Cookbook author Fatima Sydow will be laid to rest on Wednesday

Fatima Sydow, well-known celebrity cook and author was recognised as one of the best authentic Malay cooks in the country. Picture: Supplied

Fatima Sydow, well-known celebrity cook and author was recognised as one of the best authentic Malay cooks in the country. Picture: Supplied

Published Dec 20, 2023

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Renowned cookbook author and local TV personality Fatima Sydow will be laid to rest at Mowbray Cemetery in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Shortly after announcing the news of her passing, Sydow’s family released her janazah (funeral) details.

According to a post on her official Facebook page, the 50-year-old’s janazah will be held at Toronga Road Masjied in Crawford at 11am on Wednesday.

Sydow was diagnosed with Soft Tissue Sarcoma in 2020 and over the years kept her fans informed of her health battles. In July she announced that the cancer had advanced to stage 4.

A crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy was set up to help pay off her hospital bills, and more than 1,000 donors came together to raise R725,000 towards her target of R750,000.

In October, Cape Town-based musicians and friends in the entertainment industry came together to host a benefit concert for Sydow at the Artscape Theatre.

According to her family, she passed away peacefully at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town and was surrounded by loved ones.

“As a family, we express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and support during this challenging time,” the family said in their official statement.

“In her memory, we encourage everyone to celebrate her life by sharing a meal with loved ones and cherishing the moments spent together.”

Sydow first found fame with a small Facebook community in 2011 and grew her fan base from there.

Her penchant for Cape Malay recipes celebrated her heritage and enamoured her to thousands of fans across the country and globe.

The book that firmly cemented her status in the culinary world was her 2015 recipe book ‘The Journey of Cape Malay Cooking with Fatima Sydow’.

IOL Entertainment