Few women chefs are brave enough to venture into big catering spaces, including corporate canteens. But Chef Zuziwe Dlwati, owner of Wholistic Food and Health Service (WFHS), thinks a woman's place is in big kitchens. 

CREATING EMPLOYMENT 

The 43-year-old's company has created employment for more than 50 employees, including full-time and part-time employees. These include chefs, cooks, and other higher-ranking kitchen employees responsible for the management and organisation of the workspace. The company offers management to corporations, fee-paying schools, universities, and other specialty venues. With headquarters in Alberton, East Rand, the company operates more than ten cafeterias and tuck shops in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Dlwati says her company aims to maintain wellness while preparing tasty, fresh, and affordable meals. "We pride ourselves on providing unique, fresh, and sustainable dishes. Our menus are innovative yet customer-focused. We cater to diverse people including hard-core vegans, meat lovers, and health-conscious," explains Dlwati.?

GOGO'S RECIPES ?

Thanks to her grandmother, Dlwati spent much of her childhood eating, learning to cook, and sowing the seeds for her future passion. She was born in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape but her family later moved to Diepkloof, Soweto. "I grew up in a family that relished great food. We expressed our love for each other through food from amazing celebrations like Christmas and other celebrations to not-so-amazing days like funerals and all the normal days in between. I was raised by a very strict grandmother who believed in wholesome home-cooked meals. Cooking alongside her daily, she taught me how to explore different tastes and aromas," she says. The mother of two adds that all the experiences she got throughout the years have become a part of her adult life and the WFHS brand.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

"Friends would ask me to cook at their parties and for their families. After finishing Matric, I decided to study food technology to follow my passion of becoming a chef and long-held dream of starting my own catering business," she says. Dlwati says choosing this career path did not sit well with some of her family members, who felt there was no need for her to get professional training as she already knew how to cook. "Getting formal training helped polish my cooking skills and taught me the business side of things. After finishing my studies, I thought establishing myself in the industry was going to be easy but proved to be very difficult. I struggled to get a job and funds to start my own establishment. I tried starting an event catering business, but I could not sustain it. My first breakthrough came when I was asked to cater and plan a huge wedding. The wedding was a huge success and helped boost my profile and pushed me into starting WFHS," she recalls.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES 

She adds that the business is growing but establishing it took work. "Setting up the infrastructure and dealing with administration work including compliance and finding the perfect staff was very difficult. I am grateful that I managed to overcome many obstacles. This business has opened so many opportunities for so many people. It has also taught me a lot about myself. I learned to negotiate, market the business and explain my vision better to everybody," she says, adding that she is currently negotiating with five canteen establishments in other provinces. Dlwati advises aspiring entrepreneurs to learn as much as possible before opening their businesses. "You need to cultivate strong staff management skills including being able to budget and communication skills including the ability to negotiate and build relationships to run your business properly," she says.