The Singita Community Culinary School (SCCS)
The Singita Community Culinary School (SCCS) at Singita Kruger National Park opened its doors in 2007 - offering young adults from neighbouring communities the opportunity to participate in a year-long, Singita-crafted, internationally recognised World Chef certification course.
The programme provides skills development, employment opportunities as well as developing a local talent pipeline for the hospitality sector.
Students are immersed in the state-of-the-art cooking studio at Singita Lebombo Lodge, which operates as a fully functioning practical and theory classroom. This is coupled with extensive, hands-on experience in the Singita lodge kitchens.
Key Successes
- With onsite accommodation for 6 students (due to generous SLT donor support), the number of hours of invaluable experience in our lodge kitchens has increased by 25%, as the daily 4-hour commute has been eliminated.
- 111 graduates since the school opened in 2007.
- 81% of these graduates are currently employed, particularly significant given the 50% youth unemployment rate and COVID 19 retrenchments impacting the sector.
- 89% of employed graduates are professional chefs, demonstrating a clear link between the SCCS alumni’s passions, the skills they gain at the SCCS and the job market.
- 1/3 of all graduates have advanced to the Junior Sous chef level or beyond.
Thanks to guest donations to the SCCS Expansion Fund, the number of scholarships awarded in 2019 increased by 40%, in line with our goal of doubling our impact by 2025.Singita Community Culinary School
How can I support this project?
- Sponsor a student to attend the SCCS. Your sponsorship will cover tuition, uniforms, equipment, ingredients, room & board, transport and monthly stipend. The current cost to sponsor a student is ZAR 130k (approx. US$8.5k)
- Contribute an amount of your choosing to the SCCS Scholarship Fund. For 2022-2023, funds will be pooled to cover additional scholarships, and accommodation required to reach our goal of 10 students per year, by 2024.
- Participate in a cooking class at the SCCS, which entails a donation of ZAR 2,500 (approx. US$144) per person contributing to the Scholarship Fund.
- Buy our cookbook, Singita: Our Food Journey, for $ 74 / ZAR 1,200. Profits go towards all of the Singita Culinary Schools in South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda – community partnership projects that help to develop talented young chefs from local communities.
