Although the animals often take centre-stage at Kavinga, it’s not just the wildlife that makes this place special, it’s also the people. As a small, personal camp, our team is very much a part of the experience.
Everyone here plays a role in creating a memorable stay for our guests – but many of them work behind the scenes. Today we’re shining a light on our Head Chef Owen Lati (and his chocolate cake recipe).
Owen’s story with us started in September 2021, when he joined the Kavinga family as a kitchen porter. With no previous kitchen experience, his role involved cleaning and prepping ingredients, and supporting the chefs — one of whom was his uncle, Eliah, our head chef at the time.
From the get-go, Owen was always curious, always watching, always asking questions. If he finished his tasks early, you’d find him right beside the chefs, soaking up whatever he could — whether it was learning to knead pizza dough just right, perfecting a crispy schnitzel, or experimenting with a fiery peri-peri chicken.
“I thrive on learning new things. There is something new to discover every day, and I love that.”
It wasn’t long before his natural spark and efforts were noticed. With encouragement from Theresa Zee, his manager at the time, Owen was given space to grow.
“Theresa really believed in me. She let me practice with the chefs, try out new things — and that gave me a lot of confidence.”
Owen spent hours reading recipes and testing ideas. Slowly but surely, he built the skills and within four years of first working in a kitchen.
Today, Owen leads the Kavinga kitchen team with the same energy and curiosity he applies to everything else. Whether it’s a simple breakfast or a three-course dinner under the stars, every meal reflects his love of fresh, honest food — and his pride in how far he’s come.
“I’m really grateful to everyone at Kavinga. This isn’t just where I work — it’s where I’ve grown. It feels like home.”
Owen’s famous chocolate cake
Want a slice of Owen’s famous chocolate cake sooner than your next trip to Kavinga? Why not make it for yourself at home?
Ingredients
- 250g margarine
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 cups of cake or plain flour
- 2 cups castor sugar
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 Fahrenheit)
- Use a sieve to sift flour, sugar, bicarb, baking powder and salt into a bowl
- On the stove top, melt the margarine on a low heat
- Add the cocoa powder, water and milk and mix well, then remove from the heat
- Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients before adding the eggs and vanilla essence
- Mix it all well
- Pour the mixture into a prepared cake pan (or divide equally into two prepared cake pans if you want to make a double layer)
- Cook in the preheated oven for 40 minutes
- Once cooled, add your favourite type of icing
- Enjoy!
Of course, everything tastes better when you’re on holiday…and even more so when you’re in the African bush. If your cake doesn’t taste as good as Owen’s, we know an easy way to fix that – simply contact us to book your next visit!
