What started to make transport money for school has grown into a promising home bakery business for young entrepreneur Cebile Ncobile Nyoni, Founder of Lasiba Bakes. Nyoni said she started the business while doing Form 4 because she did not like asking for money from other people.
“Lasiba Bakes started with just biscuits. I started baking and selling at school to my classmates and teachers so I could make my own transport and pocket money,” she said. She said what began with a small container of biscuits soon grew into a five-litre bucket as demand increased.
Nyoni later expanded from baking biscuits to offering a wider variety of baked goods.
Lasiba Bakes is a home-based bakery specialising in muffins, rocky buns, jam tarts, scones, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes and biscuits for different occasions.
The business also caters for weddings, umtsimba ceremonies, funerals, birthdays and baby showers.
Speaking about her vision, Nyoni said she hopes to build one of the country’s most trusted home bakeries.
“My vision is to become Eswatini’s most trusted home bakery, delivering consistent quality, great service and products that bring people together for every occasion,” she said.
mission
She added that her mission is to bake with care while ensuring customers receive quality products and reliable service. “To bake with care, use the best ingredients we can access and serve customers on time while keeping the process personal,” she said.
Nyoni described herself as a hands-on and practical leader who works closely with every order before it reaches customers.
She said keeping clients happy comes from being reliable and maintaining quality. “Most of our customers come back because they know what to expect and they trust the product,” she added. Nyoni encouraged aspiring business owners to start small and focus on mastering their craft before expanding.
“Expect challenges with money management, inconsistent power supply and sourcing ingredients.
“Stay consistent, take feedback seriously and reinvest profits back into the business.” She said she never imagined the business would grow to where it is today because her original goal was simply to make transport money for school.
Nyoni said seeing customers enjoy her baked goods motivates her to keep going even during difficult times.
“Seeing someone smile after eating one of my baked goods gives me courage not to give up when things go wrong,” she said.
She is currently reading the book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki, which she described as a good read on financial literacy.
Cebile Nyoni, baking dreams into reality. (Courtesy pics)
