For most people, bread is something bought from a supermarket shelf.

For Roosevelt Park resident, and now baker, Marc Vogels, it represents an opportunity to tackle unemployment, improve food security, and strengthen communities.

The retired Belgian chef, who now volunteers his time teaching free baking classes at Tshepo Community Development Initiative (CDI) in Northcliff, dreams of establishing community micro-bakeries across South Africa. Rather than opening another commercial bakery, Vogels believes small neighbourhood baking hubs could provide employment, affordable food, and practical skills to residents. “My dream is for South Africa to have little micro-bakeries with one oven in every community. Someone can manage the bakery while local people come there to bake bread, cook meals, or roast food. Young parents can work close to home instead of travelling long distances every day.”

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The 69-year-old chef has spent decades working in kitchens across Belgium and South Africa, but says the idea grew stronger during the Covid-19 pandemic. “When coronavirus came, we were sitting at home and there was no income. I started baking with people in the neighbourhood and realised very quickly that baking can become a livelihood while also helping people live healthier lives.”

His vision extends beyond simply producing bread. Vogels believes community bakeries could become centres where residents learn valuable skills, create income, and build stronger neighbourhood relationships.

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Every Wednesday, Vogels puts that vision into practice by teaching participants at Tshepo CDI the art of baking fresh bread and brioche. Although the weekly classes are free, he believes the skills participants leave with are invaluable. “If someone learns to bake, they always have a skill. Maybe they use it at home, maybe they start a small business, but everyone leaves with something they can use.”
For Vogels, every loaf represents far more than flour, water, and yeast; it is the foundation of a community he believes can rise together.

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