Incubator graduates toast to business opportunities

Eight food entrepreneurs graduated from the 2024 Makers Landing Incubator Programme last Tuesday, April 29, in a ceremony at The Pavilion at Breakwater at the V&A Waterfront. 

This marks the fifth cohort to complete the intensive year-long programme, which is designed to equip early-stage food businesses with the tools and support needed to thrive in South Africa’s competitive food industry.

This year’s graduates included meat smoking business Smoked by Buys; bold masala and homegrown ingredient food business FLAVRD; Artisanal fudge and sweet treats What the Fudge;  baking business Not so Plain Bars and Bakes; Sedap Homemade jams in classic and investive flavours; seafood business Cape City Seafood Boil; cake-making business Sassy Bakes; and private dining experience Utano Kitchen.

The programme, launched in 2021, has supported 30 businesses since its inception. Applicants who enter the programme get business development training, mentorship and technical support, market and finance opportunities, events, product development and specialised kitchen equipment.

The incubation programme is broken down into three phases:

• The pre-incubation phase (three months) is dedicated to identifying gaps in the business, key focus areas and building a strategy for future growth. This includes selection, contracting, baseline assessments and development maps.

• The incubation phase (five months) provides a comprehensive business development programme to prepare the entrepreneur for running a successful food business and scaling its operation which includes but is not limited to regular health checks to assess implementation, scale of operations (funding readiness, market support and funding opportunities), brand development, media and public relations, market readiness and bespoke programme technical support.

• The growth phase (four months) focuses on marketing exposure, unlocking growth opportunities, and building a sustainable brand and business.

“Every year, we’re inspired by the talent and tenacity within the incubator, and it’s always a privilege to witness the remarkable growth of the food entrepreneurs,” says Alex Kabalin, V&A Waterfront's retail executive manager. “The 2024 graduates have shown dedication, ambition, and a deep passion for their craft. It’s an honour to help them take the next big step.

Congratulations to all the graduates – we can’t wait to see what you achieve next.”

At the graduation, the incubatees introduced their progress to an audience filled with family and friends, as well as executives and mentees from the V&A Waterfront and partners Property Point. 

Noelfa Miller, from Rylands, was in tears. She said the programme was where dreams came true.

Ms Miller started her farm-style jam business in 2016, with fruits hand-picked from a Wolsely farm. She said one of the biggest things she learnt was the importance of food contamination, and the mentorship has helped her business thrive. She said she was happy that the selection panel on the programme saw something in her jams and preserves. 

Robyn Brock, from Westridge in Mitchell's Plain, was just two years old when her mother, Jacqueline Julie, started making oat crunchies to support her family because she had no job. She made her first crunchie 32 years ago and opened Xcelent Crunchies years later. 

She and her younger daughter, Biythany, decided to join the incubator programme, and Ms Brock joined them as it was a family business and she felt like "the missing piece".

During the programme, Xcelent Crunchies became Not so Plain Bars and Bakes, a business that allowed Ms Julie to raise six children, homeschool them, and care for her family for over 30 years.

"My daughters have taken up the course, and we have now transformed to Not so Plain. We are proudly from Mitchell's Plain, but we are not so plain," said Ms Julie 

Ms Brock, Biythany and Ms Julie said they were excited to graduate from the programme.

"This was our kick-start to the next level, and we are so excited about what the future holds," said Biythany. 

"Going forward, we are inspired to create these opportunities for other women within our community to create sustainable and profitable businesses. I homeschooled my children, and I could be at home with them because of a baking business, and you can if you're a mom who has a talent, you can too."

Ms Brock said she was so proud of the business, which is a story filled with faith and love.

"Because of the support and investment and mentorship, we are now operating from the Makers Landing kitchen at the Waterfront. We are so excited for our story, which is still unfolding." 

Laura and Ashley Spannenberg, a husband and wife team from Rocklands, Mitchell's Plain, started What the Fudge, a fudge and sweet treat-making business, in 2021. After Ms Spannenberg fell ill in 2023, she lost her job because of her constant hospital visits and decided to pursue What the Fudge full-time. 

"It's hard – when you work a job, you know your paycheck is coming, but a business depends on you. This programme helped us take our business to the next level. We have even created a sugar-free range for me to enjoy after I fell ill. The line is growing."

Mr Spannenberg said programmes such as the incubator allow businesses to grow, flourish and take the owners out of their comfort zone.

"One way it helped us was to put systems in place to get our financials up to date and to put the smaller tasks behind us so we can focus on the business."

Chef Rutendo Furusa from Table View runs Utano Kitchen, which had also catered for the graduation event, and specialises in indigenous African ingredients and flavours in her food. 

She said the programme had helped her define what Utando is, and how to run the business more efficiently.

"They helped me understand that for me to grow and scale, I needed to let some things go. I always want to be involved with everything, and I learnt that for me to move to the next level, I need to delegate and accept help. That way I will move forward."

The graduates all received a certificate of recognition for completing the programme. 

Visit www.makerslanding.co.za/learn for more information.