Tendie is the shining star at the heart of Cook Off.

She plays Anesu – our tough but generous-hearted heroine – in her feature film debut.

Anesu adores her funny and sweet boy Tapiwa, and her life’s journey is as winding as all of ours.

Here’s what director Tomas Lutuli Brickhill has to say:

“Tendie’s performance as Anesu is captivating, charming and powerful in ways that I could only have dreamed of when I wrote the original script for Cook Off. She fully deserves every credit she gets – she carries the lead role effortlessly.”

We hope you fall in love with her – we have.

Tendie, we can’t wait to see where you go in your life’s journey – we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.

Tendaiishe successfully graduated from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) with a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media & Writing and Drama. She has landed lead and supporting roles on several drama series on SABC 1, 2 & 3, EbonyLife TV and Mzansi Magic in South Africa.

In 2017 she was cast in the lead role for Cook Off for which she has won two Best Actress awards at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival in 2018 and the NAMAs in 2019.

She has also worked as a TV host and Brand Ambassador; and has a passion for literary arts.