BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Daily Bread M611 is a father-and-son operation that Mpho Setjeo (the father) created to offer services in an industrial area. He explains that he noticed the workers and offices needed someone to supply them with sandwiches because they were far from the shops.
Mpho says, “For the first 2-weeks it was stressful because people didn’t know me and were worried about security issues. As time went by people warmed up to me and the business concept. We then identified a busy intersection with heavy morning traffic that could be our base area, and here we could sell to people going to school and other workplaces.”
His business idea, as simple as it is, is ingenious because it offers convenience. When asked about the name, he explains that being Christian, his faith is important, hence M611. “Growing up, we used to say the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 VS 11 – ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ So ‘Daily Bread’ originated from a prayer,” he elaborates.
What led Mpho to become an entrepreneur was the demand he felt he had to fill. The target market needed food and beverages, so offering sandwiches made sense. The other reason was the scarcity of employment. In 2019 while job hunting for a graphic designer position without any success, he saw that the next best thing was to become his own boss.
Although Mpho and his son have encountered challenges along the way, the duo overcome each one as it comes, and at the core of their priorities is marketing their business. Their marketing strategy includes placing visually appealing boards that list the products and the price so new customers know what is on offer and how much it costs. “A business with no sign is a sign of no business,” Mpho emphasizes.
