Siba Mtongana (born 10 December 1984) is a multi-award-winning South African celebrity chef, author and TV presenter. She is best known for hosting the Cooking Channel show Siba’s Table.
The Chef has won five US Film and Television Awards and four South African awards. She was a judge on the new reality cooking show format, House of Chefs, in its debut 2021 series.
| Siba Mtongana | |
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| Background Information | |
| Full name: | Sibahle Mtongana |
| Born: | 10 December 1984 (age 39 years old) |
| Place of birth: | East London |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Food and Consumer Sciences |
| Alma mater: | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Parents: | Mncedisi Mnwana, Noliza Mnwana |
| Occupation: | Celebrity chef, author TV presenter |
| Company: | The Siba Co. |
| Spouse: | Brian Mtongana |
| Children: | 4 |
| Website: | www.sibamtongana.com |
Early life
Siba Mtongana was born Sibahle Mtongana on 10 December 1984 in the township of Mdantsane near East London. Her father, Mncedisi Mnwana, is a retired supervisor of a leather goods manufacturer.
Mtongana has six siblings and is the youngest. She comes from humble beginnings and is the first official entrepreneur in her family. Harvard Business School approached them to do a case study on her entrepreneurial journey.
Growing up, Siba watched many cooking shows. She watched the late food editor Dorah Sitole and aspired to be like her. International Chefs like Jamie Oliver and Delia Smith inspired her. Her mother, Noliza Mnwana, and aunt were her biggest inspirations at home.
Education
Siba matriculated at Buffalo Flats’ Alphendale High School. She studied Food and Consumer Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town.
Career
After graduating from the university, she joined a magazine as the food editor. She did her first cooking show – Cooking with Siba – before Food Network discovered her for Siba’s Table.
The celebrity chef launched Siba the Restaurant at the Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. She published her first cookbook for young cooks.
The prime-time Food Network star was a judge on the new reality cooking show format, House of Chefs, in its debut 2021 series.
Her two cookbooks have over four awards in South Africa and abroad. Their television shows have won over five premium awards in the United States alone.
Her book My Table won two prestigious awards at the 2017 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She was the first South African to win the Special Award of the Jury for the legacy her book leaves and the pop culture impact it has in her home country.
Siba launched her restaurant, Siba The Restaurant, at Table Bay Hotel, offering an iconic 5-star dining experience.
Company
Her company, The Siba Co, a multifaceted food solution and innovation holdings company, was started in 2013.
Siba was the only employee and consultant in the business at the start. It has over forty-five employees, including consultants and suppliers, in 2022. It has interests in media, television, publishing, hospitality, and retail.
The Siba Co culinary directed and curated the VIP menu for the inauguration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. It published and marketed the best-selling cookbook ever in its retail class, My Table, in 2015.
Personal life
Siba Mtongana and her husband, Brian Mtongana, celebrate ten years of marriage in 2020. She first met him in Cape Town when she was visiting her sister on 9 December 2002. They have grown in their careers and relationships.
Her husband, Brian, works as a graphic designer and the executive creative director of Woolworths.
Siba has been in Cape Town for about 20 years and lives with her family in Blouberg. She has four children, Lonwabo, Linamandla, Buhlebenkosi, and Ntandoyenkosi, with her husband.