1. Please share a little about your entrepreneurial background – and where your passion for food comes from.

Because of my not so privileged childhood back ground, not being able to have the cool clothes, toys and a nice school lunch box I wanted, i figured out that the only way i could attain such without my parents was to either work or start up a business to earn money. In my upbringing pocket money was never heard of, in fact the word was nonexistent in my family. Peanut butter, jam and Oros were my daily school lunch box meal.

At the age of 14 years, my parents bought an electric lawn mower. Growing up in the township in those years having an electric lawn mower was such a big deal. I learned to use the machine by being forced by my mother to cut our garden grass every Saturday morning, which I hated with a passion. After a few Saturdays of this dreadful task, i noticed that our next door neighbour’s lawn was not maintained as ours. I then decided to offer my services at a fee. Few months later i had gone all around the neighbourhood, I was then known as the lawn mower boy. The money i earned over weekends allowed me to carry a much better tasting lunch box and have some pocket money to spend at the schools tuck shop. Having a tastier lunch box meant i could hang out and trade my lunch with other more privileged kids who were perceived as cool. This brought me a sense of belonging hence I continued to do what I did.

I think this is what fuelled my passion for food. ‘It got to a point when my mother dished up supper; I took back my plate to the kitchen and tried to upgrade it so i could have a better looking school lunch box the next day” . Partly I also think the love of good food is something one is born with. Preparing good food excites me.

Throughout my high schools days i started selling in bulk different food products like, cheese, polony, bacon and russian as these were the most popular among schools kidz and parents were nagged to always have these in the fridge. This I did until I completed my matric.

With now a clear vision of what I wanted to do in life to earn an income, i enrolled for a BCom Entreprenuership Degree at the University Of Pretoria. It took me a little while to complete, but hey, i did it. During these varsity years i also came up with other business ideas that i could earn an income from; from selling bean bag furniture to student accommodation.

The most successful one was the student accommodation. Obviously i had no means to purchase my own property; i then looked for minimum three bedrooms apartments around Sunnyside Pretoria, tried to secure lease agreements with different landlords and paid in the required lease deposits out of my own pocket. I then went around to source cheap single beds and went to pawn shops to buy study desks and second hand fridges. This meant my apartments were now furnished, fitted with two single beds and a study desk in each bedroom; a fridge in the kitchen and my bean bags in the lounge. I then went around the different tertiary institutions, advertised these apartments as fully furnished to first year students who could not afford any furniture as they arrived in Pretoria. I then charged rent per person sharing. This allowed me to collect enough money to cover the landlords, make myself profit and still have furniture to be used the following year by other new students coming to the city. At one point i had 20 apartments under my portfolio, but none were owned by me. My first big break came when one of the bursary giving institutions heard about my convenient accommodation style and they wanted me to house all their first year students as they came to the city. From this deal i bought my first car, a 1979 VW Beattle which i used to transport my tenants to and fro to the taxi rank when they arrived in January and when they left for the December holidays. This business went on for several years.

As the rands slowly increased i was then in a better position to seek the next big deal. Again my love for good food had me looking at a food related business. A friend of mine then came up with an idea to purchase a Fashion Tv Cafe franchise. And obviously again, we did not even have a fraction of the required setup capital, but because i had invested on a few office equipment and could afford some internet, we spent sleepless nights writing proposals and business plans to be presented to potential funders. It was a long painful journey which paid off in 2008 when we became FashionTv Cafe’s first young black franchisees in the world. We were in our 20’s and this was hell of an achievement by owning and running Fashion Tv Cafe Irene, Pretoria.

Running the restaurant daily, my passion for food grew way much stronger and this is where i gained knowledge in franchising. Recipe manuals, Operating manuals, Training manual and Franchise agreements are some of the documents i had to study, understand and master for the first time in my life. Unfortunately this business did not last for many years, but the knowledge and skills gained is priceless.

Being the genuine hard worker i was in my restaurant, when we finally closed the doors on the business, i had no idea that i had grabbed the attention of one of our regular customers. I don’t know whether to call it luck or was it just my work ethic that came through for me, this particular customer happened to be a coal mine owner who was looking for a BEE partner and decided to call me. Instantly, I became part of a small coal mine operation. This company went on for several years until we were bought out by a larger group. When I received my proceeds, I immediately thought of going back to the food business. But this time i was going to do it different and bigger.

I developed my own fast food franchise brand called Spykos Foods, in 2011. This idea came about taking the traditional township chisa nyama ‘meat of the grill’ concept , the traditional cafe fish & chips and Durban curry bunny chow; branding it and setting it up in major shopping centres. These brand names were born ‘Spykos Chisa Nyama’, ‘Spykos Fish & Chips’ and ‘Spykos Bunny Chow’. At one point we had 40 stores nationally. Several years later most of the stores started closing down due to several factors, main factors being escalating shopping centre rentals, increase in food prices especially fresh potatoes as this was our main product line, major competitor dominating the market, bad store locations, some not so well skilled franchisees and lack of adequate infrastructure at franchisor level.

2. What inspired you to launch the Nkukhu Box concept? (Where did the idea come from, when did you start developing the concept etc.?)

The Nkukhu Box business model came about seeking solutions to problems experienced by other fast food brands including Spykos Foods which i developed.

Being a younger black entrepreneur has immense major challenges in the private sector. I then used my now better skills, experience and extra knowledge to develop Nkukhu Box. I wanted to develop a business model that is targeted at a specific market area and market demographics that i entirely understand as I’ve been part of it my whole life. A business model that does not rely on major shopping centre landlords to decide if they want to give you prime location in their malls or not; a business model where a big portion of your revenue does not have to go towards ridiculous rental amounts that still escalate 8 – 10% per annum; a business model where we do not need to directly compete with other big brands which have way much deeper pockets and the big American brands coming into our country; a business model where we control our own advertising space and platforms without being restricted and over charged, a business model that speaks and appeals to the now township generation, a brand born from our own township, that speaks our own modern language, culture, embraces and uplifts our own township identity.

Setting up a new fast food brand in the same circle as the other big brands either South African or American will require enormous investment, human capital and expensive skills, which we as young black entrepreneurs do not have. Nkukhu Box is a concept that has found its own comfortable space to strive at and became a household brand in all major townships.

The Nkukhu Box brand has been under research and development since 2013 with the first store launched in July 2016

3. What makes this concept unique – what sets you apart in the marketplace?

Nkukhu Box is a home of grilled chicken embracing Kasi “township” flavours and lifestyle. We bring quality food and flavours’ originating from our own Kasi’s, inspired by our own stories and origin.

We are a proud fast food brand born from African townships “e’Kasi”, with an understanding of the township pallet and needs. Our brand aims to share our own local stories with the world.

The name “Nkukhu” is a well known name in most African languages meaning “chicken” Nkukhu Box is a well supported grilled chicken fast food franchise brand. Our menu is developed with a clear understanding of African flavours and preferences.

We are a brand that creates and cherish food memories. We not only serve amazing, tantalising quality food, but ‘we provide an eating experience’.

Nkukhu Box brand is founded to serve a purpose in the South African township food industry. We offer high quality grilled chicken products that are on par with international standards and other big brands.

Nkukhu Box has been created to embrace African flavours, culture, lifestyle and fashion through food. All other big brands within the fast food industry have their origin stories to tell and these are shared with the world. It is time to have our own African brand telling our own colourful stories to the world. A true South African township brand that focus on authentic Kasi taste.

4. Why grilled and not fried?

South African townships have now drastically evolved since 1994. Residents are now more technologically advanced and have access to international news and trends. Because the first world countries have now became more health conscious, so as our market. Customers now prefer food with less oil and meals that are healthier. In grilling our chicken, no cooking oil is used.

5. Is there a growing demand for quick and healthy food options? (Is this a market that you’re aiming for? Or was it more about the flavours associated with grilling?) 

Certainly yes, because South Africans are more and more participating in economic activities with an aim to improve quality of life, this means more time is now spent on work activities, business or education. This has now limited the time available to cook a home meal on daily basis. Hence people tend to demand quick easy meals that will not take up too much of their time. While having a quick meal, it’s also an advantage to have a healthier one.

According to a study done by Euromonitor, global sales of healthy food products are estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2017. Our Kasi’s is also part of this global trend and Nkukhu Box wants to be in the forefront.

6. In your view, what will it take to make your mark in the Kasi market?

There’s always been a notion that any product or service coming out of the township is sub standard. By offering to our customers top quality products that are on par with international standards and same service quality that you would get at any other uptown prestige restaurant, this will set us apart from traditional township take away restaurants.

Also aligning the Nkukhu Brand with the Kasi culture, modern trends and taking part in community activities will ensure that we become a house hold brand in our Kasi’s, we become part of the community. Offering branded kiddie meals to our youngsters will also ensure that our brand is remembered by them while growing up, this will result in long term brand identification and brand loyalty.

Marketing and product innovation is also an integral part of our business model. We have to stay relevant and innovative in our marketing strategies and product development. We need to keep our customers excited on both our products and overall brand experience.

7. How did the launch of the Mamelodi outlet go?

The launch of Nkukhu Box Mamelodi West was crazy. The Mamelodi community had been eager to have the store to open. Because we had done some pre-launch marketing and showed pictures of what our food was going to look like, everyone was eager to try it out.

We launched with a R50 full chicken special and boy ooh boy we had thrown ourselves in the deep end. The customer queue was insane, we went through 300 chickens in the first 4 hours of trade. Three days later a total number of 1200 chickens were sold.

The launch was such a success that the Nkukhu Box brand name became well known in Mamelodi within days.

8. Is this a corporate or franchise store?

Yes, Nkukhu Box Mamelodi West and Nkukhu Box Atteridgeville are corporate stores. We plan to have at least one corporate store in all major South African townships.

9. Where are you opening next?

We have the following Nkukhu Box stores opening soon.

Nkukhu Box Jouberton
Cnr Kopanong Road and Ntlangano Street
Jouberton
Klerksdorp

Nkukhu Box Atteridgeville
Cnr Seeiso Street and Marathe Street
Atteridgeville
Pretoria

Nkukhu Box Mamelodi East
Cnr Hinterland Av and Broadway Street
Mamelodi
Pretoria

Nkukhu Box Mamelodi North East
71 1 st Street
Mamelodi
Pretoria

Nkukhu Box Nellmapius
Cnr Moreri Road and Alwyn Road
Nellmapius
Pretoria

Nkukhu Box Elandspoort
Cnr Sekelgras Street and Klitsgras Street
Elandspoort
Pretoria

10. What made this the perfect site to situate your first branch

The first branch is perfectly situated on one of the main roads leading to the heart of the Mamelodi Township. This meant in a matter of days, 60% of Mamelodi residences would have passed by and noticed the store. The store is conveniently located within the residential area, which makes it easily accessible to our customers, either by foot or vehicle.

11. What key learnings have come following the launch?

Is that the modern township customer insist on excellent customer service, store cleanliness and superior food quality. The perception that this market purely makes buying decisions based on a lower cost price is wrong. Product quality has become a major factor too.

12. How is the store trading currently? (Can you share any numbers in terms of foot traffic, sales figures etc.?)

The current flagship store does an average of R 500 000 turnover per month, services an average of 7600 customers p.m with an average spent per head of R66.00

13. Your company profile says you “provide an eating experience”, can you tell us a little bit more about this experience, and what goes into making it different from what other brands are offering.

At Nkukhu Box we not only serve great food but we provide an eating experience. This stems from the dynamic township culture. The brand is part of the community; it shares its culture, values, problems, troubles and happiness.

Most of our customers would not come buy food and sit alone to eat, because of the vibey, welcoming and open environment that we have created, friends or family members quickly come join in and then it becomes a feast; a happy place to sit & catch up on the latest Kasi news. It then transforms to a place to socialize; a cool place to be seen at; a place to sit and greet other friends as they pass by the street.

Because our stores are located on township street front, it also makes them a prefect podium to see all different Kasi characters. And believe you me; there is no single dull day.

While enjoying your meal, all these elements come into play, and this creates the Nkukhu
Box eating experience.

14. Who is your ideal franchisee – what personality traits should they have, are they required to be hands-on operators?

These are some basic characteristics that we look for during the franchise application process.  These are some of the most commonly sought attributes:

• A person with strong motivation and the drive to achieve success.
• A person with confidence and enthusiasm for the product and service that we sell, not merely a desire to make a profit.
• A person who does not have all the administrative or entrepreneurial skills necessary to start, develop and operate a viable business from scratch, and who, therefore, requires the franchisor's support (for example, a front-line supervisor or middle manager might be considered a more desirable choice than someone who has already founded their own business).
• A person who is not only good at learning new things, but who is also able to motivate and train others.
• A person with at least five years of managerial or teaching experience or other significant leadership experience.
• A person who has done extensive research on the franchising industry and understands what they getting themselves into.
• Preferably a person who will be hands on full-time basis or if not at least have time to visit his or her store and do admin duties three times a week.

We also go well beyond the basic franchise forms - a questionnaire, checklist, and the interview. We actually require prospective franchisees to work as employees in the store before opening up a franchise of their own. Although this is an extremely time-consuming and arduous approach, the technique weeds out all but the most serious and well-matched candidates, thereby eliminating much of the risk of franchisee failure. It also helps the franchisee understand what goes into producing the best quality product & service, and will understand what his or her employees have to endure on a daily basis.

15. Anything else you would like to add? 

Our Mission

Nkukhu Box is set to move to every Kasi providing high quality fast food & service that we can be proud of, as being our own fast food creation and flavours that we too can introduce to other nations throughout the world.

We aim to change and become leaders of township fast food industry. We want to become a household brand in every Kasi.