The penultimate finals of the 2016 Stokvel Cooking Challenge, sponsored by White Star Maize Meal and Royco®, had stokvel groups competing against each other to win their share of R50 000 in cash this past Saturday, the 4th of June, at Three Star Cash ‘n Carry in Rustenburg. Love Thy Neighbour Women’s Club, the stokvel group from Soweto in Johannesburg, were on a mission to win and they indeed bagged the title as they won this year’s cook-off competition.

“This is a dream come true and the happiest day of our life! It was our wish to take our cooking careers to the next level” said Cynthia Ngidi from Love Thy Neighbour stokvel.

Love Thy Neighbour faced tough competition against Reiteretse Stokvel, S’nako Stokvel and Masisizane Club – who had also won the semi-finals in their respective regions. The celebrity judges – singer, actress and White Star celebrity chef, Lucia Mthiyane, and MasterChef SA 2014 runner-up, Siphokazi Mdlankomo were incredibly impressed by Love Thy Neighbour’s exceptional culinary skills. Love Thy Neighbour tantalised the judges’ taste buds with their fish curry, 3 robot pepper pap and steamed veggies starter and their lamb stew, pap with Royco® soup and honey pumpkin main.

“We would like to congratulate Love Thy Neighbour for winning this year’s title amidst some very tough competition,” says Mokhele Makhothi, White Star’s Marketing Manager. “They have displayed creative cooking abilities and excellence at being team players, which are just two of the skills we look out for every year.”

Royco® Senior Brand Manager, Khosi Snondo, also added, “We are happy with the chosen stokvel. Love Thy Neighbour deserved their win and worked hard from the semi-finals to become the ultimate Stokvel Cooking Challenge winners for 2016”.

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