Kasi chef grateful for kind gestures
Black and white need to unite, Jaxa says
Many people hope to be entrepreneurs, but few are willing to endure in the difficult economic environment.
So far, Kwa Jomo Esibindini owner and kasi chef Phikolomzi Jomo Jaxa, who specialises in township-flavoured meals in Mlungisi, has proved to be resilient.
Recently, he caught the attention of Russell and Son funeral director Sean Russell, who visited him at his home to get a taste of what the kasi chef had to offer.
This, in turn, resulted in him receiving a donation of two sets of concrete tables from Russell, while Graham
Pohlmann of Crankshaws brought in gravel to Jaxa’s yard.
Jaxa said: “Russell saw my menus on Facebook and he became interested.
“He messaged me, requesting my contact details.
“He said I looked like someone who took what he was doing seriously, he thought my food looked appealing and he would come try it out.
“I thought it would take a while before that happened, but I got excited and shared on my timeline that my marketing strategy was working.
“More than 600 people reacted happily that Russell was coming to my place. It is always unusual when a prominent white person comes to your house in a township, but it also showed me that black and white people need to be united.
“Russell is a humble person with a good heart. It is rare to even find black people with his nature.
“He noticed that there were a few things missing in my business. He returned with table and chair donations, while Pohlmann brought gravel, which I had no idea about.”
Before the pandemic, Jaxa lost his means to make a living as a scholar transport operator when the schools were closed.
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