• Katleho Chacha, 28, from Chiawelo, Soweto, launched Mr Bartender in February, selling dehydrated fruit garnishes made from his home kitchen.

• Chacha works as a relationship manager at MFC, part of Nedbank, and hopes to get Mr Bartender into retail stores.

A 28-year-old from Chiawelo, Soweto, is building a fruit garnish business from his home kitchen.

Katleho Chacha launched Mr Bartender in February this year. He slices oranges, lemons, lime, grapefruit and apples and puts them in a dehydrator. The fruit becomes colourful garnishes for cocktails, cakes, tea and healthy snacks.

Chacha grew up in Chiawelo. After matric, he worked in retail before moving into banking. He currently works as a relationship manager at MFC, part of Nedbank.

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The idea for Mr Bartender came while Chacha was working as a bartender.

"I used fresh fruit for cocktails, but I wanted to try dehydrated fruit like I'd seen overseas," he said.

Finding a supplier was tough. So Chacha taught himself how to do it.

"I started with my oven at home," he said.

He now uses a dehydrator. Chacha supplies the colourful garnishes to a growing number of clients, including tea lovers and people who enjoy good-looking drinks.

Running the business has not been without challenges. Some fruits are not always in season. Producing enough to meet demand while marketing to the right clients can also be tricky.

"What makes my products special is that everything is made right here in Soweto," Chacha said. "From the fruit to the suppliers, it's all local, and that's important to me."

His goal is to grow the business, supply resellers and get Mr Bartender products into big retail stores across South Africa.

Chacha's advice to young entrepreneurs is to start small and celebrate every win.