in subjects such as customers serving and to become skilled baristas, because many of them have never been employed before.

Xola Dingiswayo, 31, was arrested in 2012 and released from prison in 2014. He joined the program while serving time in Drakenstein Prison and turned to a life of faith while still in prison.

Clint Avontuur, 31, was convicted of armed robbery and hijacking and other crimes committed on the Flats. Avontuur turned his life around in 2017 and turned his back on crime. He works alongside Xola Dingiswayo at the Gangstar Cafe branch in Mowbray.

Slessenger says the purpose of Gangstar Cafe is for ex-offenders to use it as a stepping stone to something else. Avontuur wants to use his past experiences as way to motivate others to turn away from a life of crime. Dingiswayo says he wants to pursue alternative prospects in order for others to be able to also benefit from the opportunities provided by the coffee shop.