The view from Zulu Rock Lodge in Babanango Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Babanango Game Reserve is a beautiful conservation story in the heart of rural KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. This malaria-free game reserve, which will soon be home to the Big Five, is one of the country s newest reserves and is set on the White Umfolozi River.
Encompassing mistbelt grasslands, thornveld and river frontage, the Babanango Game Reserve is a bush lover s paradise. It harbours abundant game species including giraffe, hyena and zebra and even the elusive aardwolf and aardvark. Rhinos and buffaloes have recently been introduced to the reserve, with the remainder of the Big Five being introduced over the next two years.
The safari food game has changed, with ardent cooks in the middle of nowhere whipping up interesting menus and thinking out of the box. Pap en wors will always be a thing, but for epicureans on expedition, having an inspired creative at the helm of your remote kitchen is a delicious fringe benefit.
Khumbulani Nzima, Executive Chef, Babanango Valley Lodge in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal
Chef Khumbulani Nzima at Babanango Valley Lodge. (Photo: Supplied)
Beyond flavour profiling, ideation and menu construction, Khumbulani Nzima likes nothing more than to prettify a plate. This penchant for presentation harks back to his high school days when he interned in the kitchen of Wakkerstroom’s restaurant du jour, the Wakkerstroom Country Inn. He was under the mentorship of hotelier and Chef-Patron Brian Charlton, a first class cook who produced “beautiful food every time”, says Nzima, and whom he cites today as his greatest influence.