{"id":34749,"date":"2026-04-14T14:51:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T14:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=34749"},"modified":"2026-04-15T06:43:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:43:37","slug":"__trashed-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/__trashed-2\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT hospitality students take part in record breaking pancake challenge at Rocking the Vaal 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT students participate in the Rocking the Vaal 2026 pancake challenge at Emerald Resort and Casino, gaining valuable hands-on experience despite not securing a win.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

14 April 2026 | Story by: Ntebogeleng Digasu | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"VUT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rocking the Vaal 2026, held on 11 April 2026 at Emerald Resort and Casino, provided a dynamic platform for students from the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) to gain real world experience while showcasing their culinary skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this milestone event, VUT brought its hospitality students to participate in the much-anticipated pancake cooking competition. The challenge, which formed part of the festival\u2019s record-breaking activities, demanded teamwork, precision, and confidence under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition formed part of an ambitious record-breaking initiative, with organisers aiming to surpass global benchmarks, including serving over 30 000 pancakes, exceeding the current record of 27 000, and attempting the largest serving of chilli con carne at 3 000 kilograms. Beyond the records, the event was designed to unite local businesses, organisations, and communities in a celebration of collaboration, generosity, and regional pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the students did not secure a win, their participation remains a significant achievement. They embraced the opportunity to step beyond their comfort zones, confront uncertainty, and apply their knowledge in a high energy environment. Their courage and determination reflected the essence of experiential learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to the spirit of unity and support, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of VUT, Professor Stephen Khehla Ndlovu, also took part in the pancake challenge, standing alongside the students. His involvement underscored the importance of visible, engaged leadership in shaping the student experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by VUT staff, the students demonstrated discipline, resilience, and a willingness to grow. The experience not only strengthened their practical abilities but also built confidence, an essential attribute in the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attendees at the event commended the students for their professionalism and composure. Mr Lebogang Mokgele from Sebokeng remarked that he was impressed by how the VUT students conducted themselves during the competition, noting that their passion and teamwork were evident and that they represented the University with distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs Mandisa Mthinyane from Sasolburg, who attended the event with her family, echoed this sentiment. She highlighted the courage required to participate in a large scale competition and noted that the students displayed remarkable confidence and determination, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The involvement of VUT students in Rocking the Vaal 2026 reflects the University\u2019s ongoing commitment to experiential learning and holistic student development. Participation in events of this nature enables students to bridge the gap between theory and practice while cultivating essential professional skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the event was not defined by competition alone, but by growth, exposure, and the courage to rise to new challenges. For VUT\u2019s hospitality students, the experience stands as a meaningful chapter in their academic journey.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“VUT students participate in the Rocking the Vaal 2026 pancake challenge at Emerald Resort and Casino, gaining valuable hands-on experience […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":34721,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34749"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34766,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749\/revisions\/34766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}