After taking part in the Nedbank Kapana Cook-off competition three times, Heinz Bank (30) finally scoops top prize.
The professional chef was part of the third preliminary round in the Kapana Cook-Off competition that recently took place in Windhoek, where three contestants qualified for the competition’s final slated, for 24 August in Ongwediva.
Bank walked away with the first prize and N$10 000, followed by Erika Karonda, who came in second with a prize of N$7 000, and Hirodina Sangunji who came in third with
N$5 000.
“I am over the moon, I have worked very hard for the past four years and my hard work has finally paid off. This is not something I decided to do after waking up, there has been hard work and months of preparations,” Bank shared.
The excited chef encouraged fellow chefs and cooking enthusiasts not to give up after a poor performance or failure.
“Your time is your time. Even if it is next year or the following year, it’s going to be your time if it is your time. Never give up, no matter the results, and continue trying your best. Hard work pays off, and you need to work hard to get the best results,” said Bank, who is a TVET hospitality trainer and chef at Waldorf School in Windhoek.
He said he will invest part of his winnings.
“You know 50% is always an investment, and I will treat myself with the rest and have a nice time. But also, it is good to utilise the money productively,” he said.
Hasheni Mandume, Maria Mumbala and Sxelse Tsamases, who were victorious in the preliminary round, will join six other finalists to compete for the grand prize of a fully-furnished mobile kitchen worth N$130 000.
Nedbank Head of Marketing and Communications, Gernot de Klerk thanked the contestants for taking part in the competition.
“The competition was indeed stiff, but the judges made the necessary call to select today’s winners. Congratulations to everyone who made it, and for those who didn’t, we’ll be back in Windhoek next year,” he said.
The fourth and final preliminary round of the 2024 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition will take place in Oranjemund on 3 August.