There are moments in business that no one celebrates.
Signing the lease on your first shop is exciting, cutting the ribbon on a new store feels like success and seeing customers queue for your product makes all the hard work worthwhile. But quietly locking the doors for the last time is a very different feeling.
For Pretoria entrepreneur Duduzile Mkhize, closing three Cherry On Top Ice Cream kiosks last year was one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make. Those stores represented years of sacrifice, hope and determination. Walking away felt like losing a part of herself.
Today, she sees it differently. “It wasn’t about giving up; it was about starting again and building something better,” she says.
That shift in perspective has transformed not only her business, but also the way she sees success.
Long before Cherry On Top became a familiar sight in Pretoria, the business existed only as a story.
Years ago, Duduzile’s husband left Tanzania to study in South Africa. With no family to support him, he took a job selling ice cream on the beach to support himself. He eventually completed his degree, but that lesson stayed with Duduzile.
She realised that determination could open doors even when circumstances seemed impossible. She wanted her children to grow up knowing that success isn’t handed to you; it’s built through hard work, resilience and a willingness to keep going.
That simple story became the foundation of Cherry On Top Ice Cream: “It became the legacy that I wanted to pass on to my children. In life there’s no excuse. If you want to achieve something, you do whatever it takes,” says Duduzile.
After spending 18 years in banking, Duduzile made a decision many people only dream about; she resigned from her job, invested her pension money in a custom-built mobile ice cream trailer and began serving customers at events around Pretoria.
She didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs. There was no blueprint, no mentor waiting in the wings and no guarantee that the business would succeed. What she did have was a belief in herself.
That trailer eventually led to kiosks in shopping centres across Pretoria, including Bloed Street Mall, Quagga Centre and Mamelodi. Cherry On Top grew into a recognised local brand known for its colourful desserts, waffles, milkshakes and family-friendly atmosphere.
From the outside, it looked like everything was going according to plan. Behind the scenes, however, Duduzile was learning that building a business and growing one are two very different challenges. “I didn’t understand the business,” she admits. “I didn’t have mentors or people I could ask for advice.”
The ice cream industry also demanded significant investment. She chose premium equipment because she wanted to build a quality business from the beginning, but that came at a cost.
When things became difficult, she did what many entrepreneurs do; she started learning. She attended business courses, asked questions, surrounded herself with other business owners and absorbed every lesson she could.
Over the past two years, the business began slowing down. Duduzile worked harder, invested more money and hoped things would improve.
Instead, she found herself pouring her personal finances into stores that were no longer sustainable. Then came a difficult but honest realisation.
With guidance from mentors on the SABF Tholoana Enterprise Programme, Duduzile stepped back and looked at Cherry On Top with fresh eyes and realised her ideal customers weren’t where she had been trading.
Closing three stores was heartbreaking: “I couldn’t even talk about it without crying.”
But then she began seeing new opportunities. Shortly after closing her stores, Duduzile took her mobile trailer to the Rand Easter Show which turned out to be one of the most successful events Cherry On Top had ever experienced.
That weekend changed everything. “It reassured me that there was nothing wrong with the business,” she says. “There were just a few things that needed to change.”
Instead of expanding into more shopping centres, Duduzile is now repositioning Cherry On Top. She is also expanding her range to include sugar-free, vegan and eggless desserts, making the brand more appealing to health-conscious consumers without losing the fun that made it popular in the first place.
It’s a reminder that business growth isn’t always about doing more; it’s about doing the right things in the right places.
Today, Cherry On Top is designed to spark joy and nostalgia. Visitors are encouraged to have fun, laugh and reconnect with the carefree excitement of childhood. It’s an experience that keeps customers coming back.
Although the business is entering a new chapter, Duduzile’s purpose hasn’t changed.
Whenever Cherry On Top opens in a community, she tries to employ people from that area, creating opportunities where they are needed most. She also brings her own children into the business whenever she can, hoping they will understand the value of perseverance and purpose.
Looking ahead, her dream has grown far beyond a handful of kiosks. She envisions Cherry On Top becoming a recognised South African dessert brand with a presence in airports, corporate workplaces and destinations across the country.
Entrepreneurship often celebrates growth measured by bigger premises, more employees and higher turnover. Duduzile has learned that there is another way to measure success. Sometimes success is having the courage to admit something isn’t working.
And sometimes, the sweetest victories begin when you find the courage to start again.
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About the Author
Terrena Rathanlall is the SME Media Portfolio Manager at Fetola.
