2009-01-28 - KHUPHUKANI BAKERY

“Khuphukani Bakery is owned by four women in equal shares, they are; Melta Ubisi, Phumzile Maseko, Jeanette Dhlamini and Agnes Ndlangamandla. Melta previously worked at a restaurant and a bakery while Phumzile did home economics at school. Jeanette and Agnes are self taught in the baking of cakes. The four women ran a stokvel and eventually saved R97 000 which they invested in the business to procure the corrugated structure that they are operating in as well as domestic equipment like stoves etc. The also installed a 3 phase connection at the cost of R26 000.

When the GEP visited the company for the 20 Prioritised Township Renewal Project it found that the structure needed some improvement in order for it to comply with municipal by laws in terms of health requirements and a quality system known as HACCP(Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). There other need was the acquisition of industrial equipment such as: 3 Deck 3 Oven Stove, 60l cake mixer, 1.8m show master display, 7 dozen pie warmer table, sliding door beverage cooler, wrapping machine, 50l spiral dough mixer and 15kg Adams portion scale.

The impact has been 3 additional jobs since the intervention, namely; A cleaner, Baker and the person that will be doing icing (Male employee). Secondly, their busiest day of the year is the 24 December where previously they made sales of R5 000 per day, on the same day in December 2008, sales increased to R9 000 which is an increase of 80%. Thirdly their capacity has increased by 128.57% on one of the products, that is, scones. They have moved from making 126 cups a day to 288. Lastly their quality has improved because they have moved from mixing manually to automated mixers and their products are now uniform. In the past they would end up with products that differ. What could be done in an hour’s time can now be done in half an hour”