Mpho Tsuene is a visual artist and cultural storyteller from Lesotho, using digital art and food narratives to reframe global perceptions of African cuisine. By blending visual storytelling with culinary heritage, she documents, preserves, and amplifies Basotho food traditions, positioning African food culture as a source of creativity, pride, and economic opportunity.

With over seven years of experience in social media marketing, Mpho strategically leverages digital platforms to tell compelling food stories that reach wide and diverse audiences. Her journey into culinary storytelling began in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, when, while experimenting with different cuisines, she realized how little she knew about her own traditional foods. This moment of reflection sparked a deep exploration into Basotho culinary heritage, leading her to research, document, and visually archive indigenous recipes that risk being forgotten.

Her work gained continental recognition when she was selected as one of only 12 artists for the prestigious Africa No Filter Emerging Artist Fellowship. Through this fellowship, Mpho began writing Lesotho’s first traditional cookbook, a landmark cultural project. To ensure authenticity and depth, she conducted extensive field research—traveling to rural communities, interviewing elders and home cooks, and collaborating with the National University of Lesotho to validate historical and cultural accuracy.

Beyond preservation, Mpho actively supports the growth of Lesotho’s local food economy. She founded “Places to Eat in Maseru,” a digital content series that highlights local restaurants through engaging Instagram reels, reviews, and visual storytelling. The initiative boosts visibility for small food businesses, drives customer traffic, and contributes directly to SDG 1 (No Poverty) by supporting livelihoods within the local hospitality sector.

Through her art and advocacy, Mpho challenges the dominant global narrative that portrays Africa solely through scarcity. Instead, she presents African food as abundant in knowledge, history, and innovation. By preserving traditional recipes, elevating local food businesses, and amplifying indigenous food stories, she is contributing to a broader movement reclaiming Africa’s culinary identity.

Mpho Tsuene’s mission is clear: to ensure that African food traditions are documented, celebrated, and meaningfully integrated into contemporary and global food conversations—so they endure for generations to come.