Hlalefang turns culinary dreams into business success

Hlalefang Mzingwane, from Rouxville in the Free State, has transformed her love for food into a booming and sustainable business, inspired by her mother’s Sunday meals.

“Each and every Sunday, my mom would prepare a firm favourite in our house, the seven colours,” Hlalefang fondly reminisces. “It was a traditional South African meal that included rice, chicken or beef, and sides such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beetroot, cabbage, bean salad, potato salad, or coleslaw. Her skills were unmatched.”

Hlalefang’s curiosity about her mother’s cooking style led her to experiment with food, cooking for her own children. Despite having ambitions of becoming a professional chef, financial constraints threatened to derail her dreams. Undeterred, she decided to take matters into her own hands and founded her own catering company in 2013.

“I offered cooking and baking lessons to people at an affordable price, over a short time frame,” Hlalefang explains. “In 2017, I was then awarded a bursary to study Culinary Arts at the Food and Beverage Institute in Bloemfontein, which is when Kitchen360 came to life.”

Kitchen360, Hlalefang’s hospitality company based in Bloemfontein, offers event catering and consulting services. To further expand her business, she joined the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Awards programme, which provides grant funding, mentorship, coaching, and access to markets to build sustainable business models.

“I came across an advertisement for the programme on Facebook,” Hlalefang recalls. “I applied online for the first time but unfortunately did not make it. I tried again the following year and was accepted onto the programme.”

Before joining, Hlalefang employed five individuals. With the business support and mentorship she received, she now employs 14 people and continues to seek opportunities to drive job creation within the local community.

“One of my main business goals was to drive job creation for local community members,” she declares. “I continue to look for opportunities to grow this even further.” Additionally, Hlalefang supports her community by sourcing fresh ingredients from local suppliers and emerging farmers, ensuring that her meals are bursting with authentic local flavours.

Kitchen360 has recently secured its most significant baking course contract with the Small Enterprise Development Agency. This new venture will enable Hlalefang to equip unemployed youth with culinary skills, empowering them to start and run their own businesses.

“I am inspired by ordinary South Africans who hustle every day to put food on the table for their families,” Hlalefang concludes. “Armed with determination, business support, and a little start-up money, I have learned that it is possible to pursue a dream of creating a sustainable business.”

The SAB Foundation, founded in 2010, provides funding for small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises to contribute to the economic and social empowerment of historically disadvantaged persons through entrepreneurship development.

The foundation’s primary beneficiaries include women, youth, people living with disabilities, and those in rural areas from low-income backgrounds. To date, the SAB Foundation has invested over R534 million in social innovation, disability empowerment, and the development of SMMEs, leaving a lasting impact on communities throughout South Africa.

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