MEET DURBAN’S CAKE BOSSES
From side hustle to thriving business, success is tasting sweet for Bakers Gallery SA and its dynamic young owners, writes
Ambitious bakery owner, Skhumbuzo Maphanga, will not rest until he supplies as many KwaZulu-Natal chain supermarkets as he can with his decadent cakes and pastries. Maphanga, 37, started Bakers Gallery SA in 2013, with a home industry shop to supplement his salary as a Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) pastry chef.
By 2018, he was struggling to keep up with demand for his growing baking business and had to choose between his full-time job or building his own business.
He chose to go it alone and registered Bakers Gallery SA, which is now a thriving enterprise, providing 10 Spars with his baked goods. He recently added two Pick n Pay stores to his repertoire.
“One of the owners found our cakes at a Spar and he contacted us. Spar did some indirect marketing for us,” says Maphanga. “We are doing cake slices, which include carrot, chocolate, chocolate-hazelnut and vanilla. We also do the rainbow cakes and a round cake, which comprises eight different flavours.
“I had always been passionate about baking as a kid. Cooking is something I loved doing but I wanted to be in the front of office as well. I studied culinary management and I loved it.”
This, coupled with his training in baking, has given him all the right ingredients for a successful bakery.
Maphanga’s younger brother Siphesihle, who shares the same passion, also trained as a chef and joined the business.
Ntobeko Ndlovu, a qualified teacher and medical scientist, became the third partner and brought his business management skills to Bakers Gallery SA.
Covid forced the partners to relook at the business of concocting high-end celebratory cakes. When orders came to a halt, they realised they needed to move into the mass-market cake line.
“In 2020, we had our first break into the retail sector with a contract to supply cake loaves, cake slices, cake rings, cupcakes, biscuits, tarts and pastries to a Spar store,” says Maphanga.
“Within eight months, we were supplying 10 Durban-based Spar supermarkets and needed to expand to bigger, better premises.”
Bakers Gallery SA recently became one of the first tenants at Dube TradePort’s mini-factory complex.
“Our output in terms of cakes to supermarkets is about 30 units a day,” says Maphanga. “I want more supermarkets on my books. My current goal is to get about 50 stores. I want to get Checkers, Spar and Pick n Pay.”
The business has grown to nine staff members, including four bakers.
With a business plan backed by detailed research, and documented demand for their products, the trio’s future plans are to supply retail central distribution centres and use online shopping platforms to market their cookie line.
“We’ve started supplying our cookies on Takealot, but we also want our own online store within the next few months.”
Bakers Gallery is also looking to collaborate with caterers supplying cakes, cookies and desserts.
Recently, it supplied 1,200 desserts for a Midlands wedding.
It has also supplied the likes of Durban ICC and Balmoral Hotel in Durban with desserts for big functions.
The business has started short baking courses and plans to open a training facility for people who have a passion for baking and the art of cake making, which will be open to disadvantaged youth.
“It will also be a great way to teach people how to bake and empower themselves by means of selling,” says Maphanga.