It is nearly break time at Siyafunda Primary School. The two spaza shop owners at the school are preparing lunch to sell to hungry children.

In Mr Motaung’s shop, the bread is cut and ready for making kotas. He carefully cuts out the soft middle of each quarter loaf. Then he puts polony and chips in the space inside.

Motaung puts two spoonfuls of his wife’s homemade atchar in each kota. He likes to boast that his kotas have atchar inside and atchar on top!

In Mr Mkhize’s shop, the chips are nearly ready, but he is still cutting his bread for kotas. He is worried because things are not going well with his shop.

“It started well,” thinks Mkhize. “But now I get fewer and fewer customers. At least I’m reducing some of my costs by cutting five kotas from a loaf.”