Noxee bakes her way to the top

Only the brave turns their small possessions into big things in their lives. Noxee Cetywayo is a Mthatha native who left home due to health issues to open a bakery in the town of Port St Johns.

Most of them bake bread and work for others; only a few start their own bakeries while still working for others. Noxee Cetywayo studied tourism at Walter Sisulu University, but she was called to be a baker by fate.

“I started baking bread in June of 2019, and my long-term goal is to sell to all the surrounding shops as well as supermarkets,” Cetywayo explained.

Many people are unable to start small businesses because of fear and laziness. The establishment of bakeries by locals coincides precisely with the production of wheat in the Eastern Cape’s fields.

An increase in the number of bakers would increase the number of wheat and wheat product farmers. Experts, farmers, investors, and academics met in Cape Town in 2018 to discuss reintroducing wheat and sorghum as alternatives to maize.

“If you want to be a baker like me, start in your kitchen or at home, work hard, and don’t give up,” Cetywayo advised. Most South African university graduates require employment, and some suffer from stress that affects their health or commit crimes.

“The youth should learn to start things and not wait for government help; they should start with the little things they have and work their way up,” Cetywayo said.

Noxee Cetywayo, like all those who try, has created job opportunities for young people in Port St Johns. “I have two full-time employees, and I intend to expand the business to produce more bread in the future,” Cetywayo said.

Port St Johns has one of the highest unemployment rates in the Eastern Cape, and young people are looking for greener pastures elsewhere in the country. Every day, businesses like Cetywayo’s face challenges that make growth difficult. The main barriers to business development in this country are power outages and crime.

The Eastern Cape government has assisted many women in the province who have started baking businesses. However, assistance for women who bake is also available through Department of Welfare programs across the country and in various provinces.

Wheat farmers can start using their products by baking bread or training their employees to bake bread. This has the potential to reduce the price of bread and other baked goods in stores.