South African food star jets off to America

South African food star and author Siba Mtongana will tour the US this month to host and participate in several events as Global Impact Ambassador for Stop Hunger Now.

She jets off to the US a day after she meets and entertains visitors to the DStv Delicious Food & Music Festival at the Food Network Pavilion on 8 and 9 October.

Other commitments include doing TV interviews with big US media houses, presentations to businesses and participating in events in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Raleigh, NC. She is billed to visit Washington DC for the last leg of her tour before heading back to South Africa.

The Mdantsane township-born food academic and entrepreneur was recently cover star for the Destiny Magazine September issue. Her show, Siba’s Table that debuted on Food Network (DStv Channel 175) in September 2013, airs in more than 128 countries across Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia and now include the US, where the franchise is broadcast to 60 million homes on The Cooking Channel. In South Africa her debut cookbook, My Table, made history as the best-selling cookbook ever to have been stocked by retail giant, Woolworths SA.

In July she was the Global Ambassador for Global Mandela Day for Stop Hunger Now and worked alongside Graca Machel, who is the Chief Patron of the event in South Africa. Mtongana helped pack more than 3.3 million meals during the campaign, beating their national target of 2 million meals in South Africa. Their worldwide campaign reached its global target of packing more than 10 million meals in 9 days. The food directly benefits young children from impoverished backgrounds suffering from hunger and malnutrition in South Africa and across the world.

Stop Hunger Now Global President and CEO Rod Brooks, based in the US, says that during the campaign in South Africa, Mtongana shared that she was fortunate as a child to receive food at a school that had been donated by caring individuals. “As a Global Impact Ambassador for Stop Hunger Now, Siba is paying that kindness forward by encouraging her many followers to get involved with Stop Hunger Now’s efforts to end hunger in our lifetime. She is truly a champion in the fight to end hunger!”

Very excited about her US tour in partnership with the international organisation, Mtongana says she is passionate about food just as she’s passionate about improving other people’s lives. “I’m determined to use my academic background in food science and nutrition and global influence to help tackle the scourge of hunger and malnutrition in South Africa and across the world.”

In August she was invited to Kenya as a keynote speaker and guest of honour for the This Is Africa launch, an online platform that celebrates Africa and its trailblazers. NTV Kenya described her as “Africa’s favourite chef”. She was recently also invited by the ambassador of Mexico Mauricio Escanero as a special guest for the Mexico – South Africa Friendship Gala Dinner, where Luke Dale Roberts and Jorge Vallego, both listed on the San Pelegrino’s world’s best chefs, gave the guests an unforgettable culinary experience.

Mtongana starts filming Season 3 of Siba’s Table in Cape Town in November later this year.