Snowflake Rising Stars Awards R90,000 to Six Emerging Bakers in Eastern Cape and KZN
Snowflake Rising Stars Awards R90,000 to Six Emerging Bakers in Eastern Cape and KZN. Six emerging baking entrepreneurs have secured a combined R90,000 in business capital through the 2026 Snowflake Rising Stars competition, which expanded into KwaZulu-Natal for the first time this year.
Siphosethu Mbimbi of Crust and Crumble in Qonce won the Eastern Cape title, while Snethemba Mbatha of ChefS’ne_M in Umzinyathi, Ndwedwe, became KwaZulu-Natal’s inaugural provincial winner.
The Eastern Cape final took place at the Blue-Ribbon Hospitality & Cookery School of Excellence in East London on 3 October. Nkosomzi Damana from Gqeberha finished second, followed by Nthabiseng Mpinda from Mdantsane.
KwaZulu-Natal’s final was held a week later at the Chef Training & Innovation Academy Durban Campus in Morningside. Nokulunga Mncwango from Mtubatuba secured second place, while Silindile Dlamini from KwaNdengezi finished third.
Each provincial winner received R20,000 in business capital, while runners-up received R15,000 and third-place finalists received R10,000. All six bakers also received marketing and branding toolkits valued at R30,000 each, business skills training, media exposure and Snowflake products.
The competition’s third year in the Eastern Cape and debut in KwaZulu-Natal attracted 20 finalists across the two provinces. It is open to amateur and emerging professional bakers who have operated their businesses for less than three years.
Finalists pitched their businesses and presented a red velvet cheesecake prepared in advance before completing a 90-minute challenge to create a spring-inspired dessert using Snowflake flour.
Premier marketing executive Sibongile Mooko said Mbimbi and Mbatha impressed judges with their technical skills, creativity and business ambitions.
Both winners will also have opportunities to showcase their products at major shopping centres. Mbimbi is scheduled to appear at Hemingways Mall in East London from 29 October to 1 November 2026, while Mbatha will showcase her products at Gateway Theatre of Shopping from 5 to 8 November.
The showcases aim to help the entrepreneurs promote their products, reach potential customers and increase awareness of their businesses.
