‘The BakersMan did’ – Bakers Limited owner Leonard Baumann dies at the age 101

by Nomonde Simelane

Empangeni-born business guru Leonard Baumann has passed away at the age of 101. The businessman was involved in various companies, particularly the multi-million rand company Bakers Limited, which is responsible for the beloved Choice Assorted biscuits, an integral part of South African history and culture.


“I was born on a farm in Empangeni. A few years later, I moved to Durban to pursue my schooling career because there were no schools in the area. My uncle suggested that I become an accountant, and I went to Johannesburg for five years to pursue that dream. I then came back to Durban when I had to take over Bakers Limited from my uncle,” Leonard said in an interview with Highway Mail.

Bakers Limited was established by Leonard’s grandfather John Frederick Baumann who had migrated from England to South Africa. Once he graduated, Leonard returned from Johannesburg to be more involved in the family business. Once on a trip to the Cape Town branch of the family business, Leonard met his wife, Wendy through his cousin.

“I wanted to enter a dance competition and I needed a partner. My cousin knew Wendy and he introduced us. Shortly thereafter we married and then had two daughters. Wendy was the love of my life. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 93,” he said.

Leonard was able to successfully elevate Bakers Limited by introducing new and popular products such as the Strawberry Whirl biscuit, which is a fan favourite in the Choice Assorted box. ” I love the taste of strawberry jam and I wanted to incorporate those flavours into the Bakerโ€™s biscuits, which I did,” the businessman revealed when asked about what inspired the product.

As the business grew, Leonard was often approached by various companies that were looking to be bought into, which materialised into the successful empire we see today, furthermore, the businessman was able to venture and establish diverse businesses, one of them being Life Line which was a company that focused on assisting patients that suffered from mental health.

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