These young chefs are overcoming poverty to transform South Africa’s culinary scene

World-famous wine farms and restaurants make Cape Town a dream for foodies from across the globe. But with such prestige comes the exclusion of many people. With a rising hospitality industry, cooking schools are often inaccessible to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. That’s why Mbuyi Jongqo founded COOKtastic. The non-profit is empowering aspiring chefs to take their place in the food industry.

“We all have something exceptional cooking up inside of us,” Jongqo says. With funding from the Rotary Club in Austria, COOKtastic provides four-month courses at a low cost. Professional chefs at the initiative help guide the students, equipping them to work in the hospitality industry. Once qualified they’re able to start their own businesses, or gain employment at a local restaurant. In 2020, Jongqo’s initiative saw 90% of their students move on to in-service training. “When they join our family we offer them a nurturing environment where they begin to feel safe and dream big,” Jongqo says. 

Uplifting her students to overcome dire financial circumstances, Jongqo is also enabling them to make a greater impact. Donating fresh bread to NGOs and schools, the chefs are serving up a fresh start for themselves and their communities. “I have always felt a sense of healing when in the kitchen and I believe it can make others heal too,” Jongqo says. “As much as we are breaking the cycle of poverty, we are also restoring hope in our kitchen.”