This Man Used to Work 16 Hours a Day – Now He Is the Cake Boss

A man living in Johannesburg, South Africa, saw his life completely transformed during the corona lockdown. Thanks to a WiFi password and a baking reality show.

It all started with the American show Cake Boss. A few recipes later, the baker has more than 1,000 followers on Instagram, makes up to 10 cakes a week, gives TV interviews and speaks at entrepreneurial events. “I didn’t know this kind of life before, I didn’t know this was possible for me… I feel free,” says Davy Tsopo, owner of the cake business Cakey by Davy, who now works from home and spends quality time with his son instead of pulling 16-hour shifts in a restaurant. “My story is a reminder to never undermine someone.”

In the wake of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, South Africans took to social media to urge each other to encourage Black-owned businesses. Even ex-pats who live in Japan, Italy, and Ireland order cakes for family back home. The self-taught baker wishes to open his own bakery where people can come in, have coffee and a slice of cake. “Imagine, one day I may be asking people to send in their CVs to work at my own bakery. Then I’ll be the real cake boss.”