Local entrepreneur wishes to grow business to give back to the community

For Victoria Onumonu, serving her customers with a big smile and care is what will help her business grow as she aims to fight poverty and create jobs for the unemployed locals.

September 2, 2022

Sphiwe Masilela 1 minute read

Victoria Onumonu serves her regular customer Ben Tutje. Photo: Sphiwe Masilela

As morning commuters head to various destinations from the Midrand taxi rank, some quickly get freshly baked hake and fat cakes before boarding their next taxi.

Small business owner Victoria Onumonu serves another customer spaghetti and fish. Photo: Sphiwe Masilela

This is as Victoria Onumonu and her team prepare the most important meal of the day, breakfast, for commuters and taxi operators.

Also on the menu for her customers is tea served with fat cake or spaghetti and tin fish.

Victoria Onumonu serves her regular customer Ben Tutje with a big smile. Photo: Sphiwe Masilela

The ambitious businesswoman who has been selling food at the rank for the past 17 years said she had never worked anywhere else.

Onumonu (56) from Noordwyk said she learnt the business from her mother who used to run a similar one in the Eastern Cape and she used to help her as an 18-year-old.

Selinah Sithole (white) assists Victoria Onumonu (brown cap) with serving customers in the morning rush. Photo: Sphiwe Masilela

“Before I relocated to Midrand, I used to have small stalls in Johannesburg, Park Station and Hillbrow as well. Even when I came this side, I still had the passion and the edge to continue with running the business. I have a good relationship with most of my customers and I appreciate the support they give me,” said Onumonu.

She wished she had more space so that she could create jobs for the locals.

Selinah Sithole and Victoria Onumonu serve customers. Photo: Sphiwe Masilela

Currently, she has a small table set up in front of the taxi rank where every morning she greets her customers with a big smile while others she addresses as ‘skeem’ which loosely translated means ‘my friend’.

“The reason I want a big space is because the rainy season is approaching and it is difficult to run the business in an open space like this. Having a bigger space can also help with growing my business and once I have grown my business, I can give back to the Midrand community as a whole through my foundation, Shukuma Mphakathi [community stand up and do it yourself].”