10 Nov 2019

Some people do follow their passions and find it actually works out. One such individual is Botswana’s celebrity chef, Mr Joseph Seeletso.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the 4th and largest edition of the W-conference hosted by De Beers group, the Polish-based culinary master and brand ambassador said it was a long journey to realise his dream, but passion and ambition closed the widening gap.

“I managed to build a foundation and break the bridge through my passion for cooking. 

I made a break through despite the trials and tribulations of assimilating into the Polish culture. 

My family became the support system and I read a lot about the culture,” he said.

Mr Seeletso said his passion for cooking started at a young age and he followed his father’s footsteps. 

He helped with cooking even at home as a young boy and became adventurous. 

He took the audience down memory lane from his humble beginnings in the small mining town of Jwaneng to his biggest break, which came when he landed a scholarship to study at one of the prestigious culinary schools in Europe. 

He ended up in Poland and got married to his wife from Krakow, an old city south of Poland. 

 “It was a long tough journey, but the will power and the drive broke barriers. I am a dreamer and I have a dream to come home and build a culinary school so that our future generation could be the best chefs,” he said.

Award winning conservation journalist and former Top Billing presenter Ms Michelle Garforth-Venter said the passion in every individual was borne out of the need to survive.

“That is where the drive is born, be yourself best, rise to be noticed, that will get you to the next level, create teams, build, empower, ask yourself what is most important,” she said.

She said people should yearn to strive in hard places and thus turn weaknesses into opportunities.

“Believe in yourself. It is important, each person is magnificent, valuable, don’t underestimate yourself,” Ms Garforth-Venter added.

She encouraged the audience to be bold, stand out and never allow people to ‘box’ them. 

She said they must allow their passions to grow and change with time. 

Mr Seeletso is an international professional trained chef, television personality, and gourmet and food writer among others. 

He did his professional chef’s diploma at the Westminster College in London. He is based in Warsaw, Poland where he is running his own culinary studio. 

He is actively involved with Botswana embassies in Berlin, Stockholm, London and Brussels. 

He has cooked for many famous people among them His Royal Highness King Gustav and Queen Sylvia of Sweden and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. ends