Our story
We have been baking and supplying rusks to the South African community in Manitoba since 2001. In 2014 we opened Ubuntu Cafe & Bakery in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada and in 2016 we opened our online store, shipping rusks to (mostly) expat South African all over Canada. By 2019 the rusks business expanded so much, that we sold the coffee shop and now focus on baking rusks.
Our team consist of Anna and Stephan Badenhorst - a mother-and-son team. Anna is a professionally-trained baker and registered dietitian. Stephan has been baking rusks since he was 16 years old, and is now enrolled at the Human Nutritional Sciences program at the University of Manitoba.
Ubuntu white and whole wheat buttermilk rusks are made in our small commercial kitchen, where we only use the best ingredients: whole grains, real butter, creamy buttermilk and farm fresh eggs. We avoid the use of trans fats, processed foods, preservatives, stabilizers and additives.
Ubuntu is a South African Nguni (Zulu and Xhosa) philosophy, describing the way Africans approach life. It is how we serve our customers and our community, and encompasses humanity, compassion and goodness. Ubuntu dictates a spirit of sympathy, kindness and respect towards others.