Ndaya Lukoji
Manzini, Eswatini
Lukoji has more than three years of experience in the food service industry. Currently, Lukoji is founder and chief executive officer of the Waffle Palace, where she focuses on bringing new perspectives and creativity to the Eswatini food industry. Previously, she interned in communications at the United Nations in South Africa and in market research at In On Africa research firm. Her decision to venture into business was encouraged by her selection as a participant in the Investec Young Professionals business initiative and her selection as a volunteer at the Responsible Business Forum hosted by Global Initiatives in Johannesburg. The Waffle Palace was chosen as Best Specialty Restaurant by International Dining Awards, and Lukoji was nominated as a Standard Bank Eswatini Blue Sheroe (an influential woman in Eswatini). Lukoji holds a bachelor’s degree (with honors) in international relations from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Lukoji plans to improve the research and data availability for the food industry in Eswatini and help young food entrepreneurs enter the industry through her initiative for cloud kitchens in Eswatini.