Get your spice on
The annual Kapana Cook-Off Competition will offer prizes worth N$100 000.
Mariselle Stofberg
The 2021 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition was launched on Friday, 7 May in Windhoek with a media launch which saw 14 Namibian media houses competing in an unofficial competition to make their version of a Kapana dish.
Entries for the competition are officially open and available at all Nedbank Namibia website and branches country-wide. The winner of the 7th cook-off will walk away with prizes worth N$100 000, which include a fully furnished mobile food trailer.
Preliminary rounds will be held at the coast on Saturday, 29 May, in the North on Saturday, 26 June, and in Windhoek on Saturday, 10 July.
Finalists from these rounds will compete in the final scheduled for Saturday, 7 August.
Nedbank Namibia’s manager for communication and public relations Selma Kaulinge noted that the competition is embedded in the Nedbank culture with elevation of business and employment creation at its core.
“The competition speaks to entrepreneurship and job creation. Past winners of this competition have gone on to become successful business owners. With many Namibians finding themselves out of work and desperate for a source of income, the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off provides an opportunity for the winner to establish and grow a successful business,” she said.
Bakpro, a subsidiary of Namib Mills, is once again a co-sponsor of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off. To date, Nedbank Namibia has invested over N$3 million in hosting this national competition in support of small businesses and celebrating Namibian cuisine.
Big prizes to be won
This year the winner will once again walk away with an SME package which will jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey.
The entry level winners will walk away with a mobile/trailer kapana kitchen, Nedbank account with N$10 000 and a Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$5 000 for first place. The second place will win a Nedbank account with N$7 000 and Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$3 000 third place will win a Nedbank account with N$3 000 and Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$2 000.
Last year’s winner, Brumilda Hikumwa, became the sixth winner of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition against eight other finalists to take the grand prize valued at N$ 100 000.
She walked away with a mobile food kitchen with built-in quality appliances as well as cash.
“I did not enter the competition to win, but to gain experience for one day when I own my restaurant. Nedbank made it happen – they take people to heart – no money asked- they provide you with all the necessary skills to operate a business and how to use the fancy appliances like the deep fryer– Nedbank and the sponsors have just changed my future for the better,” she said.
The Cook-Off has also created successful entrepreneurs such as the 2018 winner Sakeus Kateya, who now employs five people. He operates from Meatco and Meatma in Windhoek’s northern industrial area.
It was also not an easy ride for Kateya since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Kateya also acquired an additional food truck but due to the pandemic was forced to close for business that operated in other parts of Windhoek.
“It was tough last year but things are improving now. Our profits have increased over the past few months and business is better,” Kateya said.
The 2021 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition was launched on Friday, 7 May in Windhoek with a media launch which saw 14 Namibian media houses competing in an unofficial competition to make their version of a Kapana dish.
Entries for the competition are officially open and available at all Nedbank Namibia website and branches country-wide. The winner of the 7th cook-off will walk away with prizes worth N$100 000, which include a fully furnished mobile food trailer.
Preliminary rounds will be held at the coast on Saturday, 29 May, in the North on Saturday, 26 June, and in Windhoek on Saturday, 10 July.
Finalists from these rounds will compete in the final scheduled for Saturday, 7 August.
Nedbank Namibia’s manager for communication and public relations Selma Kaulinge noted that the competition is embedded in the Nedbank culture with elevation of business and employment creation at its core.
“The competition speaks to entrepreneurship and job creation. Past winners of this competition have gone on to become successful business owners. With many Namibians finding themselves out of work and desperate for a source of income, the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off provides an opportunity for the winner to establish and grow a successful business,” she said.
Bakpro, a subsidiary of Namib Mills, is once again a co-sponsor of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off. To date, Nedbank Namibia has invested over N$3 million in hosting this national competition in support of small businesses and celebrating Namibian cuisine.
Big prizes to be won
This year the winner will once again walk away with an SME package which will jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey.
The entry level winners will walk away with a mobile/trailer kapana kitchen, Nedbank account with N$10 000 and a Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$5 000 for first place. The second place will win a Nedbank account with N$7 000 and Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$3 000 third place will win a Nedbank account with N$3 000 and Bakpro Vetkoek voucher to the value of N$2 000.
Last year’s winner, Brumilda Hikumwa, became the sixth winner of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition against eight other finalists to take the grand prize valued at N$ 100 000.
She walked away with a mobile food kitchen with built-in quality appliances as well as cash.
“I did not enter the competition to win, but to gain experience for one day when I own my restaurant. Nedbank made it happen – they take people to heart – no money asked- they provide you with all the necessary skills to operate a business and how to use the fancy appliances like the deep fryer– Nedbank and the sponsors have just changed my future for the better,” she said.
The Cook-Off has also created successful entrepreneurs such as the 2018 winner Sakeus Kateya, who now employs five people. He operates from Meatco and Meatma in Windhoek’s northern industrial area.
It was also not an easy ride for Kateya since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Kateya also acquired an additional food truck but due to the pandemic was forced to close for business that operated in other parts of Windhoek.
“It was tough last year but things are improving now. Our profits have increased over the past few months and business is better,” Kateya said.
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