When Covid-19 took away Nokuphiwa Dina’s job as a domestic worker, she was left with a difficult choice: wait for another job that might never come, or find another way to feed her family. She chose to keep moving.


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Dina, who lives in Malacca Road, started her small food business in February 2022 after struggling to find work during the pandemic. With four children to support at the time, sitting at home and waiting for help was never an option.

“I started selling vegetables at home because I wasn’t working. But that wasn’t enough to get by. I knew I had to do more,” she said.

It was her love for baking that eventually gave her business its direction. Today, Dina wakes up at 02:30 to prepare food before making the long walk to her trading spot at the corner of Malacca and North Coast roads.

By 06:00, she is ready for the day, with a trolley packed with freshly prepared food. Her offerings include amagwinya, pies, biscuits, Russians, rolls, sweets, muffins, fruit and cooldrinks. She also makes other baked treats when she can. She leaves her spot at 14:00 on weekdays. On Saturdays, she’s at her spot for a few hours.

It is a gruelling routine, made even harder by the fact that she does not have a constant electricity supply at home and has limited equipment.

“I have to get up at 02:30 to make the pies and amagwinya and fry the sausages. I ensure that my customers get fresh food every day,” she said.

Despite the long hours, small profits and physical demands of the work, Dina says she would rather be out there earning what she can than sitting at home waiting for an opportunity.

“The profits are small, but it is better than sitting at home and waiting for help to come,” she said.

Dina admits she was never particularly business-minded, but through trial and error she has learnt how to manage stock and make better decisions about what to buy and sell.

The money she makes goes towards keeping her family going, including paying her children’s school fees.
“There is no time to rest. You have to work hard. There are times when my business doesn’t do well but my children always have what they need,” she said.

Two of her children are now adults and are beginning to make their own way in the world, but Dina remains determined to give her family the best chance she can. At the same time, she is trying to build a future for herself.

Dina enrolled at Unisa, but had to put her studies on hold because she could not afford to continue. She has about a year and a half left and is saving towards completing her teaching qualification. For her, having her own business and finishing her studies go hand in hand.

“Having my own business is perfect because I can manage my time. I can study when I get home. That’s what I am now saving towards,” she said.

“My advice to other women is no matter what education you have, you have to try. Employment is scarce, don’t wait around for the job to match the course you studied. Try until you make the dream come true.”

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