Namibian chef qualifies for Global Chefs Challenge

By: Zeanette Jacobs

Namibian chef, Elizabeth Isai, has made it to the Worldchefs Global Chefs Challenge taking place from the 16th to the 19th of May this year, in Newport, Whales, after winning gold at the African/Middle east semifinals.

A press release issued by the Namibia Chefs Association on Monday states that Isai completed her chef certification through the Namibian University of Science and Technology (Nust) in 2020, before taking extra cooking classes at local institutions.

In 2022, she won gold at the Worldskills Africa Competition that took place in Swakopmund, and in the same year, won the title of Junior Namibian Chef of the year, before winning Senior Chef of the Year two years later.

The first time Isai qualified for the Global Chefs Challenge was in 2023, when she took 3rd place in the junior category, and 2nd in 2025. She qualified again for this year’s competition after taking 1st place in the semi-finals for the African/Middle Eastern category in 2025.

To fund her attendance at the competition in Whales, the Namibia Chefs Association’s committee is planning to host an “evening at the chef’s table”, an event where Isai will be preparing the dishes.

This event is scheduled to take place on the 26 of March 2026 and tickets will be available from the 1st of March.