After receiving a positive response and orders on social media when she posted photographs of her baked creations for a traditional ceremony at her home, 34-year-old Zandile Tundzi discovered an unexpected passion.
Tundzi, from Ntabankulu, who started baking two years ago and is now a professional baker, specialises in traditional bread, scones, doughnuts, biscuits and snowballs.
She is also sharing her passion and skills with aspiring bakers through online classes.
Having grown up in a child-headed family, her aim had always been to work near her home to be close to her siblings.
After resigning from her permanent job as a cashier in Johannesburg, and returning home with no plan on how to make ends meet, she unexpectedly discovered her gift as a baker.
“My initial goal of finding a job was to fix my home situation, since we grew up not really stable in terms of finances. We grew up struggling.
“So after fixing my home in 2022, I then started my business of selling and printing clothes and selling perfumes.
“I realised there was nothing left for me in Johannesburg,” she said.
“My baking journey started when I baked for a ceremony here at home and I posted on Facebook.
“People saw it and loved it. That is when they started to place orders.
“To my surprise, the business that is now blooming is my baking one, even though I came back home to push my printing, poultry and farming businesses.
“I am now pushing all my businesses.”
Her online baking classes are also taking off.
“I recently started with my baking classes and so far I have taught about five people.
“With a non-refundable booking fee of R500, a person chooses a convenient way for them to be in class.
“Some classes are conducted on Zoom or WhatsApp, while other bakers just want recipes and methods.”
What keeps her going is her love for business, and considering the unemployment rate, she feels no need to go out and look for a permanent job.
“I do not want to go back to seeking employment, and this is my means of living with my siblings.
“No-one is working in my family, that is my motivation to keep on doing this business.
“My hope for the future is to have my own bakery place where I will bake, and I want it to start it here at home.”
Daily Dispatch
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