For Zola Nene, food has never been about what is on the plate alone. It is care. This is why the celebrated South African chef, author and television personality has partnered with Ladles of Love for Mandela Day 2026.
The Hands-On-Heroes campaign is encouraging companies, schools, families and communities to take part in Ladles of Love’s flagship Mandela Day volunteer events in support of the nutrition and education of 20,000 preschool children in under-resourced communities.
The events will take place at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday, 17 July 2026, and the Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. For Zola, the cause is close to the heart. “Food has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My mom is, and my late grandma was, a wonderful cook, and I grew up around family gatherings where there was always something beautiful coming from the kitchen. Even in primary school, I was taking cookbooks out of the library and experimenting at home.
In high school, I baked cakes and cookies for friends on their birthdays. “It was only after starting university that I began to think seriously about food as a career. I realised how much joy I found in cooking for people and feeding them.
