From Tsolo to TV stardom
Siphokazi Mdlankomo rose to fame during last year’s MasterChef television show, and despite coming second, ended up with star status. Daily Dispatch caught up with the Tsolo-born cooking star
WHOEVER first said “dynamite comes in small packages” must have had someone like Siphokazi Mdlankomo, domestic worker turned MasterChef, in mind.
Through her traditional technique and mouthwatering dishes, Mdlankomo secured the runner-up spot in the cooking competition last year, winning the hearts of many South Africans in the process, and ever since she has been leaving a trail of inspiration in kitchens across the country.
Growing up in the village of Tsolo near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, and being raised by her mother and grandmother, cooking was a huge part of her childhood.
She says as a young girl growing up, she knew from an early age how to cook. “It was a basic taught to me by my mother, something which I have added onto and enhanced myself through experimenting,” she explained.
“I remember watching my mother baking scones in a cast iron pot over a fire when I was a little girl and I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life.”
Having fallen in love with the concept of cooking she has managed to turn her passion into her profession.
Before she captured the nation’s attention in the reality television show, the petite chef worked full-time as a domestic for a family, the Andreasens, in Newlands in Cape Town.
Mdlankomo says she left Tsolo for Cape Town with a friend to look for a job. “I met Liz [Andreasen, her current employer] through an advert in a Cape Town newspaper. She was looking for a housekeeper and, in 2005, I applied. I went for an interview and the rest is history,” she explained.
Andreasen has been quoted in media interviews as saying from the beginning of their relationship Mdlankomo showed an interest in sharpening her cooking skills.
According to an interview in Tonight last year, Andreasen runs a hospitality business and says she deals with some of the country’s top chefs who sometimes cook in her home.
“Siphokazi interacted with them. Her love for cooking is something she’s always wanted to explore, but it just got bigger and better,” she said.
Her dishes soon caught the attention of everyone around her, and in 2012, she made it to the semi-finals of another cooking competition SA Cook-Off.
Mdlankomo confesses she is a huge fan of the MasterChef show. “I watch every season, from the South African seasons to the Australian, UK, American, and even the Canadian MasterChef.” This prompted her to give the show a try.
Although she still works for the Andreasens, Mdlankomo is now also a brand amdoing. bassador for retail giant Pick n Pay, offering inspiration to young chefs and domestic workers everywhere.
“Being a domestic worker is just like any other job, which you should be proud of It is a profession from which you earn your income,” she says.
Mdlankomo says growing up in Tsolo instilled the discipline she carries with her to this day. “I am very disciplined. Thanks to my mother and grandmother I was one of those little girls who knew that at 6 o’clock when the sun goes down, I must be indoors.
Despite having come this far in her cooking, she says: “I’m still the same Siphokazi, yet people sometimes see me as a celebrity, which I’m really grateful for. I love that I have become an inspiration to so many people. I receive messages from people across South Africa and around the globe, asking me for advice on how to become a chef. That’s amazing.”
Being someone who likes order in her life, Mdlankomo found being on MasterChef daunting at times. “I’m a planner, and not knowing what the next day would bring, was scary.” However from this she says: “I’ve learned that in life not everything goes according to plan, you have to have patience, be yourself in everything you do and don’t try to be someone else. Stay true to your craft and you will excel.”
Mdlankomo won R100 000 on MasterChef and says she used the money to help her mom fix up her house.
“I’m happy with this decision. It was awful knowing that my mama did not have a proper roof over her head, while I was living a comfortable life. So, as soon as I had the chance to make it better, I did,” she said.
“My MasterChef journey was quite amazing and has taught me so much. Today I still work as a domestic worker but an extraordinary one now.”
Mdlankomo’s advice to others who aspire to achieve is for them to believe in themselves. “If you don’t nobody will believe in you. Also success to me is 90% hard work which goes with being street smart and 10% being lucky.”
No doubt her bubbly personality and endearing, caring nature is another secret to her success. — additional reporting by Siphokazi Vuso
Mdlankomo has provided the Daily Dispatch with the recipe for her signature dish. See below.