Eziko empowers jobless by teaching them how to take heat in the kitchen
EZIKO restaurant, one of the Cape's top eateries, showcases Africa's offerings to the world including homecooked traditional food.
This 80-seater facility offers a wide variety of traditional African food as well as Western cuisine.
Located in the heart of Langa township,15km from the centre of Cape Town, Eziko also prides itself on its educational and training arm, the Eziko Cooking and Catering School.
The school was established in 1996 by former Langa High School teacher and resident, Victor Mguqulwa.
The entrepreneur's on a mission to address the high-unemployment rate blighting township communities which, according to Mguqulwa, cannot be solved by formal education alone.
Mguqulwa said a community can only develop if its people start taking responsibility for their problems.
He attests to the approach that you must “teach people how to fish rather than catch the fish for them”.
The Eziko school is dedicated to providing people with life and career-oriented skills in cooking and catering, and to “empower” them to find employment so they can provide for themselves and their families.
Students are taught in a spacious room for the theory, and a kitchen for practicals. Eziko has produced many accomplished chefs over the years, one of which is Ntlalo Jordan, the chef and owner of Jordan Ways of Cooking in Langa.
Students are carefully selected and begin their training at the Eziko where they gain basic experience in the restaurant.
They are then placed in one of Eziko's sponsoring catering establishments for an intensive six-month programme.
The business's motto of “come share the taste of Africa! – Eziko Restaurant”, is testament to its ability to offer best in African cuisine.
Eziko has won numerous awards and one of the highlights of this 25-year-old establishment was when former president Nelson Mandela gave
Eziko a certificate of appreciation in 2000. It is an accolade that rightfully holds pride of place for the restaurant.
Jordan speaks highly of the experience he gained after his training at Eziko, and how it enabled him to open his own restaurant. “I did my three months internship at Cape Town International Convention Centre. After that, I have worked in different places gaining experience. I even went as far as Liberia in 2018. And on my return, I decided to open my own restaurant.”
Eziko doesn't require its students to have passed matric, as many children from the townships drop out of high school for various reasons.
This is rooted in the belief that: “Not having matric does not mean someone cannot pursue his or her desired career. That is why we don't focus on academic results. And besides, not everybody can be an academic. That is why there are vocational studies like a chef.”
“We are happy to be here, we are here to compete, to win,” said Eziko Cooking and Catering Training Centre director Eugene Roxo.