Kabelo Ntsimbi has always loved ribs. So as soon as he could, he opened a restaurant that specialises in the tender cut of meat. Whether it is ribs and chips, ribs and wings, rib sandwiches, or ribs, chips and wings, Ntsimbi loves his business because of its culinary creativity and the financial freedom it has brought him. Ribbandits, which was established this year, can be found in Klipspruit in Soweto, where Ntsimbi grew up.
Speaking to Vutivi News, he said that he chose to open a restaurant in his neighborhood because he wanted to be the first to serve his childhood townships ribs of choice. He also wanted to provide locals with a place they could eat so that they could avoid going to a mall for a restaurant experience. “I had no prior experience in cooking except for being the braai master at home growing up,” the business owner said.
“Therefore, it was a challenge to start a business without knowledge, but my desire to be financially free drove me to start the business,” Ntsimbi said that the second reason was his interest in food. “I am inspired by the different ideas I get from social media, restaurants and eateries which inspire me to incorporate these dishes on my menu,” he said.
“It was a thrilling challenge when I started because I didn’t know if people would like the food on the menu, and that put me in the mindset to think out of the box. “The vision is ultimately for me to turn the business into a steakhouse bar and grill, where people can enjoy food and music, focusing mainly on the youth.” Ntsimbi saved money to start the business, but soon realised it was not enough.
“Once I started the business, I discovered that there were other costs which surfaced, so I had to dig deep into my pockets,” he said. To keep himself financially stable, Ntsimbi finds time to be both a restauranteur and a real estate agent. He said other challenges he has had to deal with were load-shedding and security issues. Sometimes there was cable theft and the business could not operate at full capacity.
“The area we operate in also has a degree of criminal activity, so getting security to ensure that equipment is not stolen is also a challenge,” he said. While it has not been plain sailing for Ntsimbi, he said that he appreciated the fact that he was adding value to the township where he was based.
“I am spurred on by the realisation that I am able to cater to people in my township, and the overwhelming support they give the business is proof that my vision is coming alive,” he said. Ntsimbi told Vutivi News that if all went well, he would like to see his business become an established franchise in other townships in Johannesburg, and eventually spread to other parts of the province.
