Cooking for the Future
The Singita Community Culinary School (SCCS) at Singita Kruger National Park opened its doors in 2007. Today, it offers a rigorous, Singita-crafted professional cookery course that sees young people drawn from local communities graduating as commis chefs of the highest calibre. Singita Lowveld Trust, our conservation partner in South Africa, sponsors 10 students per year and guests generously fund additional scholarships through donations to our SCCS Expansion Fund. Our goal is to double the number of students who graduate from the programme annually.
The SCCS programme serves to fulfil a real need in the community, as well as for the South African hospitality industry as a whole. Graduates emerge with highly sought-after skills and strong employment prospects, while kitchens at Singita lodges and those further afield benefit from a pool of expertly-trained young chefs. Admission into the programme is competitive, and for the aspiring chefs who are accepted, a very bright future awaits.
The SCCS is a significant step towards achieving Singita’s long-term, broad community development goal of assisting the families that live in and around the reserves to thrive – both economically and socially.
The number of graduates who have found new careers as chefs after completing the programme.
95The percentage of graduates who are currently employed. This result would be impressive on its own, but in the context of a province with a youth unemployment rate in excess of 35%, it’s even more significant.
- In 2017, the school's tenth year of operation, internationally acclaimed chef Liam Tomlin became involved and made his mark on the programme, combining the grounding of theory with intensive practical training, most of which happens on-site in Singita’s kitchens.
- Students spend time learning the basics in the state-of-the-art demo studio at Singita Lebombo Lodge, which operates as a fully-functioning practical and theory classroom, followed by hands-on experience in the five Singita lodge kitchens in South Africa. They emerge with skills, real-world training, knowledge, creativity and confidence to take on a commis chef role in any professional kitchen.
- Each of the five Singita kitchens has its own signature style, enhancing the students' versatility. Exchanges with other kitchens – locally and internationally – are available to the most promising students.
- The new SCCS facility at Lebombo lodge, which opened in 2018, facilitates increased exposure to lodge kitchens and chefs, as well as interaction with guests. All of this contributes to the development of the next generation of talented young chefs.
- In 2017, the school's tenth year of operation, internationally acclaimed Chef Liam Tomlin became involved and made his mark on the programme, combining the grounding of theory with intensive practical training, most of which happens onsite in Singita’s kitchens.
- Students spend time learning the basics in the state-of-the-art demo studio at Singita Lebombo Lodge, which operates as a fully-functioning practical and theory classroom, followed by hands-on experience in the five Singita lodge kitchens in South Africa. They emerge with skills, real-world training, knowledge, creativity and confidence to take on a commis chef role in any professional kitchen.
- Each of the five Singita kitchens has its own signature style, enhancing the students' versatility. Exchanges with other kitchens - locally and internationally - are available to the most promising students.
- The new SCCS facility at Lebombo lodge which opened in 2018 facilitates increased exposure to lodge kitchens and chefs as well as interaction with guests, all of which contributes to the development of the next generation of talented young chefs.
- Sponsor a student to attend the SCCS. Your sponsorship will cover tuition, uniforms, equipment, ingredients, transport and a monthly stipend. The current cost to sponsor a student is ZAR 100k.
- Contribute to the SCCS Expansion Fund, which will enable Singita to offer this life-changing opportunity to more inspiring young people from the local community.
- Participate in a cooking class at the SCCS, which entails a donation of ZAR 650 per person. Each class takes us one step closer to our SCCS expansion goal.
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