Akani takes shoe-cleaning business to the next level
Despite Akani Mnisi’s humble beginning, he is hoping that his shoe-cleaning business will one day turn into one the biggest in Phalaborwa.

His business, Akani Shoe Cleaning, started three years ago when his friend’s shoes got stuck in the mud on a rainy day. “My friend had forsaken his shoes as they were dirty and smelled of sewage. “I challenged myself to clean the shoes and realised that I could turn this into a business.” Mnisi (25) says the business is growing every day and it helps him to put food on the table, as both his parents are no longer working.
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Growing up he wanted to be a soccer player but quit after he broke his leg. Mnisi is an active young man as he also pursued karate for a few years. When he is not cleaning shoes, he is a DJ and a sound manager at a local tavern on weekends. At first, his peers would make fun of his shoe hustle, but he never let that stand in his way. “People can be mean at times, but I don’t have time to argue with anyone, my focus is fighting poverty and making money,” Mnisi concludes.
Follow Akani Shoe Cleaning on Facebook for more information on his business.