Making gourmet ice cream was never a business that photographer and fashion designer Thando Makhubu planned to pursue, but when coronavirus lockdowns hit South Africa and his regular work disappeared, he started thinking out of the box. “I was actually on an app called Pinterest, and I was just looking at food,” he said. “People who know me know that I really love food. And then I found myself looking at this ice cream, which was interestingly made. And I thought to myself, I’ve never seen anything like this in Soweto, so I’m like, can we just try it out?” Like many others, he was receiving a government COVID-19 unemployment grant of roughly $23 a month. He used it to buy ingredients, and he experimented with the help of his siblings and mother. They shared photos of their creations and received orders from friends, family and even a local celebrity. The Soweto Creamery was born, it is regularly packed on weekends and has since gained thousands of followers on social media. Last week, the business received nationwide recognition when President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged Makhubu’s innovative use of the grant during his state of the nation address.
SOURCE: VOA
More Stories
Accelerating and Scaling Priority Infrastructure Development in Africa
Case Studies: Strategising for a New Era of African Trade
Africa’s Largest Lithium Producer is Keen to Take Advantage of a Rapidly Growing Global Demand
The Pro-business Stance of President Hassan is Credited with Regaining Investor Confidence
Five of Africa’s Biggest Economies Poised to Hike Rates
Kinshasa Says Kigali is Plundering its Resources
The Economic Effects of Climate Change on Farmers in Ghana
BP Quits Aviation Services in South Africa
Nigerian Entrepreneur Finds an Alternative for the Country’s Energy Crisis
Top 10 Happiest Countries in Africa
The Latest Sign of Progress in Ethiopia’s Peace Deal
Traditional Gender Norms are the Main Barrier to Ghanaian Women Pursuing Academic Careers