From Nanny to Business Owner: The Parkhurst Woman Behind Yaya’s Rusks |
How Nelia “Yaya” Nglube turned a family recipe into a Johannesburg food brand. |
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Some Johannesburg businesses begin with investors and business plans. Others begin in an ordinary kitchen with a recipe people keep asking for again and again.
That is the story behind Yaya’s Rusks, a growing local brand started by a Parkhurst nanny who turned home baking into a small business built on consistency, word of mouth, and determination.
What started as rusks shared among family and friends slowly grew into something much bigger.
A Business Built Slowly
Like many small food businesses in Johannesburg, the journey was gradual.
The founder began baking rusks from home, building a customer base one packet at a time. As demand grew, so did the business. Today, Yaya’s Rusks can be found in local stores and neighbourhood cafés, with customers returning for the homemade style and familiar flavours.
The brand still leans heavily into the feeling of traditional home baking rather than mass production, something many customers increasingly value.
More Than Just a Snack
Rusks have always occupied a particular place in South African households. They are practical, nostalgic, affordable, and closely tied to routine, early mornings, tea breaks, road trips, and kitchen tables.
Part of Yaya’s appeal comes from tapping into that familiarity while still feeling personal and local.
And in a city where many people are trying to support smaller independent businesses more intentionally, stories like this resonate beyond the product itself.
Why Small Businesses Like This Matter
Johannesburg’s economy is often discussed through large companies and major developments, but much of the city still runs on smaller enterprises built quietly over time.
Businesses like Yaya’s Rusks create local income, circulate money within communities, and show how entrepreneurship often grows through persistence rather than instant success.
It is also a reminder that not every successful business begins with formal funding or corporate backing. Sometimes it starts with a skill people trust, a product people genuinely enjoy, and the willingness to keep going long enough for word to spread.
Before You Go
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