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