… A bold celebration of Lesotho’s culinary excellence
Staff Reporter
In an assertive move to spotlight Lesotho’s food and beverage industry, Osmium, in collaboration with ATobyEvent and Coca-Cola Beverages Lesotho, is hosting the annual Mathe Maloli Food Festival.
This year’s festival is set to make a strong statement, not just as a celebration of culinary talent but as a crucial platform for an industry struggling to gain the recognition it deserves.
Hosted at The Caff, situated at the Setsoalle Park, in Maseru, the festival aims to be more than just a day of food and fun.
It is a deliberate effort to push the boundaries of Lesotho’s culinary scene, offering local chefs and cooks a rare opportunity to showcase their skills and forge vital connections in an industry that too often operates in the shadows.
“The Mathe Maloli Food Festival is a child-friendly, food-centered event aimed at celebrating the food and beverage industry. More importantly, it provides entrepreneurs in the industry with a platform to showcase their skills, collaborate, and forge new partnerships with various stakeholders,” the organisers declared in a statement this week.
“A range of activities will keep attendees entertained and engaged, including eating competitions, cook-offs, and braai competitions,” the statement read.
With an entry fee of M80, the festival is set to feature a line-up of top local culinary talent, including heavyweights like Lecholi, Gin and Trout, Lotus Grills, and Tiff’s Pick n Bite.
But this year, the stakes are higher.
The event is not just about tasting good food; it is about demanding recognition and respect for an industry that is critical to the nation’s economy but often sidelined.
In a nod to Lesotho’s 200th anniversary, the festival will also feature traditional Basotho cuisine—a powerful reminder of the rich cultural heritage that is too often ignored in the rush to modernise.
But the message is clear: while the past is honoured, the future of Lesotho’s food industry depends on bold, innovative action.
Mathe Maloli Food Festival is positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with, aiming to attract both local and international attention.
The organisers are unapologetic in their ambition, seeking to use this platform to ignite conversations about the future of the industry and to bring in the partnerships and investments that are desperately needed.
