The DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival, Powered by LottoStar is just a few days away and this year's edition is set to wow crowds with nostalgic sounds from local and international stars, fashion, and art. In addition, for the first time since its inception in 2013, the festival will feature scrumptious dishes sold by chefs that recently graduated from the Delicious Festival Traders Academy.
The ten graduates were celebrated in an intimate gathering at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on Monday, 15 September. The academy was launched in 2023 in Johannesburg, with the first intake of 50 small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector. The vision is to give SMMEs in South Africa exposure and access to market opportunities.
Tom Pearson-Adams, CEO and founder of DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival, and Jean Huddy, Director of Delicious Festival Traders Academy Festival, graced the event.
Speaking to Time Out Johannesburg, Tom said the highlight of this year’s DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival is having the graduates showcase their incredible work.
“What's most exciting about the festival this year is that we have ten of our amazing graduates, ten SMMEs who we have had through the course. They graduated last April and will be at the festival this year representing themselves and their own businesses, trading on the proudly South African Delicious Mile. It's a significant milestone for the Traders Academy. I'm very excited about it," he said.
"This is a major milestone for this academy. This is our hero moment,” he added.
The CEO congratulated the graduates, who were in high spirits, clothed in their branded gear.
"I'm so proud of the journey you have undertaken. The fact that you are going to be showcasing your amazing own food, your amazing brands. It is really a hero moment for me at this year's festival. This is the highlight. Well done to all of you."
Tom mentioned upcoming plans for academy graduates to run all the festival stalls in the future.
“The dream is in five, six, seven years' time, every trader comes through the academy, and all food at Delicious is born through the Academy. That's the dream. You guys have made the first real-life footstep. So thank you; I'm grateful to all of you.”
Speaking about what made the graduates beat hundreds of other applicants, Tom highlighted their resilience.
"They are just ticking all the boxes. They have come out as rounded business owners [who are] confident. We are confident they can handle the pressures of trading such a large crowd,” he added.
Jean echoed Tom's sentiments. "I'm so proud, I'm so excited, I'm really happy to see them come full circle to be able to trade at the festival this weekend. It's been two years in the making, and they have gone through the full course from the Delicious Traders Academy powered by SETA,” Jean said.
"They are the first group that has graduated from the academy into trading at the festival. They have got enough experience now. They have upgraded their brands, their offering, [and] their menus are more sleek. Their pricing is better, [and] they have control over their health and safety. Everything about what they are doing is on a next-level and Delicious level. We are really excited for everyone to get a taste of what the Delicious Traders Academy is all about."
She also touched on the academy’s role in empowering business owners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"The reason why the Delicious Traders Academy came about was because we would see every year that a huge number of people who would apply for the festival who simply didn't have the experience and expertise to be able to trade and we realised that there is a huge leap in terms of being a small business in disadvantaged communities to being able to come to the festival. We wanted to bridge that gap, and we feel the academy has done that. We are giving opportunities, and uplifting and upskilling people where we can, and I think it's making a huge difference in their communities," added Jean.
She says the mentorship of the SMMEs will continue.
"We will have ongoing mentorships. We have really new, exciting mentors coming on board as well. We are looking at more one-on-one, round-table, once-a-month catch-up sessions. They have also got a great community amongst themselves where they are learning from each other. They are all on a journey together, and honestly, that support within their entrepreneurship community has been invaluable to them,” she said.
Excitement builds amongst Delicious graduates
One graduate, Chef Brian M, who owns the Burger Yard from Vosloorus, says the academy has elevated his business.
"It's equipped us with the tools to work our way around events such as Delicious itself. It taught us how to do costing, how to manage your business, hygiene standards—it's a lot,” he said.
The entrepreneur says he is looking forward to trading at the festival for the first time.
"We are bringing flavour, quality, and juicy burgers," Brian said.
Another graduate, Mfundo Gaza, the owner and founder of LI Foods and Events in Soweto, which specialises in kotas, says it took him seven years to get to where he is today. He highlights that he achieved this milestone through “patience, perseverance, and commitment”.
“My journey started in 2018. Last year, in 2024, I was part of the students who needed to network, engage with customers, and gain followers. The prize was R5,000 if you gained more followers and I was the winner. This year, I manifested that I'd be part of the Delicious Festival, and it happened, it was a dream come true.
"We custom-make our kotas, and this year we will be trying something different. It will be a spit braai lamb kota where you will have your kota and chips. No one does that in South Africa, so make sure you come through to our stall.”
Thobile Sibeko, a graduate and the founder of Tobs Wraps, says attendees should expect "creativity and a burst of flavours. We are bringing the whole township flavour. We play around with our wraps in a way that you would never think a wrap could be done. We have a surprise of a kebab wrap."
Another graduate, Chef Gift Sedibeng from Siga Culinary Restaurant, an Afro-Mexican restaurant based in Alexandra, says attendees can look forward to his kota burritos, which came second at the Soweto Kota Festival in 2023.
“We have three menus: our Kota burritos, our fully loaded burritos, and our famous three-piece tacos.”
Tom encouraged festivalgoers to arrive with high expectations for an unforgettable experience.
"We have got some fantastic local talent, [and] we are also hosting some fantastic international talent. Don Toliver headlining on the Saturday and Lauryn Hill, Wyclef, and the Marleys on the Sunday. I'm really excited about that. This year, we have upped the production, very excited for everyone to see that. Then there is art meets fashion, which we introduced last year, and a whole lot of brand activation - hospitality, delicious lunch, there is a lot to see, come and have a look."
Buy tickets for DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival
The DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival, Powered by LottoStar takes place this weekend, 20 and 21 September, at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Tickets can be bought at Ticketmaster and range from R1,050 to R8,350 each.
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