Hungry? The kota king of Kwa-DumeHlezi can help
Chips, polony, and viennas. These are some of the basic ingredients you will find in a bunny chow, also known as a kota, sphatlo or scambane in township lingo, a dish that Kwa-DumeHlezi specialises in.
A student from the Potchefstroom campus of North-West University (NWU) started the business earlier this year and it is growing fast.
A bunny chow or kota usually consists of a quarter of a bread filled with chips, polony, cheese, eggs, or achaar, based on an individual’s preference. It is a popular takeaway option for people living in townships.
“What makes my food different from other [similar dishes] is that mine is of exceptional quality. The taste is mind-blowing compared to what you would have had before,” said Nkosana Mahlangu, a philosophy, politics and economics student and the owner of Kwa-DumeHlezi.
The bunny chows ranges from R12 to R30 with 11 different variations and the option to have it plain or toasted. The price is dependent on the items the customer wants in their bunny chow.
Mahlangu stated that he started the business with R400 and in the first month he had to acquire more stock and equipment such as deep fryer. Once he was able to buy stock in bulk, he started making decent weekly profits.
Kwa-DumeHlezi’s clients say they like what they eat.
“I bought number 10 which is R65. Overall, it was 8/10 and was delicious. The sauces that he used were complementing the meal and made it look mouthwatering – just like on the picture,” said Makgotso Tseladimmitlwa (20), a communications student. The only thing she was not pleased with was the achaar and cheese.
According to Mahlangu the best-selling bunny chow is one that has rib, beef and russians as ingredients. Other menu offerings are chips, wings, and chicken strips.
Thato Tlhole (22), a town and regional planning student who loves bunny chows, said: “The only reason why I don’t have kotas from Kwa-DumeHlezi every day is because I am a struggling student that lives on a budget.”
A snap survey of 13 students revealed that all of them knew of Kwa-DumeHlezi, but only five students have ordered from the business
Those who have not ordered claimed they did not know that the businesses had a delivery option, and they live far from where the business operates, while those who have had the dish only gave good reviews.
According to Mahlangu he started the business because he was keen to learn skills and wanted to prove to himself that he can do it if he wants to.
His plan is to grow the business by investing capital into it and growing it into an established restaurant.
The business does deliveries to the Bult area, Promosa, Ikageng, and town at a fee ranging from R15-R40, depending on the distance. Customers also have the option to pay, using their cards with a R1 service fee and R4 service fee for online payments. For more information contact Mahlangu on 068 180 0723. – Ann Shoai