Mdantsane catering business offers real taste of home

Kungomusa is more than a business; it is a home and a place where I find joy and peace.

This is how Vuyolwethu Tengisile describes her venture, Kungomusa Catering Service, which she started from her home in Mdantsane. 

She explained the meaning behind the name of the business as “an acknowledgment that everything we are and everything we possess in this life is by the grace [kungomusa] of God”.

“I worked hard through trying circumstances to obtain a diploma in financial information systems, hoping that this would open doors for a brighter future. After completing my qualification, I would be contracted to short-term positions that would leave me with a great sense of being stuck or making slower progress than anticipated.”

In 2019, her last contract came to an end and despite knocking on many doors, nothing seemed to work out.

“It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that I realised I had to make the best of what I had. I knew I had a passion for serving and cooking, so I pulled together the resources and abilities readily available to me and decided to take action instead of waiting for things to get better.”

Tengisile said her work started the night before with prepping of ingredients. The following day she plates and sends the “meal of the day” out to customers on social media. “Based on what orders we get, we begin doing deliveries for the day.”

Tengisile said when the business started out, she would advertise meals a day in advance, and people would place orders based on the menu.

“As time went on, and with the need to bring a variety of meals for our clients, we started cooking based on the weather for that day. We sell meals at R50 and we also cater for various businesses and functions.”

Transportation, however, is a challenge for Tengisile, who makes use of public transport for deliveries. 

“This will not deter us from doing what we love and chasing the dream. We deliver meals all around Mdantsane and East London, but to make sure that this is still financially viable, we can only deliver to East London if we have six or more meals,” she said.

“In the future, we are planning to have premises for the business and our own transport as we would still continue with the delivery service.”

Tengisile said what set Kungomusa apart was value to customers, and they were always looking at ways to improve and offer variety. She said they provided meals that were hearty and designed to give customers the feeling of home cooking without the hassle. 

To order meals from Kungomusa, or to inquire about catering for an event, contact Tengisile on 072-029-2129 or email lethutengisile@gmail.com.