For ten years, every cake leaving OhsomeCakes has marked a celebration. From birthdays to weddings and baby showers - all of life’s milestone moments.

Behind these beautifully decorated cakes, however, owner and director Ntswaki Mtshali was managing a less visible challenge: getting paid.

Before introducing digital payment options, her bakery relied heavily on cash or manual electronic transfers. Every order meant sharing banking details, waiting for proof of payment and following up with customers before work could begin.

“It was a slow process,” she explains. “You couldn’t always confirm an order immediately because you had to wait for payment confirmation.”

The uncertainty affected more than the administration. Delayed payments and last-minute cancellations made it difficult to plan production, purchase ingredients and manage cash flow with confidence.

Although trained as a professional chef, she never imagined that baking would become her life’s work. After discovering a passion for creating cakes, she established OhsomeCakes, which has grown into a popular bakery and coffee shop serving customers in Thembisa.

Today, alongside luxury cakes and confectionery, customers also enjoy hot and cold beverages in a welcoming café space. The business has built its reputation on quality, creativity and strong customer relationships.

As part of FinMark Trust’s Community Digitalisation initiative, OhsomeCakes adopted digital payment solutions that made paying easier for customers and running the business easier for the owner.

The difference was immediate.

Payments now arrive faster, transactions are easier to track and confirming orders has become far more efficient. The bakery has also introduced an upfront payment policy, reducing cancellations and providing the business with greater financial certainty.

“The transition has significantly improved our operations,” she says. “Payments are faster, more secure and much easier to manage.”

Like many small business owners, she initially had concerns. Would digital payments be secure? Would customers use them? Would the costs outweigh the benefits? Those concerns have gradually disappeared.

“Customers have embraced the convenience, and the systems have proven to be reliable,” she says.

While she believes there is still room for improvement – especially lower transaction fees, faster settlement times, and better integration between payment and ordering systems – she says moving to digital payments has strengthened both the business and the customer experience.

Her advice to other entrepreneurs is simple: “Adopt digital payment solutions early. They improve efficiency, make your business more professional and offer your customers greater convenience. At the same time, make sure you have clear payment policies and apply them consistently.”

Stories like OhsomeCakes demonstrate how digital payments are about far more than replacing cash. For township businesses, they can reduce uncertainty, improve cash flow and build the confidence to plan, invest and grow.

Through the Community Digitalisation project, FinMark Trust is working with local businesses and partners in Thembisa to strengthen digital ecosystems that enable safer, more inclusive and more efficient ways of doing business. As more enterprises embrace digital payments, they are modernising their operations and contributing to stronger local economies where businesses and communities can thrive together.