A dream in a dish for Ouma Julia

Julia Mahlangu, Gugulethu canteen service provider

Julia Mahlangu’s business weathered literal storms before securing a contract as Gugulethu’s official canteen service provider. Fondly known as Ouma Julia by the mine’s community, she started by setting up shop with just a table and a small gazebo, selling an assortment of foods at the mine’s gate. “On some days the rain would pour or a gust of wind would threaten to carry the gazebo away, but I kept coming to sell. I did not give up” Julia recalls.

She is among the local enterprises that supply the mine with various goods and services. The idea to start a business was sparked when Julia attended community consultation meetings organised by Canyon Coal before the mine’s development. Seeing that there were no shops nearby, Julia spotted an opportunity to start selling food outside the gate. “When I heard that a mine was coming to our area, I thought this would be a good opportunity for us as women to start thinking of businesses that would be helpful,” says Julia. She invited other women to partner with her in the venture.

Today, the business employs nine people, including four directors from Mooivlei in Davel near the mine. The canteen serves wholesome plates of pap, meat, and vegetables. They also offer cool drink, snacks, slap chips and fruit. “This business has lifted nine people out of unemployment. We can put food on the table,” she affirms. Julia sees the canteen business as a stepping stone to achieve greater things, like opening a big shop in the area. She believes as the mine grows, the business will thrive along with it.