The Lazy Makoti is a food solutions company based in South Africa that offers cooking lessons, bespoke catering, and recipe development. The platform celebrates South African and African food and also sells various contemporary handcrafted kitchen accessories like the Lazy Makoti apron and chopping boards.
Who created The Lazy Makoti?
Mogau Seshoene created the Lazy Makoti in 2014 as a cooking school and company. She was born and raised in Polokwane, Limpopo, and went to St. Bedes High School. She later joined the University of Pretoria and graduated with a degree in consumer science and retail management in 2010. Currently in her early 30s, the young entrepreneur has achieved fame, fortune, and success against all odds. She has won various awards and prizes and brushed shoulders with who’s who in society and government, including Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.
Mogau Seshoene is passionate and loves what she does. She pours dedication into every meal, which has driven her to great heights despite starting as a good cook with no knowledge of the business or previous experience in the industry.
What inspired The Lazy Makoti?
According to Mogau Seshoene, the idea of the Lazy Makoti came about after a friend asked her to teach her how to cook. The friend was a city girl with limited cooking skills and was about to marry into a traditional Zulu family. Afraid she would make a bad impression on her in-laws and be known as a lazy daughter-in-law without knowing how to cook some core dishes, she needed to learn how to prepare traditional South African dishes.
Seshoene accepted to help, and before she knew it, people started lining up for cooking lessons every weekend. The classes began as a side hustle and became very successful, bringing Seshoene to the realisation that there was a gap in the African cooking market since most courses in South Africa only offered Italian, French, or Asian cuisine lessons.
She was already unhappy in her cooperate job, so in 2014, she quit and started the Lazy Makoti, offering cooking lessons to young brides. Makoti means daughter-in-law, and the company’s name was inspired by her friend’s fear of being called lazy if she failed to meet the expectations of her in-laws.
How did The Lazy Makoti grow into fame and success?
Education
The first thing Mogau Seshoene did was enroll in culinary school. Instead of just winging it because she loved cooking, she equipped herself with the necessary skills and qualifications. She completed a Culinary Arts diploma from the Chefs Training and Innovation Academy in Centurion. She also worked at The Saxton Hotel in Johannesburg for in-service training under Chef Werner. Through an entrepreneurial support network called The Hookup Dinner, Seshoene got R150,000 in capital after winning their Lean Jump Start competition. She used the funds to set up her business and cover her study costs.
Leveraging social media
Social media was also pivotal in the growth of the Lazy Makoti. Most clients came through social media by interacting with the company’s pages or through other people’s pages. The brand progressed from a Facebook page that shared the Lazy Makoti recipes to providing comprehensive cooking classes. Today she boasts a massive social media following of over 600k followers across Africa and the world, with her YouTube videos having over 100k views.
Consistent growth
In 2018, Mogau Seshoene published a cookbook titled The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen. Despite initially struggling to find a publisher and even fighting to include the Lazy Makoti recipes she wanted, the Lazy Makoti cookbook became a number-one best-seller in its first week. It also got reprinted three times in less than three months and went on to win the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award. She also published a second book, Hosting with the Lazy Makoti, where she presents easy-to-follow recipes that explore unique tastes from different countries on the African continent.
Mentorship and willingness to learn
Mogau Seshoene always thanks her mentors who supported and opened doors for her in her journey. She emphasises that mentors are essential for anyone starting a venture as they can reflect everything you can be and inspire you. Seshoene also advises that mentors don’t have to be people you’ve met. Videos, books, podcasts, and articles can help you learn the principles that made others successful while opening your eyes against potential mistakes you would have otherwise not seen.
Her willingness to learn and grab new opportunities has also propelled her to greater heights and given her the support she needs. She participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program and has been featured in some of the most celebrated lists like Forbes Africa 30 under 30 and the Mail & Guardian’s top 200 young South Africans. She calls on young people to be proactive and use the available resources like studying and getting qualified if possible or using Google to equip themselves with knowledge and skills.
Passion
Mogau Seshoene has never been shy about advocating for her heritage while advancing and preserving South African and African culture through food. Thanks to her passion, she was already excelling in a position she knew little about. She continues to share the African narrative worldwide to get African and South African food on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritages.
Turn ordinary food into delicious meals with help from FinGlobal
If you’ve recently moved from South Africa or are planning on moving and want to access any of the Lazy Makoti cookbooks or some of your other treats and comforts from South Africa, the Something From Home shop can help meet your needs. It’s packed with various South African products, including food, cookbooks, drinks, unique arts and crafts, fashion accessories, gifts, the signature Lazy Makoti apron and groceries. Simply order online from anywhere and have it delivered to your door within a few days.
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