About
Growing up in the village of Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, Zanele van Zyl came from humble beginnings. As a young girl, she grew up watching her mother cook soulful, traditional food. Many years later, she decided to follow her passion for the culinary arts, and so she quit her corporate job in IT to study and qualify as a professional chef. Her tenacity and entrepreneurial nature led her to start “Cooking With Zanele”, cooking classes in which she teaches and shares her passion for food with keen foodies in different kitchens across the country. She makes cooking delicious, beautiful food less daunting by demonstrating her creative, quick and easy recipes in a fun learning environment. Over the years Zanele has built and inspired a community of foodies through her cooking classes, social media platforms and cookbooks, the first two of which were self-published and sold ± 14 000 copies combined. Her second cookbook, Cooking with Zanele Vol. 2, won Book of the Year at the 2021 Luxe Awards.
