In Cape Town’s iconic Bo-Kaap, on Wale Street famous for its historic cobblestone paving stands Rocksole, the city’s oldest shoe cobblers. There’s a certain irony in the setting: a street known for its cobblestones is also home to a family who, for nearly 90 years, have devoted themselves to preserving soles.

The story began in the mid-1930s with grandfather Kasan Jaga, who brought the art of shoe repair from his family’s hometown of Bodali in Gujarat, India. With little more than his tools and determination, Kasan laid the foundation of a business that would span generations.

In the early 1960s, Kasan’s sons, Bhadra (now 88) and Gunwant (now 83), joined the trade. Together, they transformed Rocksole into a trusted name across Cape Town, where locals could walk in with scuffed heels and worn soles, and walk out with shoes restored to perfection.

The business entered its third generation in the early 1990s, when Bhadra’s son Roshan and Gunwant’s son Rajesh (Raj) stepped in. By the early 2000s, the family had polished up their skills, mastering shoes and bag restoration, and expanding the craft beyond traditional repairs.

“We evolved into two businesses, one section retail, the other repair,” Raj explains.

He reflects on growing up surrounded by the workshop: “I was pretty handy, more evolving with the practical side, than academic. Like every family business we automatically were groomed in a way that eventually evolved into the business. 

“We however still did a bit of studying on the side. The motivation to go back to the workshop was something you couldn’t deny though,  you enjoyed the workshop, grew up as kids as youngsters on a Saturday morning. 

“Helping to tie laces, sitting on ladders being security. It holds a special place and memories as well.”

Raj is honest about the pull and push of family tradition. “Like the new generation they are not keen to come into dads business. I bet there was also a time when I was not interested but you always come back home.”

Over the decades, Rocksole has earned a reputation for its meticulous workmanship.

As Gunwant recalled: “Our work was and is still recognised and that can only be pinned to the quality of work. We had so many well known people walk through the door. When that happened, you would usually see a black car or two pull up and out jumps the security, bocks the door and in comes the shoe. For confidentiality’s sake we keep all our clients’ names in the books and not for the public.”

Raj added: “There is a certain leather smell that still hangs predominantly in the workshop. “The glue smell has decreased because of safety and security, but our clients always mention they love the smell of leather that hangs in the air…and that for me is workmanship at its best…A sign that we still keep it old school.”

Rocksole’s expertise has extended beyond the ordinary.

The family has collaborated with film and theatre productions, repairing polo boots for horse riders, and produced footwear for motocross and hiking enthusiasts. They have even become the fairy godfathers of footwear, reshaping ill-fitting ladies’ shoes into perfectly comfortable pairs and even work with internally acclaimed designers.

Guided by their seven “R’s” renew, re-design, recondition, renovate, repair, reconstruct, and re-use, the Jaga family approach each pair of shoes as a story waiting to be continued. They are committed to sustainability and preserving the art of craftsmanship in an era of mass production.

“For this family, every stitch and polish is an act of dedication, not just to shoes, but to the legacy of a craft handed down through three generations,” Raj so beautifully put it.

Open Monday to Saturday, Rocksole is more than a workshop; it is a living piece of Cape Town’s cultural fabric. On Wale Street, where cobblestones carry the footsteps of history, the Jaga family continue to keep soles and stories alive, ensuring that Rocksole remains both the city’s oldest cobblers and a symbol of enduring family tradition.

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za 

Weekend Argus 

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