Starting from different places, Zola and Onezwa have arrived on the same stage, each standing tall in her own spotlight. Neither feels like they’ve arrived yet. They’re both teachers and students on their journeys of food discovery and self-discovery.
In 2022, Zola and Onezwa’s paths crossed for the first time — on MasterChef SA as a judge and contestant respectively. Their interaction was limited, as judges and contestants were mostly separated. Since then, Onezwahas forged her own path, garnering immense online success, while Zola has steadily kept her fan following growing and well fed. This year, the two met again, now on a more level playing field: bookshelves nationwide.
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For Onezwa, A Food Love Story marks a deeply personal debut cookbook rooted in culture, heritage and family legacy. For Zola, Simply More Zola is her fourth cookbook, the latest chapter in a career that has inspired South African home cooks for more than a decade.
Despite their different journeys, both are passionate about preserving food traditions, both believe travel expands the way we cook and eat, and both see food as a powerful vehicle for storytelling and connection.
From discussions about umleqwa, dombolo and global food influences to the realities of navigating public scrutiny and social media fame, Zola and Onezwa reflect on what it means to honour the past while embracing the future.
They spoke to My Kitchen about curiosity, criticism, legacy and the lasting power of food, showcasing that they’re each telling their (food) story in remarkably different ways.
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Words: Liezl Vermeulen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons
