For small family businesses, skills can be the difference between having a talent and being able to turn that talent into a viable business.
For Gogo Nelly Sibanyoni, 61, and her daughter Phindile, 31, cooking has become the foundation of a catering business they have built together in Mamelodi.
Established in 2018, the business caters for funerals, weddings, baby showers, parties and other events. Gogo Nelly helps with food preparation, marketing and running the business, while Phindile does most of the cooking.
Like many small businesses, they have built their client base through word of mouth and social media, but opportunities to grow have been limited. Some larger catering contracts require formal qualifications, while Phindile’s long-held ambition to become a chef had remained out of reach because she could not afford culinary school.
An unexpected opportunity came through Rainbow Chicken’s Gogo vs Gogo cooking competition, which the mother and daughter entered to showcase their cooking abilities. What transpired from the show has turned out to be so much more than sharing their family-favourite chicken recipes through a series of cook-offs against equally passionate Gogos.
The prizes for being voted the winning Gogo were substantial, including a freezer for food storage and a cash prize for the family, as well as a JoJo tank for safe water access and a community food garden. But probably the most meaningful prize for Gogo Nelly was the scholarship funding to support further education within her family which she used to support Phindile’s dream to go to culinary school.
“I believed in her work and her talent, and I knew it would open more doors for the business,” says Gogo Nelly.
For Phindile, the opportunity to study at Capsicum Culinary Studio meant finally pursuing the career she had wanted. After initially studying finance, she found her way back to the kitchen and says culinary school changed how she approaches cooking.
“I used to take shortcuts when cooking. School made me see the bigger picture and understand the cooking process better. I can now use what I learnt to improve our recipes.”
She has since begun experimenting with new cuisines, including Asian and Korean cooking, and hopes to bring new ideas to the family’s menu.
Her qualification could also help their fledgling business pursue larger opportunities, including government tenders and other contracts where formally qualified chefs are required. Phindile is also working towards establishing a proper commercial kitchen.
Her ambitions extend beyond the catering business. She hopes to start with pop-up restaurants before eventually opening a restaurant of her own. Her ultimate dream is to travel with soccer teams and cook for them around the world.
For now, mother and daughter continue to cook side-by-side, bringing together years of practical experience and family recipes with the professional skills Phindile has gained at culinary school.
For Gogo Nelly, seeing her daughter graduate has made the decision to use the scholarship funding to support Phindile’s ambitions particularly meaningful. What began as a competition prize has become an investment in both her daughter’s future and the family business they are building together.
Their experience points to a wider challenge facing small businesses. Talent and ambition can exist long before the qualifications and access to opportunities needed to turn them into sustainable enterprises. Skills development can help bridge that gap, giving entrepreneurs the knowledge, confidence and business tools to pursue opportunities that may previously have been out of reach.
In the Sibanyoni family’s case, the benefit of one person’s development extends beyond the individual. Gogo Nelly brings years of experience to the business, while Phindile brings new professional skills that can help shape its next chapter.
The lasting impact of the opportunity will ultimately be measured by what they build from here, demonstrating that corporate social investment is about more than handouts. Gogo vs Gogo is more than just a competition. It is a platform that celebrates family, food, talent and the power of opportunity to change lives. Giving people the skills to shape their own destiny is a key principle in Rainbow’s approach to sustainable community development and one which, in the case of Gogo Nelly and Phindile, is set to change their future.
SUPPLIED.
