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COVER STORY- MPUMELELO MAFUNDA

Meet Mpumelelo Mafunda. He is the CEO and Founder of Chicken dust ya Mpumelelo which is the most talked about chicken dust in the Vaal. This is his story.

Mpumelelo Mafunda is a self-starter. Born and raised in Zone 10 Ext 3, Mafunda is now the proud CEO and Founder of Chicken Dust ya Mpumelelo. With an NQF Level 6 in Marketing Management and a Certificate in Call Centre and Computer Science in hand, Mafunda could’ve easily applied for jobs in the corporate space but instead he decided to start his own business. Once Mafunda Enterprise was registered, the journey to Chicken dust ya Mpumelelo began.

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“When everyone was advised to stay home, I started a business”. Analysing the market you are trying to infiltrate is crucial to the growth and success of any business which is why Mafunda spent time researching what he could offer his audience. He thought‘Why not Chicken dust?’. “When starting a business, what most people miss is the fact that we are in a township. As much as you may want to modernise things, remember who your audience is and what they spend their money on”. Mafunda added a special sauce to his chicken which he believes is the main reason why his audience fins his chicken irresistible.

Just like any business, Mafunda has had his fair share of challenges. “The climate has been my number one challenge because right now I don’t have proper shelter [should it rain] but I am currently working towards resolving that”. I have a lot of customers that use public transport. Some walk to my container. It’s efficient for those who have cars but rain is problematic for me because I can’t work when it rains. Mafunda’s customers use public transport, while some walk to his container. Those who have cars aren’t affected as much but rain becomes problematic for him because he can’t work when it rains. Another challenge Mafunda faces is working not too far from a place that used to be a dumping site. “When I got here, that specific area was a dumping site”. He’s been in strong talks with the Emfuleni municipality since the inception of his business (June last year) for the area to be cleaned. Mafunda wanted to host a Vaal entrepreneurs’ exhibition in December last year at the location of my business which couldn’t happen because of how bad the littering had become. “As much as the place has been cleaned now, the public still dump there. Most times I have to chase them away myself”. He explains that the naming of his business came as a result of his audience. “Whenever people would buy my Chicken dust, they would say they ke Chicken bust ya Mpumelelo, so I decided to use that name because it best represented what I do”. Each plate costs R40.00 which consists of pap, a salad and the most talked about Chicken dust in the Vaal. Mafunda uses a full chicken which he cuts into customer’s preferred pieces.

Entrepreneurship “I would say the most important part of being an entrepreneur is being disciplined. Not just in terms of managing money, you also have to learn to control your temper once you get a customer who thinks they are right. It’s not easy but it pays off once you see yourself growing”. Mafunda is off on Sundays. He uses the time to socialise, attend people’s events and network. Following your dreams: “If you have a dream, chase it. Don’t hesitate” “This was never my dream. I have a qualification. I anticipated seeing myself having a corner spot or a cubicle working. I saw myself being employed. It was tough but I couldn’t sit there and complain because I hate complaining so I decided to go for it”. As confident as he is on Facebook, Mafunda says self-motivation helped him a lot, especially on difficult days.

“Self-motivation is something I need to have because I never had a mentor when I started my business. Not every day is a business day. You won’t make sales every day. That’s where people lose the plot. Once they don’t see customers, they think their business has failed. I never get tired of promoting my craft. Not a day goes by without me posting amount my Chicken dust and my audience have gotten used to it. Consistency is key”. Mafunda says it is important to learn from others. “Chicken dust was there before me; it still is there now and it will be there after me but look at how I’ve been driving it. Learn from me and make it your own”.

Keeping good company Having friends who support what you do is important. They might not buy you but they could at least help promote your business. However, one has to remember that people don’t owe you anything. Entrepreneurs should refrain from being entitled. If you are offering a product or service that is satisfactory to your audience, the marketing will take care of itself and that’s when you’ll be able to measure the success of your business. Mafunda says he and his friends speak life into their future plans. “I was the first person amongst my friends to register a business. It was registered in 2019. Two of my friends own an IT company which I am very proud of. When we meet, we talk about future plans. We speak life into things that have not happened yet”.

Packaging “I started with a logo. I wanted something that could stand out so I got into contact with a guy from Limpopo who I met online. He sent me three samples and I chose one. I paid him and he sent me the logo. Mafunda uses foam pack for the packaging of his food. “My first batch of stickers were too big; they almost covered the entire foam pack so I had them resized. That’s when the stickers became a hit with my customers”. Business talk on a Tuesday night “This one time I went live on Facebook. I was talking about starting small with what you have, I was advising the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs and that’s when a friend by the name of Thabo Nandra Thakhuli suggested that I host such live videos once a week. He then compiled a flyer for me. He ended up being our very first guest. Every Tuesday night I have talks with pioneers from different industries. I’ve hosted Precious Cargo, Shape Café, HR, Sound Production, Atlehang handicrafts and we’re planning to host more in Season 2”. Container transformation “Making deliveries to customers resulted in a battle between me and time. I can’t be in many places at the same time so now I can be found at my beautiful container”.

“I can say it’s beautiful now. It used to look horrible, I wanted to use a colour that would stand out and grab people’s attention. I love my container now. Sometimes it’s not about the image, it’s about what you sell. You’ll work on the image as time goes by. Stay focused on what you are selling”.

Growing the Vaal “We need to make sure that we grow the Vaal since it is a small industry. We need to promote entrepreneurship. If you have a business idea, push it. If you can help someone grow their business, help them”. Itumeleng Hlapane from Shape Cafe used to say “If you can help someone, help them”.

Socials: Facebook: Mpumelelo Mafunda I have a page on Facebook: Chicken Dust ya Mpumelelo Business numbers will be made available soon

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