The inaugural Daily Voice Koesister champion was crowned on Saturday, as Naailah van Wyk from Mitchells Plain took the cake and bagged the R5 000 cash prize sponsored by the Roadhouse Takeaway in Athlone.
A total of 108 contestants entered in hopes of winning the title as best koesister in the Western Cape.
However, on Saturday at the Golden Acre Shopping Centre which was the venue partner of the competition, it was down to 10 contestants to prove to the judges they have the winning recipe.
The top three was Alfredo Diedericks from Mitchells Plain, Nadia Nazier from Kenwyn and winner Van Wyk, 41, who each received an apron and goodie bag.
“The competition was very nerve-wracking because I had so much doubt in myself,” says Naailah.
“People always ask me why I don’t continue selling, but now I believe that it is a good product I am producing.
“I believe in quality over quantity, I am about presentation. It is not just about money but giving to the next person what I would want to eat.”
She adds: “I am glad I entered the competition. I am about donating and the less fortunate so some of the R5 000 will be ploughed back to those in need, it is just me continuing what I usually do without the R5 000.”
She encourages mense not to give up: “I could not bake to save my life and when I started baking, it flopped many times but I kept going and developed a passion for baking as well as cooking.”
The winner was decided by judges, chef Paul Aspeling, lecturer at Amy Foundation Changing Lives Elsie Botes-Lashmar and Abidah Dixon Mohamed from Proe cooking show.
Captain Voice made sure the audience was entertained and brought the gees while DJ Clint Supreme klopped the numbers which saw some those in the audience kap it uit.
On the mic was MC Andy Heynes from P-Fore online radio.
Botes-Lashmar says that the top three will each feature on the Proe cooking show, which will invite the viewers into the kitchen of each of the winners and they will prepare a meal of their choice
“The competition was amazing, all three of the judges had the same names for the top three without us even elaborating about it,” Botes-Lashmar adds.
“It was an easy choice by the end of the day, the rest had all the same flavours with the karamonk, you could taste the karamonk but I was looking for that thing that was extra and I got that one that stood out.”