Executive sous chef at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Gqeberha, Mthobeli “Sunshine” Ndaleni, might be soft-spoken and humble, but his hunger for excellence drives him to work hard and turn everything he touches into gold.
“It all began in childhood, growing up in the township of KwaZakhele. I watched how my mother struggled financially to provide for me and my three siblings. I was determined to work hard and build my mother a house she could call her home,” said Ndaleni.
He never imagined a career in the culinary industry; in fact Ndaleni dreamt of becoming a doctor.
When that didn’t work out, he refused to let it deter him from his goal of succeeding. He started out washing dishes at the Radisson Hotel in Gqeberha, but was fascinated with the chefs and how orderly they prepared food.
“I was impressed with their white regalia, and how neat they looked, so I immediately approached the executive chef and informed him about my interest in the craft,” said Ndaleni.
A few months later a vacancy for a chef opened at the hotel and Ndaleni applied. Having never cooked for anyone outside of his family before, he was understandably nervous to cook for the staff, including the chef, but he did well and his career started.
Chef Ndaleni’s zeal for excellence grew more and more and he decided to enrol for culinary courses over the next few years.
“I believe in hard work and always enhancing your craft. Talent must always be accompanied by a learned skillset; education is key. It gives you the knowledge and language you need to open even more doors. This is something I wish everyone could do – always upskill,” he emphasised.
In 2018, Ndaleni received a call that would change the course of his life forever.
“I had gotten a job in the United States of America. What a dream come true! Travelling the world was always part of my plans, and America was first on my list. This to me just reaffirmed that if you work hard, you give yourself the opportunity to control your destiny and make your dreams come true.
In America he worked alongside celebrity chef, Francisco, and cooked for America’s basketball and golfing royalty at venues as prestigious as The Club in Admiral’s Cove in the Sunshine State, and the Chicago Lake Golf Club.
When the COVID-19 pandemic happened in 2020, Ndaleni returned to South Africa.
His international experience, blended with an exemplary record during his first stint at the hotel, prompted general manager, Elmarie Fritz, to pick up the phone and convince him to make a comeback.
“Due to his ’Yes, I can’ spirit, I was motivated to give him a call to return to the Gqeberha property,” Fritz told us.
More recently, the father of two won the Best Chef category at Nelson Mandela Bay’s fifth annual Hospitality Awards & Gala.
“I’m proud of every achievement and recognition I receive. All these are further motivations to keep going. I want my sons, Akhanani (7) and Lukho (6), to not only have more opportunities in life, but to look at the life of their father and know that success and excellence are possible if you work hard,” Chef Ndaleni said before rushing back to his kitchen.
