POLOKWANE – The Mankweng native, recently attended the third annual Luxe Restaurant Awards hosted by the Hospitality Council at the The Leonardo Hotel in Sandton, where she scooped the award. The ceremony is held in celebration of South Africa’s finest contributions to the restaurant industry and more than 100 nominees were shortlisted, with categories ranging from the best fine dining restaurants to the best lifestyle restaurants in the country.
Mogau told BONUS that she is proud and grateful for how far she has come and thankful for the support she has received. “It has been a humbling experience to have the bestselling cookbook in South Africa, and this truly is a cherry on the cake. Thank you to everyone who continues to support me and cheer me on,” she said.
Mogau says that as a former auditor, she has no regrets leaving the corporate world to pursue her passion for food. She now hosts popular cooking classes and says she loves what she does on a daily basis. “From the dusty streets of Mankweng, I have come to learn that through hard work and a determined spirit, anything is possible,” she said.
Her cookbook, The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen is popular. It is described as an authentic traditional South African cookbook that celebrates Mzansi’s heritage and culture through African meals. The cookbook was a bestseller and won numerous awards including the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2019 and Culinary Rising Star Award 2020.
“My book is unique because it caters to the appetites of the many South Africans who split their lives between the townships and suburbia. Any person who buys this book will have a croissant on Monday and enjoy tripe in the township on a Sunday,” she said. Mogau is set to release her second cookbook in October and she says it is going to be more exciting and will be a continuation to the first one.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA), Ndavhe Ramakuela, congratulated Mogau on her award and for making Limpopo proud. “The winning of the award is important, not only for the province, but for the culinary industry. This award will be a motivation to all aspiring and qualified chefs and will elevate the culinary standards in the province,” Ndavhe said.
