Nedbank Namibia has announced that 20-year-old NUST Student, Mandume Hasheni took home the top prize in the highly anticipated Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off 2024 Competition final, which took place over the weekend at the Ongwediva Trade Fair.
After a series of intense preliminary rounds in Ongwediva, Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Orandjemund, 12 finalists battled it out in the final, where Windhoek’s Hasheni was crown the winner. Maria Mambala from Windhoek, and Pertus Nambili from Oshakati took second and third place respectively.
As part of his prizes, Hasheni won a state-of-the-art mobile truck worth N$130 000, a N$10 000 cash prize in a Nedbank bank account, an SME training programme from Agra ProVision worth N$6 000, and a N$5 000 Bakpro vetkoek voucher.
The first runner-up received N$7 000 and a N$3 000 Bakpro vetkoek voucher, while the second runner-up took home N$5 000 and a N$2 000 Bakpro vetkoek voucher.
Hasheni started his career in the kapana business at the tender age of 14 when we started assisting is mother who sold vetkoek at the Single Quarters in Katutura. He then taught himself to cut and sell salsa, and in 2021 he moved on to selling kapana. Hasheni is also currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Account at NUST.
This is his third time that he has entered the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition and say he will use his winning to start his very own street food business. “I want to look for a permanent spot in Windhoek, where I can park my food truck and sell a variety of food, and create a successful business,”
Speaking about finally making as the winner after so many attempts Hasheni said, “I would like to thank God for this blessing. I would also like to thank Nedbank for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to encourage other youth take part in this competition as it may change your life,” he said.
The Nedbank Kapana Cook-off competition is a beacon of hope and opportunity, which empowers participants to turn their culinary skills into successful business ventures. Past winners like Sakeus Kateya and Ester Silas have turned their victories into thriving enterprises, demonstrating the competition’s mission to empower self-starters.
As ‘money experts who do good’, Nedbank Namibia takes pride in offering a platform for business owners as they navigate the unpredictable terrain of entrepreneurship.
“We are extremely proud Hasheni to winning the 10th edition of the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off Competition, he now has the opportunity to take his business to the next level, as he is now equipped to become a successful entrepreneur to allow him to provide for himself and his family as well as make an impactful contribution to the Namibian society, says Nedbank Communications and PR Manager, Selma Kaulinge.” This year’s competition is proudly supported by Bakpro, Omulunga Radio, AGRA, and the Namibian Chefs Association. Join us in celebrating a decade of culinary excellence and witness the crowning of another kapana champion!