Young Chefs from Three African Countries Compete in FIGA Botswana Culinary Challenge

Young Chefs from Three African Countries Compete in FIGA Botswana Culinary Challenge. Young culinary talent from Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa took centre stage at the International Forum of Africa Gastronomy (FIGA Botswana 2026), where five chefs competed in the Young African Chef Challenge.

The competition took place on the second day of the forum, which is being held at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone from 11 to 14 November 2026. It brought together two chefs from Botswana, two from Zimbabwe and one from South Africa to demonstrate their culinary skills, creativity and innovation.

The chefs competed in a mystery basket challenge, requiring them to work with the ingredients provided to create their dishes.

The challenge formed part of the forum’s programme aimed at showcasing African culinary talent and the role of gastronomy in tourism. It also provided an opportunity for chefs from different countries to exchange ideas and demonstrate how African ingredients, cooking techniques and food traditions can be used to create distinctive culinary experiences.

According to the organisers, these experiences can contribute to enhancing the appeal of destinations through their food offerings.

The participation of chefs from three countries also highlighted the potential of gastronomy tourism to encourage cultural exchange and strengthen connections within Africa’s tourism and hospitality industries.

FIGA Botswana 2026 continues until 14 November, bringing gastronomy and tourism stakeholders together to explore the relationship between food, cultural identity and economic opportunities.

The winner of the Young African Chef Challenge will be announced at the forum’s gala dinner on Saturday, 14 November 2026.

The announcement will conclude the competition, which provided a platform for emerging chefs to present their abilities alongside peers from across the region.