Siba Mtongana
The host of Food Network’s Siba’s Table has been recognised by Tatler Malaysia as one of seven food goddesses worldwide, alongside Rachel Ray and Nigella Lawson. But at home Siba is just ‘Mom’ to her four children: Lonwabo, Linamandla, BuhlebeNkosi, and NtandoyeNkosi.
Growing up in Mdantsane near East London, her appreciation for food and where it comes from started from an early age. ‘My father had a beautiful garden that I grew up working in, and in that garden I really saw the magic of growth and the potential for creation,’ Siba says. ‘My mother was a teacher, but she was also an exceptional cook. She was entirely self-taught and cooked intuitively, using fresh herbs and vegetables grown in our garden.’
Siba’s mom wasn’t exactly thrilled when her daughter expressed a desire to pursue a career in something she considered merely a hobby. ‘She worked tirelessly to provide us with choices and she wanted a more stable environment for her children. However, my dear sister, Zanele, encouraged me to follow my passion for food and cooking.’ Siba decided to pursue a degree in food and consumer sciences. ‘It sounded scientific to my mom, so she agreed.’
After graduation, Siba became the food editor of Drum magazine, and this eventually led to her hosting her first television show, Cooking with Siba, on Mzansi Magic.
Today, Siba runs SIBA The Restaurant, a fine-dining establishment in the five-star Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront, as well as The Siba Deli, situated at the Time Out Market Cape Town – all while balancing the roles of wife and mother to four children under the age of 12! It’s no wonder that her chosen family recipe focuses on efficiency.
A ‘Sibalicious’ staple in the Mtongana home is her cheat’s meringue cheesecake – which, in her words, is ‘a va-va-voom mashup of flavours’. ‘The sweet and sour complement each other beautifully, providing an anything-but-average tasting experience.’ It’s a dish that is loved by all generations of the family, from the youngest to granny and grandpa. ‘I’ve taken a dish that would usually take four hours to make,
