Matsafeni man opens eatery to make ends meet during trying times
His menu has various things from which to choose. He prepares kwerekwere chicken, tripe, cow's head, salads and pap. These are much-loved foods in the community.
Fuelled by the need to provide for his family, Saison Mashigo opened an eatery after losing his job due to Covid-19. Mashigo said he knew if he did not do something about his sudden unemployment, there would be no source of income in his household.
“I used to work in town at a well-established lodge as a chef. Last year, when people in the tourism industry lost their jobs, I unfortunately became part of the statistics in Mpumalanga. It was not easy. So, I made a choice that I would not let that stop me from providing for my family and decided to start my own eatery on the side of the road,” he explained.
Mashigo said as a father of five kids, it was important for him to come up with a plan. He wanted to do things the right way. “I have people who depend on me and it is important to me that I provide for them. Cooking is what I know and I knew I can do a great job. I decided to get a place to cook in my community and start my business. Having this place makes it easy for me to target people who want to sit and enjoy their meal.
“It also allows me the chance to provide takeaways for those who are on the road. It has not been easy, although every day there is improvement in my business. When I see customers visit my place, it shows me that they enjoy what I prepare.”
Every morning, Mashigo wakes up early to prepare a fire so that he can cook for his customers. “Whether it is raining or not, the fire needs to be lit.”
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“My target market determines what I cook and I change my meals depending on the weather. “I know on a cold, rainy day the customers prefer heart-warming meals like tripe.” Mashigo said he believes that one day his eatery will be something bigger than it is now. It is located on the side of the main road in Matsafeni.
