Celebrated Instagram food entrepreneur Neo Nontso hosted an intimate party for her 28th birthday last week and shared images from the beautiful event on Instagram.
In one post, she captioned the pics ‘Twenty Ate’, and in another she thanked everyone who came to celebrate with her saying, “Birthday braai set up was too cute! Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate with me!”
Nontso was looking fiery hot in a white bodycon dress and had short curled hair. She wore a pair of gold earrings and she had some glamorous contouring and black eyeliner.
Raised in East London in the Eastern Cape, Nontso grew up around a family of exceptional cooks, quickly developing her own passion for cooking.
”Food and family went hand-in-hand when I was a child. In my grandmother’s house, the kitchen was the heart of the home. It was where people would eat, cry, get shouted at and apologise.
“If anyone was in trouble, we would deal with it in the kitchen; if someone was happy or had good news, we would hear it in the kitchen. Out of the chaos and the discipline grew my love affair with cooking,” she said.
It was with this familial spirit in mind, and after much persuasion from her friends, that Nontso started a Facebook page in 2017 to document her cooking.
Now with a whopping 316 000 Instagram followers, her page is one of the most popular, featuring all types of recipes that make cooking easier for beginners.
From classic South African dishes like chakalaka, oxtail stew, and mogudu (tripe) to internationally-inspired favourites like paella, burritos and sticky BBQ wings, she covers all tastes, which demand different skills.
In 2020, Nontso launched her own spice and herb range DWN; which include coarse salt, black peppercorns, smoked paprika, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano.
And in 2022, she launched her first cookbook titled @dinewithneo - my insta feast which is split into categories such as ‘Dirty Dining’ (fast food), ‘Weekend Special’ (dishes for special occasions), ‘Pasta la Vista’ (all sorts of pasta), ‘Something on the Side’ (winning side dishes), and ‘Sweet Cravings’ (desserts and treats).
Nontso’s growth is definitely one to watch in the culinary industry as she continues to share amazing recipes with her followers and secure deals with popular food brands.
You can read the latest Food digimag here.