Serving is her scene

HEAD CHEF: NTSALAZA WANTED TO BE A COP - BUT LIFE HAS OTHER PLANS

- Hein Kaiser

The South African Police Service's (Saps) loss became Birdhaven eatery Arbour Café's big win. Head chef Precious Ntsalaza never thought food would be the way that she served people. Her childhood dream was to protect and serve.

But life pivoted from the get-go, and she's been spicing and dishing out delicious fare for almost two decades.

Ntsalaza grew up in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. After completing high school, she moved to the big smoke, Gauteng.

"In 2003, I met a student who was working, and I thought maybe I can find a way to earn a bit of money too."

At the time, it was less a calling and more about survival. Ntsalaza started off as a sculler in a restaurant in Edenvale. Simply put, a dishwasher.

"I wanted to protect people," she said. "But I didn't have money to study and by the time I could maybe try the Saps again, I was told I was too old."