KONFECTION KORNER SECURES CORNER IN THE BAKERY MARKET
Konfection Korner Bakery is a home based business with a wider reach because of the quality and taste of their products. It serves sweet treats and aims at empowering aspiring bakers as well as diversifying its range of products in the future.
Owner of Konfection Korner, Maduo Borokgwe tells BG Style that what started as a dream, is now serving as a bakery business for her. She explains that she has always thought that baking is a unique skill in the kitchen. She has always baked as a young girl but now well- known for her rich and tasty cakes. At first, she would just bake anything, but eventually found a niche in confectionary, and operates from Tsholofelo West in Gaborone.
This renowned bakery didn’t just come to be but Borokgwe’s zeal and hard work worked out for her. She enrolled for several baking classes and mastered the art of using dough to brand her products. “I decided to make baking a lifestyle and started it as a business after several baking classes where I performed quite well. It was a double win for me because my love for baking goes a long way back even before I started culinary classes. I have always been fascinated by baking and it has now become my passion,” explains Borokgwe.
She started this business back in 2017 and explains that she always outdoes herself by unleashing her creativity in innumerable ways.
“I am always driven to do better and try new skills because of the feedback that I always get. The words, ‘ the cake was nice’ or ‘ we will order again’ keep me going,” she says. However, Borokgwe clarifies that in her bakery, she has a room for complaints and negative feedback, which she says enables her business to work harder. “I believe that complaints in a business setup should be seen as an opportunity to make necessary changes,” she says.
As a haven of sweet treats, they are not only limited to cake making but also do cupcakes and cake sickles. In her world of baking, cake sickles taste nicer and they are fun to make.
“This is a blend of cake covered in a shell of chocolate,” she explains. They also make dessert cups, made up of chocolate mousse, cake and whipped cream. She explains that they often bake upon request as their mission is to serve fresh products. They currently don’t have a delivery service but sell on pick up basis. She prefers her orders done at least, a week in advance, to avoid disappointments. “If a product was ordered well on time, we are able to discuss how the client wants it, and actually schedule when to do it, because we often get many clients, so we diarise events to deliver on time,” she says.
She adds that what sets her apart is the fact that she always offers new products, as she is always learning. She masters themes of events and engages her clients and help them to select a cake for their event of that time. “Some customers already know what they want, but others just tell us what their event entails, and then we are able to chip in and give advice on the type of cake to make,” she says. She however admits that there isn’t much of a difference amongst local bakers but she thinks most people consider her cakes and other baked products as they say they are affordable. Confectionery is doing well in Botswana, according to her observation.
She services a broad target market: “We often make products for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, showers and corporate events. We also aspire to create employment as well as empower people who are interested in learning about baking,” she says.