Following passion takes the cake
WHILE THE lockdown made amateur chefs and bakers out of everyone, Khensani Peters saw this as an opportunity to help those people improve their skills.
“Many businesses were birthed from that period and they realised that they could turn what was a hobby into an income stream. They started to invest in themselves more from there.”
Peters’ services as a professional baker for her company, Ntshovelo Cakes, came in high demand. She saw a gap in the market for online teaching and took full advantage of it.
While Peters is living her purpose, it took six years of working in the corporate world before she finally took the leap of faith.
“I worked in information technology and it wasn’t my passion but because I didn’t know what to do I was stuck. This is why I always emphasise career guidance now. When you’re doing matric and you’re clueless it’s good to have people come and tell you about other careers available.”
The 42-year-old studied at the then Durban Natal Technikon (now DUT) and on arrival realised there were courses she could have chosen but she just didn’t know about them.
“There were courses like catering, somatology and dressmaking. I’m good with my hands so if you teach me, I can do it. I knew from the beginning that IT was not it but I managed to pass it and get a good job, a good salary but I was so unhappy.
“After prayer and asking God to really reveal my purpose, it was revealed during my fifth year of working and I left in the sixth year. But I appreciate that journey. If I didn’t have exposure to the corporate world, I’d probably be envying them and wanting more of a ‘serious job’,” she said.
Ntshovelo Cakes came to be when she started to provide cakes to the tuckshop at her former job.
“I’d go to work then go back home and bake. All this happened after it was revealed that I should bake cakes. I’d make scones and cupcakes and drop them off at the tuckshop then do all over again.
“I baked all night, slept in the early hours of the morning and then went to work at 7am. That pushed me to make the choice to go ahead and bake full time.”
Peters honed her skills while helping out as an assistant to a baker Hilda Kemp, who took her under her wing and taught her how to use fondant on cakes. She would help out in the mornings then continue to learn on her own using the internet as a source.
“There’s a wealth of information online. Show me something once and I can make it I don’t struggle to do what I am doing.
“In IT I could do my job, I got performance appraisals, but I could feel it was a struggle for me. I knew I wasn’t going to excel in that career and that was frustrating. I didn’t want to just wake up in the morning to get a salary and pay the bills. I wanted more.”
When Peters started working full time as a baker in 2007, she began practising, learning and gathering equipment to launch the business. By April the following year, she had baked her first professional wedding cake.
Since then, Peters’ business has been going from strength to strength.
In 2016, she started her academy where she trains upcoming bakers to perfect their skill.
“A lot of people requested training, but black people were not doing that and I saw a gap in that market so I started the academy.”
She has since taught over 1 000 people to improve their skills.
“I train about five people every week. I used to train people individually and then during and after lockdown I couldn’t do one-on-ones anymore. So I started to set dates for people to come in groups.
“You need to be able to give each student individual attention. I don’t want to have 15 or 20 people in a class. This is art and you need to give people attention and work with them.”
These days Peters has an assistant to help with the workload.
With students coming from neighbouring countries like Botswana and Zimbabwe, Peters is looking to expand her space and offer accommodation to more people.
“I’m working towards expanding the academy where we’ll offer more variety with the courses we have and also offer longer period courses.
“I want to be able to offer potential clients a more inclusive offering where they can have a one-stop shop and not have to source cakes, decor or venue from different suppliers; they’ll be able to get it all at one place.”
The online classes she started recording will be launching at the end of this month on the Ntshovelo Cakes website.
If you don’t know what Ntshovelo Cakes is all about, check out Peters’ Instagram and Facebook pages (@ Ntshovelo_Cakes) for more.