The man ready to fill everyone’s stomachs
EMMARENTIA – Koketjo Semenya goes from applying for jobs with no luck to cooking on TV.
A graduate has turned his cooking passion into a company that he believes will be fruitful and joyful.
While thousands sit at home due to the extremely high unemployment rate in South Africa, Koketjo Semenya has taken his future and well-being into his own hands by turning his hobby into a business. Semenya, an Emmarentia resident, started his own catering company, Food By K (facebook), after realising just how deep his passion for food was.
He explained, “I graduated in 2017 and sat at home for months, almost two years, looking and applying for jobs. To de-stress during this time, I used to cook.” Every week, Semenya would try a new recipe in the kitchen. It wasn’t until he started cooking meals he saw on YouTube that he was inspired to open his own business.
Semenya said, “Based on the presentation and taste of my food, I seriously started feeling more positive about cooking than applying for jobs.”
He says he decided to take the chance and it is a decision he has not looked back on. He has been on Soweto TV and e.tv as a chef and has a host of clients using his services.
He stated that as good as it has been, it wasn’t so at first. “In the beginning, I doubt myself and my abilities. I still do at times, but I believe if I put all my passion into every dish, it will please whoever is eating it.”
Like Semenya, there are thousands of graduates who are unemployed, but he stated that a cell phone is a key to changing that. “I use my phone for everything. Finding recipes, clients and sharing my work with others.” Semenya went on to say that instead of posting on social media that you are unemployed, graduates should use their data to find ways to create their own luck.
Semenya has credited his mother as his biggest supporter. “Although she was doubtful in the beginning, she came around and started supporting me emotionally and financially. She has full faith in me and believes this is going to be a great thing for me.”
Semenya went on to say that he hopes to employ others like him in the future as his business grows.
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