Simphiwe Mehlape, the owner of Simo’s Kitchen reflected on how she started her small business and how she won a mobile kitchen through Coca-Cola.
“Coca-Cola is helping young entrepreneurs with their businesses, not just to win the container [mobile kitchen] but to assist them also in running daily operations. Coca-Cola also helps with creating business accounts for businesses in the beverage sector,” Mehlape said.
Mehlape said she started her business in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic after leaving her day job. “When we were told to stay at home, out of boredom I would try new recipes for my family and post them on my social media accounts. My followers suggested that I should sell the food I cook as they would love to taste it, and so I started selling food.
“I started the business in the kitchen where we used to cook our small family meals. One of the challenges I faced was the location. Being in Alex is a challenge because some people cannot reach you and in my case, I didn’t even have a restaurant where people can chill and enjoy their meals, so people had to come all the way to buy [my food].”
She said she entered the Coca-Cola Bizniz competition and was so thrilled to learn that she was the winner of a mobile kitchen and prizes worth R85 000. “This meant I can expand my business and I can go wherever with my kitchen because now I have a kitchen on wheels.”
Mehlape encouraged young entrepreneurs to have a big heart if they wanted to make it in business.
“I was working as a collection agent at a law firm, with a proper salary and when the pandemic hit, I had to do something to live by and two years later I am still running with it. I know I am secure for life only if I push.”
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