Washing dishes at a restaurant is gruelling work. Labouring for long hours and little income, Davy Tsopo felt trapped. But when he lost his job due to COVID-19, he was desperate to find a way to support his family. As a father, his priority was to look after his baby. Tsopo’s next-door-neighbour shared his WiFi password with him, and he began watching cooking shows and YouTube videos. Inspiration came in the shape of a cake. Learning recipes, Tsopo discovered a penchant for baking. With the support of others, he started his own business – Cakey by Davy.
“I was lucky to be surrounded by a community of kind people,” Tsopo says. When he began experimenting, the people around him banded together to get him the supplies and opportunities he needed to make his dreams a reality. A neighbour donated cake tins, a fellow baker taught him icing over video, a friend designed his business logo, and a customer provided him IT lessons. All of these acts of kindness gave Tsopo the courage to become a full-time baker.
Growing his customer base on social media, Tsopo became the pride of his neighbourhood in Linden, Johannesburg. Soon he was getting orders from South Africans living overseas for their families back home. Today, Tsopo is baking more than 10 cakes a week, and with every order, he’s only getting better at what he does. “Each and every day I’m improving, getting new challenges,” he says. Cakey by Davy has flourished into a booming business, and Tsopo is now able to provide for his family. With the help of friends and strangers who saw Tsopo’s talent and passion, he has found success. “In life, never undermine anyone because of his or her current situation,” Tsopo says.
