By Matšeliso Phulane
Local much-loved pâtissière ‘Mamojela Masopha is conducting tutorials to empower aspiring bakers with skills to help them excel in the field.
She started imparting knowledge to other people at the end of last year after realising that there was a dire dearth of competent bakers.
In an interview with theReporter last week, Masopha said: “I figured I could share the skills I have acquired over the years with other people and make them realise how simple baking is, especially if one is eager to know.
“I also realised that as I get older, the time will come for me to exit and make way for others to carry the baton. I noticed that a lot of people have interest in baking and culinary matters, but didn’t know how and where to start,” she observed.
Masopha trains both adults and children aged seven and above who can write. Course content and structuring of lessons differs for each group.
For adults, she offers weekly sessions for five days while for kids there is one session conducted during weekends.
“To see if a person is well trained, we assess the cake’s stability; it must be smooth and should maintain the shape. Participants are still allowed to come even after training to use some of our equipment for décor in order to complete their orders since some of them are already selling.
“Opportunities available to them after completion include opening their own businesses and getting jobs such in bakeries.
“It is important to use your free time or your hobby to make money. If you enjoy culinary like me, pay for such skills in order to develop them and cash in on them,” she urged.
Masopha’s business started as a hobby in 2015, when she would bake and sell cookies to her colleagues at her then workplace.
Four years later, it became an official business when she decided to bake decorated cupcakes until 2020 when she decided to take her skills further and learned how to make cakes for sale.
“Baking just started as a hobby and eventually turned into a business. I did not learn it at school or anywhere; I just took to internet channels like YouTube every day,” Masopha recounted.
One of the main challenges she encounters in the business is regular power outages – making cakes requires electricity from the first step of baking to decoration.
“So, if there is load-shedding, it delays completion of orders. This sometimes leads to cancellations which leave me with no choice but to refund clients.
“Secondly, a cake is too fragile and it is possible that it could just fall off while trying to put it in a box for delivery. It then means I have to refund the client or start all over again,” she noted.
Currently, Masopha bakes for individuals and supplies other companies when they have events or want gifts boxes.
For orders clients can contact her on +266 62008684.
