Private chef and content creator Makhiba Modupe invites us into her world of comforting childhood meals, bold global flavours, and the soulful connection between food, memory, and travel.
When asked what dish best represents her life, she answers without missing a beat: “Potjiekos. It’s a mixture of a lot of things happening at the same time.”
Makhiba, better known by her fast-growing online following as The Lazy Chef, has always had a deep, undeniable love for food. Born and raised in Botshabelo, the now 31-year-old recalls being completely obsessed with flavours from a young age.
“I figured if I love and enjoy food so much, I should probably learn to cook so I can make all those yummy meals for myself,” she says.
That early passion eventually turned into something much bigger: a personal brand, a growing community, and a platform that celebrates both the simplicity and richness of cooking. The Lazy Chef started as a fun name for a content page where Makhiba showed “lazy” people how to cook delicious meals in a fraction of the usual time. But once the page grew, the nickname stuck. “Everyone started calling me The Lazy Chef, and now here we are.”
Although her culinary training began at Cellars-Hohenort Hotel in Cape Town, and her career has taken her to a range of local establishments, Makhiba’s cooking style is proudly South African at its core. “I’m pretty obsessed with food and simple flavours that I grew up on as a child,” she shares. Dishes like pap and milk or samp and tripe aren’t just meals, but they’re memories, rooted in nostalgia and love.
But like any good traveller, her tastes have evolved with experience. From Cape Town to international influences, she’s found herself drawn to the bold, fresh notes of Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. “Sometimes when I do dabble in other cuisines, I gravitate a lot to those because I enjoy the fresh and bold flavours.”
One of her most memorable food memories comes from her time in Cape Town. “My friends and I used to enjoy restaurant hopping,” she recalls. “We once went to Eagles Nest Wine Farm, and it was some of the yummiest fresh seafood I’ve had to date.” It’s the kind of sensory moment that sticks with you, a perfect intersection of place, flavour, and feeling.
If there’s one dish that defines Makhiba’s connection with her audience, it’s samp. “I’m obsessed with samp. As soon as it’s cold, everyone starts asking for a samp recipe.” It’s these hearty, traditional meals made approachable and accessible that have made her such a relatable figure in the local culinary space.
Her absolute favourites? “Pap and milk is my number one comfort meal, and samp and tripe is a meal I grew up on and love with my entire being.”
Her kitchen essentials are just as down-to-earth: onions, olive oil, lemons, salt, and pepper.
When asked who she’d cook for if she could choose anyone in the world, living or passed, Makhiba doesn’t hesitate. “My father. He enjoyed the food I made so much… He once said he doesn’t eat chicken but would eat it and ask for seconds when I made it.” These are the moments that keep her going even on the “lazy” days. “My love for food… and my followers threaten me if I don’t create more.”
Her audience is everyday South Africans who miss the dishes they grew up on, and that is at the heart of what she does. “A lot of people don’t always know how to make those meals, because it was always the aunts and grandmothers cooking.
“I hope they take away confidence in trying those meals themselves. Meals that mostly connect them to certain nostalgic parts of their lives.”
She’s even received DMs from followers who say her recipes reminded them of their late parents or grandparents. That’s the kind of emotional connection she hopes to keep nurturing.
Despite her growing success, Makhiba is refreshingly honest about the realities of building a brand. “How do I balance creativity and running a business?
“Honestly, I don’t. You take it one day at a time and just keep showing up.”
She draws inspiration from figures like The Funny Chef, whom she admires for being an all-rounder in the industry.
But even chefs have their quirks. One surprising fact about The Lazy Chef? “I don’t like chocolate or cake.” And her guilty pleasure? “Wors and apricot jam BUT together.”
Looking further ahead, her five-year vision for The Lazy Chef brand is exciting. “I want it to be a household name, with recipe books, TV shows, and most importantly, I want to be advocating for South African food globally.”
With her heart in the kitchen and her feet on the move, The Lazy Chef is cooking up something far bigger than meals; she’s sharing stories, sparking memories, and taking South African soul food on a journey of its own.
Text: Sazly Moses
Photographs: Lonerpixels
