By Buziwe Nocuze
• A 37-year-old unemployed graduate in Cape Town started selling smoothies at a busy taxi rank after seeing that no one else was selling them.
• Taxi drivers, owners and passengers now support his business, buying smoothies for R15 to R20 instead of skipping breakfast or eating a heavy meal.
A 37-year-old graduate from Cape Town is making a living by selling smoothies at a taxi rank.
The man said he started the small business after struggling to find work despite having a qualification.
He said being a graduate does not guarantee a job.
“Being a graduate doesn’t mean anything if you are unemployed, that’s why I decided to do something that will help put food on the table,” he said.
Before starting the business, he first visited the taxi rank to see what other traders were selling.
He said he did not want to start a business that would compete directly with someone already working there.
“I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, hence I went to check first, and I found out that no one is selling smoothies. I then started selling them,” he said.
Not everyone believed the idea would work.
Some people told him taxi drivers and taxi owners prefer to eat full meals and meat, especially in the morning.
They doubted that drivers would stop to buy a smoothie.
“The idea was met with mixed feelings,” he said.
But he decided to take a chance.
Soon after starting, he began receiving support from taxi drivers, taxi owners and passengers.
He now sells smoothies for between R15 and R20.
He arrives at the taxi rank at about 08:00 each morning so drivers can buy smoothies before the busy rush hour begins.
“I like reporting to work early so that the drivers can grab a smoothie and have it during their peak hour,” he said.
He said many drivers buy a smoothie in the morning and later buy a full meal during lunch.
“I am grateful to everyone who is supporting me,” he said.
The man said starting the business also helped his mental health.
He said staying at home while unemployed was becoming stressful.
“I am happy that I started this business because I could see that soon I would be depressed, sitting at home doing nothing,” he said.
One taxi driver, who asked not to be named, said the man’s business has helped drivers who do not want to eat a heavy meal early in the morning.
“We support him because we want people to stop thinking that we are forced to eat a full meal in the morning,” the driver said.
Pictured above: Smoothies
Image source: Supplied
