After years of struggling to find stable employment, Mdantsane resident Viwe Mfazi turned to selling fat cakes to earn a living.
What started as a small survival plan has since grown into a home-based food business supplying baked goods and meals to schools and businesses around Mdantsane NU6.
Mfazi, 38, was born and raised in Mdantsane and matriculated in 2006.
Before starting her business, she worked various part-time jobs while searching for permanent employment.
Like many young people in the township, she found it difficult to secure stable work and eventually decided to create her own opportunity.
“I mostly started because of unemployment and because I wanted something that would be my own,” she said.
Mfazi launched KwaMfazi Business in 2023 by selling freshly-made fat cakes to school pupils in her area.
Operating from her kitchen at home, she would wake up early every morning to prepare dough before pupils arrived at school.
The business initially focused only on fat cakes because they were affordable and popular among pupils during break times.
As support for the business grew, Mfazi gradually expanded her menu.
“Once I started with this simple idea, I knew I wanted it to grow into something I can be proud of,” she said.
Today, KwaMfazi Business also sells homemade pies, burgers and doughnuts.
Her pies are filled with ingredients including mince, chicken and vegetables, while the doughnuts are available in a range of flavours and toppings.
Most of her customers are schoolchildren and workers from businesses around NU6, though Mfazi said social media had helped her attract customers from other areas as well.
“Social media helps me attract other customers outside my area,” she said.
Mfazi said she enjoyed preparing fresh food daily and valued the support she received from loyal customers.
She believes consistency and good customer service have helped the business grow steadily.
“Having something to do and seeing people enjoy my products fulfils me, so I am always trying to improve my business and come up with new ideas,” she said.
Despite the growth of the business, Mfazi still faces several challenges.
She currently works alone from a small kitchen at home, preparing all the food herself.
“My biggest challenge is space because sometimes it limits how much I can make,” she said.
Running the business alone also means long working hours, with much of her day spent preparing ingredients, baking and selling products.
“There are difficult days, but I keep going because I want the business to succeed, and I have to remember why I started,” she said.
Mfazi said the business had given her a sense of purpose and independence after years of uncertainty.
Instead of waiting for opportunities, she decided to create one for herself using the limited resources available to her.
She hopes to eventually move into a larger workspace where she can expand the business further and create jobs for other people in the community.
For now, she remains focused on improving the business and maintaining the support of her customers.
“You must not give up on what you want to do because you can start small and grow with time,” she said.
Daily Dispatch