Hailing from Bindura in Zimbabwe, Sibonginkosi Msipha, affectionately known as Mama Bongi, has a cookie brand of the same name. When she started working at a film locations company called Amazing Spaces, one of her duties was cooking for company clients. The cookies she made were so good, the clients could not stop raving about it.
“I was making lunches for the girls and baking cookies and crunchies for our clients. The clients loved the cookies, and they [asked], ‘How can we get these cookies?’. So, Julia [said], ‘Mama, I think this is a good thing for you. Just go for it. Just start your own business. And then we can call the business Mama Bongi.’ That’s how it started.”
Julia, whose full name is Julia Finnis-Bedford, is Msipha’s employer and mentor. Msipha took up her suggestion, and after lots of hard work, the Mama Bongi brand was launched in 2018.
Growing from strength to strength
Currently, Mama Bongi cookies are sold all over the country, including the ever-popular Wellness Warehouse chain in the Western Cape. The year 2020 was particularly good for the business, which is surprising, given how the Covid-19 pandemic affected most businesses.
Msipha explains that the only issue they had was a shortage of packaging materials. Business was in fact better than ever.
“Fortunately Julia had a friend who gave us packaging. I was busy baking and [there were] queues. A lot of people were waiting, wanting the cookies.”
So far, the journey into entrepreneurship has been rewarding for Msipha. She says, as the name and face of the business, she sometimes gets recognised in public whilst doing day-to-day errands.
“When I go to the shops, like maybe Pick n Pay, people want to take a photo [with] me. [And] my first time going to Zimbabwe on a plane. Oh, that was rewarding, just to fly from Cape Town to Zimbabwe.”
For Msipha, the ultimate reward this business offers her is the ability to take care of her family. She also adds that making a difference in the lives of others is a big motivator.
“We hired people who are taking care of their families. For them to also improve their lives, I’m happy about that.”
This article was first published here, on Food For Mzansi.
