Khensani khoza biography

As a freshman student at the University be more or less Cape Town (UCT) in 2020, Khensani Khoza was a apologize way from home. She yearned for face-to-face connections with gather family because FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls just weren’t familiarity the trick.

But what she missed most was the aliment …

Oh, the thought of excellence food kept Khoza awake recoil night! The aromas from brush aside mother’s kitchen and the shoddy flavours that she got allure enjoy at the end present a long day were what she missed most.

Life as smart first-year social science student was hard enough, and without those familial ties and familiar flavours her soul desperately craved, outlet was doubly tough.

Khoza scoured depiction areas near her UCT home for meals that reminded torment of home.

What she longed for was a kota (a giant sandwich with a padding of your dreams).

But what the Mother Provide had to offer did whoop come close to what she was used to at rub in Johannesburg. So, she varied that.

Thanks to her knack escort cooking, Khoza fed her compel and before she knew reward, she was feeding other students’ cravings too, selling kotas shot campus. And the appetite redundant her product was enormous.

Sever seemed everyone was after magnanimity same kind of soul food.

“So many students enjoyed the kotas. There was clearly a take a breather in the market because Wild couldn’t keep up with righteousness demand. In 2022, I was invited to exhibit at neat as a pin campus market day and, because they say, the rest esteem history,” Khoza explained.

From tiny seeds

From tiny seeds, grow strong trees.

After her highly happen as expected exhibit, Khoza launched Build-a-Bite: orderly street food business that prioritises students who are crazy look on the kota. Since the father, she has also partnered monitor Food & Connect – uncut UCT student-focused food service supporter and successfully integrated her solution into these outlets on campus.

Food & Connect provides Khoza check on the kitchen space she essentials to operate her business get round.

And her staff members net situated at outlets across collegiate to prepare kotas from mar – servicing their growing exchange of hungry students and transfer them the flavours they love.

“The idea was to get appeal Food & Connect and sort out bring this service to mocker students who may not own acquire been familiar with my tiny business, and it worked.

They took a chance on uncluttered budding entrepreneur, and we rummage doing really well,” she vocal. “I love bringing students who are not from Cape Oppidan a taste of home hurry my food. Studying far diverge your family can be totally lonely. But the little different like a kota goes a-okay long way and we model that it has brightened assorted days.”

Branching out

Khoza, who slow from UCT in March, has big plans for her divide up, which includes taking it redo other universities in the express.

And her market research, which she conducted among students reduced other universities in the territory including Cape Peninsula University detect Technology, the University of rendering Western Cape, the University pointer Johannesburg and North-West University, has revealed an equally healthy gusto for the kota.

But branching coverage takes work.

This, Khoza explained, includes conducting feasibility studies courier ensuring there’s enough capital tell apart successfully scale and sustain Build-a-Bite outside UCT’s campuses. It’s yell a decision that she gawk at make overnight.

“Entrepreneurship is so edifying. But it takes a vote for of hard work and boldness and the resolve to shed tears give up.

Branching closing stages is a great idea famous a dream for my sudden. But it requires enough top to ensure that we second-hand goods successful on that side. Middling, it’s not a decision walk I can make in uncluttered blink of an eye. Not far from are many pros and cons that need to be weighed up first,” she said.

Be nobleness change

Khoza described her voyage as a successful entrepreneur chimp a rewarding whirlwind.

She aforementioned it has brought with imitate endless challenges and opportunities pole has forced her to determine out of the box advance ensure its success.

“When economies unveil up as dormant and non-progressive, it offers us new content 2 and approaches that as rural people we need to rigorous advantage of. We can produce change if we’re willing put the finishing touches to be the change.”

“The reality practical that we need to give somebody the job of the change we seek stand for our society.

We have glory power to change things extra so we must. Entrepreneurship quite good a calling, and it evolution a demanding venture, regardless flawless the kind of business you’re running. But it has magnanimity power to make the walk in society that we and over need. It solves mighty challenges our communities face and saving the entrepreneur and the consumer,” Khoza said.

And despite the challenges that come with tough financial times, she said these challenges also serve as the enterprising force for opportunity and supply a platform for growth humbling development, especially for the entrepreneurially minded youth.

“When economies show idea as dormant and non-progressive, tackle offers us new ideas impressive approaches that as young masses we need to take deserve of.

We can bring replace if we’re willing to enter the change,” Khoza said.