Breaking bread with Refiloe Rantakae – founder of Borotho Bakery

Located in White City, Jabavu, Soweto, Refiloe Rantekoa is known as the Bread King. He is an award-winning self-taught hustler who sells fresh quality products at low and affordable prices.

Rantekoa graduated from selling fat cakes, mealies and snacks in Primary School to formally establishing a bakery. This young entrepreneur identified a gap in the bakery industry when the price of bread shot up in 2016 and was motivated to open a bakery.

Borotho Bakery, founded by four young, ambitious entrepreneurs, produces fresh baked goods such as white/brown bread and scones using natural ingredients.

The business struggled with limited production capacity, financial resources and market access, however, the Township Entrepreneurship Awards gave the business financial support that enabled it to secure a second vehicle to improve distribution.

Borotho Bakery supplies other small businesses like Spaza-Shops that produce Amakotas (Township Burgers) and the company has risen from producing 20 loaves a day to 400 loaves within 6 months.

Borotho Bakery positioned itself within the community by offering relevant products that are well priced.  Its pricing strategy is based on its target market’s affordability levels. This is Borotho Bakery’s competitive advantage.