foodie
A PIETERMARITZBURG entrepreneur who earned the name “Kota Queen” because of her popular street food says she relishes her new name and the responsibility that comes with it.
Neliswa Mntungwa says initially she had reservations about the name but when she realised that it was a term of endearment because of her delicious food, she embraced it fully.
“Initially there was this thought that people may just think that I make vetkoeks and other items. But then I realised that they were actually demonstrating their appreciation of the product that gets delivered to them, courtesy of yours truly, and then it became part of my repertoire,”she explained.
Originally kotas referred to a quarter bread spread with margarine and with a slice of polony. But in recent times the snack has improved, incorporating a range of stuffings varying from cheese, sausages to salads.
Mntungwa says that 2024 has been good to her especially since business starting to pick up in the second half of the year. “People are starting to spend more and that is reflected in the orders that I get on a regular basis,” she said.
Without a doubt the highlight was when she represented the province at a national entrepreneurs’ competition, an important learning experience for her.
It all started when Mntungwa was online and read about a competition for entrepreneurs who were invited to present their ideas at a local competition.
“It was the first time for me to present a business idea before judges, and then following my success at local and district level, I won and represented KZN, something that was quite unbelievable,” she added.
“I was honoured to feature under Township MSME of the year at the recent presidential summit, and National Presidential Awards where discussions centered on South Africa's economic landscape and the role of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in driving growth,” she explained.
Aside from getting a chance to network with entrepreneurs from other provinces, the kota queen was reminded about the importance of remaining resilient to succeed in the business world.
Mntungwa said the one key takeaway was the need for policymakers to engage more with SMMEs on the ground to understand their challenges and the collaborative efforts with the government to tackle economic issues.
She told the Independent on Saturday that while the first half of her day was usually quiet, it gave her the time to plan for the daily orders.
“Things get really busy from eleven in the morning right up until the afternoon because there are people that want items for their tea, lunch and afternoon breaks. Then there are those that want items for their supper. So without proper planning things can easily get out of hand.”
Mntungwa believes that one of the reasons for her success is the ability to offer a variety of kota snacks.
Mntungwa was retrenched from her corporate job a few years ago and this paved the way for her to focus on her business ventures.
While it presented a set of challenges, it also allowed her to grow in the process, she said.
