Tania Riley has been living in Benoni since 2013.
She has made a name for herself in the cake decorating world and she uses her skills to empower the community.
She spoke to the City Times about how she discovered her passion for sugar art and learning to do things for herself.
BCT: Where did you grow up?
TR: I attended a school in KwaZulu-Natal named Danville Park Girls’ High School.
I was never into sports, but I did do drama; I was captain of the house plays team.
I obtained a BCom in management from the University of South Africa.
BCT: Have you always worked as a sugar artist?
TR: I actually worked for Toyota in Cape Town for 13 years.
I really enjoyed it and it is a great company.
I won a prize for the best salesperson in South Africa and they flew me and my husband to New York.
It was quite an experience, but after they transferred me to Gauteng, I felt like I wanted to do something for myself.
I then developed this skill while taking night classes.
BCT: How did you turn it into a successful career?
TR: At first it was just a hobby and I was really passionate about it.
I ended up teaching sugar art in my spare time.
I calculated the hours I put into my sugar art in relation to the profit I was making.
I then decided to take a leap and put the hours I was working at Toyota into sugar art.
I have never looked back.
BCT: We understand you also have an NPO, tell us about that?
TR: I started a Facebook page titled Cake Decorators Network.
It costs R320 per year and we get together on the fourth Wednesday at the Benoni Baptist Church at 33 Wordsworth Road.
The initiative is non-profit and our aim is to empower people and everything is included in that price.
We mostly work with women, but men are also welcome.
I started this because when I wanted to do something for myself I had no idea what, so this is a platform for women to discover a different skill.
BCT: Why is the NPO so important to you?
TR: It is incredibly social and I love the diversity of Benoni.
I meet people from different cultures and this facilitates learning.
Anyone who is interested can phone me on 082 931 6200.
Also read: Mrs SA semi-finalist conquers her fear by entering competition
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