INSPIRATION: Turning rejection into a successful female-owned business
CAPE TOWN – A woman who once applied for a waitress vacancy, now owns her own company and trains staff at Protea Hotels by Marriott to become baristas.
Monty Biyela grew up in a financially underprivileged family, losing her father at just eight months old and being raised by her single mother in Johannesburg.
Despite aspiring towards a teaching career, her familial circumstance did not allow for tertiary studies.
She then pursued a day job, starting out as a receptionist at a company that sold fire extinguishers.
Later, Biyela tried to get a waitressing job at a local coffee shop chain however, there were no vacancies.
This then led to the start of her barista career as she went on to accept a post as a barista.
“I found that I was really good at it. I fell in love with being a barista”, she said.
She put her skills to work at a coffee shop in Parkwood, Johannesburg. The owner then started a business called 4th Avenue Coffee Roasters. Biyela became the head barista trainer at 4th Avenue.
Source: iol.co.za