Nedbank Namibia Kapana Cook-Off 2022 winner, Ebben-Ezer Amuyagele, at the final.
Nedbank Namibia Kapana Cook-Off 2022 winner, Ebben-Ezer Amuyagele, at the final.

Champion of the 2022 Nedbank Namibia Kapana Cook-Off

Prioritising success for better circumstances
Staff Reporter
Ebben-Ezer Amuyagele attended Oshuulagulwa Junior Secondary School, but was unable to complete secondary education. He remains optimistic about grabbing opportunities as they come, as seen when he entered – and won – the 2022 Nedbank Namibia Kapana Cook-Off. With a driving force to change his life and help his family, Amuyagele said it was worth it.

The annual competition, now in its eighth year, provides a business opportunity for Namibians. The Nedbank Namibia Kapana Cook-Off is organised in collaboration with Bakpro, Agra, Coca-Cola and the Namibian Chefs Association.

Amuyagele hails from Iilambo village in the Okahao circuit in the Omusati Region. The 33-year-old was crowned the winner at the Ongwediwa Annual Trade Fair, walking away with a mobile trailer fitted with a full kitchen, a Nedbank account with N$10 000 and a Bakpro vetkoek voucher to the value of N$5 000.

"I am very happy to walk away with this trailer and these prizes. This was my first time competing, and it was definitely worth taking part. Now with the help of Nedbank Namibia, I am ready to take on this new role as Kapana King to greater heights,” he said.



Exceptional factors

A judging panel of chefs from the Namibian Chefs Association evaluated the dishes based on preparation, presentation and taste.

Amuyagele beat eight competitors to secure his title, displaying his dishes through innovative presentation.

"I scored most of the points because of my presentation. I cut my meat into ‘one size fits all’, and that was my secret," the delighted young man explained. Not only did he expertly cut his meat, the green peppers, onions and tomatoes went through the same technique by using a knife with a sharp blade and a slip-free handle.

The salad dressing, made from vegetable oil and vinegar, is a must-have to absorb the nutrients from the salsa and make it tasty as well as crispy, refreshing and juicy, he said.

Selma Kaulinge, Nedbank’s communications manager, added that Amuyagele won the competition because of his unrivalled technical skills, genuine creativity and an exceptional, strong personal belief in kapana—one of Namibia’s delicacies.

Amuyagele is fuelled by his desire to create one of the best kapana menus in the northern parts of the country, and plans to move his mobile food truck to Windhoek. He remains an inspiration for young people to grab this opportunity to become self-employed and to create jobs for many Namibians.

"This is a great opportunity which made my dream a reality. Just fill in the form and stick to all the instructions. You can be the next winner."

Amuyagele further applauded Nedbank Namibia and the other sponsors for organising the event, which is aimed at uplifting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The competition also encourages current kapana vendors and aspiring chefs to take part.

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Namibian Sun 2024-05-09

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Premier League: Crystal Palace 4 vs 0 Manchester United SerieA: Udinese 1 vs 1 Napoli | Salernitana 1 vs 2 Atalanta Katima Mulilo: 13° | 33° Rundu: 14° | 33° Eenhana: 15° | 34° Oshakati: 17° | 34° Ruacana: 19° | 35° Tsumeb: 17° | 32° Otjiwarongo: 15° | 31° Omaruru: 19° | 33° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Gobabis: 16° | 30° Henties Bay: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:06, High tide: 04:02, Low Tide: 22:18, High tide: 16:30 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:04, High tide: 04:00, Low Tide: 22:16, High tide: 16:28 Walvis Bay: 15° | 21° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:04, High tide: 03:59, Low Tide: 22:16, High tide: 16:27 Rehoboth: 18° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 18° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 32° Lüderitz: 12° | 22° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 31° Oranjemund: 10° | 18° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 14° | 29° Lubumbashi: 15° | 28° Mbabane: 14° | 30° Maseru: 11° | 26° Antananarivo: 11° | 22° Lilongwe: 16° | 27° Maputo: 17° | 31° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Cape Town: 13° | 16° Durban: 20° | 33° Johannesburg: 17° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 30° Lusaka: 15° | 28° Harare: 13° | 27° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.87 | CNY to NAD 2.56 | USD to NAD 18.47 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.67 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.64 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.51 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 47.3 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1429.05 | USD to ZAR 18.47 | USD to ZMW 27.25 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 77177.44 Up +0.32% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1714.65 Down -0.07% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13418.67 Up +0.32% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 25988.93 Down -1.67% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 318.09/OZ UP +0.40% | Copper US$ 4.50/lb UP +0.04% | Zinc US$ 2 912.40/T UP 0.04% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 84.18/BBP DOWN -0.0013 | Platinum US$ 977.64/OZ UP +0.35% Sport results: Premier League: Crystal Palace 4 vs 0 Manchester United SerieA: Udinese 1 vs 1 Napoli | Salernitana 1 vs 2 Atalanta Weather: Katima Mulilo: 13° | 33° Rundu: 14° | 33° Eenhana: 15° | 34° Oshakati: 17° | 34° Ruacana: 19° | 35° Tsumeb: 17° | 32° Otjiwarongo: 15° | 31° Omaruru: 19° | 33° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Gobabis: 16° | 30° Henties Bay: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:06, High tide: 04:02, Low Tide: 22:18, High tide: 16:30 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:04, High tide: 04:00, Low Tide: 22:16, High tide: 16:28 Walvis Bay: 15° | 21° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:04, High tide: 03:59, Low Tide: 22:16, High tide: 16:27 Rehoboth: 18° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 18° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 32° Lüderitz: 12° | 22° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 31° Oranjemund: 10° | 18° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 14° | 29° Lubumbashi: 15° | 28° Mbabane: 14° | 30° Maseru: 11° | 26° Antananarivo: 11° | 22° Lilongwe: 16° | 27° Maputo: 17° | 31° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Cape Town: 13° | 16° Durban: 20° | 33° Johannesburg: 17° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 30° Lusaka: 15° | 28° Harare: 13° | 27° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.87 | CNY to NAD 2.56 | USD to NAD 18.47 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.67 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.64 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.51 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 47.3 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1429.05 | USD to ZAR 18.47 | USD to ZMW 27.25 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 77177.44 Up +0.32% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1714.65 Down -0.07% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13418.67 Up +0.32% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 25988.93 Down -1.67% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 318.09/OZ UP +0.40% | Copper US$ 4.50/lb UP +0.04% | Zinc US$ 2 912.40/T UP 0.04% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 84.18/BBP DOWN -0.0013 | Platinum US$ 977.64/OZ UP +0.35%