Today we are profiling Amanda Mkhiwane, she was born and raised in Bloemfontein. She attended Roseview primary school and later matriculated in Navalsig High School, a year later she completed her project management course at ATTI. She worked at The Department of Justice as an administration clerk and got a bursary to study Law, however, due to her diagnoses of depression she could not study.
Amanda’s childhood background did influence the person she turned out to be, given that she is the firstborn she was subjected to cleaning and cooking, even though she disliked it at first eventually she fell in love with it. Cooking is therapeutic to her and it makes her so happy. Amanda watches a lot of cooking shows and she reads cookbooks just to have a better understanding of different cuisine, and she is excited to try out new dishes just to perfect his skill. Cooking has some sentimental value for Amanda, as she is showing love to her family and friends through different meals and dishes. As time went on cooking no longer was a hobby instead it turned into a legit business and a career.
Amanda’s motivation is her family because they constantly remind her why she started her business and why she should not give up, moreover, they tend to be the first ones to taste the recipes and give an honest opinion for her to grow as a business. Her clients also play a very crucial and important role in her success, with regards to voicing out their likes and dislikes. While trying out new recipes she developed an interest in ice cream and the concept of making her own. She then started making her homemade ice cream recipes which turned out to be a success as her clients love her product.
Cooking is not an easy thing to do, at some point she wanted to give up, but the love and the passion she has for food kept her pushing for more. No matter how impatient she was cooking taught her patience, perseverance, and commitment. Above all else time management because clients are relying on her to deliver on time and being on time is a sign of respect. Creativity is also important because clients want to be blown away by the food you produce, presentation is equally important as taste people want to eat food that is visually appealing.
Amanda’s advice for people who also want to be home cooks is to be passionate because it is not easy to start a business. You should move with time, by keeping up with what your target market wants, and the dishes you give to clients should be good quality food, for instance, you cannot serve raw meat or food with too much salt. How you look matters too, cleanliness is key. Lastly, Amanda mentioned that home cooks or people who aspire to be should believe in themselves, and in their work and they will be unstoppable.
Now she is running her catering company from home, her goal is to own a restaurant and a food trailer to share her food with a broader range of customers around the Free State and other provinces. She would also like to see her ice cream sold in bigger stores in the future and possibly an ice cream factory one day. Once she has accomplished her dreams Amanda would like to give back to the community by mentoring young people that want to start their own businesses. Meanwhile, she is in the process of saving money to enroll in a culinary school to obtain her qualification as a chef.
Her social media platforms listed below :
Twitter and Instagram : @pinksheroes
Facebook : Pink Sheroes
