The sweet and savoury sisters feeding Stellenbosch

Nabeelah Cassiem is the founder and owner of Creamy Creations, based at the CoCreate Hub in Stellenbosch, while her sister Wardah Cassiem is the founder of Wadi's Kitchen in the same space.

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The entrepreneurial and community collective is on the corner of Victoria Street near Stellenbosch University.

A professional pastry chef, Nabeelah began her love for whipping up sweet treats at a young age. At just nine years old, she found her passion for pastries from the women who inspired her the most — her grandmother, mother and aunt.

Pies, rusks, carrot cake and traditional koeksisters are all crafted with care. “What makes it unique is that everything is homemade. We do everything from scratch. Our pastries are homemade, not store-bought. Our filling is from scratch,” says Nabeelah.

The baker makes pastries not only to satisfy local cravings, but also to allow tourists to experience traditional South African baked goods.

“People often come in here, foreigners as well, they are like ‘Oh my word, this is the Cape Malay koeksister, this is the traditional pie,” she says.

I had the opportunity to try the koeksister at Creamy Creations. The deep-fried crunchy treat dipped in a golden brown syrup is perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

“You won't often go into a coffee shop and easily find samoosa or proper koeksister, so that’s what makes us different,” she adds.

Sisters doing it for each other

Sisterhood is important to the Stellenbosch siblings. While Wardah is completing her Bachelor of Education to become a teacher, Nabeelah holds down the fort at the Hub.