Naomi Campbell

Digital and multimedia journalist and founder covering diaspora, culture, foodways, and investigative reporting for social impact. 

Published Work

FUSION Magazine •

'The Nourished Man' talks nutrition during National Nutrition Man

As National Nutrition Month comes to an end, it serves as a reminder that health and wellness are daily practices deserving of attention, as well as grace and patience on the journey toward holistic living. National Nutrition Month is a month-long observance established in 1973 to promote conscious and informed food choices. As the month concludes, conversations around conscious and balanced eating do not end here.
Daily Maverick •

The Curio(city) Case of Bheki Dube

Backpacking doesn’t have to be just a low-cost form of travel, and a hostel isn’t just shared lodging for random strangers seeking commonality in solo experiences in a new country or city. But when the two forms of exploring concepts merge, the perfect concoction for curious travellers is created and the opportunity for community to grow is invited.In South Africa, travel has a new meaning, and for one travelpreneur, this vision has been explored and executed for more than a decade.Bheki Dube, a...
Daily Maverick •

Communities caught between necessity and neglect as struggle to regulate spaza shops continues

Survival items are densely stocked on the shelves of spaza shops in Soweto. The shelves contain the basic necessities of life – food and water. For black South Africans, spaza shops are places of convenience when compared with larger supermarkets, which are often inaccessible. Yet, the legacy of apartheid creates a struggle for black people who are fighting for both accessible products and economic empowerment.In 2024, in the township of Naledi, Soweto, convenience became an issue of compliance...
Daily Maverick •

More than a meal as Peninsula School Feeding Association nourishes 30,000 Western Cape children

A plate of food is more than a tourist’s Instagram reel or a chef’s cooked meal for a couple’s first anniversary – meals matter and are more than a basic necessity for at least 30,000 children in the Western Cape and nearly 400 schools being serviced with cooked meals.

According to The Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA), one in four households goes to bed hungry in South Africa.
Daily Maverick •

Ngizokubona Maduze (see you soon), South Africa

My first connection to South Africa came through Nelson Mandela. In the US, every Black History Month, teachers read excerpts from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. It even has a special place on our family dining room table.But I have a confession to make. Though I’d seen Mandela’s name many times, my knowledge of apartheid and South Africa was limited. I could blame it on the intentional framing of history in Western schools, but that wouldn’t be entirely fair. After all, I...
Daily Maverick •

The travelling food festival that is Vegandale comes to Queens, New York

Vegandale was founded in 2015 in Toronto by Hellenic Vincent de Paul. De Paul was born in Sri Lanka, and his family fled to Canada as refugees when he was just three years old. His mission with Vegandale is to “demonstrate the moral imperative of a world free from animal exploitation”. Vegandale has since grown and has been hosted in major cities across North America, including Los Angeles.Vegandale is the largest vegan food experience that merges art, culture, music and food from around the wor...
Daily Maverick •

Caribbean Cooking Confessions: Naomi’s ackee and saltfish with sweet plantains

Three words: ackee and saltfish. The bright yellow fruit when cooked might look like eggs to some, but to Caribbean natives and the proud islanders of Jamrock (Jamaica), ackee and saltfish is not your ordinary meal or a “to try” experience for tourists, but rather the national dish of Jamaica, where ackee is the national fruit.The fruit is highly poisonous when unripe and can be fatal if consumed at this point. When the fruit naturally splits open and reveals the edible yellow flesh, it is safe...
Daily Maverick •

Community meets coworking space – Kọ Cafe in Jersey City is a ‘hub for builders’

The modern coffee shop that your parents grew up loving serves your basic coffee flavours like black and French vanilla, the simple yet perfect grab-and-go order. But the shop serves more than coffee — it is a comforting, coming of age experience that transformed the traditional coffee shop. From new trends and flavour additives like matcha and embracing coffee origins from countries like Ethiopia, the 21st century coffee shop is a third space.
Ko Cafe in Jersey City is among the new wave of cof...
Daily Maverick •

Highlights from the second annual SA Chef Conference & Expo, from local flavours to global trends

Chefs, caterers and culinary enthusiasts gathered in Johannesburg in August for the second annual SA Chef Conference & Expo. The conference was held at Capital Empire in Sandton, Johannesburg. Attendees included sponsors, leading suppliers, exhibitors and speakers who gathered at the hotel for two days. Individuals got a glimpse of some culinary conversations from AI to crafting cuisine from some of the leading chefs and partners in South Africa.
On the way to the venue in Sandton, I had a full...
Daily Maverick •

Yeoville Dinner Club’s Sanza Sandile brings pan-African cuisine to the States

Jozi is not just home to the historical Apartheid Museum. In the vibrant inner city of Yeoville, African immigrants and refugees create markets and build community. The city also boasts a dining experience that brings locals and tourists together over pan-African cuisine. 
Before becoming a self-proclaimed “gastronomy smuggler”, who sources natural ingredients and recreates dishes from childhood memories of his grandmother’s cooking or the auntie in Yeoville, Sandile was a boy living in Soweto....
Daily Maverick •

The artistry of the brew is being transformed on the streets of Mzansi

Flat white, red cappuccino and cortado are just a few of the speciality coffees available in South Africa, the country that is transforming the artistry of the brew. 
While the Rainbow Nation is known for its amapiano, braai, rugby and wine, coffee is becoming part of the country’s culture as evidenced by the increase in Black-owned coffee companies and shops.The cultural hub of Fox Street in Maboneng, Johannesburg, is the site of the perfect coffee shop to fuel your walks around the block. Two...
Daily Maverick •

How two food vendors serve culture, community and cuisine

South Africa’s street food and truck culture is rooted in creativity and community. From sourcing local ingredients from farms, networking with other small business owners and perfecting the most fiery braai for locals and tourists, street food and trucks provide a fast tasting experience of a country’s or city’s most popular cuisine. 
At the CoCreate Hub located in Stellenbosch, food vendors experiment with recipes while locals and tourists discover local cuisine. Whether it’s halaal heaven or...
Daily Maverick •

Nabeelah and Wardah Cassiem: culinary passion with community spirit

Nabeelah Cassiem is the founder and owner of Creamy Creations, based at the CoCreate Hub in Stellenbosch, while her sister Wardah Cassiem is the founder of Wadi’s Kitchen. The Hub is a space for locals, tourists and professionals to grab a bite, shop and even get a haircut. 
The entrepreneurial and community collective is located on the corner of Victoria Street near Stellenbosch University. It is also where I had the amazing opportunity to intern during the first half of my reporting experience...
Daily Maverick •

Aslina Wines challenges Western culture through winemaking

The Cape Winelands are fertile grounds for innovation and promotion of industrial-scale wine production. In the largest wine-producing region in South Africa, the Western Cape is home to winemakers, wine brands and wine lovers. As much as 70% of the wine sold in South Africa comes from this region and continues to entice tourists and empower locals to support the vineyards vying for international recognition. 
While wine tasters sip to strengthen the local economy, winemakers are behind the scen...
Daily Maverick •

Proudly South African flavours at Jozi Local Wine Expo

Bubbly, citrus, sweet, and dry wine flavours were packaged in 30 different bottles at the beginning of the fourth annual Local Wine Expo sponsored by Proudly South African last weekend at the Prison Break Market in Johannesburg. 
The member-based organisation was established in 2001 after the 1998 Presidential Summit with hopes of creating an advocacy campaign to promote local consumerism. The three-day free event was an opportunity for local winemakers to display their products to the public, m...
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