African cuisine is often made up of a complex array of influences, ingredients and inspirations. But, as with much of history, the contributions of some groups are under-appreciated or overlooked.
But across the continent, from South Africa, Kenya to Congo, down to Zambia, professional chefs are plating Africa’s traditional flavours at home and on the international table.
In honour of Africa Month, which is commemorated every May, we look at some of the chefs who are shaping the narrative of African cuisine.
Selassie Atadika
Atadika is a culinary educator and food systems advocate who demystifies African cuisines and the value it offers to the global community.
From a young age, Atadika could be found in the kitchen not too far from her mother's apron strings. This culinary interest, from her Ghanaian roots, has evolved through time spent and meals sampled in the US, Europe and countless countries in all the corners of Africa.
After years of self-teaching in the culinary arts, she completed coursework at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. A founding member of Trio Toque, the first nomadic restaurant in Dakar, Senegal, Atadika has brought her innovative approach to African cuisine back home to Ghana to introduce them through Midunu, a nomadic dining concept featuring what she calls New African Cuisine.
Elisha Madzivadondo
Madzivadondo prides himself in providing people with healthy food. The Zimbabwean came to South Africa years ago when there was political unrest in his country.
As the founder of Sunshine Food Sprouting Co, Madzivadondo has been a vegan since childhood. Having relocated to SA and working his way from a guesthouse butler to a cook, he has established a business that echoes his healthy eating habits.
With a small eatery in Sea Point, Cape Town and stands at weekend markets, Sunshine Food Co. is a big hit on the Mother City food scene and regulars rate his vegan burgers as one of the best in town.
Kobus Van der Merwe
Van der Merwe is one of South Africa's most treasured culinary gems.
With inspirational dishes like crispy baked kiesieblaar, the leaf of the widespread malva (pelargonium) plant and wild sage smoked angelfish, the chef has become renowned for his culinary skills.
Van der Merwe’s high standards have set a new paradigm within the award-winning restaurant, Wolfgat that he owns. Born in the Kalahari, his story is an inspiring one of someone who fought against all odds to follow his passion of becoming a professional chef and restaurateur.
The award-winning Wolfgat has a string of awards under its belt. His culinary career started with a bit of a detour, as he first freelanced as a journalist and then worked in digital media for a few years. He arrived in Paternoster in the Western Cape in 2009 for a gap year and now runs one of the best restaurants in the world.
Van der Merwe did not begin to cook seriously until he was 30. He forages every day for ingredients on the wild Atlantic shore of the Western Cape near his Wolfgat restaurant, where he also makes his own bread and butter.
Wolfgat opened its doors in September 2016. The restaurant is famous for using locally sourced ingredients. His passion for food and the way he prepares it, plus the service and exclusivity, has made it an attraction for food lovers.
Raphael King’ori
Born in Kenya, King’ori grew up fascinated by how simple ingredients turned into great meals in his mother’s kitchen. After high school, he signed up at the renowned Kenya Utalii College in Nairobi and interned at the Carnivore Restaurant in Kenya, and, from there, he never looked back.
He loves to share knowledge on all matters of food. This led him to publish recipes on social media, through the now popular step-by-step images and videos on recipes.
The chef’s greatest strength is curating “homemade food” recipes, using locally available products and ingredients. He believes that by developing recipes that are easily incorporated into Kenyan and African households, increasing utility becomes organic.
Mokgadi Itsweng
Raised in Mamelodi in Pretoria, Itsweng studied law and then advertising. But it was while working a catering job, as a side hustle, that she realised her true passion.
Following her dreams, Itsweng packed her bags and escaped to New York City, where she worked at the legendary South African restaurant Madiba, in Brooklyn and studied at Peter Kump’s cooking school.
She returned to Johannesburg in 2001 and cut her teeth as a chef, ultimately opening her own restaurant, Lotsha Kitchen and Cocktails, four years later.
Itsweng has a cookbook called “Veggielicious” in which she has reworked South African recipes with plant-forward passion. She describes the cookbook as a “plant-based offering from the garden of my dreams”.
As a chef, Itsweng is determined to disprove the myth that healthy food is expensive while showcasing indigenous South African ingredients.