Inside their MAMA Rocks food truck stationed in the upmarket Westlands area of Nairobi, Kenya, sisters Samantha and Natalie Mwedekeli are hard at work, rustling up burgers for what looks like an army of hungry people queuing up.
They dish out their signature eats with smiles and hellos sporting a crisp British accent. The two are founders of Nairobi’s latest epicurean street sensation.
It was only three years ago that Samantha, 36, and Natalie, 33, were in their home at Old Street, East London, in the United Kingdom (UK), mulling over their mundane nine-to-five jobs.
They made the bold decision to quit their jobs in the non-profit and human resources sectors respectively and start out in the food business.
The idea had been marinating in their heads for a couple of years, and the sisters, of Kenyan and Nigerian descent, figured it was now or never. They decided to start the business in Kenya, their father’s hometown.
Ten years ago, their parents, who had migrated to the UK, had relocated to Kenya, leaving their daughters in the care of their grandmother. Natalie and Samantha would visit their parents every year and these trips helped them see Nairobi transform.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-32150" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/MG_3410-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3410-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3410-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3410.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-32151" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_3871.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-32152" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/MG_8562-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_8562-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_8562-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MG_8562.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The restaurant scene in East Africa’s corporate hub has grown exponentially in the past decade, especially due to the increase in the number of retail establishments, such as the recently-reopened Westgate Mall, The Hub and urban hotels such as Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi and Radisson Blu.
“We’ve always had a drive to start our own business, partly because we grew up with very entrepreneurial parents so they infected us with that bug. They always emphasized to us that if you want to make a difference, you need to make your own mark and they always said that there’s a lot of potential in Africa. So we thought ‘why can’t we come up with a brand that’s born and bred in Africa and also has international appeal’?” say the sisters.
Starting a restaurant is by no means easy, especially for two young women from overseas with no culinary background. Samantha studied law at Kingston University London and Natalie has a business management degree from Royal Holloway. They owe it to their grandmother who is the best cook they know.
To gain some knowledge about the restaurant industry, the two worked as waitresses at various restaurants in London’s West End such as international sandwich chain Pret a Manger, and Patty &amp; Bun, a diner serving some of London’s finest burgers according to TimeOut.
Waitressing for about six months gave them insight into what makes people tick and how good food makes people feel. Using this experience and noting the establishments’ strict attention to detail, they decided on gourmet burgers infused with some African-inspired flavors.
Their parents were not in agreement with this change of career but on seeing the business plan, they soon got on board.
“Our father helped us gather the capital we needed and our mother is now our biggest fan, bragging to all her friends about our food.”
Fast forward six months to late 2014 and the Londoners had officially moved to Nairobi to start the groundwork, finding a location, suppliers and equipment. A chat with Kevin Ashley, owner of Java House in Kenya, made them take a step back in terms of finances.
They had not realized how expensive it would be to open a restaurant – a minimum of Ksh 14 million ($135,000) was needed for one that fit their requirements. Plan B was the food truck, which cut their investment by half.
“It’s relatively inexpensive, risks are limited and you can move around and test the market and see how people respond to you and if anything, that’s your investment because no one can take the truck away from you. It was really exciting because we were bringing something new to Nairobi,” says Natalie.
It took nine months to get the truck assembled; while that was being taken care of, the sisters decided to start testing the market by doing pop-ups in various locations to gauge people’s interest.
Their first attempt at selling their product was at a friend’s Thai restaurant. They did not advertise but ended up having a full house. This was a clear indication of Kenyans’ desire to try new things. Since then, MAMA Rocks serves over 200 customers every weekend including Fridays.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-32153 size-large" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/FRM_6899-684x1024.jpg" alt="" width="684" height="1024" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FRM_6899.jpg 684w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FRM_6899-300x449.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FRM_6899-600x898.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FRM_6899-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" />
It’s just one of the numerous restaurants and cafes that have opened shop in Nairobi over the past year. Others include Pizza Hut, Ocean Basket, Adega, Dominos, KFC, News Café, Brioche, Nyama Mama and Roast by Carnivore.
Mikul Shah, founder of EatOut Kenya, East Africa’s largest online restaurant guide, says of the industry’s fast progression: “To some extent, the growth in supply might be faster than the demand. With so much competition and options, restaurants have had to focus on providing good value for money. We are seeing lots of deals and promotions to attract patrons. Overall, I feel that Nairobi has seen a boom in the dining culture, however it is a little worrying for smaller businesses as it will be a few years until the demand catches up.”
The MAMA Rocks sisters officially opened shop on New Year’s Eve 2015, their truck parked in the newly-opened creative events space, the Yard, in Westlands.
As word spread of their Africanized burgers, like their popular Mango Maasai Mama and Nollywood Suya Saga, sales soared. Within six months, they were able to pay off the cost of the truck and hired a few more people to help them with preparation and serving customers.
Ingredients for their dishes are sourced locally and they make the sauces from scratch every morning. As for the name MAMA Rocks, they say it came so naturally to them.
“We thought about African culture, the similar aspects to the different cultures across the entire continent. One of those aspects is that the mother is the backbone of the household. We wanted the brand to have a strong feminine energy and to celebrate the mother, hence MAMA.”
Coming from the first world to settle in fast-developing Kenya had its challenges, the biggest being the high level of corruption that hindered ease of doing business.
Transparency International ranked Kenya 139 out of 168 countries in their corruption index.
But when asked why Nairobi and not London or Lagos, Samantha promptly says: “Kenya is rich in opportunity and skills. It feels like a large canvas. There’s so much that can be done here that may have already been done in London. There’s not much left to explore or experiment in London. As for Lagos, it just wasn’t as developed as Nairobi is and food costs there tend to be much higher. But we plan to open there next when we are able to expand.”
The sisters are breaking even after a year in operation and plan on opening a restaurant soon to bring in more profits while still running the food truck. Samantha and Natalie are young, vibrant and eager to change the African gastronomic narrative.

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Burgers On Wheels And Hungry For Success

In the English countryside, Jody Scheckter is an entrepreneur, organic farmer and a millionaire. No matter how many chickens he raises, his name will always be known for Formula One (F1) motor racing. The African racing legend won 10 Grand Prix.
Scheckter is a direct, likeable, deeply understated man with a dry wit. Life has taken the 64-year-old on a long journey from South Africa and motor racing. But racing forged his personality and battles on the track steeled him for building two businesses from scratch.
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For most, winning the F1 world championship with Ferrari in 1979 would be a highlight of their lives. Not for Scheckter.
“It was really an anti-climax,” he says.
“You have spent eight years dedicated completely to winning and then nothing seemed to change much. I think it has changed more in the latter years of my life, where being World Champion means something to some people.”
He does look back at his achievements with satisfaction however. As he puts it, he earned good bucks for the time and is the only South African to win a Grand Prix and remains the only South African to win the F1 World Championship.
So, what does he make of the sale of Kyalami, where he won a grand prix on home soil?
“Kyalami is not what it was. It was a wonderful circuit and has already had the heart taken out of it, which is a great shame. Kyalami means racing and was an icon in Formula One.”
Scheckter rode his luck at Kyalami.
“I crashed my car in practice and it was written off. We rebuilt the car, had a warm up in the morning and the engine blew up after one lap. I was on the front row, I got into the lead after the second lap and then won the race,” he says.
Several drivers died at Kyalami and Scheckter says he is grateful to be alive. Racing in the 1970s could hardly have been more dangerous.
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“Each year, one or two drivers from the starting 25 were killed.”
By drivers, he means his contemporaries. Scheckter raced against legendary racers of the 1970s; Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost.
Glamour a million miles from where Scheckter grew up in East London in the Eastern Cape, repairing motorbikes and cars.
“It’s a little coastal town, my dad had several garages there and I wasn’t very good at school.”
East London had a famous racing track, the Prince George Circuit, where Scheckter’s uncle raced and his father invited the racing drivers to his garage.
“Racing was all around me growing up. Racing drivers even used to stay over at our house.”
Life after motor racing meant a move away from the sport. Scheckter went to the United States and became a successful entrepreneur, setting up a business called FATS, Inc. in 1984.
“We sold simulators and trained police and then military on how to use guns safely.”
“In 12 years, we went from the kitchen table to sales in 35 countries and 95% of the world market. We turned over $100 million in sales the year we sold,” he says.
Then his life took a handbrake turn. Thirteen years ago, Scheckter put some of his earnings from selling FATS, Inc. into starting an organic farm in Hampshire.
He bought 500 acres at Laverstoke Park Farm, 40 miles west of London. It started as a hobby, to make the healthiest and tastiest food for himself and his six children. His racing driver son, Tomas, has recently joined the business.
Today, Scheckter owns 2,500 acres and farms a further 2,000. He says it has all got out of hand.
“It’s a monster, but a lovely monster.”
Now, Scheckter is championing biodiversity as he competes to make the finest organic products in the world.
“I don’t mind not winning, but I hate to lose,” he says.
With two of Britain’s most upmarket food suppliers, Ocado and Waitrose, as their biggest customers, the Laverstoke Park Farm brand is on the way up.
The farm has seven small factories clustered around a farm house from which the operation is run from. It employs 166 people and turns over $23.7 million a year.
Despite winning countless awards and being run as a model of organic farming techniques, Laverstoke Park Farm doesn’t yet make money. Scheckter has given himself a year to make the business profitable. For a born winner, this feels like losing.
Scheckter is refreshingly honest and feels like a man who knows he has reached his limitations.
“Meat is fiendishly complicated and I’ve just hired an expert from one of the top meat companies to run that side of the business for me. Profitability is all in the cut, and although we’re getting better we haven’t quite got there yet. I’ve learned the hard way. ”
It’s a long way from the track.
“With a car factory, you bring in a thousand pieces, you make one and you sell it. We bring in one, cut it into a thousand pieces and you have got to sell them all. And remember, some of it goes bad within three days.”
“We have too many products and we have to rationalize.”
He sells 120 items to Ocado and produces a range of products from organic beef, lamb and chicken to champagne grapes and cooked pies. One of the stranger animals on his farm is water buffalo, from which come mozzarella cheese and ice cream. Almost everything that comes from the farm is award winning. It just doesn’t all make money.
Scheckter follows traditional biodynamic farming techniques and sows according to the moon cycles.
“It’s very, very powerful. It makes seas go up and down and it makes the liquids in plants go up and down. We use modern versions of those techniques,” he says.
“After all my research, we follow nature very strictly and we have two main keys. One is slow growing animals and plants are generally healthy and taste better, and secondly, biodiversity is key to a natural, healthy environment.”
He believes that to produce great food you have got to have great soil, which comes from farming naturally and means no chemicals are used. To study the soil, Laverstoke has its own laboratory run by a doctor in microbiology and a doctor in chemistry.
Scheckter is a bit of a soil expert himself, with a library of over 500 books on soil types going back through the centuries.
“The animals at Laverstock don’t eat grass but a mix of 31 herbs, clovers and grasses in the fields. Our animals are eating salad!”
As he gives us a tour of the farm, it’s hard not to smile at his enthusiasm.
“My ice-cream is made from buffalo milk and I genuinely believe it’s the best in the world and my mozzarella tastes better than Italian mozzarella because it’s fresher.”
From fast cars to slow food, with an emphasis on the best farming techniques, Scheckter may not yet have found a successful business model for his enterprise, but you know he wants to win.

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