Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Correspondent
THE cake baking industry grew by 400 percent in the last 18 months owing to the Covid-19-induced lockdown, a development that will see the country’s creative industry growing.
With most businesses coming to a standstill due to the global pandemic over the past two years, the cake baking industry grew tremendously as players in the sector took advantage of the abundant time to work on their businesses. This was revealed by experts in the baking sector on the sidelines of a Bakers Excel Conference held in Bulawayo recently.
Local cake ingredients supplier and baker Ms Kathy Mwanza who runs Cake Fairy said the baking industry grew “As suppliers of baking ingredients we witnessed an increase in demand as people took advantage of the Covid-19-induced lockdown and dedicated their time towards backing. The cake art industry grew by 400 percent during the past Covid-19 period,” said Ms Mwanza.
The conference drew hundreds of bakers across the country, a testimony that small-scale baking was one of the fastest growing industries in the country and could contribute immensely to the growth of the economy. The growth of the sector is also visible nationwide as cake ingredients and other utensils have increased.
“In Bulawayo we had two shops that sold cake ingredients back in the years and as we speak we now have more than 28 which is a clear indication of the industry’s growth,” she said.
While encouraging other women and men to join the industry, bakers said it is one industry that was not capital intensive.
“I just started with a few lessons and bought my own ingredients and started backing. The ingredients did not cost me more than US$20 to make a cake for my first client. I have improved with time and I’m getting more clients and I’m very happy in this industry,” one of the participants, Ms Thelma Karuru said.
Cake art is one of the fastest growing industries that entails the creative industry which the globe is currently embracing. — @nyeve14
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