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At the heart of many family businesses lies a strong woman. This rings especially true in the case of Alexandra’s Moving Feast restaurant and Happy Dumplings, run by family matriarch Happy Makhalemele.
Happy with her husband, Bushy (left), and her son Theo
6 • SPOT-ON l ISSUE 41
BUILDING A FAMILY
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s the CEO, Happy is the lynchpin spearheading this fast-moving establishment and the product of parents who were also incessant entrepreneurs – just as she is today. “My mom and dad were the first black people in the township to own a breakdown business,” she tells Spot-On. Visiting Happy at her restaurant, the mood is upbeat for good reason – it’s just a day after securing another deal with a corporate. “On 16 June, I start selling at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium. I now have a trailer that’s going to be situated there every day – selling African cuisine,” she says. The partnership with the legendary stadium is a big deal, as her business will be selling to the 400+ employees at Wanderers every day – not to mention whenever there are matches that attract thousands of supporters. To cater to the expanding business, she is planning on securing a large space, pulling out her phone to show me a Wynberg warehouse she’s identified and hopes to move into. “I want the one side of the warehouse to be designated for the dumplings and the other to be for the functions and catering.”
Get some recipes on page 21 www.spotonmag.co.za
