Celebrity chef Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko died at the age of 37, his family confirmed in a statement.
Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko dies: What’s the cause of death?
The revered culinary expert, who’s appeared on numerous cooking shows, died at the Sandon Medi-Clinic on the evening of Tuesday, 28 February 2023.
While no further details on his cause of death were included in the statement posted on his official social media pages, the chef’s family did describe his passing as “untimely”.
Moreover, careful not to reveal too much, Bhengu-Mafoko’s family only stated that the celebrity chef “had the misfortune of suffering a short illness and succumbed last night.”
“The Mafoko and Bhengu families welcome your prayers and request some time to privately mourn the passing of our beloved son,: the statement concluded.
Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko biography
Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko was a native of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), who went on to become one of South Africa’s most sought-after culinary experts.
Before his journey into cheffing, Bhengu-Mafoko worked in the investment finance sector for five years.
However, as fate would have it, at the age of 25, Bhengu-Mafoko made a crucial decision to pursue his lifelong passion, and in 2010, he took a leap of faith and enrolled at the Culinary Academy in the Cape Winelands, where he honed his craft and effectively launched his bustling career.
Reflecting on his start during a 2017 interview with Radio 702‘s Bruce Whitfield on The Money Show, Bhengu-Mafoko revealed that his last position before the career jump was a Business Development Manager at Allan Gray in Cape Town.
In fact, before becoming a celebrity chef, Bhengu-Mafoko wanted to pursue a career in the arts industry. However, those dreams were quickly dashed by his father, who painted a grim picture of his future in South Africa’s ailing entertainment industry.
Alas, as it turns out, the chef would turn his creative nature into a recipe for success, as he was not only revered as a culinary expert but also a celebrity.
Since the start of his career, Bhengu-Mafoko has appeared on TV shows such as The Great SA Bake Off, KFC’s Taste Kitchen and Cheeky Palate.
Before his death, Bhengu-Mafoko was the head chef on Metropolitan’s We Start 2023 Stronger web series, hosted by Celeste Ntuli.
This was Lentswe’s last Instagram post before news of his passing was announced.
Reactions to Bhengu-Mafoko’s death
Fans of the late celebrity chef were completely gob-smacked when news of his untimely passing surfaced. Here are some of the reactions we picked out: