- Daki Ndabambi earned close to R2,000 in one day at the tournament, far more than the R500 she usually makes selling food at home.
- Event organiser Roger Sokati said the tournament aimed to unite taxi groups and give informal traders a chance to grow their businesses.
Daki Ndabambi woke up early on Friday and headed to NY49 Stadium in Gugulethu, Cape Town. She was ready to sell food to people coming to watch a taxi association soccer tournament.
It was her first time attending such an event. She said she was unsure if people would support her small business.
Ndabambi sells food from home, but decided to take a chance at the tournament. She prepared pork, chip rolls, hot dogs, wings, chips and kota.
She said she started her business in 2007 selling clothes like jackets and scarves. Over time, she realised food was a better option because people buy it every day.
At the tournament, her gamble paid off. She made close to R2,000 in one day. At home, she usually makes about R500.
She said she was shocked by the support. She even ran out of stock and had to rush to the mall to buy more supplies.
“I ran out of wings, burgers, sausages and rolls because I did not expect so many customers,” she said.
Ndabambi now hopes there will be more tournaments like this. She believes such events help boost the township economy and support small businesses.
The tournament was organised by the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association. It also involved the Cape Organisation for Democratic Taxi Association.
Organiser Roger Sokati said the goal was to bring the two taxi groups together and create opportunities for traders.
“We have accommodated informal traders so they can benefit because businesses are struggling,” he said.
Sokati said they plan to host more tournaments in future. He hopes the events will help change how people see the taxi industry.
He said he did not have an exact number of attendees but confirmed the turnout was strong.
Pictured above: Daki Ndabambi at her food stall
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
