mbulelo smpofu
Sipepisiwe Moyo, moyosipepisiwe@gmail.com
IN African culture, the kitchen has long been considered the domain of women.
But Chef Zinyusile Khumbula, affectionately known as Chef Zi, is shattering this stereotype with his passion for cooking. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in part in South Africa, Chef Zi’s culinary journey began under the guidance of his grandmother.
After relocating to the United States in 2009, Chef Zi continued to hone his craft, never losing sight of his roots.
Now a Harlem resident since 2014, he has made a name for himself with the launch of “Taco Africana”, New York’s first pop-up African taqueria.
For Chef Zi, cooking is more than just a profession — it’s a way to share humanity with others. Driven by this philosophy, he continues to innovate and push boundaries, inspiring a new generation of culinary enthusiasts.
“My daily inspiration is the mission of sharing ‘ubuntu’ through food and fellowship. With my services, I create a unique dining experience that becomes a comfortable space and a cherished memory. Allowing people from all walks of life to come together and share their backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences while breaking bread,” he said.
He further highlighted that in a bid to perfect his skills, he utilised Google and YouTube to learn new trends in the industry.
“With help from the Careers through Culinary Arts Programme (C-CAP), I was able to enrol in the Hospitality Management Programme at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). My culinary education is from YouTube and Google. Throughout my education, I began to curate meals that became uniquely memorable and culturally driven. My experience does not only reflect my expertise in the kitchen but also the flavours, textures, colours, and beauty of Africa.
“When I moved to the UK, I tried to pursue accounting and realised it wasn’t for me. I did not have any passion for accounting. I remember the first time working in retail, I used to cook traditional Zimbabwean food which I would share with my colleagues at work. One of my colleagues invited me to a party where one of America’s celebrities showed up performing, and I made a lot of money at that event. It was more than what I would make in two weeks. It was then I realised that I could share my culture through food and make a sustainable living through it,” he said.
After Chef Zi realised his potential working at Madiba restaurant in New York and getting promoted to a senior position, he then opened his own restaurant.
“I started running a small catering business, specialising in African food while still going to work. In the beginning, it was hard as most people in restaurants were Mexican and I didn’t speak Spanish and was the only black African in the kitchen. I encountered struggles in terms of communication, but once we started sharing each other’s recipes, we found commonality in sharing ingredients and culture. That is how Taco Africana was born. It’s been a roller coaster because it was tough in the beginning, but once you find your culinary voice and you are passionate about what you are sharing, culture and exposing people to a different world, then the doors open up,” he said.
Pushing cultural exchange and bringing back home the new recipes he learnt in New York, Chef Zi shared some of his secret taco recipes at a cooking class held by the African Food Revolution in Bulawayo on January 17.
“I came to visit family and also with a major aim to share some of the knowledge I have learned overseas with other chefs in Bulawayo. We just held a cooking class with African Food Revolution where we taught people how to make tacos. It is interesting to note that we were using ingredients such as sorghum and millet,” he said.
The cooking class saw him working with other gurus in the industry such as Makhosi Mahlangu.
Together they made delicacies using ingredients that are easily accessible. This weekend, they will be teaching people how to dehydrate mangoes and make mango ice cream, mango smoothies, and mango chutney.
Chef Zi further indicated that he will be back in the country in April to take part in the Taco festival. He also said he is looking for investors as he plans to expand his business to Bulawayo.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
