From Egypt to Bulawayo: The culinary adventures of Nkosinathi Ngwenya

FROM humble beginnings as a motor mechanic to becoming a top-notch chef and founder of Sprinkles Caterers, an entity renowned for its appetising cuisine both locally and beyond, Nkosinathi Ngwenya has every reason to be proud.

Sprinkles operates at two locations in Bulawayo. Trading as Freshiz Fries, they run a fast-food, and a central kitchen that caters for events, culinary lessons, and workshops.

Masters of both food and beverages, Sprinkles Caterers provide services for various sectors, including corporate functions such as conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, cocktails, weddings, birthdays, and funerals. Born into a family of three, Ngwenya, now 40, is a culinary master whose cuisine has set him apart as a trendsetter.

Following the proverbial Cape to Cairo script, Ngwenya has navigated the continent as a private chef at prestigious restaurants and in the service of the rich and famous.

In an interview with Saturday Chronicle, Ngwenya shared that he had lived in Egypt before moving to South Africa, where he had the opportunity to provide culinary services to renowned soap operas such as Generations the Legacy and Muvhango, among others, between 2019 and 2021.

“I returned home because I love my country and I wanted to give back my talent to the community,” said Ngwenya.
Apart from being a chef, Ngwenya tutors and hosts culinary and skills training sessions on how to prepare various cuisines.

“It is all out of love for cooking and baking, not school, because I never went to a culinary school to date. We also conduct skills training programmes,” he revealed.

As for his career as a top-notch chef and food scientist, Ngwenya said he derived inspiration from his passion and love for food, and the influence of Liberty Mamombe, an executive chef lecturer based in South Africa who is a former executive chef at Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel.

Ngwenya’s philanthropy is also evident through his efforts to assist the youth in Lupane with starting restaurants and initiating food processing workshops with the African Food Revolution to reduce food wastage and its impact on climate change. He envisions building a culinary and skills training centre within five years, attributing his rise to prominence to prayer and faith in God.

“God surely rewards those who seek Him. I love what I do, and I have always put my work first before money, so as a result, my output has always been outstanding. My style of cooking and presentation makes a major difference too,” said Ngwenya, adding that his ambition is to work with the community, schools, and NGOs to further his skills into value addition for the nation at large.