Chef kate AT The Leading African Women in Food Fellowship
Chef Katendi Nkanza, affectionately known as Chef Kate, is the head chef at Anabezi Camp in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park. Recently, Chef Kate made waves in the culinary world as the only Zambian selected for the prestigious 2024 Leading African Women in Food Fellowship. This program, which forms part of the Africa Food Systems Forum, seeks to empower women in the food and agriculture sectors across the continent by providing them with intensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
The fellowship, highly competitive with over 600 applicants, recognized Chef Kate in the Top Chef category for her passion and innovative approach to cuisine. The six-month program involved rigorous training sessions that covered various aspects of food systems, sustainability, and leadership in Africa. The fellowship's final event, held in Kigali, Rwanda, coincided with the Africa Food Systems Forum, a gathering of over 5,000 participants from 97 countries, including global leaders, policymakers, and experts in agriculture and food systems.
The forum offered a platform for discussing the most pressing issues facing Africa’s food systems, including sustainability, food security, and the role of women in agriculture. For Chef Kate, attending the Africa Food Systems Forum was a pivotal moment in her journey, offering invaluable insights into how food systems are transforming across the continent and the importance of local leadership in driving these changes.
Inspired by her experiences in the fellowship and forum, Chef Kate has returned to Zambia with a clear mission to use her platform at Anabezi and her expertise to create meaningful change. She is working on several initiatives:
'Feed the School' Program: Chef Kate plans to launch this initiative to provide healthy, nutrient-dense meals to schoolchildren across Zambia. Her goal is to improve children’s nutrition while supporting their educational development by ensuring they are well-nourished and ready to learn.
Empowering Women in Agriculture: Chef Kate is passionate about supporting women in rural areas, particularly in agriculture. She aims to offer training and advocacy to help these women build sustainable livelihoods and become leaders in their communities, addressing food security challenges.
Youth Mentorship and Skills Development: Chef Kate is focused on mentoring the next generation of Zambian chefs and food entrepreneurs. By offering mentorship and practical skills development, she hopes to create new opportunities for young people to enter the food and agriculture sectors.
Preserving Zambia’s Culinary Heritage: At Anabezi Camp, Chef Kate is dedicated to showcasing Zambia’s rich culinary traditions. She plans to continue her work in promoting traditional Zambian dishes and ingredients, finding innovative ways to preserve and modernize the country's culinary heritage.
Creating a Platform for Women in Food and Agriculture: Chef Kate aims to build a supportive community where women in food and agriculture can share their stories, challenges, and successes. This platform would amplify the voices of women in what remains a male-dominated industry, driving change and innovation in the sector.
Through these initiatives, Chef Kate hopes to address critical gaps in Zambia’s food system, promoting sustainable solutions for food security, nutrition, and economic empowerment. By leveraging her experience from the fellowship, she is committed to fostering a more equitable and vibrant food ecosystem in Zambia, where women play a central role in shaping the future of agriculture and cuisine. At Anabezi Camp, she continues to lead by example, merging luxury travel with her dedication to social and environmental impact.