The first batch of graduates who were part of V&A Waterfront’s multi-million rand Makers Landing Programme, have emerged victorious after completing a four-month intensive training programme.
Makers Landing is a new food community in the heart of the Mother City. There, connections are formed, and positive change is initiated through Mzansi’s diverse food palate. R63 million was invested in the launch of Maker’s Landing.
In a media release, the company said the structured programme offered eight Cape Town food entrepreneurs an opportunity to benefit significantly from mentorship, training and affordable access to a licensed commercial kitchen space.
The graduates are the first to complete Makers Landing’s Food Lab Incubation Programme, which was launched in December 2020.
Zulfa Cassiem of Ooh Fudge, Charmaine Govender-Koen of Charm’s Kitchen, Cikizwa Galela of Ciki Graceland Café, Jane Nshuti of Tamu by Jane, Saa-rah Adams of Frikkadeli, Faieez Alexander of Fuzzy’s Food, Lester Adams and Connor Wolstencroft of Slow & Low, and Gareth Forbes and Jen Wheatley of The House of Yummy, are the candidates that graduated from the programme on 21 May 2021.
Solid business foundations
Housed within the reimagined Cape Town Cruise Terminal, Makers Landing is an industrial, repurposed space that meets the vision of an inclusive, authentic space of learning, growth and connection.
At the core of this project is the kitchen incubator space, where local foodpreneurs can innovate, learn and grow their businesses within a local food community.
The space, developed in partnership with the Jobs Fund, champions small business development and facilitates skills sharing between credible food experts and budding entrepreneurs.
Makers Landing says they provide the perfect environment for growing food businesses, while the incubation programme demonstrates the value of assembling the right partnership ecosystem, skills and resources.
Alex Kabalin, V&A Waterfront retail sales executive explains the incubation programme immerses entrepreneurs in an inclusive and innovative space where they will be nurtured by food industry mentors who are influential and successful.
“Our intention is to attract talented young people to the sector by removing some of the barriers to entry such as technical and operational resources.”
“By matching natural creativity and passion for food with knowledge and new skills gained, our food entrepreneurs will be better prepared for success in what is a tough and competitive industry,” he says.
The structured programme is said to offer opportunities to qualified start-ups and existing small food businesses.
The programme runs over four months, with two sessions a week, of two to three hours each. The course content, which was developed by Stellenbosch University’s LaunchLab and industry experts, is a combination of online modules, in-class learning and individual assignments. These are supplemented with technical expert support and weekly mentor meetings.
Furthermore, the program combines online learning, classroom sessions, industry experts and use of the Makers Landing commercial kitchen.
The focus, Makers Landing says, is on laying solid business foundations, providing entrepreneurs with tools for success, and working purposefully towards their business goals.
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Opportunity for Cape Town food bosses open
Applications are now open for the next programme which will run from 3 August to 1 December 2021
Successful candidates will have access to a commercial kitchen space, as well as the opportunity to participate in Makers Landing programming and events, and market opportunities.
Existing food businesses that are actively selling or operating, and that have been in operation for less than three years, can apply too.
Kabalin says, “Our intention is to attract talented young people to the sector by removing some of the barriers to entry such as technical and operational resources.
“We are specifically looking for early-stage entrepreneurs [start-up, aspirant and grassroots] with limited access to resources, in the packaged foods, food service and catering industries.”
Interested candidates can visit the Makers Landing website at www.makerslanding.co.za. Applications close on 30 June 2021.
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