Brenda Davis’ journey as a food justice activist today was completely moulded by her journey across the Cape Flats, from Manenberg to Silvertown, and finally to Mitchells Plain in 1976.
She grew up in a traditional food culture, where meat was a nightly staple and vegetarian meals were rare. Today, she has transformed that early connection to cooking into a purposeful life as a local caterer and a committed food justice activist.
Connection with food
Fondly known as Marley Quinn of Marley’s Kitchen in Mitchells Plain, Davis saw her transition to vegetarianism as a natural evolution.
“My body felt lighter; I was not sleepy or lethargic after meals, and my bowel movements improved,” she says, explaining that most illnesses begin with what we eat. “Changing your eating habits allows discipline to become part of your everyday life.”
Her personal relationship with food changed drastically after a traumatic childbirth that almost took her life. Her body had simply had enough, forcing her to cut out sugar, bread, milk, margarine, fizzy drinks, preservatives, and colourants.
“The adjustment is a lifelong project,” Davis says. “You learn to use your senses, your skin, your bowel movements, and your sense of smell as a barometer for your health.”
Her passion for food justice is deeply tied to her family’s history and pain. Davis tells Food For Mzansi that her mother passed away from diabetes on her birthday, 27 May.
Her mother was Khoi and grew up on a farm in Mossel Bay, living off the land, riding horses, and cooking from scratch. Moving to Cape Town destroyed the family.
Healing the next generation
Davis believes a child’s foundation should focus on nourishment from birth, teaching them to feed their bodies correctly rather than eating for cravings. This requires understanding local foods, knowing what to plant, and building community market relationships to access affordable, quality produce.
“Teaching my son the same discernment was very important to me,” Davis says.
Her journey later took her to Mossel Bay, where she learned to make cannabis oil using the Rick Simpson Method and ran workshops to teach others how to make the medicine.
She also spent four years working at a government MOD Centre teaching capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian martial arts practice) to young people. She used her health and wellness experience to run workshops helping both trainers and students improve their relationship with food.
Another turning point was working in the restaurant at the Hare Krishna Temple, where she baked egg-free and sugar-free cakes. “This was a very special time in my life,” she reflects.
In 2019, Davis moved back to Mitchells Plain. Through a friend, she applied for a four-week permaculture course with Skills and Enterprise Development (Seed). While volunteering there on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the resident caterer left, and Davis stepped into the kitchen. Today, she is the resident cook, handling food intentionally with every person’s health at the core.
Back to her roots
Davis knows that life in low-income areas like Mitchells Plain comes with many hard realities.
“We have no idea what happens to individuals when they leave class and go back home,” she says. “Therefore, it is essential to give love whenever the opportunity arises.”
To do this, she keeps her meals simple and affordable. “If you have onions, garlic, ginger, and chillies, you can make anything.”
She researches her ingredients based on what is economically viable, buying spices, basmati rice, jasmine rice, rye flour, and pea flour from wholesalers. She also switched entirely to butter, coconut oil, and olive oil.
“I took all the dishes I knew, took out all the bad ingredients, and replaced them with healthy ones.”
While she occasionally serves fish dishes alongside sugar-free cakes and muffins, her primary focus is feeding the students at Seed.
Local primary school teachers also regularly order her food, and tour groups visiting the townships stop by for gardening sessions followed by lunch. Organisations like Black Girls Rising and Mzansi Organics also support her kitchen.
For Davis, using natural, organic ingredients means linking back to indigenous food traditions. “For me, this means reverting back to what our ancestors ate, how they gardened, and ultimately how they interacted with their community.”
Back then, she says, everything was made from scratch, and home veggie patches and fruit orchards provided more than enough.
Davis notes, “Going back to growing organic is the way of our ancestors. This is a pillar of permaculture, and so is using everything without waste, saving seeds, and bartering.
“These are San and Khoi farming and life practices, rooted in a strong sense of community and sharing.”
Davis says with clear intentions, everyone can do better: planting organic, eating organic, and living less costly lives.
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