‘Being self-employed is hard’: meet the women cooking it up at popular taxi ranks

Over the past few years, taxi ranks have evolved into more than just transportation hubs.

They have become popular marketplaces for shoppers to find bargains, have their shoes repaired or clothes tailored and a favourite food spot for people looking to enjoy traditional meals at an affordable price.

And while many frequent taxi ranks daily, not many stick around to get to know the different role players operating in these bustling transport hubs.

TimesLIVE Premium visited taxi ranks in Marabastad and Randburg to speak to some of its most central, but overlooked players: the women preparing some of South Africa's most-loved traditional meals.

They are Gladys Nyako, Mosima Rankapola and Sewela Mathiba, and while they come from different backgrounds and circumstances, these three women have a few things in common: their hardworking spirit, deep faith and passion for the work they do. Here are their stories.

MARABASTAD

GLADYS NYAKO

It's about two hours before lunchtime and for women like Gladys Nyako, it's the calm between two storms. 

Nyako, who lives in KwaMhlanga, is one of dozen or so women who spend their days preparing steaming hot dishes for Marabastad's many commuters, drivers and workers.

These women operate just beyond the sprawling business area's many shops and are wedged in between the makeshift taxi rank lined with dozens of white Toyota Quantum minibus taxis and a dumping site the City of Tshwane has struggled, but failed over the years, to eradicate.

Nyako's stall is located in an ideal spot, the first that many pass as they either go or return from work or the day's shopping. Her vast but dilapidated tent has been a mainstay in the area for decades and only the soot coating the structure bears testament to this.

The mother of two arrived in Marabastad over 20 years ago after quitting her low-paying job as a domestic worker and has never looked back.

“I had a difficult upbringing, my family was poor and so was I. I ended up working as a domestic worker, but the pay was too low, I couldn't support my family or myself. So I left that job and became self-employed,” she said.

Nyako's drive was inspired by her mother, who earned money as a hawker, her passion for cooking and a desire to create a better life for herself and her two children.

“I wanted a better life for myself. Now I'm doing well, I have no husband and two children, who I was able to build a home for and put through school. I also now own two cars, thanks to this job.”

Nyako's dishes range between R25 and R75 and are popular with the early risers. The popularity of her dishes depends on the weather conditions. In winter, patrons prefer beef bones and pap, while in warmer weather, braaied chicken becomes the popular dish.

She's open seven days a week but has three employees on hand to rotate the shifts. While Sundays present a way to earn extra money, it's a must for the small business owner to supplement her dwindling profit margins.

And while Nyako mostly gets through her entire stock in a day, the amount she spends restocking and paying workers weekly often cuts into her take-home earnings.

She pays her workers between R500 and R800 depending on how well the food sells in a given week. She spends around the same amount on stock, which doesn't come at a discount and depends on the specials she comes across in the stores.

“It's different now post-Covid. Then there were more customers and food prices were lower. Now all the money goes to buying stock and paying workers. Sometimes I end up with nothing afterwards,” she said.

Before the pandemic, Nyako could easily boast a R3,000 profit on a good week. Now there's no possibility of even nearing that amount, she says.

On the operational side, she has one person who comes in at 3am to start the fire while Nyako and another employee come in at 5am to get the pots going. By 6am, a steaming pot of pap is ready to serve with the chicken on offer. 

While working in Marabastad has allowed Nyako to improve her lot in life, it hasn't been without challenges. She cited harassment by the metro police and nyaope addicts as the biggest difficulties she's faced in her many years working in the area.

“The police harassed us for so long. They'd take down our tents, our equipment and accuse us of polluting the air [with the smoke from the fires]. The money we would've used to support our children had to go towards replacing these items.

“But at least then we were able to replace them easily because it was busy and we had more customers as people were working. Now they're unemployed, so if my stuff is taken, how will I replace it?” she said.

With just a year before she becomes a pensioner, Nyako says that while she plans to slow down, she has no intention to close shop completely. She does, however, intend to continue enjoying the fruits of her labour by spoiling herself when she's off.

“I was away in December for a month with a friend who does what I do. We went to Durban and then Bela-Bela. I can do those things now after the years of struggle.”

MOSIMA RANKAPOLE

Just a stone's throw away from Nyako's stall, Mosima Rankapole enjoys a chat with one of her regular customers as she tidies up ahead of the busy lunch hour.

Rankapole, 45, has been in the Asiatic Bazaar for 23 years and had a vastly different start from Nyako. The mother of three started as an occasional assistant to her mother and aunt before joining them full-time in 2001.

“I used to come during the school holidays to help out, then in 2001 to 2003 I helped my aunt before working for my mother.

“I used to look down on this place when I started due to the uncleanliness. But when I realised that people love eating here, I started enjoying it,” she said.

Rankapole took over from her mother when she retired. Her aunt still operates the stall next to hers and despite her advanced age, is still going strong.

Rankapole recalls seeing how both struggled to make ends meet as self-employed women.

“Being self-employed is hard, but I was able to help my family. Even when my mother worked here, I could see it was easier then. Now after Covid-19, things are worse,” she reflected.

Rankapole's day usually starts at 5am and she has an employee to help her out. 

When she arrives, the pots have already been placed on the fire and she either takes over the cooking or helps clear the dishes in between serving. 

Rankapole's busiest time is between 1pm and 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Her dishes range between R30-R70 depending on their size. The most popular meals are her fried chicken and beef bones.

As she is giving the interview, she has to stop several times to attend to customers or take a lunch order. 

“I love people and because of that, it's easier for them to return that. That is something that I learnt from my mother,” she says fondly.

Despite her cheery disposition, Rankapole has also felt the effects of the pandemic, reflecting that before 2020, her dishes sold at a higher price and in smaller quantities. Now the opposite is true, severely cutting into her weekly profit margin.

Most of Rankapole's income goes towards stock, which averages about R1,000 and is replenished frequently throughout the week, and paying her worker. She says she'd take home about R500 profit per week before Covid-19 — but now she barely breaks even. So severe is the impact that Rankapole has had to drop the beef options she had on her menu as it is too expensive to buy.

“I can't really say I make a profit, I have to pay my employee and end up with nothing afterwards. We're just sticking it out because we need to work,” she said.

While times are tough for women in her position, closing shop is not an option for her.

“I'm a 45-year-old woman, who will hire me if I look for a job?” she asks before standing up to dish up for her hungry clients.

RANDBURG

SEWELA MATHIBA

It's a different world 53km away from Marabastad at the Randburg taxi rank. Not only is the rank located in a different city, but its marketplace stands in complete contrast to Marabastad.

Here businesses operate in formal structures and in a more organised fashion. Even the men and women who sell African dishes do so in relative comfort as they have electricity, gas heaters and even fridges for food storage. 

It's among these stalls that Sewela Mathiba operates her store six days a week. Mathiba sells staples such as rice, pap, stew and steak, priced at a standard R60.

Mathiba has been working at the taxi rank on and off since 2006 with her business partner and sister-in-law.

Like her counterparts in Marabastad, Mathiba was drawn to this work by her love of cooking and a need to earn a living.

“I love cooking more than anything and ... even when I'm home, I'm always cooking,” she quips with a laugh.

Being self-employed is good, but there are challenging times when business is slow. You also deal with different kinds of people, some are friendly and others not so

—  Sewela Mathiba

It's this laugh and friendly attitude that Mathiba uses to attract customers, living by the motto of a “smile before taste”. She emphasises this throughout the interview as she speaks on the different aspects of running a small business.

Mathiba's day starts at 6am, when she and her colleagues start cooking the food they've prepared the day before. They're done by 8.30am and that's when they begin serving customers. 

Knock-off time comes once the food runs out and this is usually late come month end. While Mathiba declined to speak on the financial aspects of the business, she said there's often little profit left after restocking, paying rent and paying their employees.

This has been the situation since 2012 and was worsened by the pandemic.

“We're left with very little money, working our kind of job is tricky because your profit lies in what you dish up. If you serve too much, it reduces your profit, and when you serve too little, people complain,” she said.

Cleanliness is an important factor for Mathiba, who makes sure her shop is spotless throughout the day, as this is another factor that attracts customers. The 40-year-old says she enjoys being self-employed, even with the challenges that come with it.

“Being self-employed is good, but there are challenging times when business is slow. You also deal with different kinds of people, some are friendly and others not so.

"[The key thing is] to remain humble in this business and keep a smile when interacting with customers,” she said.

Mathiba's shop is open every day except Sunday, which is a day set aside for church and chores.

“When I'm not working, I'm either at church or indoors. I don't like travelling too much, I prefer staying home,” she said.

While Mathiba's business remains busy despite the tough trading conditions, she and her partner hope to expand into catering to supplement their income.