Meet the speakers, chefs, moderators, facilitators and others who are part of Food Dialogues 2022.
Founder, Regenerative Agriculture Association of SA, Co-Founder of Food Club Hub
Andrew studied a BSc Agri at UKZN before becoming a game ranger and starting a 20 year career in the tourism industry. Upon getting back into agriculture in 2016 he became very interested in our food system, particularly at how destructive the production of food was to the environment, the rise and rise of processed food production and the associated human health impacts of both. Realising that the food chain needed fixing from both ends Andrew founded the Regenerative Agriculture Association of Southern Africa and co-founded the Food Club Hub. The former was started to create community amongst the diverse and spread out farmers involved in pioneering regenerative farming solutions and the wider community working to support the regenerative movement and the latter to facilitate the expansion of food clubs, a novel way of changing the food chain.
Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Member HLPE Committee on World Food Security, UN Food and Agriculture Agency
Jane Battersby is a human geographer with an interest in all things food related. Her current areas of particular interest are urban food systems, urban food policies and the construction of food security theory in Northern and Southern research contexts. A key area of focus is the ways in which the food system and the urban system interact to shape nutritional outcomes, with a particular focus on the dual burden of malnutrition. Her work has both theoretical and applied components. To this end, she’s worked with a number of NGOs and civil society groups, is currently a member of the High-Level Panel of Experts for the FAO’s Committee on World Food Security, and has served as a member of the Independent Expert Group of the Global Nutrition Report, done consultancy and advisory work with a number of UN Agencies and works closely with local and provincial governments on food policy issues. Current ongoing research projects include the BBSRC-funded Nourished Child project. She has a DPhil from Oxford, an MA from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a BSc (Hons) from Kings College, London.
Informal Economy Development Forum
Paul works as the National Director for Informal Economy Support at the informal Economy Development Forum. His organization aims to be a “unifying body for the informal sector” and advocate that entrepreneurs and informal businesses maintain their funding and success. He provides coaching and support for businesses and ensures that they are provided with the tools and information to safely achieve their goals. His work concentrates around uplifting the work and livelihoods of informal traders.
Co-founder, Ukutya
Nabo Binase co-founded with Lipato Shogole UKUTYA, a food movement on a quest to bring forth and shine a light on African Indigenous Food through educational and authentic experiences. We’re on an ongoing journey of reconnecting with our African roots through rediscovering what our continental indigenous foods are and sharing that journey with the world. Fostering food knowledge, using food preservation methods, and an intrinsic understanding of where different foods come from. This is done through the identification and usage of seasonal fresh produce, indigenous grains, foraged and edible wild crops and herbs.
Good Food Club Deep South
Abigail has a background in social work and worked in this sector for many years. She has always focused her energies on the wellbeing of people and so moving from traditional social work into matters related to food systems and participating in alternative food systems felt like a natural and easy shift. This interest started as a personal journey and very naturally evolved into her role as a Good Food Club co-host alongside Liesl Stewart more than a decade ago. After some time both Liesl and Abigail went on to host food clubs independently due to the growth of the first club. She currently hosts a food club in Cape Town’s deep south. One of Abigail’s longings is to see a unique movement emerge within lower income communities, with the hope that this will allow many more families to make choices regarding the food they consume.
Founder, Tapi Tapi
I am somewhat of a dabbler, choosing to focus on diversity in my life experience and avoiding long-term specialisation. I choose and create work that is centered around the rehabilitation of the African esteem and the empowerment of Africans across the globe, with a focus on mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Currently, my focus is on telling stories of creation, mythology, spirituality and philosophy from around Africa through the Kasvikiro calligraphy project. I’m also interested in celebrating African identities through food, by showcasing our unique interpretations of ingredients that often have commonality or analogues across the continent. Recognising the familiar in all of us, we’re more similar than we know.
Poet, Storyteller, Facilitator and Coach
Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa is a Ugandan author, a life and personal coach, living in Cape Town, South Africa. She has a passion for folktales and myths – the wisdom of centuries, the tried and tested imagery, the archetypal characters that give new perspective to the perennial questions that we struggle with. Her memoir, Flame and Song, was published in 2016.
Artist / Practitioner / Researcher / Facilitator, founder Seed Biblioteek
Zayaan Khan works as an artist, consultant, food transformer, ceramicist, writer and researcher working from a socio-political platform to understand truer meanings of transformation and expressing solutions through the ways in which we consume, from food to medicine, art, cosmetic or household consumables. Her career has involved work with land reform, agrarian transformation and food justice, and she is completing her PhD in the Environmental Humanities South at the University of Cape Town focused on seed: “From seed-as-object to seed-as-relation.”
Founder of Vuyo’s Eatery and Wakanda food accelerator, board member of SA Harvest
Miles Kubheka, is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author, and the poster child for the audacity of hope. Having once been employed by a leading multinational, he went out on a limb and ingeniously created a restaurant with the same name and branding as a fictional restaurant portrayed in a famous Vuyo ‘beeg beeg dreamer’ TV ad campaign. In doing so, he catapulted into media stardom and soon translated his innovative thinking into entrepreneurial success. He went on to found a food Accelerator called Wakanda.
Chef and Proprietor, Lapo’s Kitchen
Chef Lapo grew up learning the art of Tuscan cooking from his mother, a trained Italian chef, then moved to and fell in love with Cape Town, and is incredibly passionate about cooking seasonally and sustainably using only proudly South African produce. However, he also loves sharing his belief in simple, honest food made with local, seasonal and ethically produced ingredients, such as those he grew up with.
Founder, Indikaap Vegan Ayurveda
Michele studied Ayurvedic Nutrition and Marma massage at an Ayush accredited treatment & training facility in Kerala India. She became a Raj yoga facilitator with the Heartfulness Institute in 2004. As the owner of INDIKAAP Vegan Ayurveda, her intention is to inspire people to make life affirming food choices, grounded in the time-honoured health science of Ayurveda. She brings greater awareness of Ayurveda through her consultations and retreats, her food pod at Maker’s Landing, and a hand-crafted range of food products that make an Ayurvedic lifestyle simple. Michele writes and consults on menu development for magazines and wellness centres.
President, SA Informal Traders Alliance
Rosheda Muller is a community worker and a huge proponent of the informal business sector. She is the President of the South African Informal Traders Alliance. After starting out as a high school educator, she participated in informal markets with her clothing company which led her to create networks and coalitions for traders. Her work includes the creation of an app for informal traders that includes training, a trading directory and e-commerce.
Senior Scientist, Mzansi Meat Company
Kyle has a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Cape Town. He has extensive experience with yeast protein expression as well as various mammalian cell culture techniques. Kyle has a passion for environmental & marine conservation and finds great fulfillment in utilizing his scientific knowledge to work on food security solutions in Africa.
Senior Professional Officer: Urban Systems, ICLEI Africa
Solophina Nekesa is passionate about Green Architecture and Urban Design. She recently coordinated a series of high-level food systems dialogues in 15 different African cities for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in the lead up to the UN Food Systems Summit. Prior to joining ICLEI Africa she worked planning off-grid sustainable communities and affordable net-zero energy buildings in Uganda and other projects that seek to promote comprehensive sustainable practices. Solophina holds a Master of Architecture (Sustainable and Energy Efficient Cities) from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Chef and founder, Tamu by Jane, resident chef at Bertha House
Jane Nshuti is a plant-based African food educator and the founder of Tamu by Jane. She has a desire to nourish stomachs, souls and minds. Her recipes and food philosophies intertwine to deliver knowledge about food security, community and a passion for African foodways. Nshuti is a remarkable woman who has overcome great adversity to make a positive impact by helping families eat healthier meals while embracing their African heritage.
Founder, Kaleswanwa Solidarity Finance Co-operative
Adeola is the CEO of Kalesanwa, which is a cooperative company founded with the aim to assisting members of the immigrant communities in Cape Town. The immigrant communities are often faced with hardships, sometimes precipitated by their exclusion and causing them to be relegated to the periphery of meaningful economic participation. Adeola’s work therefore involves mitigating these challenges by leading a solitary savings, loan and investment scheme among a membership who are mostly informal traders operating in the Cape Town CBD. Adeola sees financial exclusion as a human rights problem.
Co-Founder, Oranjezicht City Farm and OZCF Market, Trustee SA Urban Food & Farming Trust
A born and bred Capetonian, Sheryl Ozinsky was the Manager of Cape Town Tourism but never took a holiday. A true local, she swears like a Bergie and thinks the South Easter a mere breeze. Sheryl is passionate about the choices that support a more just and resilient food system and is one of the founders of the Oranjezicht City Farm and Market Day.
Head of Special Projects, Yebo Fresh
Simon Peters heads up the community and special projects team at Yebo Fresh that have delivered the ingredients for millions of meals in underserved areas. His Journey at Yebo fresh has also seen him play a role in developing the township retail channels. Yebo Fresh is an award-winning online grocery platform on a mission to improve quality of life by delivering good access to good food. We serve families, NGOs, Schools, ECDs, and township food businesses such as spazas and fast food restaurants.
Co-founder, Ukutya
Lipato Shogole co-founded with Nabo Binase UKUTYA, a food movement on a quest to bring forth and shine a light on African Indigenous Food through educational and authentic experiences. We’re on an ongoing journey of reconnecting with our African roots through rediscovering what our continental indigenous foods are and sharing that journey with the world. Fostering food knowledge, using food preservation methods and an intrinsic understanding of where different foods come from. This is done through the identification and usage of seasonal fresh produce, indigenous grains, foraged and edible wild crops and herbs.
Impact Lead, WWF
Mkhululi is a Programs Impact Lead at the World Wildlife Fund where he brings his experience with conservation and development within the small-scale fisheries sector. He brings his experience in the agribusiness and food sectors and has an international degree in Agribusiness Management and Consultancy which he brings to the WWF. Mkhululi also has diverse experiences with Fair-trade certified farmer networks.
Founder, Good Food Club
Liesl worked for ten years for various Cape Town NGOs, and in 1999 she completed an honours in Social Development (UCT). In 2006, she began an informal food buying collective with a friend, and this set her off in a new direction of work and knowledge. Through her interactions with farmers and producers, small retailers, and other consumers, she became passionate about working for a food system that is kinder and juster. To this end, in 2020 she completed a full research Master’s (Dept. of EGS at UCT) in which she recorded the history of her buying club and studied it as an alternative food network.
She continues to host her buying club, the Good Food Club – Mowbray. She also contracts to write for CreatureKind, a US Christian faith-based NGO working for better care for farmed animals.
Founder, Studio H
Hannerie Visser is the creative mind behind Studio H – a culinary-minded design studio with offices in Cape Town and the Netherlands. Since founding her company in 2013, Hannerie has built a reputation as South Africa’s leading future food designer. Working across industries, Hannerie designs creative strategies for brands through trend forecasting, new product development and sensory design. In 2019 Hannerie founded FOOD XX, a support network and annual Awards for women in food in South Africa. Hannerie is also the Lead Curator for Makers Landing, the V&A Waterfront’s Food Incubator.
Executive Director, A Greener World and the Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations
Tozie is currently the Executive Director of South Africa of a Greener World but participates in a wide variety of other animal rights and environmental organisations. He is an incredibly experienced leader and focuses his work around alleviating the pain and suffering of all animals but especially farm animals. He also works to develop transparency within food production and animal welfare. Tozie is a board member for more organisations than we can count and provides us with extensive experience in this field.
Good Food Club Deep South
Jo is an urban farmer at Heart & Soil, a qualitative researcher, and she runs GFC-Valley with her partner Eugene. They live in the Lochiel Smallholdings, which neighbours Masiphumelele in the Far South of Cape Town.
Jo worked in migration and health for a decade. Then, working towards her PhD in Public Health at UCT, and in the years that followed at the Health Economics Unit and the African Centre for Cities, her work allowed her to have deep conversations about experiences of food. She has been struck by the ways that eating has changed in just one generation, especially for those impoverished by the economic system.
One response to this reality has been starting their small farm, Heart & Soil, and running a Good Food Club. She believes that changing the way the middle class connects with the basic labour required to be alive could help change both the food system and the economic system. So Jo started with herself and her own family. She grows as much as she can. And she and her partner Eugene also organise collective buying from small farms and businesses for about 40 families. This slowly creates alternative local supply chains. All these efforts seem to compound over time, both personally and collectively, and take on a life of their own!
Lecturer: Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Tshwane University of Technology
Belinda is a lecturer in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. She has a PhD in Science (Food Technology) and teaches several Food Technology subjects, including Food Chemistry, Food Process Engineering and Food Commodities. Her specialisation is in Food Chemistry and her research topics include starch chemistry, cereal science, baking technology, mycotoxins, toxicology, bio-accessibility and the use of underutilized indigenous plants and insects in new food product development. She is part of the MeatOurFuture team that recently advanced to the semi-finals for the XPRIZE Feed The Next Billion competition with a project on producing a cell cultured chicken breast fillet.
COO and Co-Founder of Mzansi Meat Co.
Tasneem is the COO and co-founder at Mzansi, with a love for flying aeroplanes, rock climbing and changing the world by changing our food systems here in Africa. After completing her postgraduate studies in accounting, Tasneem joined Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, she has extensive experience in strategy and performance improvements. Sustainability is what drives her, especially within food systems so founding a cultivated meat company was a natural next step.
Founder and Artist, Parusha
Parusha Naidoo is a South African artist and cookbook creator. She is inspired by the power of food to unite people through stories of how and what we eat.
Artist, Urban Food Futures
Luke Metelerkamp works on TMG’s Urban Food Futures Programme, based in South Africa. He is a transdisciplinary artist and researcher with a background in food systems, education and youth. Luke obtained his PhD from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and has experience developing inclusive collaborations in civil society organisations, learning networks and research institutions.
Administrator, Damelin Examinations Department
Shingirirayi Mabika is an Administrator by Profession. She has been in Academics as a lecturer and also headed Examinations Department at Damelin. During her Masters research, she researched on grocery stokvel. Her thesis was “THE MOTIVATION AND SUCCESS FACTORS OF ZIMBABWEAN GROCERY STOKVELS IN CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA”. Further to her studies she has published a journal, “Sustaining Grocery stokvels: The Dynamics and factors that influence their establishment”, which she published with Professor Robertson Tengeh. In her daily life, she is fully involved in women empowerment and they use stokvels as a form of saving. Currently she is running 3 groups of stokvels:
- Grocery stokvels
- Birthday stokvels
- Money saving stokvels
All the 3 forms of stokvels are in form of either Cumulative or Rotating form of saving. Her recent grocery stokvel has been a year of saving and bulk purchases where done. Shingi is a frequent speaker on various conferences which involve women saving as a form of empowerment. Besides being on a full time job and also being involved in stokvels she is running an events small business where she is in event planning, Deco, catering and baking. You name it and she produces your dreams.
On The Green Side, International Commercial Manager
Bio to come.
On The Green Side
Bio to come.
Science Writer, Climate and Environment
Leonie Joubert is a South African science writer who uses different ways of storytelling to grapple with many of today’s tough issues: climate and ecosystem collapse, energy policy, cities as development hubs, and why today’s food system leaves many of us hungry, heavy, and sick (the hunger-obesity poverty-paradox). More recently, her work delves into the realm of psychedelic medicine. She has spent the better part of 20 years exploring these topics through books, journalism, non-fiction creative writing, and podcasting. She was the 2007 Ruth First Fellow; was listed in the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans You Must Take to Lunch (2008); was twice given an honorary mention in the Sunday Times Alan Paton Nonfiction Awards (2007 and 2010); was named the 2009 SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year (print/internet category); and was shortlisted for the 2016 City Press Tafelberg Nonfiction Award. One of her areas of specialisation is on the city food system and why the city often leaves us hungry, heavy, and sick (the hunger-obesity poverty paradox). Leonie has written about this topic in books (the Hungry Season, Tomatoes & Taxi Ranks, amongst others).
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