Financial struggles can hit anyone. Nelia Ngulube has walked that difficult path for years. Along the way, she realised something powerful: the answers she was looking for were already in her hands. Without leaving her full-time job, she opened a new chapter, turning her love for baking rusks into a real business.
Now she’s rising steadily, proving that sometimes all it takes is looking up, asking for help, and remembering that there’s no shame in needing support.
Ngulube, from Pankhurst in Johannesburg, has worked as a nanny for different families for around 15 years. Her role has always focused on caring for children, from newborns up to preteens, depending on the family.
During one long-term placement, she met “Granny Gill” from Craighall, Johannesburg, who taught her to make rusks from scratch, a skill Ngulube treasured and practised until she perfected it.
Turning baking into a business
When that family later moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Ngulube found work with Kate Wilkinson in 2023, looking after her twin boys. She noticed how much Wilkinson loved rusks and how often she bought them from shops.
“One day I told her I could make rusks myself, and that’s how the idea for Yaya’s Rusks began.”
Nelia Ngulube
Wilkinson bought the ingredients and asked her to make a batch. She was impressed with the result.
As Ngulube’s financial pressures grew, she confided in Wilkinson about her situation. “Kate told me, ‘You can make rusks and sell them.’ I was surprised that it could actually turn into a business.”
Ngulube started with small batches, and Wilkinson helped with social media marketing. By April 2025, Yaya’s Rusks had officially launched.
Today, the business is thriving online, with orders coming from across South Africa and even internationally. “Yaya’s rusks have reached all over the country. Sometimes I even get orders for families in the UK, Switzerland, and beyond.”
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Rising to the occasion
Ngulube balances her time between looking after the twin boys and baking rusks during their nap times. Weekends also work well for her, especially when fulfilling orders from other provinces.
She says the business has already allowed her to buy a stove, something she is very grateful for.
Within just a few months, she also secured a partnership with Mamamacs, a bakery in Cape Town. They agreed on a deal where she shares her recipe in exchange for a percentage of the sales.
“I am happy with the arrangements,” Ngulube says.
She also notes that Granny Gill, who originally taught her how to bake, still supports her by buying her rusks, as she no longer bakes like she used to.
Her baking skills didn’t develop overnight. She started with simple ideas and experimented by adding different ingredients to see how they would turn out.
She adds that even for someone just starting their business, “It doesn’t have to go exactly as planned just because that’s what you know. Challenge yourself and see how creative you can be.”
Ngulube tells Food For Mzansi that the name of the business, Yaya’s Rusks, came from another family she worked for.
“Being a nanny, the babies you look after always give you a name. I got the name Yaya from a little boy I cared for in Craighall Park. Everyone else called me Nelia, but he just picked up the ‘ya’ at the end and started calling me Yaya. That’s where the name came from.”
Ngulube’s tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
- Keep persevering, even when progress feels slow.
- Maintain high standards in everything you do.
- Be open to advice from others.
- Seek help when you need it.
- Stay adaptable and patient.
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