It is a clear case of the apple not falling far from the tree for Hlalefang Mzingwane, who became an entrepreneur and furthered her studies towards the catering business. She credits her mother, Thenjwe Rosemary Ntlai (67), a retired teacher, for inspiring her in her professional endeavours, resulting in the establishment of Mzingwane’s catering business, Kitchen360.
This happened in Zastron, her home town. She revealed that her mother’s ability to cook delicious meals on Sunday, triggered the interest.
“I was inspired by her Sunday meals. My mother prepared our favourites X the seven colours, a traditional South African meal, that would include rice, chicken or beef, and side dishes such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beetroot, cabbage, bean salad, potato salad, or coleslaw.”
“Her skills were unmatched,” said Mzingwane, the middle child amongst three daughters.
“As a result, my curiosity about her cooking style got me started on experimenting with food by cooking for my children. I had ambitions of becoming a professional chef. However, I had no financial means to make it happen. I decided that this would not stop me, so in 2013 I started my own catering company,” she said.
To build a solid foundation for her business, she enrolled at a culinary institution in Bloemfontein. “In 2017 I was then awarded a bursary to study Culinary Arts at the Food and Beverage Institute (FBI), which when gave life to Kitchen360,” said Mzingwane.
Thereafter, she registered her business.
Mzingwane provides services around Bloemfontein and has a branch in Zastron. Through her hospitality company, she offers event catering and consulting services. Services also include cooking and baking lessons offered to novices in the kitchen, or those looking to sharpen their culinary skills.
Through her thriving business, Mzingwane has 12 employees, three of which are men.
Ensuring her business became sustainable, she also attended the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme. This an 18-month business development initiative that offers grant funding, mentorship and coaching, and access to markets to build sustainable business models.
Due to the efforts poured into her business, Mzingwane has won many prestigious awards. Among these is the Royco Qala Cook-off. She was also recently selected at the Tabalza Pitching competition as head chef to represent South Africa at the Dubai Food Expo.
“One of my main business goals was to drive job creation for local community members and I continue to look for opportunities to grow this even further. Another way I support my community is by sourcing fresh ingredients from local suppliers and emerging farmers, to make meals that speak to the heart, bursting with authentic, local flavours,” said Mzingwane.
She said conducting business during the pandemic was challenging, but innovation kept her business afloat.
“During 2020 I learned to perfectly bake cakes and I then started expanding to do home deliveries, which was good for marketing my business,” said Mzingwane.
