• Former drug addict and ex-convict Loyiso Basso started KwaMgoli, a kota business in Khayelitsha, after struggling to find work with a criminal record.

• He now dreams of opening a restaurant to hire ex-offenders and people from rehab so they can rebuild their lives through honest work.

For 36-year-old Loyiso Basso from Makhaya in Khayelitsha, life after prison meant starting again from nothing.

A former drug addict and ex-convict, Basso spent eight months in Pollsmoor Prison for attempted murder and illegal firearm possession.

“After coming out of jail in 2017, I knew I needed to change my life. But with a criminal record, no one would hire me,” he said.

So he created his own opportunity.

In 2016, he did piece jobs, cleaning yards, washing cars, painting houses and gardening, saving every rand he could. With that money, he bought a gas stove, a braai stand and stock.

In 2017, KwaMgoli was born.

Each kota on his menu is named after a car because of his love of motoring. There’s the Kota Jetta for R27, the Kota Vivo for R15, and the Kota Gusheshe for R50, packed with chips, beef, Russians, cheese and polony.

“Everything is expensive, but I will not stop because I have a dream to fulfil,” he said.

A 10kg bag of potatoes that once cost R50 now costs over R100. Electricity bills and rising food prices make it tough, but Basso checks suppliers and negotiates deals to keep going.

He says good service and his “secret recipe” keep customers coming back.

But his biggest dream goes beyond business.

“I want to open a restaurant and hire people from rehab and ex-offenders,” he said. “They deserve another chance like I got.”

Pictured above: Former inmate Loyiso Basso runs KwaMgoli, a popular kota spot in Khayelitsha, and hopes to hire ex-offenders one day.

Image source: Supplied