Mariëtte Crafford
Writer • Columnist • Media Consultant • Cultural Curator
As a speaker, Mariëtte brings authenticity and warmth. Her current talk, "The Psychology of Happiness," explores how joy is cultivated—not found—and why storytelling, self-reflection and attention are key to emotional resilience.
Her keynote offers a space for audiences to slow down, reconnect, and reflect on what makes life meaningful—even in the messy, in-between moments.
Mariëtte Crafford
Writer • Columnist • Media Consultant • Cultural Curator
Mariëtte Crafford is a mother, writer, columnist and content strategist whose work has shaped South
African conversations around food, memory and meaning for more than three decades. With a career that spans journalism, publishing, broadcasting and brand consulting, she brings together cultural insight, narrative craft and strategic thinking in everything she does.
From 2000 to 2018, she was a columnist and feature writer for Rooi Rose, where her much-loved Om die tafel column explored the deep connections between food, stories and identity. She is also the author of several reflective cookbooks and food memoirs, including Sonskynkafee (2007), Kermiskos (1989), Lekkerkunde in Kombuistaal (1995), and Om die tafel (2002).
Her work has been recognised with multiple awards: the ATKV Excellence in Food Journalism Award and Afrikoon Award (2000), Sanlam’s Financial Journalist of the Year (2010, non-financial publications), a finalist nod for the ATKV Veertjie for Best Afrikaans Column (2006, 2010), and runner-up for Media24 Best Medical Article (2009). She was also a finalist for the prestigious international Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards (2007) and the Mondi Best Afrikaans Essay Award (1997).
Beyond print, Mariëtte has worked as a marketing strategist, recipe developer and food stylist for leading national brands including Certified Karoo Lamb and the Cavalier Group. She also wrote, produced and hosted GeldGids (MoneyGuide), a 39-episode programme on financial well-being for RSG.
Her academic grounding in journalism (BA Hons, Summa Cum Laude, Stellenbosch University) and her diverse career—spanning magazines, cookbooks, corporate strategy and radio broadcasting—give her a rare ability to translate complex ideas into stories that nourish both mind and spirit.
At a Glance
-
Columnist & Feature Writer: Rooi Rose (2000–2018), author of Om die tafel
-
Published Author: Sonskynkafee (2007), Kermiskos (1989), Lekkerkunde in Kombuistaal
(1995), Om die tafel (2002) -
Broadcasting: Host & producer of GeldGids (MoneyGuide) on RSG (2022–2023)
-
Brand & Content Strategy: Marketing strategist, recipe developer & food stylist for Certified
Karoo Lamb and Cavalier Group -
Awards: ATKV Excellence in Food Journalism, ATKV Afrikoon, Sanlam Financial Journalist of the
-
Year, finalist for Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, Media24 Best Medical Article, Mondi
Best Afrikaans Essay -
Publications: Contributions to Rooi Rose, Sarie, Huisgenoot, De Kat, VISI, Taste, Taalgenoot,
Weg!, Rapport My Tyd, LiG, Stellenbosch Visio -
Passions: Food, culture, psychology, happiness, memory and identity in modern womanhood
Sonskynkafee
by Mariëtte Crafford
Written with warmth, wisdom and a deep love for culture, Sonskynkafee is a soulful collection of heartfelt recipes and evocative storytelling. Mariëtte Crafford invites readers into a nostalgic, sensory journey through South African food traditions and the moments that shape us.
From the simplicity of farm-style meals to the deeply personal reflections shared between each dish, this is more than a cookbook—it’s an experience in memory, meaning and connection.
For anyone who believes that food carries stories, and stories carry us.