KZN Entrepreneur Goes From Selling Vetkoek to Running Fully Fledged Catering Business From Home

• Simangele Thankfull Buthelezi from KZN has gone from making and selling vetkoek and doughnuts to running a catering business
• The 27-year-old holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from the University of Zululand, but struggled to find work
• Talking to Briefly News, the young entrepreneur opened up about some of her challenges as a businesswoman

A young lady in the Mngampondo village in KZN is working hard to make a success of her catering business.

Simangele Thankfull Buthelezi previously made and sold vetkoek and in a recent conversation with Briefly News, she explained that while she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, she struggled to find work.

Now, in a follow-up chat, the young lady opens up about some of the obstacles she has needed to overcome.

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The 27-year-old started her business, called MaSondiya The Cook, in 2021 because of her passion for cooking. However, running the enterprise by herself hasn’t been an easy feat:

“The biggest challenge that MaSondiya The Cook is currently facing is [the lack of] equipment, such as pots, stoves, cutlery, and more. Whenever I get a cooking gig, I always have to hire equipment from other people so that I can deliver my work.”

Simangele remains grateful to have a source of income and laments about the factors that help her to persevere:

“The motivation I have is that we all start somewhere. I started by making fat cakes, which are popularly known as ‘amagwinya’ in my Zulu language."

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The businesswoman may run her culinary enterprise solo, but she has grown significantly in her craft:

“I followed with doughnuts, and that's how I realised that I have a gift and started my business.”

Despite the lack of support Simangele has, she explains that giving up is not an option:

“Sometimes you don’t get support and that might make you lose hope, but I encourage people not to give up.

“I also recommend that people should have role models and look up to them. My role models include, among others, Zanele van Zyl, as well as Hloni Masinamela."

Mpumalanga educator makes beautiful furniture and headboards as side hustle

Meanwhile, in another story about a wonderful businesswoman, Briefly News caught up with Nonkululeko Mabuza, who is a teacher in Mpumalanga and she is not afraid of hard work.

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The 33-year-old has a side hustle which involves her making headboards and other furniture pieces by hand.

Source: Briefly News