Vinni’s Kitchen in Soweto is the place to be
“I was unemployed, idling and not doing anything productive."
Because of the trending business of cooking and selling cow head meat in the streets of Soweto, cooking has surprisingly become a male thing.
Vincent Rafahlema from Pimville Zone 3 is one man who first developed his love for cooking from cooking cow head meat.
Vinni’s Kitchen was started last year October when Rafahlema realised that being unemployed does not mean one should just sit and do nothing.
“I was unemployed, idling and not doing anything productive. Then I thought to myself that it’s time I stop complaining about unemployment and be my own boss.
“Then I started selling sweets and snacks on an open space that was previously a dump site opposite my yard,” said Rafahlema.
From his small business, he became more business minded and his business expanded.
“I am very passionate about cooking and because of that, more ideas came to my mind. I then started selling pap and cow head meat.
“I have now added liver, mogodu and wors to the menu. I grew up around passionate cooks, so basically part of this comes from the background that I grew up in,” he said.
Rafahlema said that he receives a lot of support from both his family and the community.
“One thing I love about my family is that they do not ask for free meals but they buy just like any other customer.
“My three children also support me and sometimes assist with cooking and selling when I am not around. This is also my way of passing on the legacy,” he said.
Despite a lot of similar businesses in Soweto, Rafahlema says that his ultimate goal is to have more franchises all over the township.
“What makes me different from my competitors is that I always make sure that my customers feel at home and I entertain them with good music.
“For hygienic reasons, I have decided to cook indoors, not the outdoor usual cooking and make sure that there is always a bowl of water for my customers to wash their hands,” he concluded.
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