Local chef shares how Johannesburg is a city where dreams are made

The story of moving to Johannesburg in search of greener pastures is one many South Africans can relate to. For years, people have been relocating to the City of Gold to seek employment and build their dreams. 

For Nozipho Mbatha, the proud owner of Izipho Eatery in Edenvale, moving to Johannesburg during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic was not an easy decision. Still, it turned out to be the best one she could have made for her business.

Nozipho grew up in a family that loved good food. She smiles as she reminisces about Sundays spent at home, when her mother would prepare what South Africans fondly call 'seven colours'. The meal typically consists of rice, beetroot, butternut, chicken or beef, chakalaka, and a variety of vegetables, including spinach. Seven colours were, and still are, a staple in many South African households. Nozipho says this is where her love for food began.

"Food was a big part of my life growing up. My mom did the Sunday lunch every Sunday - the seven colours. When we came back from church, we had a warm meal to come back to."

She says this is what influenced her decision to specialise in home-cooked meals as a professional chef. 

"A lot of our recipes, a lot of the food that we serve here at Izipho, is inspired by my mom and her sisters. Gathering around food was a big part of our growing up," says Nosipho. 

Beyond enjoying meals, she also fell in love with the joy of serving others. However, despite her passion for food and service, she was unsure for many years about what career path to follow. A bright student who took subjects such as science, mathematics, and accounting, Nozipho explored various options because she didn't know what she wanted to pursue after Grade 12. 

Everything changed when her school hosted a career exhibition. One of the speakers was a chef, and Nozipho recalls feeling as though the woman was speaking directly to her. In that moment, she knew she was meant to be a cook for life. From there, she enrolled at a tertiary institution and studied food business.

Breaking the news to her parents was not easy. They had hoped she would become a doctor, but they ultimately supported her desire to live a fulfilling life doing what she loved.

"My parents are both teachers and you know their first thoughts would either be I'd be a doctor because of the subjects I'd chosen or a teacher because you know our parents always think if you're a teacher, it's easy to get work and they want us to be secure, you know, so it wasn't their first choice for me to become a chef but by God's grace they were supportive enough to say go and try and let's see, you know, what you can make of it and I always then joke and say to them, don't worry, I'll be a doctor one day but a doctor in food." 

Nozipho worked hard, completed her studies, and obtained her professional chef certificate. She then entered the marketplace, where she gained invaluable experience in running a business. "I did several things: I lectured in hospitality, I was a kitchen manager in a hospital in Durban, and I was the functions manager at Unilever." Working for others exposed her to various aspects of the food and hospitality industry and helped her refine her focus.

"You don't come out of school, and then you know everything, so the experience was invaluable for me, and to also then streamline me into what I actually want to do because I studied quite a vast number of things. 

It was during the period when others employed her that she realised her true passion lay in serving people through food and building her own business. Becoming a full-time entrepreneur felt natural, especially since she grew up surrounded by business-minded family members.

"I grew up in a family that's also very business-oriented. My grandfather, my grandmother, my dad all had some sort of business - a supermarket, butchery, there was always something in business." 

"I registered my first business in 2018, two years after I left school, even though I didn't start operating on it immediately, but I always knew that I would eventually end up in business."   

The move to Johannesburg 

"We moved to Joburg in 2020, the lockdown year, can you believe it? But then, in 2021, when the country started opening, we did too. And how we started was with your 50 packs for funerals, believe it or not." 

Although her business was doing well in Durban, Nozipho says relocating to Johannesburg is what truly allowed it to blossom. She praises Joburgers for their deep appreciation of good food and quality service, noting that they are willing to spend as long as the service meets their expectations.

She explains that in Durban, she often had to work much harder, sometimes more than double, to earn what she now makes in Johannesburg.

Nozipho says she knows she offers exceptional food, which is why she has a vast clientele, including high-profile contracts like serving Big Brother and several celebrities—a further testament to her exemplary service.  

"If you come into our space, there's a difference in walking into our space. It's not just your ordinary eatery. We take your ordinary home-cooked meals and just put an Izipho touch, you know. Obviously, we've gone to school. So we've just taken your home-cooked meals, your hearty meals and just elevated them and added a touch of schooling in there. But it's food that people will always want to buy because it's what we eat in our home." 

As a financial hub, Johannesburg attracts people from all over the country who come to pursue their dreams and increase their earning potential. Nozipho's journey is a testament to the city's reputation as the City of Gold.

Healthy Cooking

Today, she takes pride in giving back to the community by serving not just delicious, but also healthy food. For her, health is a priority- it's not only about taste or presentation, but about preparing meals in a way that supports people's well-being. One of her most popular dishes is Durban curry, which she prepares with no oil, controlled spices, and a strong focus on balance. She believes that food can play a vital role in preventing lifestyle-related illnesses.

Giving back to the community 

Six months ago, Nozipho opened her eatery in Edenvale, Johannesburg. Prior to that she was just running her catering business. Since the opening of her restaurant, she attracts customers from across the city. She proudly shares that people from as far as Pretoria and Fourways order her popular curries through Uber Eats. Beyond business success, she also empowers locals by creating jobs and making a positive impact on the lives of young people in Johannesburg. 

Although she has travelled to other parts of the world, Nozipho says nothing compares to the flavours and richness of South African food. Her dream is to one day own a hospital cafeteria and expand her eateries to other parts of the country.

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