Coco & J are the couple behind one of South Africa’s most loved lifestyle brands, bringing together food, family and creativity in a way that feels both personal and authentic. Best known as the lead singer of the award-winning band Mi Casa, J’Something has also built a respected name for himself as a chef and restaurateur. That same love for food is shared by his wife, Coco, who works alongside him to create content that celebrates cooking, connection and everyday moments. Read more

Naqiyah Mayat is a connoisseur of luxury, elegance and beauty. Her lifestyle brand is built around a philosophy of sophistication and aspiration. Her insights stem from the duality of cultures she embodies, which in turn influence her unique take on all things food, travel, fashion and lifestyle. This digital content creator is not only a wife and mother of four, but is also a sought-after tastemaker in the Indian and Muslim community and a style force to be reckoned with. The Journey is Naqiyah’s second book. Read more

Natasha Sideris, CEO & Founder of Tashas Group, grew up in the restaurant business alongside her father. After earning a BA in Psychology at Wits University, she worked in franchised restaurants before launching the first tashas in South Africa in 2005 to fill a gap for simple, daytime dining with quality food and service.

Tashas Group now operates 45 locations across 14 concepts in five countries, evolving from modest beginnings into an international success. Read more

Kenneth Tebogo Middleton is a food content creator, recipe developer and cookbook author with a strong passion for social media and video production. A former graphic designer who worked with leading advertising and marketing agencies, Kenneth brings design thinking into the kitchen – pairing bold flavours with thoughtful presentation and clear, engaging recipe communication. Read more

In 1982 Ina Paarman, left her position as Senior Lecturer at the Cape Technicon to start a cookery school. During this time, she was also food editor of Die Burger and Femina, and won both the Mondi and Galliova awards for excellence in journalism. Ina had her own regular TV cookery slot on national television and has to date written 8 cookery books.

During the cookery school years, she formulated a small range of gourmet dressings, sauces and seasonings on demand of her customers. Read more

Zanele van Zyl founded Cooking with Zanele in 2015. Over the years Zanele has built and inspired a community of foodies through her cooking classes, social media platforms, and now her self published cookbooks, Volume 1 and 2 that has been well received by her followers and sold over 9,000 copies.

Zanele has released her 3rd Cookbook, Senidlile Kodwa, through a well established publisher, Penguin Publisher, and was released in October 2023. Read more

Gary Jackson is the founder and driving force behind Jackson’s Real Food Market, one of South Africa’s leading platforms for clean food, local sourcing, and conscious retail innovation. With a career defined by a commitment to transparency, sustainability, and ethical supply chains, Gary has built Jackson’s into a benchmark brand that connects independent organic small-scale farmers and producers directly to health-conscious consumers.

With 15 years as CEO of Ocean Basket and over three decades of transformative leadership, Grace excels at weaving together diverse teams through clear and inspiring vision. She has a remarkable talent for revitalising businesses, assembling dynamic teams, and setting them on new paths towards success. Grace is a pioneer in building blended workforces—uniting people from all backgrounds and seamlessly integrating human talent with AI to deliver meaningful results.

Brenda Wilkinson is the co-founder of RIO LARGO Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Alongside her husband, she transformed a working farm near Worcester into one of South Africa’s most celebrated olive oil estates, guided by curiosity, courage, and an uncompromising commitment to quality. With a background in teaching, design, and entrepreneurship across Central Africa, Brenda is also known for elevating olive oil packaging into award-winning, reusable designer decanters, driven not by profit, but by a passion for sharing knowledge and quality products!

Samantha founded Oryx Desert Salt to challenge an industry increasingly affected by microplastics and environmental pollution. Her company pioneered a system of 100% plastic-free packaging and refillable grinders with ceramic mechanisms, ensuring that buyers are not grinding plastic into their food. The result is a product that prizoritises purity, health, and environmental responsibility.

Under Samantha’s leadership, Oryx Desert Salt has achieved remarkable reach. The brand is stocked by major South African retailers including Woolworths and Pick n Pay, served in more than 3,500 restaurants, available on the shelves of Whole Foods Market in the United States, and supplied to JetBlue Airlines, delivering around 150,000 sachets per month. In 2024 alone, the company prevented over 894,500 plastic grinders from entering landfill.

Monwabisi Thethe, known as Bisi, began his career at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in a technical environment. With a BSc in Information Technology and Business Systems from the University of Pretoria and a BA Honours in Brand Leadership from Vega, he has gained experience in Virtual Reality, software, hardware, and worked with brands such as Red Bull.

Bisi is recognised for his strategic branding and event activation skills, excelling under pressure and focusing on both details and the bigger picture. He has organised major events, builds strong relationships, and thrives in challenging environments. As co-founder and Editor Director of Blaque Magazine, he now consults as a Brand Marketing Specialist, leveraging his market expertise.

Alessandro Khojane, also known as “Alex” or “The Sotho Italian”, is a visionary restaurateur and the proud owner of the following restaurants Gemelli, PANTRY by Gemelli, Phirinyane Bar by Gemelli, Therapy and Manaka Coffee. Additionally, Alex owns a consulting business that focuses on helping restaurateurs entering the industry with developing their menus, training kitchen team, hiring of floor staff, build and design of the restaurant, admin, advice on managing contracts etc.