A former MasterChef South Africa contestant has built a cookie business called Mondvol that started in a garage, Daily Investor reported.
Georgiou said in a September 2025 podcast that the brand’s cookie club had reached capacity. She said 1,200 people were on its waiting list.
“I didn’t win the competition, but I definitely shook off some of my insecurities,” she told Maroela Media in April 2025.
Georgiou lost her job as a musician in 2021. She then started selling cakes to make ends meet.
She had learned to bake during lockdown, and friends urged her to turn it into a business. Her father later turned the stoep of his Durbanville home into a kitchen for her baking and classes.
She has described MasterChef as a journey of self-discovery. The show helped her build confidence in her own skills.
The cake business was hard to grow. Cakes took a long time to make and were difficult to transport.
Her husband, Andrew, spent 14 years living in the United States. He helped her spot a new opportunity in cookies.
Georgiou said the decision was frightening. The couple had to put a large amount of money into a product nobody had tested.
She first relied on her social media following, friends and family for sales. On launch day, the business sold 20 boxes.
The work was still done in a garage by Georgiou and her first employee, Christina. They shared the baking, packing and daily problems online, so customers could follow the brand’s progress.
The first big pop-up in Stellenbosch was a turning point. Georgiou worried that nobody would come.
The day before, her team handed out samples and flyers. When they arrived the next morning, more than 50 people were already waiting.
Mondvol now makes flavours such as Nutella, Milo, Peppermint Crisp, red velvet and milk tart. It also sells limited-edition flavours, including Heritage Month treats inspired by koeksisters and malva pudding.
Georgiou shares the recipe process online, including failed attempts and feedback from staff and customers. She has said she sees customers as a community rather than just buyers. The team calls its employees “angels”.
The business has grown from the garage into a guest bedroom and more garages. In the 2025 podcast, the founders said production used about 50 square metres.
The small space made it hard to store ingredients and packaging. Busy periods put pressure on production.
Georgiou has been careful not to grow too fast if it could hurt quality. She has moved away from daily baking to focus on new products, marketing, partnerships and managing staff.
Andrew runs much of the technology and online side. The founders have spent heavily on the website, ordering system and subscriptions.
They have been selective about selling in shops. Instead, Mondvol sells mainly online, at pop-ups and through work with other brands.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Daily Investor. Image: Daily Investor. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.