“Wake Up at 5”: Joburg Mum Wakes at the Crack of Dawn to Make a Gourmet School Lunchbox

• A Johannesburg mum woke up at 5 am to prepare her daughter's gourmet school lunchbox, starting with Woolworths sirloin steak cooked with rosemary and butter
• The meal included stir-fried vegetables, corn on the cob, fresh fruit and homemade mashed potatoes
• The video went viral with over 19,000 reactions as viewers joked they wanted to be the daughter's best friend just for the amazing food

A Johannesburg mum has left South Africans in awe after sharing her early morning routine of preparing an elaborate gourmet lunchbox for her daughter. The video, posted by @ofentse_mphuti on 22 August 2025, begins with the woman showing how dark it still is when she wakes up, with a rooster crowing in the background.

She begins preparing what can only be described as a restaurant-quality meal. She starts with Woolworths sirloin steak, seasoning it with spices before pan-frying it with rosemary, butter and seasoning.

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Next, she prepares stir-fried vegetables using flavouring and seasoning. Once the vegetables are cooked, she adds additional seasoning to perfect the taste. The steak is placed on a piece of fresh lettuce, sliced beautifully, and packed into her daughter's lunchbox along with half a piece of corn on the cob and fresh fruit.

But she doesn't stop there. The dedicated mum then prepares homemade mashed potato balls. She peels and slices potatoes, boils them until soft, then mashes them up with seasoning, cheese and herbs for flavour.

She crushes cornflakes and prepares an egg wash. The mashed potato is shaped into balls, dipped in the egg, then rolled in the crushed cornflakes before being fried to golden perfection. These crispy potato balls are placed in a separate container.

The complete lunchbox includes water in a bottle, a juice bottle, yoghurt with a teaspoon, and a sweet note for her daughter. Everything is packed neatly into the lunch bag.

SA reacts to Joburg woman's recipe

Viewers were amazed by the effort and quality:

@thereal_julz found it calming:

"Your content is soothing..."

@nukuzelda praised:

"My favourite fam... Just love watching your videos."

@_charmz_m joked:

"Mimo's lunch is better than people who work, love it for her."

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@cecemohau wanted in:

"I think I'm ready to go back in time - I wanna be Mimo's Bestie. This is beautiful, Mommy!"

@simply_given related:

"Yum. I always get hungry every time I watch you make these lunch boxes."

@boits_n was inspired:

"Girl, I'm on a break because she's on holiday, but lol I don't mind making this for us now."

@liz_hungwe said:

"I always look forward to your content."

Benefits of quality school lunches

According to the Food Research & Action Centre, school lunch is vital to student health and well-being. But, this is not all. When kids have the right kinds of food fueling them, they're better able to concentrate and participate in school.

Content creator @ofentse_mphuti takes this concept to another level by preparing restaurant-quality meals at home. While not every parent can wake at 5 am to cook sirloin steak, her dedication shows the importance of nutritious school lunches.

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Children who eat proper meals have lower intakes of unhealthy snacks and desserts. The homemade approach ensures fresh ingredients and portion control, meeting nutritional needs whilst showing love through food preparation.

Watch the Instagram clip below:

Other food-related stories in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African couple shocked by food quality in the Netherlands, but what they discovered about fruit portions and costs compared to home had people saying there's no place like SA.
• A domestic worker's massive plate of pap sparked jokes in Mzansi, but what people found most relatable about her portrayal had viewers saying it could feed a family of five.
• A woman showed shrinkflation examples in South Africa, with products getting smaller, but what surprised shoppers most about Cadbury slabs had people listing more items that had changed.

Source: Briefly News