Lwandiswa “Lwandy” Ngebe, 39, knows the crowd at Kofini & Co changes by the hour. At 6.30am it is runners and commuters grabbing coffee; later come breakfast meetings, pensioners from nearby homes and younger customers filming cocktails against the Quigney beachfront.
“You have to understand two elements — your customer and the location,” Ngebe said.
When she opened Kofini in September 2023, she was taking a chance on an area she felt other investors had overlooked.
“The Esplanade was not necessarily seen as an attractive area for new investment, but I saw an opportunity not only to invest, but also to make a positive impact,” she said.
Ngebe has worked in hospitality since 2008, when she started catering. She opened The Braai Palace in Vincent the following year.
She said: “My first attempt at business was in 2009, and I made mistakes that led to serious financial challenges.”
Ngebe credits her mother with first showing her what entrepreneurship looked like. Growing up in Tsolo, she watched her find ways to support the family, including having the children sell sweets and amagwinya at school.
“At the time, I probably didn’t realise how much I was learning from her. I saw first-hand that you could take a skill you already have, work hard at it, and turn it into a source of income.”
Many people may recognise Ngebe from Buffalo Toyota, where she spent more than nine years in the sales division. In 2018 she returned to hospitality with Elahleni Food and Braai in Quigney.
Kofini followed five years later. It took two months to plan, design, renovate and fit out; it now employs eight full-time and three part-time staff.
She said: “We started from scratch. It is not a franchise, it is a brainchild.”
Ngebe is also involved with the Quigney Ratepayers Association and local structures working to improve the area around Kofini.
“We need to work collaboratively with community structures to create safer environments, protect existing jobs and make sure employees can travel to and from work safely,” she said.
In 2025, Kofini was one of 17 runners-up in the Eastern Cape Bambelela Business Awards, and also received a Platinum category award from the Symphony Business Chamber later that year.
Now a Border-Kei Chamber of Business Emerging Entrepreneur finalist, Ngebe wants to grow beyond East London.
“I want Kofini to create more jobs, support local entrepreneurs and creatives, and continue being a space where people can connect and opportunities can grow.”
CAN DO AS A BLOCK IF NEEDED:
EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY
- The business may not be trading for more than five years;
- The turnover of the business should not exceed R5m; and
- The business should, at the very least, be at breakeven point.
