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By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Yolanda Rakobela spends about R1,000 on ingredients and R450 on packaging for 10 meals before electricity, transport and other expenses.
- Higher meat, chicken, oil, dairy and vegetable prices forced Yolanda to increase some meal prices by between R80 and R100.
Every trip to buy groceries is getting more expensive for Yolanda Rakobela.
But simply passing those increases on to her customers is not an option.
Yolanda started Bites & Blessings in 2024 to earn extra money after people kept complimenting her cooking.
“I decided to turn something I genuinely enjoy into an income stream,” she said.
The business offers weekly meal prep packages, Sunday plates and private cooking services.
A seven day meal prep package with seven plates costs between R850 and R1,500. Sunday meals cost between R110 and R150 a plate.
But behind every plate is a growing list of expenses.
Yolanda spends about R1,000 on ingredients and another R450 on packaging for 10 meals.
That is before she pays for electricity and transport.
“You also have to factor in electricity, transport and other smaller expenses that can add up quite quickly,” she said.
Yolanda said increases in the prices of meat, chicken, cooking oil, dairy products and vegetables have hit her business.
Small businesses such as hers also do not always have the buying power to purchase large amounts of food at cheaper prices.
She has already been forced to increase the prices of some meals by between R80 and R100.
She also increased the price of her private cooking services by R1,500.
But Yolanda faces a difficult choice every time her costs rise.
Increasing her prices too much could drive away customers who are also struggling with the cost of living.
Keeping them too low means eating into her own profits.
“I don’t want the meals to become unaffordable for my customers, but there is a point where I can’t continue charging the same price without cutting into my own profits,” she said.
She has already noticed customers changing the way they spend.
Some are ordering smaller meals while others are choosing cheaper options.
The business earns Yolanda about R3,000 a month from meal preparation.
Her private cooking services can bring in about R15,000 or more before expenses are deducted.
The money helps cover her personal expenses, but some goes straight back into Bites & Blessings to pay for equipment, ingredients and packaging.
“Having an additional income stream is important because the cost of living has made it increasingly difficult to rely on one income alone,” Yolanda said.
“Even when the amount varies from month to month, the extra money makes a difference.”
Her dream is to turn Bites & Blessings into a bigger business.
For now, the challenge is making every rand and every ingredient count.
Yolanda carefully watches what she buys, what goes onto her menu and the size of every portion.
She said running the business has taught her that even a small increase at the supermarket can make a big difference to a small food business.
And with her customers also watching every rand they spend, Yolanda has to find a balance between keeping her meals affordable and making enough money to keep her business alive.
Pictured above: Yolanda Rakobela runs Bites & Blessings, a meal prep business battling rising food and operating costs.
Image source: Supplied
