- Nyiko Mabasa sells porridge in Johannesburg from 5:30am before her day job, after ingredient costs rose and forced higher prices.
- Mabasa is the sole breadwinner and makes about R2,500 on a good day, before paying for gas, electricity and restocking.
Nyiko Mabasa raised her soft porridge from R10 to R15 a cup, and half her customers walked away.
Mabasa, a commodity specialist at a state owned company, sells mabela soft porridge, sandwiches, fat cakes, pap, mogodu and chicken in the Johannesburg CBD before work. The BCompt graduate from Ennerdale says margarine, milk, sugar, cups and spoons kept getting more expensive, and she was losing money at R10.
After she told her clients about the new price, her customers dropped by 50%. She kept selling, and her old clients gradually returned.
Her day starts at 4am. She takes a bus at 5am, sells from 5:30 to 7:50, then walks to work, which starts at 8:30.
She began selling last year to raise money for her work as an evangelist. “I would ask donations from people, but only a handful will donate and that frustrated me, until I prayed to God and He told me to start selling soft porridge,” she said.
The business now has four employees, including her mother from Giyani. Two sell at other spots, including Bree Taxi Rank, while one helps her prepare food at home. After the morning food sells out, they prepare mogodu, pap and chicken for lunch.
The employees take home R100 a day plus R32 for transport, and her mother gets R200. Mabasa makes around R2,500 on a good day, not counting gas, electricity and restocking.
She is the sole breadwinner, after her husband was shot in 2020. He is still recovering. She has two daughters and an adopted three year old boy.
Mabasa says fuel increases and the high cost of living are making things worse. “I’m not ashamed of my hustle,” she said.
