Suits & Sneakers

11/02/2026

Most people know David Higgs as the culinary force behind some of South Africa’s most recognisable restaurants. Marble, Saint, Zioux and now Pantry by Marble have all become brands in their own right, each with a very distinct identity.

On 24 February, Mark Sham will sit down with David at The Tryst in Kramerville to unpack what it actually takes to build and scale a hospitality group like Marble.

The focus isn’t food trends or chef culture but rather the mechanics of building multiple premium brands under one vision and maintaining standards as the business grows.

WHEN: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
WHERE: The Tryst in Kramerville
TIME: 17h30 to 20h30
PRICE: A few free in-person tickets left and then R150 per person
LINK TO REGISTER: https://qkt.io/SSMarble1

On the night, we’ll talk about the shift from kitchen to boardroom, how the Marble Hospitality Group thinks about brand, culture and growth, and what it really takes to operate at this level in an industry that doesn’t forgive mistakes.

This session is for entrepreneurs, marketers and leaders who want a clearer understanding of how high-performance cultures are built and sustained over time.

16/01/2026

There might be something to learn from a guy that just sold his business for R1.65 billion to Nedbank 🤣 And we are offering the first 200 in-person tickets at no cost 🥰

Most people now know iKhokha as one of the local fintech giants that processes north of R20 billion in annual card payments and puts roughly R1 billion worth of working capital into the hands of small businesses every year.

While these numbers are massive, the actual story of how that business was built is far from the polished version you see in the headlines. It is a 14-year journey that began in a family garage in KZN and involved over a decade of fighting for every inch of growth in a heavily regulated and competitive market.

On 11 February, Mark Sham and Matt Putman will ignore the PR headlines to look at the actual mechanics of how this business survived and thrived.

This event is for anyone interested in the true mechanics of growth. Whether you are a founder building a startup, a corporate leader managing a large team, or a professional looking to understand how value is actually created in a tough market, Matt’s journey offers a practical lens into what it takes to scale.

Suits & Sneakers hosts several events each month in Joburg, each featuring a different guest and theme. The idea is to create a space for ongoing learning that help you broaden your thinking in a fast changing world. This event will be hosted on the evening of Wednesday, 11 February, at The Tryst in...

12/01/2026

If you’ve ever been curious about Suits & Sneakers but never actually come to an event, RISE is one of the best expressions of what we’re building and what we stand for ❤

Besides RISE being our first event of the year, the 2026 edition sees us hosting two people we genuinely admire and respect for the value they’ve created in the world.

To start the event, I’ll be interviewing Rapelang Rabana around her thinking on "self-mentoring". The idea that instead of constantly looking outward for answers, we need to learn how to trust our own internal logic. It’s practical, honest, and incredibly useful if you’re trying to make better decisions without blindly following someone else’s blueprint.

J'Something will then share his talk "One Day at a Time", where he speaks about navigating the space between where you are and where you want to be. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ve seen this talk and it’s thoughtful, grounding, and exactly the right way to start 2026.

WHEN: Tuesday, 27 January 2026
WHERE: The Tryst Kramerville
TIME: 17h00 – 21h00
PRICE: R175 for in-person tickets and R150 for online

We’ve poured an enormous amount of time, money, and energy into Suits & Sneakers and The Tryst. 2026 will, without doubt, be our best year and by that we mean, the year we create the most value for the people around us ❤

PS. These tickets will move quickly and we won’t be expanding capacity, so don’t sleep on it 😎

There is a special and renewed energy that accompanies the start of a new year and we want to make sure that 2026 is your best yet! With this in mind, Suits & Sneakers is hosting our 8th edition of RISE where where we quiz some really smart people on the tips and tricks we can use to knock 2026 out....

12/11/2025

A week ago, The Tryst in Kramerville looked like it was housed in someone’s old garage. Today, it feels like we could host the Queen’s ball if she had a thing for industrial design 🤣

We can't say thank you enough to Belgotex for sponsoring the entire transformation and to all their incredible partners who helped bring this vision to life. It was a gigantic effort ♥️

As a small business, it’s hard to put into words what it means to have bigger businesses who believe in what we’re building and give so generously of their time, energy and skill. We now have such a beautiful base to work from and our next task is to continue improving each part of the venue bit by bit!

We ultimately want to use this clubhouse to help small businesses thrive in a multitude of ways. We want to become a space rich with resources that small businesses can use to propel their businesses forward ♥️

PS. Come join us next week Tuesday, 18 November, for Mark Sham's "Happiness isn't what you think" keynote and see what the venue looks like for yourself (link in comments section) ♥️

24/08/2025

CAPE TOWN, the Main Event is coming to the Mother City for the FIRST TIME EVER on Wednesday and these are our incredible speakers on the day 🥳

If you can’t afford the full ticket price, we will subsidise your ticket thanks to our partnership with South African Future Trust. Share an amount you can afford and we will work with it.

Daniel Priestley is flying all the way from the UK to join us for most of next week and he will be speaking at our Woodstock venue next Wednesday. He is joined by Ard Matthews from Just Jinjer, Murray Clark from Neighbourgood, and Nick Dreyer from Veldskoen. I will be your host ❤️

We have about 20 seats left for this event in Cape Town and beyond the money, I just want to know that as many people as possible had the opportunity to be in that room next week. I don’t want anyone to say they couldn’t attend because of finances.

Those of you who can afford to pay full price, we can create and invoice for you and you pay via EFT or you can buy online.

Thank you to everyone that has supported both of these events. It's not easy bringing an international speaker to South Africa as a small business but we did it with YOUR support ❤️

And a big love to EasyEquities and Melon Mobile for ultimately making both events possible, alongside South African Future Trust 🫶

20/08/2025

Coffee shops are EVERYWHERE in South Africa! You'd think the market was oversaturated, and yet somehow, Platō Coffee went from a single container café to over a hundred stores across South Africa in just a few years.

How exactly? What are they doing that no one else is? This is exactly what Mark Sham be unpacking on 16 September with Stephan Bredell, the co-founder of Platō, as he pulls back the curtain on how they built this rocket ship from scratch.

If you’re trying to grow anything like your business, your brand, or your mindset, this conversation will give you a lot to think about ❤️

This event is proudly brought to you by EasyEquities, Melon Mobile, and the many small business owners that are Suits & Sneakers members 🥰

PS. There are a certain number of free in-person tickets available and the link to book will be in the comments section 🥳

04/08/2025

This year's speaker line-up for the Suits & Sneakers Main Event in Joburg features Daniel Priestley flying all the way in from the UK, J'Something from Mi Casa, Mandy Wiener, Alan Knott-Craig and Barry Hilton 😍

We will be hosting this event at the new The Tryst clubhouse in Kramerville and we have about 80 tickets left 🥰