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Updated 13 October 2026: expanded with practical context and refreshed guidance. Original publication date retained.
As everyone probably knows by now, throughout most of our lives, we’ve heard of the saying, “everything happens for a reason” Another example of turning homemade atchar into a business is Musi Modikwe’s entrepreneurial story.
This phrase is more like a double edged sword, at times it’s said by people because something good happens, which affirms that a certain situation is more than just blind luck.
While at other times, people say it when something bad happens, as a way of comforting someone or themselves in a negative situation.
As for Amina Abrahams, she had to find her “everything happens for a reason” after her world was hit with a bomb. Her marriage fell apart and to add salt to the wound, she got retrenched from her job.
The situation was really bad and she felt hopeless. She had no income nor spousal support and 2 young children to feed. This left her desperate to stay afloat.
Knowing she had to do something to survive, Amina found herself looking for an old recipe handed down from her aunt and began selling pickles, atchar & sauce.
She had no background in business whatsoever, she started by filling the first bottles with hand cut lemon preserves, went to the streets and hoped for the best.
From the get-go, she knew her survival depended on the atchar’s flavor and the way she blended the rich oils, aromatic spices and finely chopped fruits & veggies. The mixing and matching became her a daily ritual.
In no time, people in her neighborhood of Kensington(Cape Town) loved her mixtures dearly. After a series of encouragements from her loved ones, she launched Exotic Taste in 2006, with a vision of seeing her product being sold in large retailers all over the country. Food entrepreneurs also need a clear proposition, illustrated by Anat Apter’s food-business journey. News24’s profile of Amina Abrahams and Exotic Taste reports on the atchar venture’s route into retail.
The factory of Exotic Taste started in Amina’s kitchen for a couple of years and then in January 2009, she moved to a 96m² factory in Parow Industria. In 2011, more space was needed and the team moved to an even bigger factory in Kensington.
The original profile describes the expansion of a food venture. Retail and employment figures need their original reporting dates and should not be read as newly verified present totals or a personal wealth valuation. Related context: Shoprite Group; supply her products.
According to Amina, Shoprite Group played a huge role in her life because they never gave up on her, they held her hand throughout the whole process until she was able to stand on her own feet.
Long gone are her days of grinding alone in the kitchen all night. Exotic Taste’s factory is now filled with the chatter of 10 other people from Amina’s community.
Amina believes she has made something of significance with Exotic Taste because not only does it empower her and feed her offsprings but also, it uplifts the rest of the community.
Amina’s vision is to empower others, more especially women, by creating a source of employment and education. She also hopes to continue developing and expanding Exotic Taste’s product range across the country’s 9 Provinces and beyond. A traditional recipe entering retail has a comparison in Mpho Mohaswa’s Ghemere business.
What the atchar story teaches about a food business
Amina Abrahams' story is useful because it centres on a recognisable product and a customer need, rather than a complex technology launch. The Beautiful News profile provides her account. Figures describing employees, retailers or production should be understood within the period of the original profile, not automatically repeated as today's totals.
Moving from home sales to regular retail supply changes the work. A food entrepreneur needs repeatable recipes, consistent portions, packaging, traceability and a production schedule. A successful sample is the beginning of that process, not proof that every later batch will meet the same standard or that a retailer will immediately accept it.
When costing a jar of atchar, include ingredients, packaging, labour, spoilage, transport and the retailer's buying terms. A large order can strain cash if payment arrives after the next batch must be produced. The broader lesson is to build reliable fulfilment alongside marketing so that demand can be served repeatedly.
Source and further reading: What the atchar story teaches about a food business — reference.
In Conclusion
Everything happens for a reason.
