Clover Mama Afrika’s Indian Cooking Course Arms 13 Mamas With Culinary Skills

• Clover Mama Afrika ran a week-long curry course that brought together 13 Mamas from across South Africa
• The course was taught by passionate home cooks from Clover's own HR department, who shared treasured family recipes
• The programme gave Mamas practical skills they can use for catering, community food projects and small business ventures

Thirteen women from across South Africa gathered recently for something far more meaningful than a cooking class. Clover Mama Afrika's "A Pinch of Spice" Curry Course brought the group together for a week-long culinary journey rooted in authentic South African Indian cuisine, with skills they can take straight back into their communities.

Clover staff teach cooking course with family recipes

What made the course particularly special was how it came to life. When Clover Mama Afrika set out to find a professional chef to lead the programme, they discovered the perfect teachers were already within their own walls. A group of home cooks from Clover's Human Resources Learning and Development Department stepped forward, armed with family recipes passed down through generations.

Read also

'After Tears' funeral clip with dancing MC divides Mzansi: "Bizarre concept"

"What began as a simple corridor conversation became a powerful example of what our programme is all about: the transfer of skills, knowledge and experience," said Rika Haasbroek, Clover Manager for Corporate Social Investment. "It was a genuine moment of pride as our Clover staff instinctively stepped forward to share their expertise with the Mamas."

A week of spice, story and skill

Over five days, the Mamas explored the history and significance of spices, flavour combinations, and cooking techniques central to South African Indian food. The curriculum covered meat and vegetarian curries, roti, puri, savoury snacks and traditional desserts. Though rooted in Indian heritage, these dishes have been shaped over generations by local ingredients, tastes and cultures, making them distinctly South African.

The week wrapped up with a tasting challenge that produced three worthy winners. Mama Rina Malan claimed first place, Claudette Neveling from Mama Gail Koeberg's centre placed second, and Asnathi Makamu, daughter of Mama Mirriam, took third. Haasbroek explained the bigger picture behind the programme. "Due to this cuisine being so well-loved, we identified the income-generating potential of traditional, South African Indian cooking to equip our Mamas with practical skills that can be applied both at home and within their community projects," she said.

Read also

12-year-old Gauteng boy wins World Startup Forum championship in Switzerland

Skills that reach beyond the kitchen

The knowledge gained will not stay with the 13 participants alone. In keeping with Clover Mama Afrika's model, each woman is expected to pass on what she has learnt to others in her community, multiplying the impact well beyond the original group. Jow-Hara Omarjee and her HR team were credited for sharing their prized recipes and expertise throughout the week. As the Mamas returned home, they carried not only new dishes in their repertoire but the confidence to teach, inspire and create economic opportunities for the women around them.

5 Briefly News articles about food

• A South African content creator turned to ChatGPT to stretch her R500 budget across 10 days before payday, leaving many viewers grateful for the idea.
• A South African woman living in the US shared a list of iconic local foods and drinks she misses, including Shamrock pies, Viennas and biltong.
• A young female farmer from Brits shared a photo of her massive cabbage harvest, revealing her fear that the entire crop was about to go to waste due to a lack of large-scale buyers.
• An American food commentator shared a video reviewing a South African meal haul from a Los Angeles bar, and gave the cuisine an impressive score out of 10.
• A local content creator's video claiming that traditional offal dishes are struggle foods and not South African traditional foods sparked a heated cultural debate online.

Source: Briefly News