Olivia’s Koesisters – A Taste of Memory, Made New

For Olivia Williams, it all began with a craving. One quiet weekend, she longed for a simple koesister — the kind that carried the soft sweetness and familiar spice of her childhood. But what she found at the shops was disappointing; it wasn’t the koesister she knew, the one tied to memory.

That evening, her husband teased her gently: “Why don’t you just make your own?” Olivia laughed it off at first. She had always been more of a cook than a baker. But curiosity — and nostalgia — nudged her into the kitchen. Her first attempt was a flop, but her second batch was different. With one bite, the flavours sang back to her: this was home.

That batch made more than a hundred koesisters, far too many for her small family. So, she shared them with her sisters, her mother, and even her neighbours. The response was instant: “These are too good not to sell.” And from that moment, Olivia’s home kitchen slowly transformed into something bigger — a business that now sees customers travel from across Cape Town, chasing the taste of her koesisters.

Olivia’s journey hasn’t been about shortcuts. She tested countless recipes, tinkering with ingredients and techniques until the results felt just right. What emerged was something entirely her own — a koesister perfected by patience, guided by memory, and rooted in family tradition.

That tradition runs deep. Her grandmother was the matriarch of the kitchen, passing down the love of food and the discipline it required. Her mother, too, played a guiding role, tasting each batch and offering feedback until, eventually, there was nothing left to correct. Today, Olivia takes pride in the quiet approval of her toughest critic — her mom — and the joyful indulgence of her sons, who are already loyal fans.

For Olivia, koesisters have always carried echoes of her youth. She recalls Sunday mornings when her grandfather would gather the grandchildren into his caravan. They would ride through the neighbourhood, listening to the old songs he loved, especially Jim Reeves, and stopping to collect koesisters for each family along the way. Those mornings were more than a tradition — they were the soundtrack of her childhood. Even now, hearing those songs stirs the same warmth she feels when she shares her koesisters with others.

In every syrup-drenched bite, Olivia delivers more than flavour. She offers memory, comfort, and connection. Her koesisters are not just a treat, but a way of keeping heritage alive — a gift she now shares with her community, one Sunday at a time.