Happy International Women's Day!
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
In celebration of this special day, The Restaurant Collective highlights the contribution South African women are making to the South African and international restaurant industry.
We know the restaurant industry is by and large still run by men, but the women who are leading the charge to make change are powerful and they are making waves.
The number of female chief executive officers in the industry also remains a tiny fraction among large chains, despite the fact that women represent a significant portion of the restaurant workforce.
Three of SA’s most loved restaurant brands are headed up by women, who are Val Nichas from Spur, Natasha Sideris from Tashas, and Grace Harding from Ocean Basket. Below, these powerful women share how they approach the restaurant business.
Natasha Sideris - founder and CEO of the Tashas group
“While I hate to stereotype, I feel that women are hard workers, effective communicators, and have incredibly high standards. They also seem to be passionate about inspiring other women and seeing others succeed.
“Looking at the Tashas Group head office team says it all. The majority are young women in senior positions. This hasn’t been done by design. I believe that it is about finding the best person for the job.
“I am passionate about nurturing talent and upskilling women in all areas of the business. Many of the restaurant managers throughout the group are women, including the culinary director of the group,” says Sideris.
Grace Harding - CEO of Ocean Basket
“The founder of Ocean Basket Fats Lazarides decided that it was time for a woman’s touch. Inspired by the dynamism and passion of his mother, he brought a woman into a man’s world. We drive transformation in a holistic way – 360 vision.
“The integration of love, fairness, and fierce determination dance in harmony, and that is how results are attained. Like everything in life, it’s about creating a climate of tolerance and inclusivity – embracing people from all walks of life, with disabilities, and disregarding the stereotypes created.
“Women can see the child crying, pick up the paper off the floor, care deeply about the food in a pan, and call out poor performance,” says Harding.
Val Nichas - director and group CEO of Spur Corporation
“Women continue to play a significant role in society, the difference is that we see them more visible in business today. In the franchise restaurant business, the acceleration of female leaders as restaurant operators is evident.
“With the trading environment shifting, with more focus on people and purpose, leaders are required to demonstrate skills such as empathy, humility, and increased communication, and women are well poised for this.
“Over the past year, we have seen some dramatic and instrumental changes to our board of directors at Spur Corporation, and we now have a 50% female main board and 50% female exco team,” says Nichas.
These are other women that are making their mark in the SA restaurant industry.
Mala Bryan - model, restaurateur, and self-taught chef
Bryan is the owner of Carne on Kloof, a restaurant situated in Cape Town that is dedicated entirely to meat as is evident from its Italian name, Carne on Kloof is a carnivore’s paradise serving a unique offering of the finest cuts.
When asked about some of the challenges and obstacles she has faced starting out in the restaurant business, she told IOL Lifestyle that starting out as a chef in SA and trying to introduce Caribbean cuisine was a challenge. Bryan said she had to think of ways to make the Caribbean food merge with local favourites.
“Finding certain foods has also been a bit tough and I’ve had to substitute many things and also blend many of my own seasonings, to come as close as we would get in the Caribbean,” she said.
Bryan said people should feel intimidated by thinking the restaurant business is a male-dominated industry.
“If you really want to be in the culinary industry you have to be really passionate about it and do it with love because it is not easy. The love for cooking and the industry will conquer that,” she added.
Siba Mtongana - chef, television presenter, and restaurateur
Famously known as the host of the Cooking Channel show Siba's Table, Mtongana continues to break industry barriers through her passion for food and people. In 2019, she was hand-picked by the presidency to direct and curate the VIP menu for the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa, serving 450 guests, including heads of states, former presidents, kings, queens, and global business moguls. After recently being dubbed a “global food goddess” by Tatler Malaysia and being recognised by Harvard University, the multi-award-winning cookbook author also opened her first Cape Town restaurant at Sun International’s five-star Table Bay Hotel in the V&A Waterfront. The restaurant welcomes patrons with a generous menu that provides deeply visceral culinary experiences that are synonymous with sharing, connecting, and enticing a sense of curiosity.