A YOUNG professional baker from Folweni is aiming to transform the area she comes from by imparting the knowledge she has to the youngest members of her community.

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Helping people is what Ntando Cele likes doing. She recently approached a local créche and asked to teach the children how to bake.

“Since baking is a skill that can be used to start a business, they are learning the business from a very young age so that they can apply it to start any business when they grow up,” said Ntando.

The children at Thembalesizwe Créche have learned to mix ingredients and make delicious and colourful cupcakes. Ntando runs her own bakery and it is a continuation of an activity she fell in love with while still very young.

“I loved baking and working with flour since I was a little girl. Whenever there were functions at home, I would bake my own cupcakes and scones and took great pride in decorating them with colourful designs. As I grew older, I realised I could do this professionally.” While working as a financial advisor at a prominent corporate company, she realised she could not handle studying a baking course part time while also baking in her spare time. She resigned from her job and studied baking full time. After graduating I started my own company, Ntando’s Bakery and I have been on that journey ever since.”

She finds the lack of homegrown businesses in Folweni regrettable, saying if South Africans are serious about growing the economy, they should start in their own communities.

“There are people who still believe that if you want to start a business you need to go to town and open one there. Our youth is battling everything, from drugs to unplanned pregnancies, and it is because it has not been instilled in them that they should be business-minded and have an ability to identify opportunities.”

While loadshedding and frequent water cuts have been the biggest challenge Ntando has faced in her business, dealing with people who do not believe that a product manufactured in the township can be of superior quality has also been a problem. She dreams of one day being able to sponsor a daily breakfast kitchen for children from struggling households.

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She has trained a number of young people, some of whom have gone on to do well for themselves. She is currently identifying more créches to visit and the plan is to visit one each week.  

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