By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MASERU
‘Manthati Thulo’s business began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything changed. With lockdowns and to shops, she decided to start baking regular bread. Her husband soon became interested, and together they began exploring different types of bread and experimenting with various recipes, which turned out to be quite successful.
“We had a lot of time on our hands during the pandemic. He started learning and also watching the experts. It became a real passion, and by God’s grace, he became quite good at it.”
The couple then started sharing their creations with friends when attending dinners and luncheons. The response was overwhelmingly positive. One of their friends even placed an order for weekly deliveries of bread for their children’s lunch boxes and family breakfasts.
Encouraged by the success of that initial order, other friends also showed interest, and soon they were baking pies and pastries. The business gradually expanded, and eventually, they ventured into baking cakes, further growing their offerings.
Through this journey, Thulo and her husband have continued to develop and expand their baking skills, turning a passion into a successful venture, the Table7bread.
She said the journey has been one of growth and learning. “We had to learn on our feet. We learned along the way as we did business. Even as a unit, we have grown together, and now we have a better partnership. It’s been a journey of development and discovery,” she explained.
Some of their products don’t make it to the market, but she says they continue to learn new things, although these lessons come with costs as they explore the market.
They bake cakes for children, weddings, and family gatherings and different occasions. They offer pastries, providing a diversified range of products to stand out from others in the business.
She mentioned that the support they’ve received has been encouraging, with word of mouth playing a role in their growth as people share their positive experiences with others.
However, she noted challenges, particularly the limited supply of ingredients and packaging. “As the market is small, suppliers can exploit the prices.”
Thulo urged the government to provide platforms where small businesses can display their products and publicise their work. Publicity, she believes, would be extremely helpful in reaching a wider audience.
Asked how they ensure the quality of their products, she stated that “We ensure the quality of our products by using the freshest ingredients. We don’t use pre-mixed flour and always go for the finest ingredients. Even if people think our products are a bit pricey, we are committed to ensuring the quality is worth it.
She further pointed out that they rely “on the grace of the Lord Jesus for excellence” quoting the Psalms 90:17 “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” (NKJV)
“We want to serve our customers with what brings joy to them. Offering Basotho, the best-quality culinary products are what we love to do.”
A proud moment in her journey has been seeing the joy her cakes bring to customers. “In December of 2023 we got commissioned to Eswatini to make a wedding cake. We tried declining but the bride who is also a beloved friend insisted she wanted her cake done by none other, so we worked around logistics. It was a proud moment to have Table7bread cross borders.
“Also, we received a call recently from someone interested in buying a franchise to open Table7bread in South Africa. It was funny because we haven’t gotten to such an established place although it’s definitely a dream; such an encouragement to know that we have room in the marketplace,” she said.
Looking ahead, she said they aim to cement their presence and establish a place within the Maseru CBD.