15 May 2017

The year was 2008 when Ms Rudhiro Kabwata of Etsha 13 was funded through the Youth Development Fund to the tune of P50 000 to start a bakery business.
In an interview, Ms Kabwata explained that she was motivated to open a bakery in her village despite the sale of bread under trees because she felt that there was a need for a hygienic service of a bakery that would cater for all.
She added that she had observed how trading of bread and fat cakes seemed to be of poor hygienic standards.

She explained how her business started operating with four employees from a residential plot before she moved to a commercial plot in 2015.
She said while her business was operating from home she felt that it was far from the market as it was not easily accessible.
She said the new place was now in the central business district of the village, and that it was well equipped with showers and toilets as a requirement of the bye-law officers.

Operating under Randa Baker’s Bakery, the business grew well during its first years of inception as she managed to obtain tenders to supply bread to primary and secondary schools.
Ms Kabwata clarified that her bakery business specialises in the production of different types of bread like buns, loaves as well as confectionaries. She added that despite competition from other venders selling bread under trees, she introduced new prices of some of her buns to sell at 50 thebe while all other venders sell at P1.  She also said another challenge she recently faced was being stopped from tendering to supply bread to schools as the job was only open to Poverty Eradication Programme beneficiaries.

She said it really affected her business as she had to retrench two of her employees, and now only relied on the sale of bread to individuals.
She also decried the inspection demands from bye-law officers which she said were at times harsh.
Ms Kabwata said her future plans were to expand her business to provide other services through the savings she made in her bakery business.  She added that so far the business has helped her improve her home steads, and even take her children to private schools. ENDS