Singita’s in-house chef training course provides students with the valuable skills required to render them masters of their profession. Emanating from a commitment for staff development and using his outstanding culinary skills, a Senior Sous Chef at Sweni Lodge – Kurt Abrahams – set about training ‘interns’ from the local community, from which the Singita Cooking School was born.

This programme is a practical, hands-on, sustainable method of assisting the community. It is a 7-month, full-time programme – a combination of theoretical and practical training – aimed at building knowledge, skills, confidence and improving spoken English. On completion of training, students are assisted in applying for a position as a Comis Chef within Singita and other lodges situated close to or within the Kruger National Park.
Guests have the opportunity to sponsor a student on this course. Students who receive bursaries keep in contact with their sponsors whilst studying, and sponsors are provided with a progress report.

With a growing need to expand the school, Kurt is now a permanent trainer and mentor and has developed the kitchen into a full-scale cooking school accommodating up to ten trainees at a time.