• Sibonelo Ngwazi dropped out of university and now makes about R2,400 a week selling cow heads in Protea Glen after spotting strong demand in Johannesburg.
• He runs the business alone, sells on order and says food traders are thriving because many people no longer have time to cook at home.
Sibonelo Ngwazi has turned a simple idea into a growing business.
The 22 year old runs a cow head stall in Protea Glen, Soweto.
He has already managed to open a second stall.
Ngwazi dropped out of university after seeing an opportunity to make money.
He used to see dozens of cow heads and heels being offloaded in the Johannesburg central business district.
Without plans to continue his studies, he decided to try selling cow heads himself.
He bought two cow heads and sold them within four hours.
That was when he realised the business had potential.
“This is when I realized that iskopo was popular and eaten by both genders despite cultural norms,” said Ngwazi.
At first, he only sold cow heads on weekends.
He soon noticed there was high demand.
“This is when I dropped out and focused all my energy in making my business successful,” he said.
Ngwazi has no dependants and runs the stall on his own.
He cleans, cooks and serves customers by himself.
“I don’t have any employees for now. I clean, cook and serve by myself. This is why I make a lot of money,” he said.
He said his profit is one hundred percent.
An uncleaned cow head costs him R320.
Ngwazi makes about R2,400 profit in a good week.
He is among the few traders not badly affected by the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease across the country.
In 2024, customers would walk in and buy a plate of food.
Now, he sells mainly through orders.
“My customers place orders and as early as 6am they come to pick up their lunch and go to work. By 9am I am done with service,” he said.
Ngwazi believes food businesses are doing well.
According to him, many people no longer have time to cook and rely on fast food.
Pictured above: Phuthu and skopo
Image source: Supplied
