Cape Town chef Sihle Somdaka dies in freak accident on Richard Branson’s Necker Island

Bulelwa Hoala

Cape Town chef Sihle Somdaka (37) died in a freak buggy accident on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
Police in the British Virgin Islands have launched an investigation into the tragedy.
The father of two was a rising culinary star, with experience in Doha, Kuwait, and Johannesburg.

Police in the British Virgin Islands have reportedly launched an investigation into the death of executive sous chef Sihle Somdaka on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the Caribbean on Friday, 29 August 2025.

According to reports, Somdaka (37) was fatally injured while returning from a party at the resort’s Great House.

He sustained a serious head injury after losing control of an electric buggy and crashing.

The father of two, who was originally from Willowvale in the Eastern Cape and lived in Cape Town, was transported to Peebles Hospital on Tortola, where he was pronounced dead.

Somdaka was considered a rising star in the culinary world, having previously worked in Doha and Kuwait before securing a position at Necker Island.

He also previously worked at the local Japanese restaurant KōL Izakhaya in Hyde Park Corner, where he rubbed shoulders with South African stars Elaine and DJ Black Coffee.

According to the Daily Mail, Sir Richard Branson was not on the island at the time of the accident.

The Necker Island team has since released a statement expressing their grief.

“It is with deepest sadness that we can confirm that one of our Necker Island team members sadly passed away on Saturday 30 August 2025. They were a hugely talented and exceptional member of the Necker Island family, and we are all devastated by this news.

“Our utmost priority is the wellbeing of their family and friends, and that of our team, and we are doing everything we can to support them all during this very difficult time,” the statement reads.