Amantombazane – Baked By Yanda

Yoh Moovers! Big up to everyone who has been showing us much love and support on the blog.

Still keeping up with the spirit of Women’s Month. Without any waste of time, let’s get into it.

Today we have Aya, from Soweto and we will find out ukuthi Udume Ngani?

Featured – Ayanda Tshabalala (24) Naledi Ext 2 Represent

Fefe: Hello! Unjani Sisi, I believe you happy and in love?

Ayanda: Lol, I am happy and blessed!

Fefe: Alright then, please tell us a bit about yourself?

Ayanda: First things first , I am a God fearing woman and in all that I do, I put God first over everything else.

I am a baker and I’m also an events planner.

Fefe: Baking, how did it all start?

Ayanda: My passion for baking started at a very young age, way back in primary school, through the late Sis Thoko, who used to come and bake for my mom. I was really interested in what she was doing was doing, with her baking.

I used to spend a lot of time with her and she would come up with different recipes everytime and as they normally say, “the rest was history”.

The love for baking grew in me and I started baking as well, even though uSis Thoko was no longer coming, I decided to take it upon myself to learn as much as I could.

I would bake and sell at school, and that was back in high school. I stopped baking for family and relatives for about a year.

Then at some point, I decided to take this whole thing to a different level and that was when I decided to start my own business last year; Baked by Ayanda. I then started off ngama snowballs, scones, and wedding cakes, birthday cakes etc.

Fefe: Did you have any sort of capital to start you business?

Ayanda: No, I remeber I was working at the time. I was no longer happy with just baking for people just for free. This was in March last year (2018) when I decided to start charging for my services! And that, is exactly how I started.

With no capital at all… I formally registered both businesses, Baked by Aya and Yanda Aesthetics Events last year (2018).

Fefe: Do you have a partner or are you working alone?

Ayanda: No, I don’t have a partner at the moment, but I do have someone I work with, uZingisa. She is a darling and helps me get things done, especially with my events company.

Fefe: I understand you left your 9- 5 job, you took a really big risk. How was the transition from having a job, to you running a business?

Ayanda: Yoh! It wasnt really easy at all. I worked for mutltichoice at the time, while I was running the business on the side. It was really diffult to juggle the two.

There were times when I would need to bake for a client and maybe I would have a late shift at work. Well, I had to find a balance between my working hours and me running the business. I wouldn’t get enough sleep at times and it was becoming too much for me.

So, I then decided to resign. It was a difficult decision to make, because I had no money saved up at that time. I basically had to risk it all and tell myself that I will make my businesses work.

Having to leave my job and fully focus on my business is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, even though it entirely risky, it eventually paid off.

God has really been good to me and I totally rely on Him with everything else in my life.

Fefe: What are some of the challenges that you are faced with at the moment?

Ayanda: Well, because I do not have any employees at the moment. I think the main challenge I have, is balancing both my businesses or rather, managing both business.

Financially I am not ready to employ anyone at the moment, but it is something that I am working on.

Finding a balance in running two businesses isn’t easy, at times I might need to plan for an event (decor) and bake for a different client, and you find that the deadline is the same.

I believe that, if I can get my finances right and employ someone, then that would help boost my business.

Fefe: There is a saying that goes like “A way to a mans heart is through his stomach”

Do you think that that’s the case?

Ayanda: Lol, wow okay! Where do I start?! I beleive it is quite true. I have heard a lot of guys who would really complement my cooking, and wishing they could marry me, all because of my cooking skills.

Well, for now I wont go that deep into it, but I believe the saying has some truth in it (she blushes).

Fefe: Managing a business is not easy, what has worked for you to keep the business afloat?

Ayanda: Yoh, its not easy Kwa mampela ey, especially dealing with people.

Im grateful that I have some bit a customer service experience, from my previous job, it helps with regards to how I communicate with my customers.

Some customers can shock you in terms of what they want from you and if you do not deliver they would rather take their money elsewhere! With that said, customers can be difficult at times but we I have to take it with a pinch of salt.

If I had to answer that in one word, it would be :

” Consistency “.

Fefe: Since baking is a skill that you learned at a young age, are you planning on going school to sharpen your skill maybe?

Ayanda: Yes, I am doing short courses for baking at the moment, reason being that I need to stay relevant with the times and what is currently trending. I am also going to study something in line with the events side of things.

Fefe: What motivates you to keep pushing?

Ayanda: Most of the time I get so inspired, especially when young people like myself , applaud me for doing a great job with my baking or decor. I think that, on its own is amazing. That, on its own keeps me going.

Fefe: Is there any motto that you live by?

Ayanda: The moment you ask, and believe and know you already have it in the unseen, the entire Universe shifts to bring it into the seen. You must act, speak, and think, as though you are receiving it now.

Fefe: What is your favourite African dish?

Ayanda: Yoh Bafowethu, I have a lot of favorites, but the number dish would be uMgodu ne Dombolo mmmhh ya.

Fefe: Kasi or Burbs?

Ayanda: Lol , this is a tricky one for me. I would say both , I cant choose between the two. Because I enjoy my space a lot and peaceful places at times so I would go for the burbs but I also love food and I beleive real good food kuthola kala ekasi! So, ya its a bit of both. Lol.

Fefe: Great! Stay on the lookout for more of the amazing content on the blog, until we meet again next year!

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Until then Ghetto!