Award-winning cookbook author, celebrity chef and mother of two, Zanele Van Zyl, has successfully managed to turn her passion into a career. Her tenacity, entrepreneurial nature and love for cooking have all contributed to the growth and success of her brand Cooking with Zanele. 

A passion ignited by a love story 

Born and raised in the village of Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal, she grew up watching her mother cook soulful traditional food. 

However, it was not until her love story with her husband that her passion for the culinary arts was truly ignited. 

“My husband used to cook for me a lot when we were dating. I saw a bit of a challenge and my love for cooking grew because I saw my husband doing it. 

His food looked like it was prepared at a restaurant, and I was always amused by how he did it,” she said.

After giving birth to one of her daughters, Van Zyl had spent a lot of time at home finding new recipes and doing research on all things cooking. She then made the decision to not return to her career as an IT Technician. 

In 2015, she decided to pursue her passion and enrolled into a culinary school for a Diploma in Preparation & Cooking. 

“After that, I created a Facebook page – Cooking with Zanele. I started posting recipes and photos,” she shared. 

Naturally, people began to reach out to her asking how to make certain meals. That is how her cooking classes were born. 

“People only thought they could eat certain food at restaurants instead of making it for themselves at home. 

I then decided to offer cooking classes. I started in Johannesburg and went to Durban, Richard’s Bay and Cape Town.”

After hosting cooking classes in some parts of the country, Van Zyl soon noticed that there were towns where she could not host her cooking classes. This was due to a lack of kitchens or studios which had ample space for her to teach.

“I then decided to write a cookbook so that everyone could have a piece of Zanele in their kitchen.” 

Today, she is the author of three books and her work has received recognition and been awarded.

When asked about her career highlight, Van Zyl expressed appreciation for every single moment that has contributed to the beauty of her journey.

From receiving recognition to working with big brands and even seeing her husband and daughters beam with pride, the chef is grateful for it all. 

A deep love for people 

Van Zyl’s passion is also deeply rooted in her love for people. After all, food and people go hand-in-hand. 

She believes that her upbringing impacted the kind of person she has grown to become. Values such as love and humility were instilled in her from an early age. 

“Where I’m from, we’re taught ubuntu. I can write books but if there are no people to buy my books then they’re useless. 

I can never take my supporters for granted. I know that they’re the people that made me. My upbringing was all about people. I love and care for people.” 

Fun in and outside the kitchen 

Since her kitchen is not only her office but also her happy place, that is where Van Zyl spends a lot of her time. 

“I don’t see cooking as a chore. For me, it relaxes my mind. I cook everyday because it is not work. It is what I love doing,” she shared. 

Van Zyl also enjoys spending quality time with her two daughters and working out. 

“Every morning, I get my daughter ready for school and go exercise. It relaxes my mind. I love exercising and I strongly believe it’s a lifestyle.”

For people who view the kitchen as an intimidating space, Van Zyl advises starting with what you have and making it fun. 

“Starting with what you have is less stressful. You don’t have to outsource the ingredients, as you will just use what you already have in your pantry. This will ease your load, and it makes it fun and enjoyable.” 

Additionally, she highly encourages culinary creative freedom. 

“Be creative in the kitchen. You don’t have to follow the rules, as long as it’s healthy, tasty and beautiful.”