For the first time affordable, vegan and vegetarian food options are available on the dining and takeaway scene from her chain of restaurants. When 29-year-old Moyo came back to Zimbabwe after studying photography at Stellenbosch University in South Africa she was surprised at the lack of healthy food options in Harare. “I had gone vegan and vegetarian whilst I was out of the country,” she says. “When I came back home I struggled to find food options that were fulfilling and that tasted nice. There was just nothing”. Moyo and her husband got a loan from a friend to start the business. Moyo started off doing deliveries of her recipes in 2016 when she first moved back to Harare. In 2019, she opened her first location downtown at Joina City. Yanaya is a Shona word which means “it has rained – freshness has come”. Today, Yanaya has seven locations in Harare and Bulawayo. Yanaya serves food that is plant-based with a myriad of vegan and vegetarian options such as sweet potatoes and barley. Zimbabwe is a traditionally meat-eating country, and Yanaya’s success is a testament to how delicious the food is.
SOURCE: TRUE AFRICA