A day in the life of a baker from Standerton

Freddy Mamabolo, better known as ‘Fredzo’, has been a Standerton resident since 2001, making waves in the baking world one vetkoek at a time.

Born in Limpopo in 1972, Mamabolo is the eldest of four siblings. His life changed dramatically when his father suffered a stroke during his matric year, forcing him to become the head of the household.

“At the time, my mother worked as a seamstress for an industrial backpack company. Money was tight,” explained Mamabolo.

He quickly found work at his aunt’s bakery to help support his family. That first step turned into a lifelong passion. After seven years at the Siyabusa Bakery, he moved to Shoprite, where he spent 15 years as a bakery supervisor. He then worked as a bakery manager at Pick n Pay for a decade.

Mamabolo always dreamt of owning a bakery. In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted life around the world, he took a leap of faith and started baking from his garage. Today, he runs a fully operational bakery of his own.

“My aim is to grow and employ more people in the community. The reason I have this shop is to help others, and that’s what I plan to do,” he shared.

Raised with the belief that “your jackpot is in your own hands”, Mamabolo has always believed in hard work over luck. That philosophy motivates his business, as well as his dedication to giving back and feeding the homeless.

“When we clean out old stock, we always give it to the homeless, because I know what it feels like to go to sleep hungry,” he said.

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His daily routine is intense and hands-on. His workday starts at 06:30, firing up ovens and preparing fresh baked goods. From there, it’s a whirlwind of baking, sales, supply runs, cleaning and prepping for the next day.

As owner and head baker, Mamabolo adapts recipes to customer preferences and ensures the highest quality in every loaf and treat.

“The best part about owning a bakery is providing people with fresh, comforting food,” he said.

He loves discovering new recipes and seeing his hard work bring results day after day. Of course, the job comes with challenges – dough that doesn’t rise properly or the sting of high electricity bills – but Mamabolo takes every setback as motivation.

He never imagined a baking career but now says he was “accidentally thrust” into a calling he’s passionate about. And he’s far from done.
Fredzo plans to keep feeding and uplifting the community for years to come – one batch at a time.