Juggling a busy schedule while keeping your family healthy and happy is tough. Especially if you want to avoid the temptation of relying on convenient and, let’s face it, mostly unhealthy and expensive fast food. In the Far East, frozen dumplings have been a long-standing healthy and quick solution to this problem. With less than 10 minutes of prep time, they offer a nutritious and filling meal in delicious bite-sized portions.
Tina Long, a Taiwanese-born South African, recognised the value of this Asian food delicacy after spending time with her ailing father in Taiwan. When she returned to South Africa, she was determined to introduce a new freezer staple to the local market, similar to fish fingers and frozen pizzas, but with a distinctly Asian twist.
In 2020, just as Tina’s newly established business, Home Bao, was poised for growth with the establishment of a commercial kitchen in Salt River in Cape Town, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leading to a nationwide lockdown. This sudden change posed a significant challenge for her business, as their cash flow was tied up in the new kitchen, and traditional retail avenues were severely restricted.
Faced with this challenge, Tina quickly pivoted to an online business model. She launched Home Bao’s online store within a week, enabling the company to deliver frozen dumplings directly to customers’ homes. This shift to ecommerce was made possible through the use of Payfast by Network, a secure and user-friendly payment gateway that Tina describes as pivotal to Home Bao’s success.
Payfast by Network allowed Home Bao to accept a variety of online payment methods securely, a critical feature for any small business venturing into the ecommerce space. The low setup costs and ease of use were particularly important for Home Bao, as they had limited capital and needed a reliable payment system that could scale with their business. Payfast by Network provided the security and reliability necessary for processing online transactions, which in turn, allowed Home Bao to maintain cash flow during a critical time.
The online store not only helped the company survive the pandemic but also positioned it for future growth. As a result, Home Bao has continued to expand its customer base, with more South Africans discovering and enjoying their range of frozen dim sum. Home Bao now produces over 24 different types of Asian frozen dim sum, with a range of flavours and ingredients to suit various tastes and dietary preferences.
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