Nombuso Kumalo, an indigenous food advocate from Eswatini, is leading efforts to revive the country's traditional botanicals and ancestral knowledge through initiatives like Mongi Botanicals and the Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival.

Despite lacking formal culinary training, she has become a key figure in promoting sustainable practices that connect communities with their cultural roots.

Her work focuses on transforming overlooked 'poverty foods' into celebrated symbols of innovation and heritage, while also addressing broader issues like climate change and community upliftment through food as a universal language.

Thorne emphasizes the importance of ubuntu (humanity) in her mission, collaborating with local knowledge keepers to create wellness products and curate festivals that showcase Eswatini's culinary potential.

The article highlights how her efforts are reshaping the food industry in Eswatini by fostering collaborations between regional chefs and creating platforms for indigenous practices to thrive.

Her journey from disinterest in food as a child to becoming a culinary curator underscores the transformative power of reconnecting with traditional knowledge.