At just 24, Ebenca Mohlala, a third-year Information Technology (IT) student at Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology’s Pretoria campus, has turned an idea into a food delivery app aimed at connecting customers with township food businesses.
Mohlala, from Jukulyn Block W in Soshanguve, is the founder of KaziEats, a technology-driven food delivery platform launched in February 2026. The app aims to connect customers in and around Soshanguve with local restaurants through a digital platform.
Although Mohlala developed the initial idea behind KaziEats, he recognised that turning his vision into a growing business would require more than technical skills.
He worked alongside fellow Richfield students Siphesihle Sibangisa, Keagile Makhafola, Lesego Legora and Onthatile Motsepe, who contributed to bringing the platform to life. Motsepe is the company’s co-founder, while the other team members also played important roles in supporting the business.
“The idea behind KaziEats was entirely mine, from identifying the problem to developing the initial solution. I’m naturally more of a technical person. I enjoy creating things, solving problems, writing code, and turning ideas into working systems. However, I also understand that being able to build a product doesn’t automatically mean you have all the skills needed to grow a business.”
KaziEats was established to support local food entrepreneurs by helping them access digital markets and reach more customers.
“The mission was to empower local food entrepreneurs by providing them with a digital marketplace that increases their visibility, expands their customer reach and creates sustainable economic opportunities within township communities,” Mohlala said.
To introduce KaziEats to the local food market, the team approached food businesses that were already using TikTok to promote their products. These included Lindi’s Cookouts & Catering, Jento’s Chips & More and Manyile’s Fast Food, alongside other food businesses in Soshanguve. Through the platform, the team aims to connect these businesses with customers seeking convenient food delivery options.
However, building KaziEats has not been without challenges. In its early stages, Mohlala and his team had to convince restaurants to join the platform while also finding reliable delivery drivers.
“One of our biggest challenges in the early stages was onboarding restaurants. Approaching established businesses and convincing them to join a new platform was not easy. Some business owners would ask, ‘Why should I use your platform?’” Mohlala said.
He explained that the team had to demonstrate the platform’s value by showing businesses how it could help them reach more customers and improve their visibility in the township market.
Finding delivery drivers presented another obstacle, even when the team managed to attract restaurants and customers.
“Even when we managed to attract restaurants and customers, we still needed reliable drivers to complete the delivery process,” Mohlala said.
The experience taught him that running a food delivery platform involved more than developing an application. It required coordination between restaurants, customers, drivers and the operational team.
With KaziEats continuing to grow in the township food delivery market, Mohlala and his team are focused on strengthening the business before expanding into other areas.
“KaziEats is growing steadily as we continue to strengthen our presence in the township before expanding to other areas. Although we’ve faced a few challenges along the way, we’re learning, improving, and building a stronger foundation for sustainable growth. Overall, the journey is going well,” Mohlala said.
