I needed to find another way to earn an income, so I turned to the only other thing I knew...baking.
I started Ouma Bets Gebak from my garage with zero funding, zero startup capital and no financial safety net. I did not have a professional kitchen, expensive equipment or investors backing me. All I had was an R800 mixer from Takealot, a willingness to work and the determination to make something out of what seemed like nothing.
I used what I had and started where I was. Every batch of cookies, every order and every returning customer helped me take another small step forward. Growth was not immediate, and the journey was not easy, but I kept going. I could not afford to build the business quickly, so I built it slowly, one cookie and one customer at a time.
From the beginning, I knew exactly what I wanted to call the bakery. My beloved grandmother, Bets Barnard, has always inspired me through the way she lived her life. She worked incredibly hard and carried the responsibility of being her family’s breadwinner throughout her life. She faced every challenge with strength, resilience and determination. To me, she is truly a woman of steel.
Naming the bakery after her was my way of honouring the example she set for me. She showed me what it means to work hard, provide for the people you love and continue moving forward, regardless of the circumstances placed in front of you. Those are the same values on which Ouma Bets Gebak has been built.
What began as a way to survive and continue funding my studies soon revealed something much bigger. As I built Ouma Bets, I realised that I was a business owner at heart. For the first time, I understood why animal health had never felt completely right for me. Building a business challenged me, fulfilled me and gave me a sense of purpose that I had never experienced before. I had finally found where I belonged.
With the support of our growing community, Ouma Bets Gebak developed from a small garage bakery into a brand loved by customers across South Africa. Each order allowed me to reinvest in the business, improve our products and take another step forward. Nothing was handed to me, and Ouma Bets was not built overnight. It was built through sacrifice, determination, long hours and the support of every person who chose to believe in us.
Today, Ouma Bets Gebak is entering a phase of intentional growth. We are focused on expanding our footprint across South Africa while building a business rooted in quality, consistency and community. No matter how much we grow, we will never forget the garage, the R800 Takealot mixer or the customers who helped turn a desperate decision into a growing South African brand.
I firmly believe that we do not have to remain trapped by the generational circumstances into which we were born. Growing up poor may have shaped the beginning of my story, but it does not get to decide how that story ends.
You can start something from nothing. It may take longer than you hoped, and your journey may look different from everyone else’s, but slow progress is still progress. Starting small does not mean that you have to dream small.
Thank you for supporting Ouma Bets Gebak and for becoming part of our story. Together, let’s continue creating sweet memories, one delicious bite at a time.
