What’s the Difference? A Woolies Food Podcast

What does it mean to cook with your whole heritage? For chef Andile Somdaka, founder of Eziko Restaurant and Culinary Academy, the answer starts in a rural Eastern Cape kitchen, where his grandmother and sisters taught him that food is far more than sustenance. It’s identity, culture and community. In this deeply moving and surprisingly funny episode, Andile takes us on a journey through one of So...

What happens when a chef and a bartender fall in love, open a restaurant, and build something that guests love so much they name their children after it? Meet Alex and Eloise Windebank, the husband-and-wife team behind Farro, one of Cape Town's most intimate and beloved dining experiences. In this episode, they pull back the curtain on what it really takes to run a restaurant together: from the an...

She's visited over 800 South African wine farms, and she's just getting started. Leanne Beattie, better known as The Wine Girl Cape Town, has made it her mission to make South Africa's wine scene accessible, exciting, and deeply human. No snobbery allowed. In this episode, Leanne joins us for an honest, playful and deeply informative conversation about what's really happening in South Africa's win...

What does it take to truly transform the culinary industry not just from the plate up, but from the people up? Jackie Cameron has the answer, and it starts with one unforgettable moment when a hotel owner told her to stop doing the work and start teaching others how to do it. In this episode, Jackie, one of South Africa's Top 10 chefs and founder of the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine get...

What happens when a trip to Croatia awakens your inner foodie? For Mmule Setati, it sparked the creation of Feed My Tribe. It’s a community that started as an Instagram page and grew into a bestselling cookbook, TV career, and a healing space for thousands of home cooks across South Africa. In this episode, Mmule opens up about:  Cooking in her grandmother Stella's kitchen as a little girl The tru...

Ever wondered what it takes to build a massive food following from scratch? Wayne Chang (@munchin_mash) went from making Maggi noodles with mayo and tuna in his university hostel to becoming one of South Africa's most followed food creators. In this episode, Wayne shares the raw truth behind viral content creation, including:  His seven failed attempts at pain au chocolat, and why showing your mis...

What happens when authentic home-cooking meets social media? Meet Fehmz, the cookbook author and content creator who's been "in your kitchen" long before it was trendy. From humble Instagram beginnings to viral TikTok moments with her famous San Sebastian cheesecake, Fehmz proves that the most unpolished, relatable content often resonates the deepest. In this episode, Fehmz talks about:  Her philo...

Meet JJ Hendricks, the engineering student turned world-champion bartender who's redefining South Africa's cocktail scene. As head bartender at Cape Town's acclaimed Fable and winner of Diageo World Class Africa 2022, JJ reveals the fascinating intersection of science, storytelling, and showmanship that goes into crafting unforgettable drinks. Whether you're a cocktail enthusiast, hospitality prof...

Peter Tempelhoff, the first South African chef to win three knives at the Best Chef Awards, and the mastermind behind FYN (World's 50 Best #37), as well as Ramendhead, Sushiya, Beyond, and, most recently, Arum. Peter shares the secrets behind building a culinary empire that's putting South African cuisine on the global map. In this episode, discover: How Peter partners with professors to rediscove...

Benni McCarthy loved the food in Portugal, and struggled with the Spanish dinner time. The South African football legend joins hosts Sibongile Mafu and Steve Steinfeld for a raw and honest conversation about his career, memories and his new memoir "Benni by Benni McCarthy."  From growing up in the tough Cape Flats neighbourhoods to becoming a Champions League winner with Porto, Benni shares storie...

On this week’s What’s the Difference episode, hosts Sibongile Mafu and Steve Steinfeld take a journey through Chef Wandile Mabaso’s career. From ‘playing’ with food at home in Soweto to sweating it out in New York’s toughest Michelin-starred kitchens, he’s back in South Africa and quietly building his own empire. As the chef-owner of Les Creatif in Johannesburg, he’s doing more than changing the m...

Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award winner Bertus Basson joins us for an honest and entertaining chat about modern South African cuisine. From working in London to running his own restaurants, including the innovative Eike, we get the skinny on his famous beef-tallow “courtship candles” and why he proudly defends the bones in proudly South African snoek. In this episode, he: Shares the philosophy...

Africa Melane may wake South Africa up on 702 and CapeTalk, but what fuels his day? The MC and radio legend gives us a glimpse into his remarkable life and his deep love for food. From waking up at 2:30 am to host the Early Breakfast Show, to serving as chairperson of the Cape Town City Ballet, Africa shows that he’s far more than just a voice on the airwaves. The conversation is filled with warmt...

He started at the sink. Today, he runs one of Johannesburg’s most celebrated kitchens. In this unforgettable episode, Ebrahiem “Ebie” Du toit takes us inside his extraordinary journey from Mitchells Plain to leading The Pot Luck Club Joburg as Head Chef. It’s a story of grit, raw talent, relentless work ethic – and the mentors who saw greatness in a young man long before he saw it in himself. Ebie...

What does authenticity taste like? For siblings Danillo and Chiara Turilli, it’s their late dad’s ragù, 72-hour fermented pizza al taglio, and occasionally swearing at one another in Italian.  In this emotional episode, Chiara cries several times, tells stories about how the siblings fought in Rome, and Dani compliments her on public record for the first time ever. Iconic.   The founders of Lello’...

What happens when you treat fire as an ingredient rather than just heat? Chef Vusi Ndlovu and restaurateur Absie Pantshwa, the dynamic duo behind Cape Town's acclaimed Edge restaurant, reveal how they're revolutionising African fine-dining. From minimalist plates, championing female winemakers and unconventional pairings (yes, including Black Label beer!), the duo explains why "cooking with fire"...

From a childhood living room to the top of the South African fine dining scene, Johannes Richter, the 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Chef of the Year, joins us to share how The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate was built on a bold promise: to source 90% of the ingredients within 150 kilometres – and make them exceptional. We also sit down with Sally Holderness, Head of Product: Trends, Insights, Stra...

Get ready for our most controversial episode to date! Dr Robyn Milton, a GP with a special interest in hormonal health, drops truth bombs about the Ozempic phenomenon and how it’s reshaping our eating habits. From her own eye-opening experience with GLP-1 medications to the surprising science behind "food noise", this conversation will challenge everything you think you know about weight loss, wil...

What happens when a systems engineer trades his corporate salary for a grill? Miles Kubheka's story will completely change how you think about entrepreneurship, food security, and building scalable solutions. Plus, Yusuf Limbada, Head of Trade: Prepared, Bakery and Frozen, explains why he never tells people that he works at Woolworths at a braai. New episodes every Wednesday Brought to you by Wool...