Inspired by a passion for food and a desire to uplift her community, Nicole Ramasami is the proud visionary behind Triple D’s Street Food, a company that aims to change the culinary industry in Durban. In celebration of Women’s Month, Ramasami sat down with The Phoenix Tabloid to share her journey from a career in logistics to a full-time chef and community leader in Phoenix.
PT: Tell us about yourself.
Ramasami: My name is Nicole Ramasami. I was born in Verulam but raised in Phoenix, where I attended Shastri Park Secondary School. I am the youngest of three children. After school, I earned a diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Damelin. My love for cooking started when I was 13, watching my mum prepare delicious meals. My first attempt was a potato curry, and after that, I started experimenting with various dishes with her help. A highlight for me was in my home economics class at school, where I made a trifle that completely blew my teachers away with its presentation and taste. My confidence in preparing meals grew over the years as I received praise and admiration from family, friends, and colleagues.
PT: You’ve achieved so much in such a short time. How did you do it?
Ramasami: As a key accounts manager in the petroleum industry with a full-time job in logistics, this venture started as a part-time pursuit. The encouragement from my family, friends, and husband, combined with my own passion for food, soon led me to make the bold decision to leave my job and dedicate myself to this business. So, on September 3, 2019, with just a modest helping of biryani, dhal, and salad, my unforgettable journey began. My business was exponentially boosted by an online presence on various platforms. However, none of this could have been achieved without love and support. I am deeply grateful to our beautiful ladies who work tirelessly to turn my ideas into reality, making Triple D’s Street Food a woman-powered success story.
PT: You recently held a Women’s Day event. What was your motivation for it?
Ramasami: Acknowledging the various daily challenges women face, I took the initiative to organise an event where they can momentarily forget their daily troubles, relax, enjoy good food, and dance to the rhythm of the music.
PT: What community initiatives are you currently involved with?
Ramasami: We have a feeding scheme once a month. We get up early to make sandwiches, hot tea, and coffee, which we give out free of charge near the Unit 10 Community clinic in Whetstone. There’s been a good response to this initiative, as we give them out to schoolchildren, workers, homeless people, and patients who have to get to the clinic early and may not have time to grab breakfast. We have faced considerable difficulties but after much discussion, we are poised to unveil an extraordinary initiative dedicated to empowering women within our community. We are currently assessing multiple concepts and tactics. Watch our Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp pages, which will keep you updated with what we are doing for the community, as well as further details for our upcoming programmes.
PT: Living in Phoenix, what are some of the struggles you see women go through?
Ramasami: Women encounter daily hardships such as unemployment, taking care of their families, or securing their next meal. On a daily basis, we receive calls from women struggling to feed their children. I try my best to provide assistance wherever I can to help families. It’s challenging to help everyone, but we try hard to achieve that by providing meals that are affordable on our menus.
PT: Often, the women who create a business are forgotten, completely overshadowed by the hype around it. What message would you give to young women in our society, especially those in school, college, or just starting a new business?
Ramasami: You got this! Whether you are crushing it in school, navigating college and life, or launching a new business, believe in yourself and your awesomeness. Chase your dreams fearlessly, learn from the bumps along the way, and lift each other up. You are capable. You are strong, and you are making waves. Keep going. Keep glowing. Just do your best to be independent and not rely on anyone to get through life’s challenges.
PT: Where do you get your courage and aspirations from, and who is your hero?
Ramasami: I would say that I draw my inspiration from my ex-boss, Boston Moonsamy. I have learned a lot from his teachings. He always uses the phrase, “If you learn to take care of the cents, the rands will take care of themselves.”
