WATCH | From Covid-19 bread price hikes to a township bakery

What started as a response to rising bread prices during the Covid-19 pandemic has grown into a township bakery that has provided affordable bread while creating opportunities for young people.

Emmanuel Tshokolo Mothae, 36, founder of Bots Bakers in Botshabelo, Free State, said the idea came to him in 2020 when he went to a shop and noticed bread prices continuing to rise amid household financial pressure.

WATCH | Inside Bots Bakers in Botshabelo, Free State, Emmanuel Tshokolo Mothae and one of his employees, Bulelani Qusheke prepare fresh bread for the community. What started as an idea during the Covid-19 pandemic has grown into a business creating jobs, skills and opportunities… pic.twitter.com/xTH8rq8WU5— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) August 25, 2026

“I realised that there was a need for affordable quality bread,” Mothae said.

At the time, Mothae was unemployed. He spent six months researching bread production, equipment and raw materials.

“I was also praying for a way to make money, to have a source of income,” he said.

Getting Bots Bakers off the ground required funding. Mothae received equipment funding through the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa), while the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) provided funding for raw materials.

Mothae still needed practical baking experience and employed a young man from his community who knew how to bake.

Mothae said financial management was one of his biggest first-year challenges. Though sales were strong, high operating costs strained the business.

“The business was doing very well, but the operating expenses were very high,” he said.

Bots Bakers depended largely on daily income, making it difficult for cash flow to match monthly expenses.

“You find that at the end of the month you have worked, but the cash flow does not correlate with your expenses,” Mothae said.

He admitted that his lack of experience resulted in unnecessary spending.

Mothae initially baked alongside his employees but later focused on running and expanding the business.

“A year after operations, I decided to work on the business and not in the business,” he said.

The bakery grew from four employees to 11 young people by early 2025.

Youth empowerment became an important part of Mothae’s business. Through a programme called Thusa Motjha, “Help a Young Person”, Bots Bakers took unemployed young people and gave them three months of practical training, experience and a stipend.

Of the young people who went through the programme, seven have since secured permanent employment.

The business has been lauded for its contribution to the community.

In 2024, Bots Bakers was recognised as the number one community contributor in the Free State through Eviza Number One’s Community Champions competition.

It received a Community Impact Award through the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana programme.

Rising operating costs eventually forced Mothae to restructure the business. The bakery moved from a commercial complex into the township after rental costs became too expensive.

The move has brought challenges as the business rebuilds its customer base.

“We now have seven workers, excluding myself, including three permanent employees and four temporary workers. Bots Bakers serves two communities, including schools and the community.”

Mothae said securing funding was not necessarily the biggest obstacle for aspiring business owners. Instead, he urged young entrepreneurs to ensure their businesses were compliant before applying.

“Being compliant is very important,” he said, highlighting Companies and Intellectual Property Commission registration, Sars compliance and having a business bank account.

It took him months to secure funding. He followed up through emails, calls and visits to government offices.

“I took eight months, making sure, asking questions, sending emails, calling, and going to the offices. Entrepreneurship is all about resilience.”

He urged young people to approach entrepreneurship with passion, resilience and innovation while embracing technology and artificial intelligence to identify opportunities and distinguish themselves in crowded township markets.

“AI is here. Invest your time in studying more on AI, on technology,” he said.

For Mothae, Bots Bakers is about more than selling bread. It is about creating opportunities for people in his community while building a sustainable business.