Mogau Seshoene is a powerful force in African cuisine, a chef, storyteller, and cultural revivalist whose journey shows how passion, identity, and determination can transform a simple desire to cook into a movement that celebrates heritage, empowers everyday people, and reclaims tradition.
Born and raised in Limpopo, in the township of Turfloop, Mankweng, she spent childhood hours in kitchens learning from her mother and grandmother, absorbing not just recipes, but the stories, smells, and soul of South African home cooking.
Her early life taught her that food is more than sustenance; it is memory, identity, and belonging.
Mogau’s turning point came after a corporate stint that left her uninspired. In 2014 she walked away from that world to follow what her heart and kitchen roots demanded: food.
A friend, anxious about marrying into a traditional family without cooking skills, asked Mogau to teach her how to cook.
The friend’s worry about being labeled “the lazy makoti” (“lazy daughter-in-law”) stuck with Mogau.
That seed grew into The Lazy Makoti, her food platform, cooking school, and cultural mission.
What began as humble cooking lessons soon evolved into an invitation for modern women and everyday people to reconnect with heritage, reclaim pride in ancestral flavours, and learn to cook with dignity and joy.
With formal culinary training, including a diploma in Culinary Arts from the Chefs Training and Innovation Academy in Centurion, followed by industry training under a noted chef at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, Mogau combined professional skill with cultural authenticity.
Soon, her social media began to resonate: thousands followed her, drawn by her warm, no-nonsense recipes that used everyday ingredients and turned daunting meals into achievable, meaningful dinners.
Her career blossomed from small cooking lessons into a full-blown brand that spans live classes, cookbook publishing, food styling, recipe development, and television.
She hosted a season of the TV show Cooks For Life, where she demonstrated approachable, healthy interpretations of South African and African dishes, sharing culture, cooking tips, and heritage with a wide audience.
Her debut cookbook, The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen, became a bestseller and was reprinted several times, proving that her recipes, rooted in home, heritage, and simplicity, deeply resonated.
Her follow-up book, Hosting with the Lazy Makoti, continued that success, winning a major international accolade at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for “Entertaining,” affirming her talent for making cooking both accessible and celebratory.
What Mogau has achieved goes beyond cookbooks and classes. Her impact lies in how she has redefined what it means to cook at home, especially for African women navigating modern life, heritage, and evolving identities.
She has shown that traditional dishes passed through generations still matter, that ease, creativity, and respect for cultural flavours can live side by side, and that cooking can be a form of self-expression, empowerment, and community building.
Through The Lazy Makoti, she has helped countless individuals, including brides, young professionals, and busy urbanites, reclaim their kitchens and, with them, a renewed connection to their roots.
Her accolades reflect both skill and purpose. In 2015 she was listed among the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans.
In 2016 she joined the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in the United States. She later earned a place on the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list, honoring her entrepreneurial spirit, cultural mission, and visionary brand.
Her cookbooks have won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award multiple times, underlining both global acclaim and lasting relevance.
As founder of The Lazy Makoti, she has become a respected food editor, brand collaborator, and cultural ambassador, using her platform to showcase African cuisine on both local and international stages.
Mogau’s story reminds us that greatness does not always begin in grand kitchens or elite schools. Sometimes it begins with teaching a friend to cook, in spaces filled with laughter, spice, and shared heritage.
She shows that identity, tradition, and modernity can not only coexist but enrich one another.
She proves that cooking is not merely a chore; it is culture, memory, comfort, and connection, a way to carry heritage forward one meal, one recipe, and one kitchen at a time.
Mogau Seshoene is more than a chef. She is a vessel of heritage, a reimaginer of tradition, a creator of community, and a beacon for anyone who believes food can be more than survival; it can be a soulful celebration.
