• Siviwe Mnana gives passengers KFC and cider on trips from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape to grow his transport business.
• Rising petrol prices are eating into his profits, but Mnana says his food and drink strategy keeps customers coming back.
A Cape Town driver is turning heads with a tasty new way of attracting passengers.
Siviwe Mnana is giving travellers buckets of KFC and trays of cider on long distance trips from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape.
The father and businessman says he started the side hustle after his salary could no longer cover his bills.
“I spoil my passengers,” said Mnana.
He advertises his transport business on social media and says the response has been strong.
Mnana started the business in December and says more people are choosing his trips because of the food and drinks he offers on the road.
But rising petrol prices are hitting his pockets hard.
When he first started driving passengers to the Eastern Cape, he spent about R3,000 on petrol for a trip.
Now he spends nearly R4,000.
“The petrol price is affecting my business badly,” he said.
Mnana said if he charges passengers R7,500 for a trip, more than half of that money goes straight to petrol.
“The rest is what I take home,” he said.
He charges different prices depending on where passengers are travelling.
Mnana says the business also helps his own family because he no longer pays expensive taxi fares when travelling to the Eastern Cape.
“The car saves me money when I travel with my family because I only worry about petrol,” he said.
He is also willing to travel to other provinces if passengers book trips.
Mnana works for a company that manufactures alcohol and says that gave him the idea to stand out from other transport operators.
“Sometimes we get free alcohol at work. I do not drink, so I decided to use it to market my business,” he said.
He said buying KFC for passengers also does not cost him too much money.
The plan appears to be working.
Mnana says he now gets at least four trips every month.
Image caption: Siviwe Mnana’s seven seater.
Picture: Supplied
