Learn more about what happened along the way
February–May 2019
Pre-Phase – Intense Market Research & concept development with Stakeholders
June 17, 2019
Foundation of Cooktastic Hub NPC by five people from South Africa, Austria and Germany
From left: Stanton Swano, Mbuyi Jongqo, Andile Ndikandika, Brigitte Sachs-Schaffer, Heribert Trunk (not present on this picture)
September 2019
Initial Funding – 5 Austrian Rotary Clubs + District finances our basic equipment to run the training kitchen. Rotary Club Sea Point takes the role as local Host Club.
February 2020
We move into our first location at The Salt Orchard in Salt River, Cape Town, establish the Set-Up and recruit the very first Cohort of 20 Cooktastic culinary students.
March 9, 2020
Start of Cohort 1
March 23, 2020
Corona Lock Down – only 2 weeks after the start everything stops abruptly. Just baking bread for the suffering communities is allowed. Funded by Rotary Sea Point, we bake and distribute 40,000 Ciabattas in the upcoming months.
June 11, 2020
Registration as PBO – Public Benefit Organisation.
November 2021
Public Accreditation of the Cooktastic Basic Culinary Training by QCTO
February 2020 – February 2024 at Salt River
10 Cohorts graduated, with an impressive Job Placement Rate of 85% in Cape Town’s high level Hospitality Industry
February 24, 2022
Foundation of Cooktastic Bakery, Bistro and Catering (PTY) LTD. 5 top graduates had been selected to operate it under the supervision of experienced professionals
February 2024
Move to a much bigger, 500 m2 location at “The Palms” in vibrant Woodstock, enabled by new funding cooperations. We are now able to increase the number of culinary students from 60 to 100 per year and start our Social Enterprise as a 1 Stop-Shop.
March 2024
The entrepreneurial program ChefPreneurs – empowered by Cooktastic starts. The first 8 young Food Entrepreneurs are in the market.
October 10, 2024
Mbuyi Jongqo, Cooktastic Co-Founder and Director is Finalist in Santam´s award Women of the Future
October 30, 2024
Launch of our own Cooktastic Bakery, Bistro and Catering business. We produce artisanally made sour dough bread and pastries for top hospitality partners and provide culinary excellence at the Bistro and Catering – with social impact included !
October 2024 – March 2025
The first 4 Austrian young Volonteers spend 3-6 months at Cooktastic, contributing valuable services while gaining unforgettable intercultural experience with our students, the team and the country
June/July 2025
Mbuyi Jongqo, together with her Austrian counterpart Brigitte Sachs-Schaffer go on ‘Roadshow’ in Austria and Liechtenstein.
The first 3 Cooktastic graduates come to Austria with a VISA as saisonal worker for recognised Austrian hospitality venues. The vision of an International Exchange Program starts to assume shape.
July 5, 2025
Austrian Federal President Dr. Alexander van der Bellen visits Cooktastic , together with his wife, Doris Schmidauer and a high level business and cultural delegation.
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