Contributors
Darren Meltz
Darren is a self-confessed creative jack of all trades - The world is a delicious pie of creativity so why have just one slice. If he’s not on stage or in the rehearsal room, he’s searching for new and beautiful things to photograph. Darren is an actor, educator, clown (yes believe it or not) but above all else, he’s a writer. His biggest passion is creating amazing things with the words that race around in his head. He is ambitious to a fault and lives by the question, “Why the heck not?!”
Alice Renou
Alice is 23 years old and originally from the South of France. She fell in love with South Africa three years ago where she found the taste for a healthy and serene lifestyle. After completing a courses in Pastry and Photography, Alice decided to start her own business called "Cape Patisserie" and create my own recipes. These recipes are in a 'healthy' spirit and aim to prove that healthy food that is good for the body and mind, is also delicious.
Alison Geduld
A passion for history, the beautiful and a yearning for tasty exotic food is the passion which conjures up the images from this native Capetonian's camera lens. Her pen and camera work together to spin a tale that draws the eye and enthralls the mind. Stopping at the side of the road in the middle of the R43 is not unheard of when the sun's rays have just touched the horizon and plays atop the ocean. Alison loves creating the perfect frame. #wedontdofiltershere Churches are her thing, but the human spirit run a close second. The faces of little children hold the most appeal when they are least aware. Rarely serious about anything, she finds the quirk in raising three young people in suburbia alongside her very own Jimmy Neutron. Life deserves to be lived well. Every last drop!
Allister Esguerra
Born and raised in the Philippines, Allister Esguerrra, AKA Queen of Vietnam has been working in the Vietnamese luxury hospitality and tourism scene for over 7 years since his first arrival in 2010. He's worked with both private companies and some regional tourism boards in the last 4 years, launching tourism marketing brands such as Discover Halong and Discover Nha Trang. He now works as a freelance writer and setting up Vietnam's first-ever independent magazine for gay men, Nam Nam Mag, all while basing himself in three major capitals in Southeast Asia; Hanoi, Bangkok, and Manila.
Amilinda Wilkinson
Amilinda is an epitome of all things gloriously hedonistic. When she’s not behind her desk, she abundantly indulges in this fragile adventure we call life by tasting, exploring, photographing, writing, pondering and wandering her way through Cape Town. She’s a professional traveller with more than 50 long-haul flights behind her name and the passport to prove it. She adores luxuriously lazy beach holidays, food festivals, animals, folksy music, pizza and wine weekends, veggie gardens and her trusty Nikon D750 camera kit. Oh, and macarons. She’s super passionate about those.
Anjola Awosika
Anjola Awosika hails from Lagos Nigeria and has a real love for food. This love motivated him to explore food photography. He is self-taught - a graduate of YouTube and started shooting food professionally in 2018. Since then, he has shot hundreds of dishes. Storytelling and creative innovation are his forte. Anjola is passionate about the food industry in Africa and he aspires to be among its game changers.
Anne Cayer
Anne has never stopped eating or dreaming. She's lucky to do both on a regular basis, having left behind a PR career in Toronto to get a little lost. You can find her travelling the world with fellow MTF contributor Ryan Thomas, eating anything she finds along the way (bonus points if it's laden with sugar) and chronicling it all on gosquabgo.com. She gets weak in the knees for a good jungle hike and a perfectly made Old Fashioned.
Brett Webb
Brett moved to Cape Town 6 years ago from Durban and was introduced to incredible restaurants, great wine farms and a crazy nightlife. Brett grew a love for food and realised that he didn't always have to go out to enjoy a good meal, so he started learning how to cook, nicking a few tricks from his chef friends. He upgraded his cookware and kitchen at home and started on a path to create his own unique dishes, inspired by the city's best menus and flavours. He also enjoys travelling the world and works in digital advertising doing what he loves as a Senior Digital Designer/Art Director.
Caitlin Roxburgh
Ever since Caitlin was a child, her world has revolved around food. This has led to an accumulation of nicknames, some of which aren't very flattering... 'Piggy Wiggy' and 'Truffler' to name a few. When Caitlin isn't eating, she's either teaching English, marketing or writing from her current base in Hoi An, Vietnam. As A. J. Liebling says, “the primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite” and boy does Caitlin have a good appetite!
Camilla Reinhold
Camilla was born in Berlin but has lived in South Africa for 18 years so she counts herself among the South African people. Though she has moved around a lot she has found her home in Cape Town, the mother city and foodie capitol. Camilla studied Culinary arts and now she assists food stylists in and around Cape Town occasionally doing her own food shoots. She is passionate about food and cooking and on weekends she tries to hunt down new and interesting places to eat/drink. Her favorite quote is: "The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our senses to sharpen” by W.B. Yeats
Carla de Klerk
Carla hates the word "foodie" but is an absolute lover of all things food. When she's not stalking menus or searching for the best samosas in Cape Town, Carla is works in social media and digital advertising. Her dream is to one day own a flower shop off the coast of Spain. She cannot speak Spanish or arrange flowers but once read a quote that said "if you dream it, you can do it".
Chaya Kowal
Originally from Mauritus, Chaya has adopted the Nomad lifestyle since several years. From living in Paris to the tiny islands of Maldives and surviving the remoteness of Bhutan; the more she explores, the longer her bucket list gets. Passionate about outdoors, food, culture, wellness and photography, her goal is to become location independent and slow travel. Favorite quote: “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turn you into a storyteller”
Chelsea St. Clair
Having just come off a six-month tour around the world, Chelsea now finds herself living in LA. She has an insatiable curiosity for the world and wants to discover the hidden cultures within it. Whether it’s being escorted down the side of a mountain by the Sri Lankan military, attending an illegal bonfire on a beach in Vietnam or crashing a movie premiere in her new city, you can always find her smiling through another exciting adventure.
Christina Pearl
Christina Pearl is a new brand splashing waves in the spheres of marketing, wine, food, and writing, articulating a wealth of expertise and experience in these genres. She works as a freelancer with select clients and projects. Christina Pearl brings passion, tenacity, enthusiasm, strategy and authentic love to life and everything she does.
Christopher Taljaard
An Adventurer, culinary explorer, and cultural enthusiast. Christopher has spent the past 15 years traversing the diverse landscapes of the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe, immersing himself in the rich tapestry of around 30 different countries. Along this extraordinary journey, he has indulged his passion for food and travel unearthing hidden culinary gems while savoring the authentic flavors of each region. His adventures have taken him from Skyscrapers in Dubai to tranquil mountain villages and rice paddies in Vietnam, through narrow alleyways in the Greek Islands and his taste buds have always been his compass. Join him on his latest journey that transcends borders, celebrating the universal love language of food and the captivating tales of Latin America.
Dan James
Dan is lovably quirky and his school teachers described him as "a pleasure to have in class". He has a real knack for expressive adjectives and mixing idioms - although, he won't beat around the burned bridges. He is a copywriting extraordinaire and adds a pronounced flair to any piece of copy the cursor or pen lands on. His design work is a little more conventional but never quirk-less. Dan also has a dance, theatre and culinary arts background. He clearly believes in not having just one skill-set when he can have them all.
Debra Hughes
Debra is a born and bred South African who loves and lives in Durban, the jewel of the East Coast and one of the “coolest” cities in the world. She pays her bills by managing the finance department of a prominent Durban based engineering company but her true passion is food, champagne, road trips, gin, and music. She loves showcasing what's hot, new and special about her beloved Durban, and that's what she writes about for MTF.
Dhanusha Dhoorgalu
I'm a sassy digital content creator with a passion for food, wine, travel and the finer things in life! Being in Cape Town for over 3 years has changed my outlook on life and I love exploring the city. You can typically find me hiking or wine tasting on weekends. I'm a full time computer science student by day and a freelancer by night. For now, you can call me a queen of all trades. One day, I'll master one.
Elizabeth Raybould
Elizabeth has spent her whole life in the kitchen, cooking and baking, coming up with concoctions for family and friends to try. A decade ago, she started to develop chronic pain and was diagnosed with IBS. Rather than experimenting with medication, she started using food to heal. From this lifestyle shift, to a mostly gluten-free, dairy-free, legume-free and sugar-free diet, Elizabeth wanted to help others on their paths to healthy living. She believes that food should heal us, not hurt us and is currently studying to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
Emma Robertson
“If you follow your heart, you’ll never have to ask where to go or what to do next" This has been Emma’s mantra for the last few years and has so far never let her down! Emma (you can call her Emz) loves her ‘day job’ as a Health & Nutrition Author and Coach, but what equally ignites her soul is travel, experience, connection, creativity and writing! Whether jotting about the worlds most yumazing ‘superfoods’ and how insanely awesome antioxidants are (she insists they really are!) or simply soul searching in her journal, she is super happy. You can also find Emz hiking anywhere that has a view or re-visiting India, attempting (by her own admission) with dodgy hips and a crook back to master the yogini within!
Emma Smith
Emma is a Business student from Durban, South Africa. She has a passion for food, good books, taking photos, and exploring her vibrant city. It’s not unusual to find her at one of Durban’s many cafés tucking into a pastry with her nose in a book – her natural habitat. To keep herself sane, Emma has a food blog where she writes about her food adventures and shares her family recipes.
Gokul Nair
Gokul is disorganised and a little slow to respond to his emails. Maybe its because he gets a little flustered working as a Biomedical Engineer at the University of Cape Town and as an intern at Stellenbosch University. But when he does get his life together, you can find him on top of some mountain taking pictures of the sunrise or sunset. He is a photographer, wanna be philosopher and a lover of nature.
Gregory Zeleny
An explorer by nature, Greg enjoys discovering off-the-beaten path places and hidden gems while wandering the globe. A food, travel and lifestyle entrepreneur, Greg spends his days consulting clients on digital marketing and social media strategy and his evenings enjoying the good life in picturesque Hoi An, Vietnam.
Gwynne Conlyn
Gwynne Conlyn wanders around with a purpose to discover what makes for a great lifestyle: good food, great travel experiences and of course, fascinating people. And always, that perfect Martini. She’s an award winning journalist and author. When she returned to South Africa from New York, she decided to jump on a motorbike (and a single-prop airplane and a topless sports car) to find whatever is delicious in her country. That book, Delicious Travel, won the international award). Gwynne has been a freelance talk show host on radio for many years, and now her show, LifeStyle Today is permanent, every Thursday 11am – 12pm. Celebrant of all things delicious, Gwynne’s Twitter handle is WanderWomanSA because, as she says, that’s her job!
Hannah Cooper
Hannah is a full-time traveller and newbie digital nomad. She packed up her life in London and is currently travelling solo through South East Asia, New Zealand and Australia with no plans to stop there. Happiest when near the ocean, she also loves a good jungle hike, trying (usually quite badly) to master new sports and getting a little bit lost in a big city.
Janice Leibowitz
Janice was born in London, and although she considers herself very much a South African, having lived in Joburg for many years (she’s not giving away her age) she still holds a fondness for cold, rainy days and strangely enough also for all things Irish! She firmly believes that our lives are enriched by sharing tremendous stories whether it be through books, theatre, film or music, and that we should constantly be seeking out ways to do this. Life is meant to be lived boldly. It’s a journey, and we get to choose what amazing adventures we go on, and who with! As long as we remember not to look back … we’re not going that way!
Jared Ruttenberg
Jared is a bit of an experience junkie and aficionado: new experiences and an ever changing horizon keeps him alive. Of course waking up in Cape Town - which he and a few million others think is just the most exciting city in the world - means there is much to explore. And then the rest of South Africa! So much to see and so little time! He splits his time between writing, running private tours, and social media influencer work.
Jeanne-Riëtte Martins
Jeanne-Riëtte is the aspiring fairy behind MammaChef Jozi. She is an HR consultant, freelance copywriter and mom of two rambunctious boys. Her writing is a sparkling combination of good food, wonderful wine, fun family lifestyle and inspiring content, sharing all the beautiful, local and unique things that bring joy to life. Recently named Runner-up Best Writer in the South African Parenting Blog Awards, she flows through Jozi life using all 6 of her senses, experiencing her favourite things – writing, photography, deliciousness, laughter, walks, nature and special adventures.
Jeanné Fourie
Jeanné is believes firmly in the concept that food and life are connected, and it is that connection which allows one to feel human. On a Summer trip to Italy 2018, Jeanné received the coveted title of Gelato Queen due to her undying love for authentic Italian gelato and her willingness to purchase one from every café she walked past. Living in Cape Town for her final year as an English student at Rhodes University, she loves nothing more than the creative world of food and media, and how it impacts our lives. She mostly spends her nights contemplating the possibility of sushi as a substitute for a balanced diet and watching re-runs of Masterchef Australia, amongst other affairs of the typical student.
Jenna Berkowitz
Jenna is social media influencer and comedian! She loves creating and sharing content and funny videos. Her uniquely humourous take on life comes through in her laugh out loud Tik Tok impersonations. Jenna is part of the Tik Tok creators program where she is expanding her skills in the social and video space. Look out for Jenna. She's hilarious!
Jennifer Raath
Jen is a typical deep south Capetonian, drawn in by the sea, pushed to create by the culture and inspired to explore from the calling mountains. She is an independent digital marketing consultant, helping local startups find their feet online, by profession. However, by passion, she is a travel blogger, content creator and online influencer through her personal travel blog, themarriedwanderers. She wanders through life with the aim to never dream but rather to plan, because at the end of the day “this world is far too beautiful not to be seen”.
Julie July
Jules is a graphic designer and digital nomad based in Denver, CO. Her goal is to work her way around the world, but when stateside she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the great outdoors - she is stoked to have the Rocky Mountains right in her backyard. If she's not camping or climbing a mountain, you can find her playing the latest video games, trying not to fall off her skateboard or snapping photos with the camera that is permanently attached to her hands.
Kat Pozzan
Kat recently packed up her life in Australia to travel solo around the world. A big believer in living life to the fullest she wonders the globe with a strong latte in one hand, her camera in the other, in pursuit of all things adventurous. While collecting passport stamps she indulges in all her passions from scuba diving and mountain climbing to exploring cool cafés, craft breweries and sampling generous portions of delicious local food. Her mantra? Eat Well. Travel often.
Kimberly Nhan
Kimberly's life revolves around the four F’s: Family, Friends, Food and Festivals. She wouldn’t consider herself a foodie but she loves to eat. She's constantly planning activities around her next meal. Kimberly was introduced to a diverse range of food at a young age, where due to her large family, most of the meals were actually feasts. This has lead to her immense sense of adventure when it comes to eating. Kimberly also has a knack for baking and love the joy a homemade cookie or cupcake can bring someone.
Kitty Ireland
Kitty Ireland is a full-time writer who has her fingers in all sorts of literary pots. There isn't a situation she can't find humor in, even if that means running her mouth a mile a minute just to get a laugh out of everyone (or just being adorably awkward once she puts her foot in her mouth). She prefers gin, dark chocolate with nuts in it, massages, gaming, and worships RuPaul with a fierceness, hunty.
Leah van Deventer
Leah van Deventer is a professional writer and editor who dabbled in hard news before deciding to focus her energy on the important stuff: travel, food and drinks. When not gathering intel from the field, she combines work and R&R by writing in bed with Hex and Hades, her spectacular black cats.
Leigh-Ann Luckett
Leigh-Ann is on an adventure. Several at once in fact. She's discovering the bright, shiny new world of Hong Kong while trying to cram all the wine she can into her brain and mouth. And the food. Always the food.
Lisa Witepski
Lisa is constantly planning her next meal, or where to eat it. That’s why she believes she is incredibly lucky to work as a freelance writer – it’s basically her job to unearth Johannesburg’s latest gem, or find the one spot that no one’s talking about yet (but soon will be). When she’s not glugging cappuccinos and savouring new flavours, you’ll find her with her nose buried in a book.
Lynne Jenkins
As a child, Lynne was influenced by the emphasis on political activism, which was ingrained in an Eastern European working-class tradition. Her training in art, gender studies and psychology has perfectly aligned over the years to inform her primary political outlet, which is education and advocacy in the field of gender-based violence. Food, wine, travel, art and the unexpected, counterbalance some fairly intense human rights work. While at the same time, she can’t help that ever resonating mind from deconstructing what is often left unexamined even if it is a taken for granted early morning cup of java on route to work.
Mathew Bessesen
Mathew is father to a beautiful little girl and is creative by nature. He loves to travel and experience the joys of our country and you’ll easily find him at one of his favourite wineries or coffee shops. Mathew’s biggest loves are baking, cooking, clothes shopping, horse riding and making memories. A bit of a jack of all trades - he likes trying to fix things himself using YouTube videos before getting the professionals in to do it anyway. Mathew also loves spending time with his loved ones around the dining room table and is a self-confessed Coffee Addict with no intentions of changing this.
Natasha Silva
Natasha is a barely functioning introvert in an extrovert’s world. Small talk makes her cringe, but she’s still figuring out how to get to the good stuff without being awkward. She enjoys nights at home cooking dinner for friends, and settling in with an exciting book or series. But don’t be fooled, she can tackle a good night out as well as the next person. Yoga, running, and hiking keep her active. Adventuring outdoors with her hounds, Nutella and Mouse, is one of her favorite things. She’s currently transitioning to a plant-based diet, but finds it challenging working in the foodie media industry. Natasha also writes for other platforms and is in the process of launching a homemade nut spread and nut milk business, For Nutsake. She’s currently learning Portuguese and loves tea.
Nicki Silvanus
Nicki is a fashion and travel photographer that goes by the name "Under A Palm Tree". A mantra that has so far dictated her lifestyle, she is committed to inspiring other creatives to quit the 9-5, to stop living for the weekends and live for E V E R Y D A Y. She is location independent having spent two years in Asia and now heading to Europe for the summer. She is addicted to new experiences, making new friends, setting up passive incomes, and documenting it as she goes. Favourite quote: "Life is short and the world is wide."
Nicky Barber
Nicky is originally from Cape Town but spent 4 years living in Shanghai and London, where she started her digital & creative consultancy, Delicious Monster. Now back in South Africa and based in Johannesburg, she works as a freelance food & lifestyle content creator and digital media consultant. When she’s not working on one of her many projects, you’ll usually find her in the kitchen, photographing food, with her nose buried in a recipe book or food magazine, daydreaming about her next travel destination, bird-spotting, making friends with other peoples’ pets, enjoying the outdoors under a tree, drinking coffee, white wine or a G&T.
Omar Horzook
Omar has experimented with food since the age of 15, focussing on learning the basics of food presentation and photography. An architect by profession and feeder by passion, this adrenaline junkie started his food journey with the humble egg. From legacy omelette soufflés and baklava, this self-taught home cook loves to entertain friends and family with plated-dinners crafted for each occasion. Running, cycling and hiking are his way of trying to keep the calories in check.
Paula Simion
Paula is a self-proclaimed suburbanite who moved to the big city only a year ago. She is on an adventure daily, exploring the amazing food and culture that Toronto has to offer. Prior to living in Toronto, Paula spent some time living in the Niagara Region where she first discovered her love for wine and all that wine country has to offer. When Paula isn't drinking wine and trying out new restaurants in the city, she's either shopping at local makers markets, dreaming of new interior design projects to tackle at home, or out with her long-haired dachshund, Toby. Paula dreams of travel often and has had the pleasure of vacationing in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Thailand and the Caribbean.
Pocket Productions
These two were bound to end up traveling and eating their way over the world someday. Bonding over all kinds of craft beer, hamburgers and the smelliest of cheeses, Linde and Melanie both knew they had found their person. As fresh digital nomads, their photo- and videography business called Pocket Production is what keeps them busy at the moment, when of course not helping each other on top of a mountain, applying sunscreen to each other's backs or finding a vegetarian place so Melanie can pick from the entire menu, always exciting (and stressful).
Renate Engelbrecht
Renate is the founder of Suitcase & Chardonnay - a space for anyone who enjoys the travels and tastes of life. Whether it’s travelling to the grocery store or to Europe; whether it’s tasting homecooked meals or fine dining cuisine. It’s a space where she gets to share with likeminded people – from her latest travels, her favourite foods and how her family lives life to the full, to fashion goals, dream cars and people who inspire her.
Ryan Tyler Thomas
Ryan will do anything for a great story. It's a precarious policy that's led him to appear nude in a newspaper, learn to hammer a nail into his nose, start a Canadian honey company, and travel halfway around the world to tuktuk across Sri Lanka. Ryan writes for lovers of adventure and those willing to argue Mexico's mezcal production is as complex as any French Pinot Noir. In love with MTF writer Anne Cayer, they travel together and tell stories at gosquabgo.com.
Shaun Zietsman
'The Something Guy' from Johannesburg. Originally a small town boy living the big city lifestyle now. Vegetarian since 2013, and living my life to the fullest. I see myself as a dreamer and I write about my passions, my thoughts and curious wonders about our world. I believe you must bring your whole self to the table if you want to thrive in today's crazy world; your personality, your sense of humour and most importantly, your heart. All of these elements bring a unique experience and perspective to the world around us.
Sophie Afriat
Sophie grew up in Montreal, Quebec and now lives in Toronto, Ontario. She has a degree in philosophy, which might explain why she is willing to travel far and wide in search of good conversations and new ideas. It might also help explain why she is not busy with a career. Currently, she can be found exploring her own city.
Tien Dang
Tien's a Vietnamese born Texas native and NYC transplant currently on an adventure with her best friend to better understand humanity. Check out their travel blog: www.whytfnots.com. A sucker for a good tequila cocktail or any kind of beer and delicious food, Tien believes that these 3 things have the ability unite the world. She’s aso infamous for her giddy dance when food is coming to the table. Tien’s determined to expand her tastebuds and make a few friends along the way as she treks throughout the world. Won’t you join her?
Victoria Nhan
Victoria is a magical human being devoted to how she chooses to BE in the world. She feels deeply, senses intuitively and connects compassionately. As a life + mindfulness coach and embodiment guide, she helps others revolutionize their relationships to themselves, to heal and create ways of being rooted in joy, ease and freedom. Her work is to transmute the wisdom of zen mindfulness teachings and help others live more fully in the present moment. She is courageous in how she lives her life and empowers others to do the exact same.
Zeni Meiring
Zeni has always dreamed about having or finding a platform where she can put pen to paper to share all the deliciousness of life which I get to experience along the way. She's been lucky enough to have seen some fascinating places, met some inspiring people who have taught me huge and sometimes hard lessons, explored a few career opportunities which have opened interesting doors, and of course sampled some great wine. That’s what life’s about right? Your individual experiences, great friends, and wine
Zimkhita Sulelo
Zimkhitha is originally from Eastern Cape and even though she loves her province as soon as she got her matric certificate she was out of there. At Rhodes she made friends from all over Africa and when she got an opportunity to visit one of my friends in Malawi she never looked back. Zimkhitha had a close encounter with the hippos down Chobe river in Botswana, tried Jollof rice in Ghana but her craziest moment was taking selfies while sitting on a crocodile's back in Burkina Faso. At home she likes to find a quiet corner and read books and try new restaurants around the Mother City. She is also a great cook even if she has to say so herself.