Babalwa Mtya born, raised and currently residing in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape is the owner of Red Band Barista Academy coffee bar stationed in Kenako Mall. She passed her matric in 2004 and took a gap year that ended in 6 years with temporary jobs in between. In 2010 she decided to go back to school and graduated in Public Relations at Edu Campus, 2012. She then joined the Red Band Academy in 2018 as she was unemployed and looking for an opportunity, and graduated at the academy with the skill of pouring coffee as a Barista. She was then employed at the Red Band coffee bar at NMU campus as a Barista, where she learnt all about running a coffee shop before she was promoted to be a manager in 2019, and the opportunity to do all managerial duties gained her confident to open up to the idea of taking Red Band Barista Academy brand to a township mall.
When did you start with your own Red Band Barista Academy franchise and what inspired you to go for it? “As part of our 2021 vision, Red Band aims to expand their impact by placing Red Band Coffee bars in strategic locations in key cities. Red Band has offered individuals, the first one being me, the opportunity to own their own Red Band Coffee bar within the Red Band Coffee Franchise. Opening more Red Band Coffee bars will help to increase awareness of the importance of upskilling unemployed youth in South Africa, reiterating the core purpose of the Red Band Barista Academy. I believe I am 100% ready to run my own ship and the confidence Red Band has showed in me by offering me a franchise has affirmed this”.
Other than just running a coffee shop in a township mall – what are you trying to achieve by bringing the franchise to Kenako mall specifically? “Kenako is one of the popular Malls in PE and it’s at the Freeway and easily accessible without a hustle of traffic. It ticked all the boxes of what I want to achieve with my business. Since I have worked at NMU I have built a relationship with the students now Kenako is close to Missionvale Campus. The hospital is close and the Mall Itself is surrounded by young independent individuals who go to meetings and would like to have something close by where they would feel comfortable. Mostly of all I’m bringing coffee in the township to educate, we see these things in restaurants but we too embarrassed to ask. I’m here to answer all the questions and would like to challenge people to move on from Espresso and Cappuccino there are a lot different cups of coffee one can enjoy”.
What are your highlights as a business since inception? “The acceptance I have received from my community and how supportive they have been. It’s so overwhelming to see the interest they have and the willingness to try new things”.
Lastly, when you’re not busy building RBBA, what do you do to keep sane? “I love my family and my small circle of friends, so if I’m not going out with my friends on dinner dates and weekends away, I’m with family catching up”.