LAZY MAKOTI COLLABORATES WITH AMARULA

Patriotism keeps the Spirit of Africa alive

Renowned chef, best selling author and personality, Mogau Seshoene, popularly known as The Lazy Makoti has fast become one of South Africa’s best exports. Not only does she carry the South African flag high through her amazing hearty meals, but she preaches the gospel of patriotism and a love for South Africa everywhere she goes. Between The Lazy Makoti and Amarula, the two authentically South African brands truly embody everything South Africa stands for- authenticity, richness and a love for our people, stories, culture and heritage.

“#AlittleSomethingSomething that sets me apart from my peers is my love for our country and it’s people. I am hugely patriotic and all my friends always say ‘Okay Miss South Africa. We get it, you love South Africa,’ and I think it comes from learning from other nations.”

Seshoene was fortunate to have spent time in the US and was mind blown by how everyone was pro-America and wanted to build their country. “ I could not believe how much everybody loves America, how everybody wants to pour into their country, regardless of what they do, they want to know that  they are contributing to making this country work. 

I wish we were all like that. You can make a contribution to the ultimate story of our country. I think whatever little space I occupy I try to centre our country, I try to celebrate us, I try to preach the message of this amazing country.”

A journey of a full circle is one the ways to describe Lazy Makoti’s rise to success. Hailing from Polokwane with a passion passed on from her mother who loved being in the kitchen, Lazy Makoti has not only been able to monetise her love for food but to also share that love with others by teaching them how to cook. This would ultimately see Mogau Seshoene pursue cooking professionally and eventually work with one of her favourite brands of all time, Amarula.

“When I working in corporate, a friend of mine asked that I teach her how to cook because she wanted to impress her in-laws. She didn’t want to be known as the lazy makoti just because she couldn’t cook. So that’s what I was doing during my weekends, teaching someone something on how to cook and these were things that I thought were basic - like how to make Chakalaka, how to make pap. Who knew one could make a career out of that and end up working with Amarula?.”

As far as the 10 000 hours rule goes, Lazy Makoti moved from doing one-on-one classes, to teaching bigger groups, becoming better at her craft and finding her happiness in teaching. In no time, she started enjoying spending her weekends doing classes where she taught people how to cook more than she did at her corporate job as an auditor. This would ultimately become the genesis of a household brand named, “Lazy Makoti.”

“I had always just loved cooking, had always been that friend that’s always bringing something new for you to taste. During the weekend I was experimenting with this and that. But I don’t think I had ever considered that I could turn it into a career until I decided to quit my job, take a leap of faith and go to culinary school.”

Studying to become a chef was important for Lazy Makoti because she wanted more for herself and her passion. She wanted to make it a brand, a business, #AlittleSomethingSometing South Africa could be proud of, something she has done with sheer excellence. 

“If you have the time and resources, I would definitely encourage that you go to culinary school and then from there you can decide where you want to go in this big culinary world. It just makes you a professional in the kitchen. I went to culinary school for a year and did in serve training at the Saxon Hotel and money can’t buy what I learnt working in an industry kitchen.

When I was starting Lazy Makoti, I don’t think I knew that it would become what it is today. I had pictured something different and so that is truly as a result of culinary school, working in an industry kitchen, all the internships I have done and all the little jobs opening bigger doors. As a result of school, I have a much clearer idea of what the Lazy Makoti is and what it’s going to be 5, 10 years from now, a brand that is synonymous with big brands such as Amarula.”

It’s 2021 and Mogau Seshoene’s dream has come true. She has partnered with Amarula to bring their #AlittleSomethingSomething campaign to life, a campaign that seeks to celebrate creatives who are authentic to themselves and their craft. In the cooking industry, Amarula couldn’t have made a better selection other than Lazy Makoti who lives to tell the story of South Africa through her delicious meals and cooks books. 

“Amarula is one of the brands that I have always had my eyes on and was on my wish list of brands that I wanted to work with my story. Everything I do is centered around my love for our country, our culture, our heritage. A lot of times, brands come to you. Amarula is a brand I pursued relentlessly because I just believed that it made so much sense. We have so much in common, our great love for South Africa, our great love and passion for South African ingredients, the home grown story of South Africa.. it resonated so much with what I do. Lazy Makoti and Amarula speak and celebrate us in a way that other brands don’t. If I think of a proudly South African product, the Amarula brand is on top of that list.”

Amarula carries the Spirit of Africa through it’s uniqueness. It symbolises the incredible potential South Africa has and challenges us to celebrate ourselves more. “I  feel like we don’t do that enough. For me, it’s a calling for us to celebrate ourselves more- as you can hear, I am hugely patriotic and that is a power we still need to tap into.”

Brand collaborations such as Amarula partnering with creatives in different spaces is one of the ways the Spirit of Africa will live for all eternity. Not only do they encourage unity of different industries but they enable an environment where creatives in Africa can get exposure to wider markets and extend the reach of their brands. Seshoene expressesed how the Amarula brand collaboration affirmed everything she has been doing at a time when there are many naysayers who aren’t as patriotic as she is about her country, it’s food, heritage and culture. 

“These brand collaborations are truly an affirmation. Thinking back to when I was quitting my job and trying to explain to everyone that I wanted to teach how to celebrate, cook and love South African food. It sounded crazy- I remember the looks I got when I said this. 

A brand as big and as significant as Amarula wanting to work with me really is a great affirmation that I’m on the right track. I absolutely love that they are collaborating with creatives in different industries.  That for me shows that in whatever you’re doing, no matter what you’re doing, you can celebrate and centre us South Africa, our culture, our heritage. When I think of other countries that do this very well, the French with their cuisine. I mean it is a billion dollar industry only because the French have decided that they are going to  celebrate French food. So why can’t we do the same here? For me it is a pat on the back and a challenge to do more.”

Pursuing a journey of uncharted territory can often leave one feeling doubtful of themselves amd unsure of their pursuit. Support, belief and encouragement, even if it was from a minority, are what propelled Seshoene to become a brand of note, a best selling author whose book has been at number 3 since it was launched and is now on its 11th reprint. 

This is after Seshoene was told that South Africans are not interested in learning how to make South Africa dishes. She was even encouraged to try Italian cuisines as those books apparently sell better. However, her relentless believe in South African food, the rich diversity and cultures saw her seek publishers who believed in her story and mission- for black peoples to see themselves everywhere, especially on cookbook shelves.

“The book all started when I was doing cooking classes and I’d share recipes after the classes. Everyone would ask if there was a book they could buy- which was something I had never thought about. The more people kept asking me about it, the more I just thought, let me put together a book. 

I went on a research mission and I realised that there wasn’t a book that I felt spoke specifically to us - a book that celebrates our food, traditional food or township food. So I endeavoured to put together food that we love, food that we grew up with and to really teach people how to make this food. 

Think about anyone who didn’t learn from home where to make this food, where will they go? They can’t go to a culinary school to learn to make South African food. Unfortunately, even today at culinary school, we learn how to make Italian, French and Japanese food. There isn’t a chapter on South African food, crazy enough.

I remember every publisher telling me that South Africans are not interested in learning how to make Mopani worms or how to make pap. I remember just thinking how crazy that was to hear that in a country where 80% of the people are black people for someone to tell me that this was not going to work and they had the numbers to prove it, that Asian and Itialin books sold more. 

I believed that people were waiting to see themselves represented everywhere. I think this was during the time of Black Panther so I felt like everything is pointing to one thing, that people are ready to see themselves everywhere, and that includes a shelf of black cook books in a bookstore. Lord behold, I finally met a small publishing house that was willing to publish my book. It proves that people have an appetite for something that is familiar, something that looks like them and celebrates who they are.”

Lazy Makoti says one of the things she loves about Amarula, which you can pair with any of her meals, is how it can be what you want to be and how you can drink it in different ways. “I think all the Amarula cocktails are great and that Amarula can be a base for whatever you want to add. You can make it your own. You make the Amarula Don Pedro or jazz it up with delicious fruit and make it fun, and make the colours really pop. 

The Chakalaka sauce, with black rice and grilled chicken is amazing when paired with Amarula. I think that it’s time that people played around with some flavours and not be stiff. What aids other cuisines around the world is that they not caged in. They are playing around with all the flavours. So play around with flavours and find what works for you”.  

With a new book on the way, Seshoene says the book is a continuation of a mission she started with the first book-  teaching people that South African cuisine is amazing and deserves a place on the same table as other popular cuisines. Her second book is also an opportunity to show us what Africans are capable of when they are united and how this unity is what will help catapult the African continent but also keep the Spirit of Africa alive.

“My new book was really drawing a lot of inspiration and taking from the feedback I got from the first book, from people DMing people, people’s insights when we were doing book signings, and trying to put together a book that would be a great book to follow the first one. 

In this new book, it’s all the favourites, great breakfasts, easy dinners. I’m all about cooking delicious food in very quick time because I understand we don’t have hours and hours to spend in the kitchen but food that does not compromise on taste.”

The book also entails a chapter on South Africa and Africa and celebrating food from around the continent to raise our consciousness to how similar we are and therefore includes recipes from chefs from all over Africa. “We need to start doing the real work of uniting ourselves even before we celebrate. I asked a few of my friends who are chefs around the continent to supply recipes that would be familiar to South Africans- be it in the ingredient or how they make it. For instance, a chef from Zambia gave a Mopani worm recipe, which we have and eat in South Africa. A chef from Burundi have a pork trotters recipe, someone else gave a pap recipe that is just a bit different to how they make it.. but all the recipes are recognisable to a South African. I wanted to highlight our similarities.”

Other chapters include baking, desserts and this time, a chapter on vegan/ vegetarian food. “There’s also a huge celebration chapter that I am very excited about. Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Valentine’s Day and I think one of the things COVID-19 has done is that is has highlighted to us that we should celebrate every moment that we get. I think, like last year, this next Christmas is going to be a big one and hopefully we’ll all have a chance to go home and spend it with their families, so why not make delicious food for them. 

We always hear about how it’s time for Africa and I believe that there are no rules and boundaries to the infinite possibilities that exist for us. I think it’s an exciting time to be an African. There’s #AlittleSomethingSomething in us all that we need to unleash.”