Coo Pillay

In October 2024, just after the South African Chefs Association marked 50 years since six chefs founded it in 1974, Coo Pillay was elected its ninth president. He is the second South African to lead it, after James Khoza. He pledged to make the association more accessible through digital tools, promote South African cuisine and put mentorship and education first. By 2024 its National Youth Chefs Training Programme had trained over 2,500 aspiring chefs.