Saima Akawa launched her YouTube channel earlier this year, cooking up a storm with familiar Namibian faces. She also recently took over our Instagram Stories to share her favourite Lamb Shanks and Mashed Potato recipe – it looked delicious from where we were standing. *sigh
We caught up with Saima in a short interview to let us in on her plans for her channel and brand.
Happy Read!
Talk to us about your love for cooking, how’d that come about?
Growing up cooking was more of a chore rather than a hobby, but I was good at it nonetheless. During my years in varsity I stayed in the hostel and for some reason I was obsessed with watching cooking videos. I used to stay up late watching 30 seconds videos and enjoying them. But I couldn’t practice what I was watching because the hostel didn’t have a cooking facility. In my third year I moved out of the hostel which basically forced me to start cooking and this is when I truly started falling in love with cooking. The ability to replicate what I saw in 30 seconds always left me in awe. So I started cooking food that was above par and the feedback I received from those who ate my food was good so I fell in love entirely and here we are.
Would you consider a full time career in this?
No I wouldn’t. Lol. I have this tendency of learning a new skill and mastering it and getting bored of it and loosing interest in it. This is something I don’t want to happen with my cooking. Cooking 24/7 will force me to learn everything I need to know at a fast rate and soon I’ll get bored of it and loose interest, which is something I honestly don’t want to happen.
Talk to us about your YouTube Channel, what’s the inspiration behind that?
My YouTube channel, Dinner with Kai, showcases how to create easy and delicious meals on a low budget in a short period of time. I sometimes have a guest with me who helps me prepare the dishes. The reason I started the channel was to start a meal prep business for fitness junkies so that I could make money to help pay off my school fees for my final year and I felt that in order for me to market my business I needed to show the people that I can actually cook and that my food is good.
Latest episode with Lioness
Plans and hopes for it?
The initial plan is to help market Namibian food brands and create a culture of using homegrown products as well as getting various establishments to show case their signature dishes on my show. I hope to land sponsorship deals with various brands.
Which has been your favourite episode so far?
Who would you like to have on the show some day
Gazza. I am a die-hard 467 fan. Lol!
GMP for life!!!
Your favourite meal to make? Why?
Who (influential people) would you invite to your ultimate dinner party?
Oprah Winfrey!
Follow Saima on social media:
But most importantly watch, like and subscribe to her show: