By Nontokozo Gemani
- Abednico Ngwenya, 58, learnt how to make pizza from a Greek friend before opening Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub in Kwathema.
- The business closed in 2020 during Covid-19, reopening in September 2025, but rising electricity costs still squeeze every pizza’s margin.
Abednico Ngwenya, 58, from Kwathema has turned his love for pizza into a small business after years of hard work and saving.
Ngwenya owns Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub, where he makes every pizza from scratch.
Tucked away on Valkfontein Road in Kwathema, Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub, doesn’t look like much from the outside. But behind the counter is a story of resilience, reinvention, and a determination to bring something different to the township.
Ngwenya did not study cooking. He worked at a Spar supermarket for many years and used part of his salary to buy equipment for the business he dreamed of.
He learnt how to make pizza from a Greek friend in Alberton because he wanted to bring something different to his community.
He first opened the business in 2020, but it struggled after the Covid-19 pandemic and in November 2024, he was forced to close the shop.
Instead of giving up, he worked in the kitchen at an Engen garage for about 18 months to save money. He reopened Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub in September 2025 at its current location.
Every pizza is made from scratch, including the dough, which he prepares himself. He describes himself as hands-on, working shoulder to shoulder with his employees rather than simply managing from a distance.
Today, Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub also sells kotas, chips, Russians and sandwiches, and Ngwenya hopes to add burgers and chicken wings.
“I want to do a lot for my business, but the space is too small,” he said.
Ngwenya said that finding ingredients to make pizza is very difficult and his pizza oven uses a lot of electricity, which adds to the cost of every pizza he makes.
“I have to run around before opening to look for things because the stores do not deliver in the township,” Ngwenya explained.
When he finds alternative suppliers offering cheaper prices, the products often aren’t the same quality or specification as what he needs.
Despite the setbacks, Ngwenya says he is proud to have rebuilt the business.
“My achievement is being able to maintain my business and being able to provide for my family ,” he said.
The business has also created jobs for two local men, Vuyo Nombhide and Linda Skosana, who have learnt new skills while earning a steady income.
Ngwenya’s dreams don’t stop at Valkfontein Road. He hopes to grow Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub into a name as big as Roman’s Pizza and Panarottis, with a stall inside a shopping mall to compete with the big pizza chains.
Pictured above: Two pizzas bake side by side in the oven at Mr Phiri’s Pizza Hub in Kwathema.
Image source: Supplied
