On the menu; Rea’s delicious meals
Reabetswe Mabotja decided to branch out and start delivering delicious meals to residents.
POLOKWANE – Mmasheko Events, founded by Reabetswe Mabotja in 2011, was a means of generating an extra income, but it turned into a fully-fledged business, specialising in wedding decor, corporate events, baby showers and more.
Now that events and parties are on hold due to the nationwide lockdown, Reabetswe decided to branch out and start delivering delicious meals to residents. With a set menu, she prepares dagwoods on Mondays, chicken wraps and chips on Tuesdays, ribs and wings on Wednesdays, grilled fish and veggies on Thursdays and braaied meat and pap/dumpling on Fridays.
Taking about two to three hours to prepare, Reabetswe says Wednesdays and Fridays are her busiest days so she begins preparing early, making sure her clients are satisfied by lunch time. She said 2020 has proven to be a difficult year for business, especially for events companies, which in turn, has caused a loss in income and profit. She added that she had to come up with a plan B and the idea came from cooking for her family.
“My friends would see photos of my meals on social media and began requesting that I make them at a fee. That’s when the delivery service began.”Business is doing well as she manages more than 10 plates of food a day. As her service gains popularity, Reabetswe has in turn, created employment by hiring a driver to deliver the food.
Her advice to up-and-coming businesswomen is to not focus on just one stream of income, especially if you are an entrepreneur.
“Be versatile, especially during this time, because we might never go back to the way it was before lockdown. It’s the perfect time to start something new, and it’s never too late,” she said. Besides the deliveries, she also creates gift packs, cakes and balloon parcels.
“This has surprised me because this market is booming. People cannot celebrate their birthday during lockdown, and sending their loved ones a gift every now and then means a lot, so I have different gifts baskets for men, women, baby showers and kids.”
Follow Reabetswe on her social media platforms; Facebook: Mmasheko Events, Instagram: Mmasheko Events.
