'Uzalo' star Noxolo 'Lilly' Mathula proudly sells hotdogs at Durban taxi ranks
"My mother taught me that you do not ever feel embarrassed by doing honest work."
Actress Noxolo Mathula is speaking out after some of her fans discovered that she sells hotdogs at taxi ranks in Durban.
The 'Uzalo' star, who plays Lilly on the SABC 1 show, says some people still judge her for selling street food.
She started the business in late 2020 during the lockdown due to a shortage of jobs in the industry. But many are still shocked to learn about her 'Hotdogs by Noxolo' side hustle.
“We literally did not have bread at home and we could not work," she told Drum magazine. Noxolo was inspired by the street food she ate during a trip to New York in 2019.
Speaking to the Daily News, the actress says she is unashamed of her business.
"I am never ever ashamed. My mother taught me that you do not ever feel embarrassed by doing honest work. If it gives you money and brings you happiness, then there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It is my side hustle, I own it, and no one can tell me anything. It is a brand I am very proud of. I can never be ashamed of it,” she told the publication.
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Noxolo's hotdog business has grown immensely over the past two years. From making R700 on her first day of selling hotdogs to having her own mobile kitchen and scoring catering tenders on a production set.
Her business also does deliveries around Durban.
“I’m often asked why I am on the streets selling hot dogs while I am a TV star. People don’t understand that times are tough. I’m not selling hot dogs on the streets for fun, but It’s one of my side hustles... A single salary can never be enough, no matter how much it is," she told the Daily Sun.
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Main image credit: Instagram/@noxolo_mathula