{"id":19311,"date":"2025-02-07T08:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T08:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=19311"},"modified":"2025-07-31T09:39:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T09:39:50","slug":"breaking-barriers-esther-mzotho-proves-its-never-too-late-to-chase-your-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/breaking-barriers-esther-mzotho-proves-its-never-too-late-to-chase-your-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking barriers: Esther Mzotho proves it\u2019s never too late to chase your dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Esther Mzotho defies age barriers, pursuing Food Management at VUT and growing her business, proving it\u2019s never too late to chase dreams and inspire others.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

07 February 2025 | Story: Tayron Mhlongo | Photo: Sifiso Nomzaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 minutes read time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Esther<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a world where age is often seen as a limitation, Mrs Esther Mzotho is shattering stereotypes and proving that it is never too late to rewrite one\u2019s story. In her 40s, she is not just a student, a business owner, or a mother\u2014she is a testament to resilience, ambition, and lifelong learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in Boipatong and now residing in Vanderbijlpark, Mrs Mzotho balances multiple roles with grace: she is a devoted wife, a proud mother of three, and a woman deeply rooted in her Christian faith. But what sets her apart is her unwavering belief that dreams have no expiry date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey into the hospitality industry is not just a career move\u2014it is a calling. After earning a diploma in hospitality from Sedibeng TVET college, many would have considered that enough. But not Mrs Mzotho. She knew she had only scratched the surface of her potential. Determined to elevate her skills and embrace the ever-evolving world of food management, she enrolled at Vaal University of Technology (VUT) to study Food Management Services\u2014choosing to be a student again in her 40s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some may hesitate to take on new challenges later in life, Mrs Mzotho saw her age not as a setback, but as an asset. Her experience, maturity, and passion for food fuelled her drive to master emerging technologies in the hospitality industry and bring innovation into her business, Taste of Heaven Cakes and Catering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is never too late,\u201d she affirms with conviction. \u201cIf you have dreams, hold onto them, work for them, and never give up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than just words, Mrs Mzotho\u2019s journey is a call to action\u2014for young and old alike\u2014to keep pushing forward, no matter the obstacles. She is living proof that education, reinvention, and success are possible at any stage in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her aspirations go beyond personal success. She envisions a future where she can give back as an educator, teaching the next generation of culinary artists and shaping the future of South Africa\u2019s hospitality industry. Her goal is not just to cook but to inspire\u2014through every dish, every lesson, and every story of perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when many give up on their dreams due to age, Mrs Mzotho\u2019s story is a powerful reminder that the only real barrier to success is self-doubt. She is proof that dreams do not come with deadlines\u2014only with opportunities for those bold enough to chase them.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Esther Mzotho defies age barriers, pursuing Food Management at VUT and growing her business, proving it\u2019s never too late to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19311"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26153,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19311\/revisions\/26153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}