From family table to celebrity kitchen: Sinoyolo Sifo shares his food story in ‘The Cooking Husband’

Sinoyolo Sifo is sharing his passion for food and family with his cookbook, Sifo: The Cooking Husband.

Hailing from the Eastern Cape, he grew up in a household with nine siblings, where food was a central part of gathering.

His love for food was shaped by his father’s butchery business, where he would often help out during school holidays, learning about the meat and customers.

“The love for it [cooking] was in me, because whatever my mom cooked, I was interested in. I used to love watching cooking shows, and from high school and varsity, I started taking it more seriously,” he said.

Sifo started by sharing simple, comforting meals online, and their popularity led to the release of his two cookbooks.  

He also recently took on a new and exciting challenge on Celebrity Masterchef South Africa. Catch the new season on eTV from 22 February 2026.

“It’s always been about simple food, but dishes that are packed with flavour. I was never a guy who liked to stand for long hours in the kitchen, so I understood that when I am creating dishes, they needed to be simple,” he said. 

To listen to Sifo in conversation with 702’s John Perlman, use the audio player below: