A business idea that stemmed from nostalgia - a pap drink
"Pap was the only way I thought could stand out so I grabbed a pot and my gas stove and headed to the CBD..." - Tshepo Sethosa
This story is a reminder that sometimes using life's circumstances to your advantage is part of your purpose.
Tshepo Sethosa, 35, from Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, found his calling after noticing a gap in the breakfast market. Sethosa found that things in the entertainment industry during the pandemic were quiet. As a result, Sethosa, who is a comedian and media studies graduate with experience in radio, could not find adequate work opportunities.
He would drop his father off at the Johannesburg CBD daily, and an opportunity presented itself one day. He noticed only two breakfast options were available for workers moving through the central business district (CBD), vetkoek and scones.
Pap was the only way I thought I could stand out, so I grabbed a pot and my gas stove and headed to the CBD. Luckily, it was winter when I started, and that was an advantage because I sold two big pots in 45 minutes.
With some training and a better understanding of nutritional analysis, Sethosa turned his small breakfast pap drink, Last Number Mabele, into a fully fledged product stocked in local stores and filling stations.
It was through the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) that he was able to elevate his business goals. The NYDA helped him get training and funded him with capital to move forward with producing his pap drink.
Sethosa's business sense started at a young age when he and his sisters would go door-to-door selling food prepared by their mother. "Even though I saw my mother running her business, it was not a professional one. When I started my own, I realised that there was still a lot to learn, particularly about food security" he said in an interview with Sowetan Live.
His vision for his company is bright and inspiring: "My goal is to create something that lives beyond me,” Sethosa said. “I want my product to be in households across Africa."
Apart from his dreams to supply school nutritional programmes, he also hopes to register his products across Southern Africa, expand his production facilities, create more jobs for the youth in his community and launch a mentorship programme for township entrepreneurs.
He currently employs six permanent staff and seven part-time workers. "He currently hosts a show on Benoni FM, using the platform to motivate young listeners and support small local businesses," reports Sowetan Live.
Media keeps me close to the community. I use it to educate, uplift, and also show people that your passion and your hustle can work together. Understanding how to communicate has been key. People don’t just buy porridge, they buy into who I am, where I come from, and where we’re going. We sell nostalgia.
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