Sanza Sandile Shabalala doesn't call himself a chef. He calls himself a cook, a storyteller, and a gastronomic smuggler. But somewhere between growing up in Soweto in the 80s, co-hosting the radio shows that shaped a generation at YFM, and building the legendary Yeoville Dinner Club, he became something else entirely: a founder who refuses to look like one.
In this episode of The Salary Scramble, Lee Kasumba sits down with her former radio co-host for a conversation about food, money, and building on your own terms. They trace Sanza's journey from strict vegetarian to Pan-African table, from five-rand pasta days to charging premium prices without apologizing.
No restaurant. No investors. No ads. And somehow, still standing.
This is not a typical founder story. It's about dignity for the people washing dishes, a table where everyone eats with their hands if they want to, and a business model held together by saving, giving, and an unshakable belief that there is never nothing.