WHEN Mzansi went into lockdown, Naledi Dhlomo’s bakery business started to grow.
Today, the 30-year-old from Soshanguve in Tshwane has added pizza to the list of the baked goods she produces in her bakery.
She told Daily Sun she started baking cookies, bread, cakes and rolls for her family and friends in 2019.
As time went on, she gained confidence and started selling to the public.
Naledi said she chose to be a chef after she completed her military training in 2010.
“This is when my love for food developed. I struggled to get a job, so one day, I took my last R1 500 and bought a used cake-mixing machine. The rest as they say is history,” she said.
She said when she baked for her family and friends, she wanted to be sure of her product before selling to the public.
“I started baking bread and rolls when they gave me the thumbs up. Business boomed during the hard lockdown because people were not keen to go to the shops,” said Naledi.
The mum of two has employed two people and plans to grow her business in other provinces so that she can leave a legacy for her children.
Naledi also plans to open an academy.
One of her employees, Lindiwe Ndlovu (31), said she was grateful when Naledi offered her a position to assist in the bakery because she is a single parent. “Things are tough out there. I was grateful when I got this job because the social grant money is never enough,” she said.
Another worker, Sibusiso Moyo (30), said Naledi is empowering people from ekasi. “I’m grateful I am able to put bread on the table for my family. Working at the bakery has made life better. I am learning a lot and even developed a passion through this bakery,” said Sibusiso.
