Ntshepe Maphoto
Youth in Business & Entrepreneurship
Nominee's Province:
Limpopo
Age:
33
Project Name/Description:
Founder – Crispy Fresh TakeAways
Ntshepe Maphoto, popularly known as Lolo in his community, is a smart entrepreneur and go-getter who believes the world is his oyster. Maphoto started his takeaway business in 2018 after completing his health and safety qualification from Unisa, while simultaneously obtaining an Information Technology qualification at PC Training College in Polokwane. That’s when he identified an opportunity in the food industry, particularly fast food, in Turfloop. “I had friends at the University of Limpopo I would regularly visit and noticed a gap in the market. Through hard work and perseverance, I opened my first store, Crispy Fresh Takeaways, in 2018 at the Mankweng Business Complex, which led me to open Crispy Fresh Bakery in 2020, specialising in confectioneries. Since then, I've opened six takeaway outlets, including a car wash and a printing shop around Mankweng,” reveals Maphoto. Due to the response he received from students and community members, he has managed to create jobs for 14 people and intends to employ 10 more by the end of 2024. “Tapping into a market I knew nothing about and not having had any culinary qualification or experience has made my journey very difficult, but having the willingness to learn and achieve more, I’ve had to find ways to navigate my business in the direction it has taken,” he shares. Maphoto has had to overcome numerous challenges in business since starting because he had to self-fund his business without any financial assistance from any institution. “I also have to find the right people to work with who understand the vision and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure the business succeeds.” His story, he believes, is intertwined with the strides South Africa has made since 1994.
