07 Oct 2024

In the wake of the high unemployment rate and subsequent economic turmoil in most households in Botswana, a two-member bakery at Kutuku stands testament to the government’s efforts to alleviate poverty among the rural communities. 

Established through the Rural Area Dwellers Development (RADP) programme, Kukutu Bakery was conceptualised in 2016, and is currently being run by 50-year-old Ms Keoikelame Tshotlego and Mr Sam Tlhaping. 

Despite sitting on her bakery skills for a long time, which she acquired at the then Rural Industries Innovation Centre (RIIC) in Kanye, she beams with joy and hope as she narrates the journey of running a business in the remote Kutuku village. 

The bakery sells bread rolls, loaves, fatcakes, scones, and biscuits, among others. “When we started we were four in number, but due to ill health, some of our members had to stop along the way and now it’s only the two of us remaining. 

We were trained by the RIIC through the Social and Community Development office here in Kutuku,” she narrates their humble beginnings. Even though their bakery, housed in the Village Development Committee (VDC) premises, is a beehive of activity on this particular day, she explains that their biggest customer is the Kutuku Primary School, which they supply with bread once in a while. Apart from that, she says individual customers rarely buy their products. 

Notwithstanding, Ms Tshotlego reveals that in an endeavour to increase their sales, once in a while she walks around the village selling fatcakes and others, which are easy to carry. Part of their long-time plan is to buy a vehicle that could come handy in selling as well as transporting stock from Jwaneng. 

She believes having their own transport would also grow their market beyond Kutuku. 

With the ever-growing dynamics of the pastry industry, she says they have plans to keep up with emerging trends in the market. 

While they are yet to add other products such as cakes, the council has already started preparing for a modernised kitchen, which will have more advanced equipment such as electric dough mixers and ovens. 

This upgrade would be less labour intensive and a better option compared to the traditional outdoor oven they are currently using. To her, the bakery should continue the legacy of the Kutuku community, hence she intends to share her skills with young people as her age advances. 

However, she says unlike her generation, most young people are reluctant to come and learn, particularly that all the processes are done manually and the bread is made through an outdoor fire. 

As part of the plan to create more job opportunities for young people, she has started the process of registering a catering business to diversify their services. “We are intending to expand our business and start a catering business as well and we have already started the process. 

Hopefully we will be able to employ more young people as we grow and diversify the business,” she says. In the meantime, she continues to enhance her skills through the internet, which has motivated her to start other products such as cupcakes and muffins. 

She is optimistic that as the clientele base grows, she would reap more proceeds and create the much-needed employment in her village. 

She is grateful that apart from following her passion, her income has significantly increased from the Ipelegeng allowance she used to get. 

She applauds the government for availing such programmes to disadvantaged communities, which she also says have the ability to nurture skills and talents from Batswana who are far from services. A community development officer based in Kutuku, Ms Kelebogile Letebele, says even though the RADP projects are generally not doing well in the area due to poor markets, the Kutuku Bakery has proven that it has potential to grow. She says the business currently has a year-long contract to supply the village primary School with bread. She says through partnership with Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), the bakery received some baking equipment in June. “The BITC recently donated bakery equipment, and the council is currently preparing a much bigger and advanced operating space for the bakery. We are waiting for the electrification of the building and other finishes before the equipment could be installed,” she explains. ENDs