As the host of popular show Siba’s Table which airs in more than 150 countries on Food Network and many other cooking channels around the globe, Mtongana has established a strong presence locally and internationally. She made the cover of Forbes magazine as one of the most powerful women in Africa and the prestigious restaurant Eat Out Awards recently recognised her with their inaugural Trail Blazer Award.
She also earned the attention of Harvard Business School, which conducted a case study on her career. This recognition places her alongside Nigella Lawson, making her one of only two chefs worldwide to be featured in such a study.
Her influence extends across continents, with NTV Kenya naming her Africa’s favourite chef and Tatler Magazine in Malaysia recognising her as one of seven food goddesses from around the world, alongside culinary icons such as Lawson in the UK and Rachel Ray in the US.
Despite her success, Siba remains humble, deeply rooted in her faith and her family values, as a recent post on her Instagram account highlights.
“With every success I’ve managed to achieve thus far, many think I’m from a well-to-do family or a family with connections. Nope, I’m just an ordinary girl like you from next door, who grew up in the township [Mdantsane, Eastern Cape]. The difference is I had something innate in me that was driven by hunger for the extraordinary,” she said.
“I had confidence and drive from a young age. I thank my parents for that, the mindset I adopted in my older years, the self-investment in resources I was reading and exposed to and the company I keep.
“Striving for excellence and throwing myself into everything I do has also attracted opportunities and accolades that came my way throughout my career.”