Leandrah Makaya is a 33-year-old award-winning chef who emerged as the Season 2 winner of Battle of the Chefs Harare, a Zimbabwean competitive reality TV show that has expanded to other African countries. Leandrah was one of 16 chefs to enter the competition. The accomplishment came with a $10,000 cash prize and esteemed title of Best Chef in Zimbabwe.
Leandrah once pursued a career as a model, but ultimately decided the culinary world was for her. We reached out to Leandrah to learn about her passion for cooking and how winning Battle of the Chefs Harare changed her life.
Describe a typical day in your life.
My mornings are usually occupied by the cooking classes that I conduct at my house. Then in the afternoon, I’m the sous-chef at my workplace, a local hotel, and I run the afternoon shift until about 8:30 p.m.…then I’m back home.
What motivated you to start up your business?
I am motivated by the skill I possess. I believe I have the potential to become even bigger in a freelance environment where I am self-driven. I am not just a chef for the money, but this is where my passion is. It’s like my heart in a plate.
What finally made you choose being a chef over a model?
Modelling was expensive for me back then. It demanded a lot of material things I couldn’t afford, and it demotivated me. When I became a chef, I then discovered I was really talented. And whenever I made something, people would marvel, and I felt very encouraged.
Did you have any challenges choosing your career path and on your journey to business?
At first, I was confused. I didn’t really know what I wanted. Then my mother encouraged me to choose one programme from the apprenticeship programs that were available that time, and I chose being a chef.
How do you manage being a businesswoman and being in full-time employment?
It’s all about balancing the two. I do my side business in my own time, and I make sure it doesn’t interfere with my job. I keep it organised.
What would you say is your greatest strength?
My greatest strength is my character. I am daring. Fear is not an option for me. And I’m also a very accommodative person, so people don’t resent me, and it helps me learn a lot from people at the same time impacting them as well.
Tell us more about your experience at the Battle of the Chefs Harare. What impact did it have on you as an individual and on your business?
My experience on Battle of the Chefs was amazing. I learnt a lot from the competition itself e.g., prioritisation, cooking perfect food under pressure, cooking in front of the camera, learning different cuisines.
Winning Battle of the Chefs impacted my business and my career in a very positive way because people developed confidence in my capabilities as a chef, and it made my name popular. So getting clients or looking for a job has been easy ever since.
What is your advice to young women on business and careers in general?
My advice to young women in business is work hard, slay later. Life is not a rehearsal. It’s lights, camera, action, so whatever your heart sets out to do, do it now, and do it well.
You can see more of Leandrah’s work through:
Facebook: LEEkays Kitchen
Instagram: @leekays.kitchen
