Golly Bakery’s Tauya rules the roost

His legion of friends and admirers call him Father Manicaland!
Golly Bakery managing director and the newly crowned Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce businessman of the year for Manicaland Province Samuel Tauya has carved a business image for himself that leaves many people green with envy.
For his feat, Mr Tauya was named the ZNCC second runner-up national businessperson of the year for the year 2013 after his confectionery brand, Golly Bread, fast became a household delicacy in the mountainous province.

For the past 15 years, Golly Bakery has played a central role in defining every household’s breakfast menu.
The bakery’s popular bread, the Golly Bread, has become the people’s choice not only in Manicaland province but the nation at large.

Yes, the Golly Bread brand is enjoying monopoly in the province but is steadfastly extending its dominance to other provinces.
After starting as a small backyard bakery in the densely populated suburb of Dangamvura, Golly Bakery has grown in leaps and bounds.

It has become one of the most popular bakeries with the expanding market and distribution base.
“Our aim is to become the most popular confectionery company throughout Zimbabwe in terms of distribution and supply.

“In Manicaland province, we have managed to dominate the market and we are beginning to penetrate the market in other provinces,” bragged Golly Bakery head finance Mr Simon Musabayana.

Golly Bakery started on a low scale, supplying only a few shops in Dangamvura yet to boast a fleet of 30 delivery trucks and produces 40 000 to 44 000 loaves of bread per day.

It was in 1999 when Tauya laid the foundation of his empire by renting a small shop, which he later turned into a bakery in Dangamvura’s Area 13.

Then he was still to acquire a delivery truck and Golly Bakery marketing team had to rely on one pick-up truck to deliver bread to local shops.

In 2001, Golly Bakery became popular in schools with the company’s cream-pasted half loaves selling like hot buns. The delicious half loaves were also popular in shops and it was during this time that Golly Bakery took the advantage of their well-known products to penetrate Mutare City and its environs.

“Demand for Golly Bakery bread grew overwhelmingly so the company introduced 24-hour working shifts.
“We also improved on the quality of our bread and it’s became the people’s favourite in Mutare,” said Musabayana, one of the most experienced employees to be with the company since its inception. Now a member of senior management staff, Musabayana has the history of the company on his fingertips from its birth to the present.

By the end of 2002, the demand for Golly Bread and its confectionery continues to rise, prompting the company to purchase three trucks to meet the soaring demand.

By then the market had expanded to areas which included Chipinge, Chimanimani and Nyanga.
As the business continued to grow, Golly Bakery relocated to a more spacious place in Mutare light industrial area where to date they are producing between 40 000 to 44 000 loaves of bread per day.

With state-of-the-art machinery and working 24 hours, Golly Bakery is now distributing to most parts of the country.
For all the hard work, Golly Bakery director Tauya has a collection of accolades which include Small and Medium Enterprises Entrepreneur of the year 2009, the Most Resilient Company of the year 2012, among others.

Tauya is the reigning businessman of the year 2013 and was again named the second runner-up national business person of the year 2013.
A philanthropist who has the poor at his heart, Tauya has been assisting several underprivileged pupils in Mutare by funding their studies.
To date Golly Bakery employs over 300 workers and the Golly brand is hitting the purple perch. — Zimtravel.