Pap - paving the way for this SA man's brekkie business
"Pap was the only way I thought I could stand out, so I grabbed a pot and my gas stove and headed to the CBD," says Tshepo Sethosa.
Creating a business you believe in takes courage and a willingness to be different. For Tshepo Sethosa, a gap in the market helped him leap into his breakfast pap business.
Sethosa, a 35-year-old from Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, often dropped his father off in Johannesburg CBD. One day, he noticed a gap in the market for a "grab-and-go" breakfast in the city centre, when there were just two options available: vetkoek and scones.
"Pap was the only way I thought I could stand out, so I grabbed a pot and my gas stove and headed to the CBD. Luckily, it was winter when I started, and that was an advantage because I sold two big pots in 45 minutes," said Sethosa.
Sethosa, a comedian, started this business after things in the entertainment industry became quiet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once he saw the success of what he was doing with the porridge, he refined his business idea by seeking training and understanding the nutritional value of his on-the-go breakfast pap drink.
This knowledge and his will to grow his business led him to supply some of the local businesses in his neighbourhood.
"What began as a way to make ends meet quickly evolved into a fully fledged food brand now stocked in local stores and filling stations. His porridge can also be bought off the Spar and Roots Butchery shelves," reports Sowetan Live.
His breakfast drink, Last Number Mabele, is described as "Mabele prepared the way that our grandparents and mothers used to back in the day".
Some of the heritage of Last Number Mabele stems from Sethosa's childhood. As a young boy, he saw his mother try to make ends meet for their family by selling food after church. He remembers going door-to-door selling the food as an 11-year-old.
Even though I saw my mother running her business, it was not a professional one. When I started my own, I realised that there was still a lot to learn, particularly about food security. The NYDA [National Youth Development Agency] was helpful in assisting with training and part of the capital. I learnt about writing my business plan and proposals from their programme. My goal is to create something that lives beyond me. I want my product to be in households across Africa.
His goals for Last Number Mabele sound inspiring and promising. He wants to supply school nutrition programmes and hopes to develop "fortified porridge blends" that will help fight malnutrition.
Sethosa also plans to register his products across the Southern African region.
His passion for media and communication hasn't fizzled out since opening his business. He is a radio presenter on Benoni FM and enjoys using his platform to motivate the youth and support and uplift small companies.
He told the Sowetan Live, "Media keeps me close to the community. I use it to educate, uplift, and also show people that your passion and your hustle can work together. Understanding how to communicate has been key. People don’t just buy porridge, they buy into who I am, where I come from, and where we’re going. We sell nostalgia."
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