Ontumetse to test culinary skills in Morocco
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday December 22, 2025 06:00
. Ontumetse, who was contacted unexpectedly and informed of his selection, was thrilled but couldn’t process the news immediately due to his busy work schedule. “I was pretty excited in the moment, but everything happened really, really quickly,” he said. “I did not have the moment or time to process everything that I was feeling,” he added. The competition, which will feature participants from different countries, including Uganda and Morocco, is an opportunity for Ontumetse to showcase Botswana’s unique cuisine and share his passion for cooking with a global audience. “Personally, I have always had this dream of wanting Botswana to be able to compete on the world stage, more so in culinary arts,” he said. Ontumetse’s love for cooking was inspired by her family, particularly his parents, who instilled in him a passion for food and cooking from a young age.
“I grew up around a family that loves to cook,” he said. “I’d wake up in the morning, and my dad is cooking something, my mom is cooking something,” he stated. Her culinary journey has been shaped by various mentors, including Chef Phil Key, Chef Jeremy, and Chef Andrea Granzarolo, whom he met during his university days and post-university career. “They have shaped my journey, so to say,” he said. Ontumetse’s participation in the competition is not only a personal achievement, but it is also a professional milestone, as it will help build his personal brand, Fat Cousins. “It obviously then helps with building my own personal brand,” he said.
When asked for advice to young Batswana aspiring to join the culinary industry, Ontumetse emphasised the importance of loving the craft. “Please make sure that you love it because nobody loves to work during weekends,” he said. “You are going to have to sacrifice a lot, you are going to miss out on a lot. So be prepared for that because if you don’t love it, you will not understand or you will not enjoy your life.” Ontumetse’s next project is a pop-up dinner at Haboroni with a fellow chef, which promises to be an exciting culinary experience. As he prepares to represent Botswana on the world stage, we wish him the best of luck and look forward to seeing his culinary skills in action.
The competition will be broadcast on television, and fans can tune in to watch Ontumetse’s episode and cheer him on. With his passion and dedication, we do not doubt that he will make Botswana proud. In an interview, Ontumetse shared his excitement about working with Chef Moha from Morocco and learning about different flavours and cuisines from Africa. “I am most excited to just learn different flavours, different parts of Africa, see what, who’s eating what, what does that person have, and how do they do it,” he said. Ontumetse’s selection for the competition is a testament to his hard work and talent, and we are confident that he will represent Botswana with pride and excellence.