By Kealeboga Mokomane
As the world celebrates International Womens Day on 8 March 2021, Brand South Africa shines a spotlight on 27 year old Tebogo and Lebo Ndala, self–labelled coffee lovers and critic twin chefs, published authors, township cuisine specialists and in my view, South Africa’s next celeb chefs who will represent the country beyond its borders.
Their journey with food started in their Mamelodi home, in Pretoria. It was inspired by their mother, an amazing cook who makes the most homely dishes. They adopted her love for food and took their affection for cooking to secondary school, registering it as an extra subject. After that they decided to pursue it as a career, and moved to Stellenbosch to study culinary arts at The Hurst Campus where they graduated in 2014. The twins then took a huge leap of faith and moved to the United States for a couple months, studying at the University of California Los Angeles Extension, for additional acclaims. They then became globetrotters, experiencing and tasting dishes from different cultures and countries, in order to develop their knowledge of food and their palates.
Whilst travelling, they started documenting, developing recipes, and exploring the tried and tested, defining their own style in the media industry. The two have had the opportunity to work with several locally renowned magazines such as True Love, Drum, You, Huisgenoot and Move. The goal for the twins has always been consistency, quality and above all else ownership and pride in their work. This mantra paid off, the twins launched their first cookbook, Food Stories in South Africa in 2020, incorporating all the lessons learnt, and tastes acquired from all over the world. This cookbook is for anyone and everyone: those looking to make a quick good meal, the modern makoti (young wife) who wants to brush up on her cooking skills, the student who has an interest in cooking and for any South African who wants to create a taste of their own at home.
“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, our message to women out there is: The ocean does not apologise for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness for the space they take, and neither should you. You are enough to break barriers. Every morning challenge stereotypes. Every sunrise challenge yourself to do better. Every day put your hand up and make your voice heard. You are enough,” said Tebogo and Lebo Ndala.
What does the future hold for the innovative twins? They want to build a household brand, travel the world some more, connect with different people and cultures through their food and open a With Love From The Twins cooking school one day. From their Gogo’s kitchen in Mamelodi to Cape Town to the United States of America to China one thing is certain, the world is their oyster.
Images Instagram: With Love From The Twins.
