Our Daily Bread
POPEYE MAY HAVE MADE SPINACH POPULAR, BUT LUFEFE NOMJANA IS REVOLUTIONISING THE WAY WE USE IT. DISCOVERING THE VEGETABLE’S
BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES WHILE WORKING IN A COMMUNITY GARDEN CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF LUFEFE’S LIFE – HE WENT FROM STRUGGLING
TO MAKE ENDS MEET, TO HAVING HIS BREAD BUTTERED ON BOTH SIDES
BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES WHILE WORKING IN A COMMUNITY GARDEN CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF LUFEFE’S LIFE – HE WENT FROM STRUGGLING
TO MAKE ENDS MEET, TO HAVING HIS BREAD BUTTERED ON BOTH SIDES
“Spinach is not just a leaf – it’s an important vegetable. It’s high in chlorophyll, with cancer-fighting properties,” explains Lufefe. “It cleans out the pancreas, while rebuilding the heart.”
Inspired by the superfood’s beneficial properties,the young entrepreneur now sells an entire line of baked goods made from the leafy dark-green vegetable.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGSLufefe was born in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. Hewas one of four boys raised by their single mother, with occasional visits from his father. His mother taught him everything he knows. “We grew up in a house with strict values; my mother wanted us to be the best we could be,”
he says now.
Frustrated that life had only blessed her with sons, Lufefe’s mother made sure they helped with the domestic chores. When she started selling tripe, Lufefe and his brothers would wake up early to help her clean it; and then, on weekends, they would help her sell it.
At 16 his mother lost her job, bringing further hardship on the family. Tired of struggling, Lufefe moved to Cape Town in search of a better life. When two of his businesses failed, Lufefe was convinced he was not destined to be an entrepreneur. Re-selling clothing he got cheaply at a factory wasn’t working out for him; neither was his photography business.
Lufefe believes the businesses failed because they were self-serving. “They were survival businesses. I worked for the business, and the business worked for me,”
he says. “I needed to do something for other people.”
The death of his youngest brother compounded his
he says now.
Frustrated that life had only blessed her with sons, Lufefe’s mother made sure they helped with the domestic chores. When she started selling tripe, Lufefe and his brothers would wake up early to help her clean it; and then, on weekends, they would help her sell it.
At 16 his mother lost her job, bringing further hardship on the family. Tired of struggling, Lufefe moved to Cape Town in search of a better life. When two of his businesses failed, Lufefe was convinced he was not destined to be an entrepreneur. Re-selling clothing he got cheaply at a factory wasn’t working out for him; neither was his photography business.
Lufefe believes the businesses failed because they were self-serving. “They were survival businesses. I worked for the business, and the business worked for me,”
he says. “I needed to do something for other people.”
The death of his youngest brother compounded his
loss. “When he died, I had nothing, and I didn’t want to go into business. My energy was depleted by the situation.” But sitting at home wasn’t ideal either. Wanting to do something meaningful with
his time, he started volunteering at the community garden in Khayelitsha. He would cultivate the garden daily, harvesting the vegetables that grew. “There was always spinach. I would plant
it today, and three or four weeks later, I would have something out. That showed me how miraculous spinach was.” It was while volunteering that he became a vegetarian. And remember, Lufefe wasn’t
earning an income; all he had were the vegetables he received in payment for his service.
But the vegetables did more than just sustain his hungry stomach: they changed his entire lifestyle. “I noticed a change in how I think, and in my routine, in terms of endurance and speed. I became really efficient, and I realised that my diet was the cause,”
explains Lufefe.
After some time at the garden, Lufefe moved on to volunteer at Michael Mapongwana Community Health Clinic, where he worked with a dietician. “I had to translate the menus, and make sure the patient understood what the dietician was saying. Promoting low-GI bread was another of his responsibilities. It was this task, and his newfound passion for spinach, that gave him the idea to make spinach bread. He wanted to offer his community a healthy alternative to white bread.
his time, he started volunteering at the community garden in Khayelitsha. He would cultivate the garden daily, harvesting the vegetables that grew. “There was always spinach. I would plant
it today, and three or four weeks later, I would have something out. That showed me how miraculous spinach was.” It was while volunteering that he became a vegetarian. And remember, Lufefe wasn’t
earning an income; all he had were the vegetables he received in payment for his service.
But the vegetables did more than just sustain his hungry stomach: they changed his entire lifestyle. “I noticed a change in how I think, and in my routine, in terms of endurance and speed. I became really efficient, and I realised that my diet was the cause,”
explains Lufefe.
After some time at the garden, Lufefe moved on to volunteer at Michael Mapongwana Community Health Clinic, where he worked with a dietician. “I had to translate the menus, and make sure the patient understood what the dietician was saying. Promoting low-GI bread was another of his responsibilities. It was this task, and his newfound passion for spinach, that gave him the idea to make spinach bread. He wanted to offer his community a healthy alternative to white bread.
HEAVY BREAD
For the business to work, Lufefe needed capital. He approached banks and potential investors, but was turned down by all of them. “They would nod their heads, as they understood my concept; but they weren’t sure if people were going to buy the bread.”
Lufefe had hit a bump in the road, but he was determined to keep going. And his failure to secure capital taught him an important lesson: what he had was more important than what he didn’t have.
And what he had was R40, a bunch of spinach, and access to his neighbour’s oven. What he couldn’t afford was another failure. Once again, Lufefe stepped into the role of entrepreneur; the difference this time was the passion he felt for his product. He went door to door, selling his spinach bread, but
soon found that the community didn’t share his love for spinach.“It was difficult to speak to people about healthy education. In the township, there’s a culture of eating fast food, and eating food that didn’t take time to grow,” explains Lufefe. Spurred on by his determination to see the community eat healthily, he changed his tactics. “I marketed my product, while at the same time doing health education to the people I was selling to.” Educating the community about healthy
eating habits was a game changer. In three short months, Lufefe went from selling four loaves a day to 24 loaves. His neighbour’s oven could no longer keep up with demand. It was time for Lufefe to expand his business. He arranged with the local Spar to make use of their ovens – the arrangement allowed
Lufefe had hit a bump in the road, but he was determined to keep going. And his failure to secure capital taught him an important lesson: what he had was more important than what he didn’t have.
And what he had was R40, a bunch of spinach, and access to his neighbour’s oven. What he couldn’t afford was another failure. Once again, Lufefe stepped into the role of entrepreneur; the difference this time was the passion he felt for his product. He went door to door, selling his spinach bread, but
soon found that the community didn’t share his love for spinach.“It was difficult to speak to people about healthy education. In the township, there’s a culture of eating fast food, and eating food that didn’t take time to grow,” explains Lufefe. Spurred on by his determination to see the community eat healthily, he changed his tactics. “I marketed my product, while at the same time doing health education to the people I was selling to.” Educating the community about healthy
eating habits was a game changer. In three short months, Lufefe went from selling four loaves a day to 24 loaves. His neighbour’s oven could no longer keep up with demand. It was time for Lufefe to expand his business. He arranged with the local Spar to make use of their ovens – the arrangement allowed
“The culture in the township is that once you have money, it’s time for you to party, or buy Italian
shoes.
shoes.
him to increase his output to 120 loaves a day. With the help of a crowdfunding campaign he purchase five bicycles, and employed five people to distribute his growing supply of spinach-based product. As Lufefe’s business grew, his personal needs shrank – going against the norm. He knew that his business would only succeed if he invested all his time and money into it. “The culture in the township is that once you have money, it’s time for you to party, or buy Italian shoes,” he says – a trend he too had fallen prey to in the past.
“I used to work for this agent, who would hire me for a few days; and at the end of the month, I would come home with my peanuts. Those peanuts would be only enough for my shoes and clothes, and I would go around showcasing those clothes.” By limiting his activities to just work and sleep, he managed to save up R50 000. But the money was still not enough for him to open up a store of his own. So Lufefe entered SAB’s Social Innovation Awards initiative, which supports sustainable businesses that solve social problems. SAB recognised all the work Lufefe had been doing, and he was awarded R100 000. The money gave him a chance to open up his first shop, aptly named ‘Spinach King’. The store was the first ‘green’ container of its kind to be built. Situated at Khayelitsha Mall, it’s perfectly placed to cater to the health needs of the community. Customers can choose from a variety of products, from spinach bread to spinach muffins, smoothies and fries.
“I’m happy that I can service the people of Khayelitsha. Before, they had to go to town to get such good-quality food. Now they can get it right here, where they live; and that makes At 30, Lufefe has already achieved what most people spend their lives hustling for. But the young self-starter’s career is far from over; he has big dreams for the future. “I think I’m in the mode of an athlete – I’m looking at what needs to be done before I get to the finish line, and the finish line is making sure that we have at least 10 franchises of the Spinach King before June 2019.” He also wants to leave a legacy for his son. “We make sure we expose him to everything we do; and that includes the Spinach King,
the principles and values that we believe in, and teaching him the importance of character and diligence.” Diligence was one thing Lufefe learned only later in life. Growing up, he blamed the
absence of his father for all his bad decisions. ‘I would say, ‘If my father were here, ABC could have happened.’” He’s come a long way since then. “I’m excited about the way forward. Where we
came from was hard; now, we’re starting to see the offloading of the burdens we used to
carry – and we’re starting to be better.”Melt some to use as a dip for fruit, stir it in your porridge, or eat a block or two for dessert.
“I used to work for this agent, who would hire me for a few days; and at the end of the month, I would come home with my peanuts. Those peanuts would be only enough for my shoes and clothes, and I would go around showcasing those clothes.” By limiting his activities to just work and sleep, he managed to save up R50 000. But the money was still not enough for him to open up a store of his own. So Lufefe entered SAB’s Social Innovation Awards initiative, which supports sustainable businesses that solve social problems. SAB recognised all the work Lufefe had been doing, and he was awarded R100 000. The money gave him a chance to open up his first shop, aptly named ‘Spinach King’. The store was the first ‘green’ container of its kind to be built. Situated at Khayelitsha Mall, it’s perfectly placed to cater to the health needs of the community. Customers can choose from a variety of products, from spinach bread to spinach muffins, smoothies and fries.
“I’m happy that I can service the people of Khayelitsha. Before, they had to go to town to get such good-quality food. Now they can get it right here, where they live; and that makes At 30, Lufefe has already achieved what most people spend their lives hustling for. But the young self-starter’s career is far from over; he has big dreams for the future. “I think I’m in the mode of an athlete – I’m looking at what needs to be done before I get to the finish line, and the finish line is making sure that we have at least 10 franchises of the Spinach King before June 2019.” He also wants to leave a legacy for his son. “We make sure we expose him to everything we do; and that includes the Spinach King,
the principles and values that we believe in, and teaching him the importance of character and diligence.” Diligence was one thing Lufefe learned only later in life. Growing up, he blamed the
absence of his father for all his bad decisions. ‘I would say, ‘If my father were here, ABC could have happened.’” He’s come a long way since then. “I’m excited about the way forward. Where we
came from was hard; now, we’re starting to see the offloading of the burdens we used to
carry – and we’re starting to be better.”Melt some to use as a dip for fruit, stir it in your porridge, or eat a block or two for dessert.
ROLE MODELme feel very satisfied with what we’re doing.” Customers walking into his shop leave with more than just their spinach-filled goods; they leave enriched with knowledge, about healthy food and the importance of eating well.
Eager customers receive SMSes, emails or WhatsApps with information on how to eat more healthily. “It’s important for them to know their food, because we believe that we are made up of the food that we’re eating. The organs need certain nutrients – which they can’t get, if people are eating pap or starch the entire week.”
Eager customers receive SMSes, emails or WhatsApps with information on how to eat more healthily. “It’s important for them to know their food, because we believe that we are made up of the food that we’re eating. The organs need certain nutrients – which they can’t get, if people are eating pap or starch the entire week.”
LEAVING A LEGACY
Some customers were so impressed by the ethos of the Spinach King, they wanted a piece of the business. Lufefe has sold franchise rights to companies in Amsterdam and Joburg, while also selling the Spinach King’s manufacturing rights to McFadden Bread Company in the US. A second Spinach King store has been opened in Khayelitsha, while a third franchise is being built in Lang
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