Onezwa Mbola reflects on family, memory and storytelling in " A Food Love Story"

There is something deeply moving about Onezwa Mbola’s journey. She has built a career by returning to what matters most — the land beneath her feet, the wisdom of her community and the stories passed down through generations.

Today, she is one of South Africa’s most influential food storytellers, with a bestselling cookbook, a devoted online community and a voice that continues to reshape how we think about food. Yet at the heart of "A Food Love Story" is not celebrity or culinary prestige. It is a daughter’s attempt to preserve a legacy.

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Three years in the making, the book traces the memories, lessons and recipes that connect Mbola to her late mother, her community and the place she calls home. It is filled with accessible recipes, moving reflections and unexpected moment. Mbola has invited audiences into a world where food is never just food — it is memory, identity, heritage and love.

Part cookbook, part memoir, the bestselling title is a heartfelt tribute to the people, places and traditions that shaped her. It is an exploration of grief and healing, of land and belonging, and of the ways food can carry stories across generations.

As readers continue to embrace the book and make space for it in their homes, Mbola sits down with GLAMOUR to reflect on the emotional process of bringing it to life, the legacy of her mother, the power of community and the love story at the centre of it all.

GLAMOUR: You’ve just released "A Food Love Story" into the world, and it’s already being embraced so deeply. What has this experience felt like emotionally for you?

Onezwa Mbola: I’m very excited, also just overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I can’t believe that the book is done. It feels surreal to have the book in my hands, but also the response that I’ve gotten has made me so emotional. I can’t believe how positively people have received it. Every worry that I had seems to not even matter anymore.

Onezwa Mbola at the Expresso Show. Image:Instagram/@onezwambola

GLAMOUR: Did you imagine the book would reach best-seller status?

Onezwa Mbola: It came as a shock to me. People always say South Africans don’t buy books, so that was my biggest worry. My worry has never been whether the book is good or not—it’s a great book. It’s very intentional, very well thought out. I was just worried whether people would buy the book. And I had no reason to worry. We’ve been the best-selling book in the country for a couple of weeks now. I’m humbled. I’m shocked.

GLAMOUR: The response online has been incredibly emotional, with people sharing the book in their homes. What has that meant to you?

Onezwa Mbola: I’ve been crying since the very first time I saw videos of people posting the book in their homes. To write a story that is so personal, and to know that it’s going to live in people’s homes forever, and probably be passed down to the next generation, is an overwhelming feeling. The project is so personal to me. It’s about my mother, it’s about my love for food, and it’s about my love for many different things. Now a lot of people get to read that story.

GLAMOUR: At the centre of it all is your mother. Why was it important for you to honour her through this book?

Onezwa Mbola: I wanted to honour my mother in a way that was very meaningful. To know that she will be celebrated in many homes makes me really emotional. If I could pin it down to one emotion, it would be gratitude. I’m just so grateful that I got to tell her story.

GLAMOUR: What was your childhood like, and how did your relationship with your mother shape the person you are today?

Onezwa Mbola: I was attached to my mum’s apron strings from the moment I was born. I’m the last born of five, so there was a huge age gap between me and my siblings. I was always with her. If she was in the garden, I was with her. If she was in the kitchen, I was with her. I was her little companion. She shaped how I cook, how I view food, how I view life, and my approach to sustainability.

@onezwambola Living in an answered prayer, see you tonight Cape Town #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #southafrica #rurallife #viral #onezwa ♬ original sound - kofoworola

GLAMOUR: Before becoming a food creator, you worked in maritime. How did that path lead you here?

Onezwa Mbola: The career started because I wanted to travel. It wasn’t necessarily because I wanted to be in maritime—it was a way for me to travel. I’ve always been curious about other cultures and cuisines. It wasn’t really a path of joy for me, but it exposed me to a lot.

GLAMOUR: So cooking became more than just a career shift?

Onezwa Mbola: Yes. I got into cooking simply out of craving my mother’s food, and it turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. It wasn’t intentional. It was simply about reconnecting with my mother and getting to have conversations with her in the kitchen in a different way now that she’s not here. It was never about becoming well known or writing a book. It just felt like something written in the stars.

GLAMOUR: When did you decide to start documenting your food journey?

Onezwa Mbola: Initially, I wanted to review restaurants because I’ve always loved food and discovering new places to eat. But when I fell pregnant, I started craving my mother’s food in a way that felt different, so I began recreating her recipes at home.

As I started learning and improving, I thought, why not share the journey? So I began documenting the recipes I was making and teaching myself along the way.

GLAMOUR: Food is clearly much more than nourishment in your world. What does food mean to you?

Onezwa Mbola: Food is storytelling. Every dish I create carries a memory, a connection, or a story behind it. If I’ve grown something from seed and turned it into a meal, that in itself is a story—one that connects me to the land and the generations that came before me.

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It’s also a way of connecting with people. Food has always been about community for me, whether it’s sharing a meal with family, sharing produce from my garden, or cooking for the people around me. At its heart, food is about bringing people together.

GLAMOUR: You’ve spoken before about living closely with the land and growing your own food, something that’s quite common in many communities. Why do you think people are so fascinated by it when they see it through your lens?

Onezwa Mbola: I think I’m a storyteller. Even when I’m creating something as simple as a dish, there is always intention behind it. There’s also an educational element to what I do because I think people want to take something away from what they watch.

So it’s not only about the fact that I grow food. It’s about what you learn in the process. It’s not just me picking a cabbage—there is always a story behind it, and something for you to carry with you afterwards. That’s really the difference for me. It’s not just a video about food; you must be able to learn something by the end of it.

GLAMOUR: You’ve mentioned being a fan of the late Anthony Bourdain. What about his approach to food and storytelling resonated with you the most?

Onezwa Mbola: Food has always been something I’m deeply passionate about, so I’ve always wanted to understand different cuisines and their histories more deeply.

It also comes down to ethics, values, and how I was raised—how food is respected and where it comes from. Whenever I’m exploring a new cuisine, I’m very intentional about honouring the culture and the people behind it.

What I really took from Anthony Bourdain is the importance of listening and allowing people to tell their own food stories first. It always starts with respect—for the people and the ingredients—because the story will always matter more than the food itself.

GLAMOUR: A Food Love Story is such a beautiful title. Did you have any other names in mind, and why did this one stick?

Onezwa Mbola: It’s funny because this is the only title the book has ever had. Before I even had a publishing deal, I was naming the document on my computer and called it A Food Love Story.

At the time, it was a love story to my mother and her legacy, told through the food she made for me. But as I wrote, I realised it was also about many other kinds of love—love for community, connection, the land, a slower way of living, as well as grief and healing.

By the time the publishers asked for the title, it still felt right. They loved it, and it stayed.

GLAMOUR: How long did it take to bring A Food Love Story to life, and what was the most challenging part of the process?

Onezwa Mbola: It took three years. The hardest part was scaling down the recipes because I had so many. A lot of them were seafood-based because I come from a coastal village, but I wanted to create a book that people could actually use while still staying true to my story.

@onezwambola My family prefers fish steamed over fried so this is one of my favourite dishes to make for them #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #southafrica #farmlife #viral #creatorsearchinsight ♬ original sound - Onezwa Mbola

The editing was also challenging because the project was so personal. Every time feedback came back, my feelings would get hurt and my ego would be bruised. But eventually I realised every critique was for the betterment of the book, and we all wanted to create something really good. I think we did.

GLAMOUR: The recipes feel incredibly user-friendly. Was that intentional?

Onezwa Mbola: Absolutely. I wanted to create a book that everybody could use, whether you're a beginner or a more experienced cook. It was very important to me that people actually use the book, so I spent a lot of time choosing recipes that would cater to different skill levels. I was very intentional about making sure the book felt accessible and usable for everyone.

GLAMOUR: In the Back to Basics chapter, you teach readers how to make noodles from scratch. That’s incredibly impressive—what inspired you to include that?

Onezwa Mbola: I think we often overcomplicate cooking when it doesn’t have to be. The Back to Basics chapter is about showing people that many of the things we think we need to buy can actually be made at home.

I’m not saying you should make noodles every week, but it’s a great skill to have. If I can do it, you can do it too.

GLAMOUR: The book is also visually very striking. How intentional was the creative process behind it?

Onezwa Mbola: I’m a perfectionist at heart. I told the team I wanted green to look like green. I wanted the food to pop off the page, to look real, inviting and alive. Sometimes we would spend half a day shooting one plate because we were perfectionists.

I wanted people to feel proud to own the book.

GLAMOUR: You’re very much in the public eye. How do you navigate social media while protecting your mental health and creative space?

Onezwa Mbola: I’m lucky to exist in a bit of a bubble when it comes to social media. Most of my close circle aren’t very active online, so it’s quite easy for me to detach—and that’s important for me creatively.

@onezwambola Johannesburg????? You really came through, I love you! Thank you for waiting patiently, I enjoyed talking to all of you! @hulisaniravele you healed me in ways I couldn’t describe! I love you DOWN! #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #onezwa #viral #rurallife #southafrica ♬ original sound - Onezwa Mbola

When I’m exposed to too many opinions, whether good or bad, it can take away from my creativity, so I try to limit my time online. Social media has been incredible for building community, but protecting my mental health also means knowing when to step back.

What grounds me most is nature. Being in my garden is one of the most calming, meditative ways for me to reset and move through the day.

GLAMOUR: You’ve previously described your home as a sacred space. Is hosting still off the table?

Onezwa Mbola: Absolutely. If you watch my content, you'll notice I rarely show the people I cook for, and that's a conscious decision. I chose to be on social media; my family didn't. Protecting them and their privacy is very important to me.

It's also a family home, so it's not just my decision to make. That said, I am working on a project that will eventually allow me to host people in a more intentional way. But for now, absolutely not.

GLAMOUR: Finally, what do you hope people take away from A Food Love Story?

Onezwa Mbola: I want people to use the book. Cook for your community. Share it. Ask about your history. Build community. That’s what matters most to me.