Announced as one of 10 San Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 semi-finalists for the Africa and Middle East region, this Chef de Partie (you can find him at Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch) is a culinary force to be reckoned with.

The proudly South African cider brand, SXOLLIE has made its first international mark by bagging three coveted awards at the prestigious International Cider Challenge in April 2016 – gold for Design and Packaging as well as the title of Supreme Champion in the same category and bronze for Flavour. Co-founder Laura Clacey answers our 10 Questions.

The proudly South African cider brand, SXOLLIE has made its first international mark by bagging three coveted awards at the prestigious International Cider Challenge in April 2016 – gold for Design and Packaging as well as the title of Supreme Champion in the same category and bronze for Flavour. Co-founder Karol Ostaszewski answers our 10 Questions.

Founder of the non-profit organisation (NPO) One Chance At Life (OCAL) Global, this inspiring innovator believes “that our success is not measured by our own achievements in life, but rather what we have helped others to achieve and accomplish”.

Cape Town-based chef Dion Vengatass was cast into the culinary spotlight after winning the 2011 Unilever Food Solutions Chef of the Year competition. This humble and down-to-earth chef learnt the tricks of the trade at the Swiss Hotel School, where he studied management, but his love and passion lies with cooking. Drawing inspiration from nature and his surroundings, Dion’s cooking talent landed him the position of resident chef at Cape Town’s illustrious Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel.

You might know him as heartthrob Marcus Forrester on American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Beyond his character, actor and philanthropist Texas Battle is down-to-earth and extremely humble. He has made South Africa his second home since 2013. The actor’s love for helping the less fortunate has his heart glued to Cape Town, where he founded the Texas Battle Foundation. 

This Cape Town-born actress is no stranger to the spotlight and is most well-known for her starring role as Ayesha Ibrahim in the SABC 1 youth drama television series, Amaza. 2016 Top Actor Africa finalist, Shamilla Miller is a force to be reckoned with and a true proudly Capetonian star.

Fun-loving foodie and Chef Claire Allen is a face you won’t be forgetting. You probably already recognise her from M-Net’s MasterChef South Africa, where Claire was a season three top 12 contestant, or from her blog Food is Love, where she shares mouth-watering recipes. Claire also cooks alongside Sipho Mdlankomo and this entertaining cooking duo is known as ‘Short Chef Skinny Chef’. Known as ‘The Foodie in Love’, Claire’s outlook is as simple as her blog name: To her food is, essentially, love and she has taken the time to participate in our 10 Questions Project, showcasing her warm-loving personality.

You might recognise this pretty face from Glamour Magazine, where Aisha Baker was one of the 2016 winners for Most Glamourous. Her blog ‘Baked The Blog’, which she started as her personal escape whilst studying at university, has rapidly become a top ranking one-stop spot for everything from the latest fashion looks to make-up tutorials. Aisha recently travelled to Los Angeles for the 2016 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, where she was nominated in the category of Favourite African Blogger.

Drawing from his rich cultural and musical background, this legendary pianist has both a strong reputation as a solo performer and band leader and is one of the greatest names in the African jazz biz. Well-known for his charming piano improvisations and unique compositions, Mervyn’s influences range from classic and carnival music through to township jazz and Malay musical heritage.