Illustration: Wynona Mutisi
Few would have guessed that a loft in a nondescript Nairobi apartment block could become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
But now it’s happening, thanks to the social media success of Dennis Ombachi: former rugby sevens star turned amateur chef, father of two and winner of the best content creator on TikTok in the sub-Saharan African awards for 2022.
With more than two million followers on TikTok, one million on Instagram and tens of thousands more on Facebook and Twitter, Ombachi – also known as “The Roaming Chef”, has taken the world by storm with his short and fun videos of cooking. fun plates on the balcony, repeating the catchphrase “Done!” after each step.
As a regular feature in the World Rugby Sevens Series, and part of the Kenyan team that went to the Rio Olympics in 2016, Ombachi has become a household name. But the journey from international sportsman to content creator has not always been easy.
His culinary adventure began during his rugby playing days, when he would try to replicate the dishes he had eaten abroad. This, coupled with his love for baking, led his friends to encourage him to start a blog.
“I called it ‘We-men should cook’,” says Ombachi, “but I soon realized that I was more visual and writing blog posts wasn’t for me.”
So he bought a camera and started posting pictures of his food on his Instagram account. When he saw that video seemed to be a more popular medium, he started shooting videos. “At the time I was still playing rugby, so it was more of a side hobby.”
Cooking with gas
As his rugby career begins to wane, he begins to wonder what the transition to normal life will be like – and how to pay the bills. During this time, he also saw a rise in the Kenyan influencer marketing scene. Brands invest in advertising on social media through partnerships with individuals with large audiences.
Initially he started offering his services as a chef for parties. “There is a lot of demand,” Ombachi said. “I travel all over the country, which is where the name ‘The Roaming Chef’ comes from.”
Then the Covid pandemic struck, pressing pause on cooking shows and rugby. Next he started making and selling homemade sauces in the home he shared with his partner, Svetlana.
She had a son, and cooking inside the house was becoming difficult, so she went out onto the balcony. He tapped into his passion for woodwork and built a cooking station – itself a work of art – himself.
He continued filming, and has not stopped since then.
The video is short, just 90 seconds, and features her cooking everything from kimchi fried rice to bean stew. He wasn’t sure what made him irresistible to so many people – or he didn’t let it. “I think it’s my personality, my editing style and the videos are fun.”
Creativity is at the heart of Ombachi’s content, and this is shaped by a unique approach to cooking.
“Most people focus on recipes. I recommend using your senses, gaining an understanding of the principles and techniques of cooking and the five main tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salty. Then look at the recipes and make your own version of the dish”.
The goal is to motivate people to be more involved in the kitchen.
To choose what to cook in the video, he will ask his family what they want to eat on a certain day, then he will think of a new way to make it, and shoot it. “That way, my content is done—and so is my dinner.”
That was the plan. “Sometimes the flavor just doesn’t work, or I’ll put in too much chili or leave it on the stove for too long. Those who like to cook. Of course we don’t waste food, so my family ended up eating the experiment. At that point it was my fault it was all our fault,” he laughs.
The main way to generate income from content creation in Kenya is by partnering with brands. Ombachi has worked with big names including KFC, Carrefour and Kenchic. They will produce videos that are relevant to them and their campaigns. Recently, she posted a recipe for guacamole for fried chicken stew and KFC tortilla chips.
Despite his fame, he can still be approached for work “for exposure”, sometimes even by big brands. “My response was always: ‘Maybe we can work together in the future – if you have the budget for this.'”
Creatives with large audiences are still being asked to work for free, there are still those who don’t understand the effort required to create quality content, and don’t recognize that it’s a job – something Ombachi has to balance. with family life.
“There was a point when I was too busy with work and realized that I didn’t spend enough time with my children. For me, family comes first, so if I need time with them during the day and sleep until I finish editing the video, then of course.
He has spoken about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which he managed with medication and therapy.
“I always say that mental health is not a destination, it’s a journey, it’s an ongoing process,” she said. “When I’m overwhelmed, going to therapy makes me feel like I’ve hit the reset button.”
Many content creators will be the first to admit that they can easily become obsessed with checking numbers, likes and comments and get a sense of value from this. Ombachi is no different.
“I knew that I wanted validation. That’s when I realized that my goal is not to impress people, but to create content that they like and want to consume,” he said.
“Now, even if the video only has 5,000 views, I say that half of them are probably the first people to see me, so I win. I also have this perfectionist where if I think something is not enough, I will not post. That’s when I would say to myself, okay, just make one shitty video at a time until you get it right.
Perhaps this explains Ombachi’s appeal: his authenticity: his courage to learn and start over often. And maybe to remind us all that, with just a little bit of self-confidence, we too can shout, “Done!”
This article first appeared on Continenta pan-African weekly newspaper produced in partnership with Mail & Guardians. It is designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. Download your free copy here