Twenty-one township food businesses across Gauteng have created 68 jobs in four months through Tiger Brands’ Kokota Growth Programme, according to the company’s release issued on 5 November. Three graduates are preparing to open stores, while another has invested in a food truck.
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The entrepreneurs form the programme’s second cohort, bringing the total number of businesses supported since its launch earlier this year to 30. Tiger Brands celebrated the latest group at the start of Entrepreneurship Month.
Image supplied by Tiger Brands.
Practical support for food entrepreneurs
The businesses include kota vendors, catering services and mobile prepared-food operators. All 21 have traded at the Kota Festival, with the programme building on Albany’s sponsorship of the event and Tiger Brands’ partnership with its organisers.
Training covers food safety and financial management, including pricing, stock control and cash flow, alongside marketing. Participants also receive help with business plans to formalise their operations. Equipment and branded marketing materials are part of the support provided.
The programme connects business development with the practical demands of running a food operation. Pricing, purchasing and stock management affect everyday decisions, while food safety remains central to serving customers. The mix of training and equipment is intended to help participants apply those skills in their own businesses.
New stores and a food truck
Lehlohonolo Ndlovu of Grinds Kitchen in Kibler Park, Cynthia Phumzile Kunene of Zile Foods in Boksburg and Nthabiseng Kekane of TlouCreatives in Meredale are preparing to open new stores. The release describes these as planned openings; it does not give launch dates.
Ellen Nomsa Radebe of Makhis Fast Food in Diepkloof, Soweto, has invested in a food truck to expand her operation. These developments sit alongside the 68 jobs reported across the cohort, rather than being presented as separate employment totals.
Maanda Milubi, Tiger Brands’ Director of Enterprise and Supplier Development and Transformation, said established township food culture offers opportunities for entrepreneurship, growth and employment. He described the programme as a way to equip entrepreneurs with practical skills and resources to build sustainable businesses.
Tiger Brands says it will continue to provide mentorship and business-development guidance after graduation. The intention is to support the businesses as they put their plans into practice and work to sustain their growth.
The second cohort at a glance
The graduates span several parts of Gauteng, including Soweto, Ekurhuleni, Midrand and Johannesburg’s southern suburbs. The full list supplied with the announcement shows the range of businesses represented:
Business
Owner
Location
The Burg Eatery
Setungoane Lillian Ngwenya
Lenasia
Grinds Kitchen
Lehlohonolo Ndlovu
Olifantsvlei, Kibler Park
Lele’s Fast Food
Lebogang Ellen Mosuoe
Crystal Park, Benoni
Zaza’s Eatery
Valencia Zandile Themba
Moroka, Soweto
South Side Grills
Lehlohonolo Motaung
Protea Glen, Soweto
The Foodie Queen
Colleen Mpotulo
Marlboro
Art of Flavour
Tshepo Ramphela
SkyCity
Lihleliswe Trading
Nandipha Booi
Zola 1, Soweto
Zile Foods
Cynthia Phumzile Kunene
Boksburg, Ekurhuleni
Thatho’s Kotary
Thato Nong
Protea Glen, Soweto
Monate Snack
Boikanyo Kodisang
Tsakane, Ekurhuleni
Makhis Fast Food
Ellen Nomsa Radebe
Diepkloof, Soweto
Snap Kota
Funeka Mazibuko
Marlands, Germiston
Fezutravel
Mpho Nangu
Spruitview, Katlhong
Masala La Delicious
Rosina Fulufhelo Mudau
Ivory Park, Midrand
Konka Bokamoso Ba Rona
Thabang Letseleha
Noordwyk, Midrand
Divine Flavour Eatery
Pebetsi Makgethwa Natalia Molefi
Linbro Park
Buhlemelo Events and Projects
Ntombizodwa Ruth Zwane
Chiawelo, Soweto
Just Good Food
Sindiswa Cynthia Dlamini
Graceland, Elspark, Germiston
TlouCreatives
Nthabiseng Kekane
Meredale
The Food Shed
Kwanele Mtolo
Dube, Soweto
A wider township-economy focus
The Kokota initiative forms part of the company’s broader township-economy strategy. Tiger Brands also says it aims to expand its general-trade reach to 150,000 stores. That is a separate distribution ambition, rather than a claim about how many businesses the Kokota programme has trained.
The company’s official LinkedIn update also reports the cohort’s employment and expansion milestones. Further company information is available from Tiger Brands.
For related reporting on entrepreneurship and the food sector, explore Known Magazine Africa’s business coverage and food news.
“The jobs already created, planned store openings and investments in business expansion demonstrate how targeted support can unlock economic opportunities and contribute to the growth of township economies,” Milubi said. The programme’s next test will be how the graduates sustain those gains as their businesses expand. Tiger Brands says its continuing mentorship will be tailored to the entrepreneurs’ needs as they move beyond the training phase.
The wider context is outlined in Standard Bank’s Township Informal Economy Report, which describes a sector valued at around R900 billion. That broad estimate covers the township economy, not the turnover or impact of this particular cohort.
