Swakopmund, where the Namib Desert meets the Ocean, two cultures have joined to offer authentic Italian food, lovingly handmade by Namibians! Esbi Shaw-Magri and Silvio Magri have a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry. Namibian born and raised Esbi earned her spurs as tour consultant and operations manager for an internationally renowned Namibian tour operator, before moving to Brescia, Italy to take up her position as portfolio manager for the same company, in 2005. Silvio, pure-bread Italian and hailing from Brescia, Italy followed his adventurous heart and set sail for Namibia in 1994, where he met Esbi, and – discovering his passion for travelling – made his name as freelance tour guide, soon joining the top ten of his trade. Ten years after he arrived, Silvio and Esbi decided to get married, which they did with their Italian and Namibian families happily uniting for the occasion. A year after the wedding, they decided to move to Italy In Italy, Esbi and Silvio – not surprisingly – soon surrendered to their love of cooking and enrolled for courses at the Culinary School CastAlimenti in Brescia. They learnt, amongst others, the trade of Pasta, Pastry, Ice Cream, Bread and Pizza-making under the expert eyes and guidance of Michelin-starred chefs Riccardo Camanini, Paolo Cappuccio, Claudio Sadler and many other specialised culinary artists. In 2009, Silvio and Esbi returned to Namibia and settled in Swakopmund, putting their newly acquired culinary expertise to the test when they opened the “22° South” Mediterranean Restaurant at the town’s hallmark, the 1905 Lighthouse. The exquisite traditional and at the same time innovative recipes composed with genuinely Italian and fresh locally sourced ingredients – and passion – dished out to eagerly awaiting palates under stylish umbrellas in the garden and the retro-styled interior of the lightkeeper’s cottage, soon made 22° South the place to be at the coastal town.
"COOKING IS LIKE LOVE. IT SHOULD BE ENTERED INTO WITH ABANDON, OR NOT AT ALL." HARRIET VAN HORNE
22 SOUTH COMFORT FOOD ~ Buonissimo!
Swakopmund, where the Namib Desert meets the Ocean, two cultures have joined to offer authentic Italian food, lovingly handmade by Namibians!
Esbi Shaw-Magri and Silvio Magri have a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry. Namibian born and raised Esbi earned her spurs as tour consultant and operations manager for an internationally renowned Namibian tour operator, before moving to Brescia, Italy to take up her position as portfolio manager for the same company, in 2005.
Silvio, pure-bread Italian and hailing from Brescia, Italy followed his adventurous heart and set sail for Namibia in 1994, where he met Esbi, and – discovering his passion for travelling – made his name as freelance tour guide, soon joining the top ten of his trade. Ten years after he arrived, Silvio and Esbi decided to get married, which they did with their Italian and Namibian families happily uniting for the occasion. A year after the wedding, they decided to move to Italy.ultricies leo integer malesuada nunc.
In Italy, Esbi and Silvio – not surprisingly – soon surrendered to their love of cooking and enrolled for courses at the Culinary School CastAlimenti in Brescia. They learnt, amongst others, the trade of Pasta, Pastry, Ice Cream, Bread and Pizza-making under the expert eyes and guidance of Michelin-starred chefs Riccardo Camanini, Paolo Cappuccio, Claudio Sadler and many other specialised culinary artists.
In 2009, Silvio and Esbi returned to Namibia and settled in Swakopmund, putting their newly acquired culinary expertise to the test when they opened the “22° South” Mediterranean Restaurant at the town’s hallmark, the 1905 Lighthouse.
The exquisite traditional and at the same time innovative recipes composed with genuinely Italian and fresh locally sourced ingredients – and passion – dished out to eagerly awaiting palates under stylish umbrellas in the garden and the retro-styled interior of the lightkeeper’s cottage, soon made 22° South the place to be at the coastal town.
Being a Holiday Town, the Low Season in the restaurant industry had to be overcome, and having the equipment and staff in place, this naturally lead to the preservation of the fresh produce in the most innovative ways – giving birth to the first flash frozen pizza, proudly made in Namibia and first sold by the Swakopmund Superspar, on 14 February 2014!!
In 2016, the close proximity of the Restaurant, to the summer residence of Namibia’s head of state, regrettably though, raised security concerns and the Restaurant had to close for good.
This setback however, did not discourage the enterprising couple. The art and profession of the Pizzaiuolo or pizza-maker had recently been honoured by the UN cultural body by giving it World Heritage status; Silvio – now a seasoned and even more proud Pizzaiuolo – turned to full time pizza-making.
Today, 22 South ‘Buonissimo’ produces a range of Pizza, Pizza Bases, Pasta, Sauces, Ice Cream, other products for the food services industry and constantly work at improving existing and adding new Products. All products are lovingly handmade in their Factory in Swakopmund, using modern flash freezing technology to lock in all the goodness of the Fresh Product!
Be on the lookout for the friendly ‘Pizza Guy’ from Swakopmund!
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