Alumnus: Ketsia Mutendji

Ketsia Mutendji is living proof that a qualification in food can unlock an extensive array of opportunities in the culinary and gastronomic sector. After graduating a few years ago from Capsicum’s Rosebank campus with a diploma in food preparation and cooking, Ketsia landed her first job as a private chef for a family of six and travelled with them for a year. In 2019, when Covid hit and the hospitality industry took a huge knock, she started a small heat-and- eat meals business that quickly grew and soon she found herself creating pre-packed meals for office parks and companies who needed catering services. Post lockdown, Ketsia joined the acclaimed French/Brazilian restaurant, Coppa, in Parkhurst as a chef de partie where, under Executive Chef Mirlene Souza, she developed a deep passion for creating dishes and designing menus. She was then offered the life-changing opportunity to work in the prestigious five-star ski resort Montage Deer Valley in Utah in the US, starting as a line cook but soon singled out to help with menu development and the resort’s seasonal menu. On her return to South Africa, she joined Executive Chef Johan Harley at JEM Catering and was recently promoted to a menu designer and functions chef. Ketsia was also part of the team who recently cooked a seven-course meal for SA Tourism and a group of visiting international journalists at the debut of The Mzansi Food & Drink Show in June where she received a loud ovation from the appreciative diners. “I created a twist on the classic duck à l'orange with a sous vide duck breast, roasted in a pan and flambéed and served with a carrot and orange puree, grilled orange segments and an orange tuile.”