WINDHOEK: The third preliminary round of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition was held in Windhoek on Saturday, with three finalists qualifying for the final scheduled for 24 August 2024 in Ongwediva.

Hasheni Mandume, Maria Mumbala, and Sxelse Tsamases emerged victorious out of the 60 contestants who competed in the preliminary round on Saturday. They will now compete in the final for the main prize of a fully furnished mobile kitchen valued at N.dollars 130 000.

The preliminary round also featured a professional chef competition on Friday, which saw professional chef, Heinz Bank, finally emerge victorious after taking part in the competition for four years in a row.

Bank walked away with a cash prize of N.dollars 10 000, followed by Erika Karonda who came in second and won N.dollars 7 000, and Hirodina Sangunji who won N.dollars 5 000 in third place.

Bank, who blew the judges away with his kapana dish, said he was over the moon as he worked hard.

‘After a month’s preparation and three years of losing
, I am finally champion. This is quite exciting for me because I learned to not give up on what I want and if I work hard, I will succeed. I encourage Namibian professional chefs to take part in this competition, and even for those who did not make it this year, try again until you succeed,’ Bank stated.

Speaking at the prize giving, Gernot de Klerk, Nedbank’s Head of Marketing and Communications, stated that the competition was fierce, but the judges took the required decision to choose the winners.

‘Congratulations to everyone who made it; for those who did not, we’ll be back in Windhoek next year. Thank you to everyone who participated, our partners, and the spectators who came to watch the competition,’ he said.

The fourth and final preliminary round of the 2024 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition will be held on 03 August in Oranjemund, in the ||Kharas Region.

Source: The Namibia News Agency