In Johannesburg’s diverse yet sometimes fraught urban landscape, a growing number of immigrant-owned eateries face challenges amid rising xenophobic tensions. Amid this backdrop, one local chef has dedicated himself to celebrating the rich culinary traditions brought by immigrants to South Africa and fostering cross-cultural understanding through food.

Sanza, born in neighboring Eswatini to a South African mother and an Eswatini father, was raised in Soweto, the township that became emblematic of resistance during apartheid. After his father’s early death, Sanza was partly raised by an uncle who had been a freedom fighter in exile. This upbringing instilled in him a strong sense of internationalism and Pan-African identity. In the post-apartheid era, Sanza moved to Yeoville, a Johannesburg neighborhood that evolved from a former whites-only suburb into a vibrant hub where immigrant entrepreneurs operate restaurants, salons, and markets.

Sanza’s eclectic personal and professional experiences have shaped his culinary and cultural outlook. He attended film school, engaged with Johannesburg’s jazz scene, and worked in media, including as a radio DJ and reality show producer, roles that enabled him to travel extensively and broaden his culinary knowledge. Over time, his passion for food turned into an expression of community-building, drawing on flavors and cooking techniques from across Africa and beyond.

Now hosting communal dinners in a modest yet warmly welcoming space on Yeoville’s Rockey Street, Sanza serves a fusion of dishes inspired by immigrant chefs and traditional recipes. His offerings include a goat stew with a peanut sauce inspired by Congolese cook Lydia Kenter-Tata, whose restaurant Chez Lydia has faced declining business amid recurrent xenophobic violence that has deterred patrons. The two artists often collaborate, sharing ingredients and techniques as a form of mutual support in a challenging environment.

Guests at Sanza’s dinners are invited on a sensory journey through diverse African and global culinary traditions: from Egyptian chicken simmered with spices and preserved olives to amagwinya, deep-fried cassava flour dough balls with a malty flavor; from vegetarian gumbo blending Ghanaian, Ethiopian, and Italian influences to a one-pot “fir fir” rice dish infused with saffron, coconut, and kale and cooked in a fermented mushroom broth referencing numerous global rice preparations.

Sanza emphasizes that his food transcends individual identities, serving instead as a shared cultural memory and a way to “wake each other up” to the stories and humanity behind immigrant experiences. Through his culinary work, he seeks to counteract the social divisions exacerbated by xenophobia and to highlight the potential for unity in South Africa’s multicultural urban communities.