Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Catering to kiddie market
From working at the casino to being an entrepreneur
AFTER working at GrandWest Casino for about five years Nosipho Ntutu, the founder and co-owner of Sintu Projects, felt her job was no longer challenging and she also saw a need for a children’s party planner in Gugulethu.
In June 2010 Ntutu quit her job and teamed up with her sister to buy kiddies’ tables and chairs and that’s how the business, Masdlale Party Planners, which is owned by Sintu Projects, was born.
Ntutu says the business offers edutainment for children. Other services on offer include event co- ordination, venue sourcing and hiring services.
“We also supply cakes, cupcakes and desserts; themed cups, plates and serviettes; balloon bouquet and balloon arches and party packs.
“The name Masdlale was selected thinking we will only service kids’ entertainment. As the company grew we realised the growing clientele’s needs determined and broadened the company’s services.
“More clients wanted more services especially for adult decorating.
“When we started the business, we offered birthday parties, Grade R graduation parties, family days and now we have extended our services to baby showers, charity events, school excursions, decorating birthday dinners and weddings,” she said.
Ntutu, who hails from Gugulethu has two siblings, an elder brother and younger sister. The latter is her partner in the business.
“My mother taught us how to bake, we later used that skill to start our confectionery services. While I mainly focus on decor and event co-ordination, my sister bakes and decorates the cakes,” she says.
Sintu’s operating philosophy is “to create memorable outstanding events so that children are inspired and motivated to be who they are in a welcoming and safe environment”.
“A space that encourages hard work, innovation and collaboration in the community.
“While we have come a long way as a business, we are still in the developing stages and now we have paperwork for all our activities and internal processes. Now we can produce business documentation and record keeping.
“In 2015 we cut out the middleman and started our own confectionery.
“We now bake cakes, cupcakes, scones, muffins and desserts.
“Last year we launched a weekly cake sale. This enables our customers to walk in and get their preferred cake or cupcakes, unlike before a client would need to order say six cupcakes, for example, three weeks in advance.
“However, cakes for special events are booked at least a week in advance,” says Ntutu.
Apart from weekly birthday parties Sintu Projects also creates events that involve the community and combat social ills.
“We believe children are the future, therefore, we must pave the way for them and offer support by making essential services accessible in the community,” she says.
This year Sintu will start a training programme suitable for students at tertiary level.
“The students will join the company and will be exposed to practical work and also be given an opportunity to have some input in the operating process in terms of making the process easy and accessible to clients,” she says.
“On December 16 last year we closed the year with a bang by hosting our first annual K2K carnival.
“Its main objective was to strengthen the parent- child relationship,” she said.
Ntutu says in five years she sees Sintu as continually creating annual events that support community development, enhance parent- child relationships, encourage entre- preneurship, supports unemployed youth as well as provide confectionery services to the corporate world.