/ 8 December 2017

Slice of life: Living, loving the sweet life

'I want to have my cake business and at the same time be able to do spa treatments and make-up.'
'I want to have my cake business and at the same time be able to do spa treatments and make-up.'

The first time I was nervous. And it did go well but only a few people bought, because they didn’t know my baking. As time went on, things went quite well — people actually liked my cakes!

Baking is always a part of our family gatherings.

When I used to do ballet as a child, there was one event that I remember. It was in Braamfontein, and we performed in front of an audience at the theatre. I made cupcakes for my family for the celebration afterwards. I made vanilla cupcakes and chocolate and mint-flavoured ones. There were even coffee and cappuccino flavours, too.

My mom inspired me, because I learned how to bake from her and measure ingredients. I started helping her when I was young, and from there on I began baking myself.

Now, I want to start my own business. I’m selling cupcakes so that I can go to university and study somatology, which is learning about the human body.

I want to have my cake business and at the same time be able to do spa treatments and make-up. I love calming people down and relieving pain.

I just want to go bigger and bigger.

I don’t know yet which university I will study at, but I want to have a career that will make me happy. I want to be passionate about what I do and, since I was young, I’ve had that passion for baking.

It’s special to me because it reminds me of my childhood and how it was back then. It takes me back to the person I want to be: I want to be free, do the things I want to do and have people outside my family and friends like what I do. — Shaun Nkosi, a matriculant in the class of 2017, as told to Ra’eesa Pather