Sweet success for KwaMashu sisters doing it for themselves

What began in 2016 as five sisters baking muffins and scones to supplement the family income has grown into a thriving, women-led cooperative supplying supermarkets, community events, and walk-in customers across northern Durban.

The Vuka Uyibambe Primary Co-operative, based in KwaMashu, was founded by the Sibiya sisters as an informal bakery before being formally registered in 2018.

For Ntombifikile Sibiya, one of the founding members, baking was born out of necessity.

“It was the easiest thing to do because it was something we already knew how to do together,” she recalled.

Her sisters, Zanele, Sanele, Nomthandazo, and Bongekile Mtshali, all hold equal shares in the business.

“A turning point came when we first attended the North Regional Business Fair hosted by eThekwini municipality. The exposure convinced us to expand our offering to include chocolate and birthday cakes, wedding cakes, snowballs, doughnuts, cream buns, and bread,” said Sibiya.

Today, the cooperative’s footprint extends across KwaMashu, Inanda, Phoenix, and Newlands, with its sights firmly set on expanding into Durban’s central business district. For the sisters, the growth they have achieved is only the beginning.

Perhaps even more significant than the business’s commercial success is its commitment to women’s empowerment. From the outset, the founders adopted a bold policy: all future positions would be filled by women.

“We now employ six permanent workers and five relief workers whom we call in when big orders come in. We know what it means for a woman to have her own income, so where we can create a job, we make sure it goes to a woman,” said Sibiya.

Over the past two years, the founders have invested heavily in their own development, completing training in statutory compliance, environmental health, food safety, production management, marketing strategy, and financial management. The knowledge gained has strengthened the way the cooperative operates and positioned it for long-term sustainability.

The sisters’ dedication paid off when the business secured R2.4m in grant funding from the KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism, and environmental affairs department.

The funding enabled the cooperative to acquire a purpose-built baking facility and essential equipment, including machinery, office furniture, security and access-control systems, a delivery van, a backup power generator, air-conditioning, and safety equipment.

The investment transformed their production capacity and operational efficiency, allowing the cooperative to produce and deliver in bulk while expanding its customer base.

“We now supply cakes for birthdays and other special occasions to Spar stores in KwaMashu, Bridge City, and Inanda. We also have a steady stream of walk-in customers from the surrounding community who have supported us since our informal beginnings,” said Sibiya.

As SA marked Women’s Month 2026 under the theme “Empowered Women, Empower Nations”, Vuka Uyibambe is a powerful example of what that message looks like in practice.

What began as a modest family side hustle has become a registered enterprise that creates jobs, generates income, and inspires other women to pursue entrepreneurship.

With a clenched fist and a raised voice, Sibiya’s message to women is: “Let us rise, Mbokodo! Rise! Don’t give up. Running a business is not a bed of roses; it has its challenges, but keep going. Giving up is not an option!”

For a cooperative that started with little more than family recipes, a shared surname, and a determination to succeed, the journey of Vuka Uyibambe proves that women-led businesses can become powerful drivers of local economic development.

If the sisters’ ambitions for future expansion are anything to go by, their success story is only beginning. — GCIS Vuk’uzenzele: Happy Zondi