Meet the Muffin Man, Mandla
Everyone knows him for his friendly smile, engaging personality and delicious treats
A cook, baker and artist, Mandla Hlatshwayo is a man of many talents.
In and around Endumeni though, he’s known as The Muffin Man and people can’t get enough of his delicious treats. Mandla grew up in Umlazi and fell in love with the kitchen after watching his mum work her magic in there. Taking up a short course to brush up his culinary skills, he always dreamed of opening his own place, and still does.
However, it was put on hold slightly when he moved to Dundee after the passing off his dad. His dad owned property in the area and Mandla made the move to take care of it. The foodie bug soon bit him again and from 2016 he has been selling his tasty treats to locals around the area. It started with a 10 litre bucket of muffins, which he first handed out for free to people around town. “To make money, you have to spend money and I wanted to give people a sample of what they could expect from me.”
His advertising campaign paid off and when he went out the following day, people were eager to get a hold of his baked goodies. The rest, as they say, is history, and now Mandla is a popular figure in the area. Everyone knows him for his friendly smile, engaging personality and delicious treats. Everyday he walks from Sibongile into town where he sells his muffins for R3 each along the way. Once sold out, he stocks up on supplies in town, before returning home where he starts baking the next batch.
These are ready for the school rush and learners are eager to grab some snacks on their way home from school. Mandla continues baking through the evening as well, ensuring he has plenty of stock for the next day of sales. While he is known for his muffins, Mandla is also an excellent cook as well. He also does orders for food and baked goods for events and runs a mini tuckshop. The dream though is always to open his own business where people can sit down and enjoy his treats in a relaxed environment. For now, Mandla is navigating the current Covid-19 situation. “I was affected quite badly during lockdown and lost out a lot on income.
“I’m glad to be able to bake again though and bring smiles to people’s faces.” Mandla is following strict hygiene and safety standards to make sure that his goods are safe to be sold.
If you would love to sample some of Mandla’s magnificent muffins or other treats, contact him on 078 779 2940. You can also visit his little store at 955 Madondo Street, Sibongile. With uncertain times ahead but big dreams in place, Mandla is confident that muffin (nothing) is going to stop him now.
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