The finest of Zulu fine dining
Mmabatho Molefe brings a modern African twist to SA’s restaurant scene
Award-winning chef Mmabatho Molefe loves cooking so much that she spent most of her days in university in the kitchen, and much less on her (non-culinary) course.
She was creating dishes for herself, friends, and housemates — so much so that she was always playing catch-up with her course work. So, in 2017, she left the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she was studying politics, philosophy, and law, and enrolled at Capsicum Culinary Studio in Cape Town.
In 2020 Molefe went on to open her own eatery, Emazulwini. The 10-seater establishment at the V&A Waterfront’s Makers Landing in Cape Town offers Nguni-inspired dishes and has taken Zulu cuisine to fine-dining heights. It recently won African Restaurant of the Year at the fourth annual Luxe Restaurant Awards.
The 27-year-old Molefe is a representation of modern South Africa, with her name being distinctly Sotho while her upbringing was Zulu, with both her mother and grandmother being Zulu.
“There were certain things that they stayed true to that were regarded as Sotho culture, but most of the food I grew up with was predominately Zulu,” she adds.
Molefe owns and operates Emazulwini, which was established during lockdown. “There wasn’t any trouble getting finance for it because the person who told me about Makers Landing at the Waterfront was also interested in funding the concept,” she explains.
She has curated a new menu called “Memories of my childhood”, with a heartfelt dedication to her parents on the front. In this, she takes you on a journey of Zulu dishes such as incwancwa — to which she adds her twist with lemon and lime jellies and lemon ice cream. Another standout is ipapa neklabishi, which is braised beef heart with sautéed cabbage, creamy braai pap, and beef-heart biltong shavings.
Molefe sources local ingredients such as millet and sorghum at Salt River Market. “At one point we offered amadumbe on the menu, but we had to pull it because we either couldn’t source it or the quality of it wasn’t as good as it used to be. So sometimes we’ve had to take things off the menu, but if you try ways to work around it, such as ordering in bulk, it’s manageable,” she says.
Molefe says she’s still figuring out how to be a restaurateur. “I never thought that I would have a restaurant with my own food and have it celebrated the way that it has been, as quickly as it has. So, I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to start and figure it out as you go.”