Written in the Stars: The Rise of Food Creator Johanna Manchu

Johanna loved cooking as a child. Like many young children, eating delicious food was her favorite thing. In high school, Johanna enrolled in Home Economics, where she learned all about baking. This sparked her love for cooking even further. Johanna wanted to take up the culinary curriculum at university. She dreamt of becoming a chef but soon realised it was very rare to find a sponsor for this expensive education. Johanna hailed from a humble family, so there was no way she could afford this course on her own. So, she let go of her dreams and settled for reality. Back to where it all began

As time went by, a new subject consumed her attention, and Johanna forgot about cooking. She studied economics and business management at university. Then COVID-19 happened. Like everyone Johanna was restricted to her home. To occupy her time, she enrolled herself into a cooking course. It was a 12-week course with an international culinary school.

She didn’t think much of this. Johanna wasn’t planning a career change or anything, she just thought — I enjoy cooking and my family loves eating. So let me do this. Not for anyone else, for myself and my family. New and unfamiliar recipes and cuisines intrigued Johanna and she started trying out varied cooking styles.

Given that this was her calling, Johanna felt fulfilled in her new routine. As she took those classes and tried out different recipes, she noticed other people sharing their cooking process, recipes and meals on Instagram. Curiosity chipped away at all doubts and Johanna started posting food content. Soon after, Johanna’s appetizing looking meals garnered attention and people started asking for recipes. As these requests increased, Johanna started creating recipe videos for Instagram.

When Johanna submitted herself to this passion she realized this is not a temporary thing. This is what she wants to do. She acknowledged her love for cooking. She registered the plain and simple fact: She wasn’t cooking because of her family, or to pass her time. She was cooking because she loved doing it.

Johanna wished this realisation came earlier,

“ I wish I had known this when I was young. Maybe then I would have thought to convince my parents that they should let me cook for a living.”

Johannna’s first recipes turned into a hilarious kitchen disaster. She was in the process of baking a cake when she forgot to grease the pan before pouring in the cake batter. This burnt cake marked her funny debut.

Johanna mentions she was into baking back in school and her early culinary days, but she has since outgrown this side of cooking—

“I’m more into cooking savoury dishes nowadays. I haven’t been baking a lot. I feel like baking is just too much. I need to get the exact measurements, and I need to get everything right. So, I feel like, you know, baking is not for me. I just want something that's straightforward.”

Johanna follows Cooking with Zanele. She had discovered this channel conducting cooking classes and immediately wanted herself enrolled.

Apart from this creator, Johanna’s biggest influencer is her own community. The feedback they offer is often the basis of future projects. Johanna insists on honest feedback from fans who say they tried the recipe. Whatever feedback she receives, she works on those going forward.

Johanna tries different cuisines here and there but she mostly works with South African cuisine. She revealed that most of her South African food stems out from her granddad, who would often cook.

She actively looks for ways to cook traditional dishes with different ingredients. Johanna experiments with food texture as well. She acknowledges how so many people can’t have deep fried food, so she tries to create something that tastes almost the same but isn’t deep fried.

We asked her how she felt about her content reaching in the far corners of the world. She mentioned how she thought it was amazing that people across the country try her recipes.

Johanna’s favorite recipe includes Sorghum, a soft brown porridge that her mother made for her every morning when she was little. Apart from that, Johanna also loves chicken feet. She confessed that when she returns to her childhood house, she does not want to eat the typical traditional breakfast like eggs and bacon. She really wants to just eat the things that she ate as a child.

Johanna had a realization a few days ago that South African cuisine is heavily non-vegetarian in nature. As much as these meaty delicacies are welcomed, they are not the healthiest food options out there. She recognizes this and honors the shift to vegetarianism and veganism. Keeping that in mind, she is currently on the mission to build a portfolio of recipes that do not include non-vegetarians items and animal based products.

Johanna is on a mission to recreate South African Cuisine with vegan ingredients.

Johanna Manchu almost lost her true self in the rush of the world, but your calling has a way of catching up to you. She is an inspiration for many young girls like her who have dared to dream. Today, her passion has positioned her as one of the leading food creators in South Africa, and by the rate at which she is growing, we can’t wait to see her become one of the leading food creators in this world. If you are curious about her amazing creations, check out her page _eatwithkgantso.

Updated on 24 Jul 2025