To a village called Maphepetheni in an area called the Valley of a Thousand Hills. You will fall in love with it. It’s not staged in any way; people are living 100% authentic lives. When we make friends, support the locals and are respectful, the people are very happy. They’ll cook for you, sing for you, and recite poetry for you. I’m excited to share these stories and my roots.

What does it mean to be Zulu?

There are no people as warm as the Zulu people in the whole world. We’re brave people — warriors — and we love our culture. Come sit down with us! There are some 11 million Zulu-speaking people across South Africa, with most of them in KwaZulu-Natal — which means ‘the place of the Zulus’.

How do Zulus worship in this area?

Our ancestors are very important: to us, the dead are still people. Zulu’s believe in God and the Christian faith, but feel that they can communicate better with Him via those spirits close to them. They believe in worshipping in the open air. In every village there is a shembe temple, which is a ring of stones. You must take your shoes off to enter, and men and women will sit separately. Often, white outfits are worn to represent purity.

What can visitor expect to eat?

A traditional lunch might consist of ujeque, which is steamed bread made out of soft corn; seasonal vegetables; and village chicken — which can be tough. This is why Africans have strong teeth! And the traditional beer, umqombothi. It takes three days to brew, and its important that the host drinks first to show it’s not poisoned.

What do you wish people knew about your home?

People know less about us in KwaZulu-Natal than they should. We have everything, from the beach to safari to the Drakensberg — and it’s still so authentic. There are memories to be made here.

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There are elements of it that would appeal to any tourist: the beautiful beaches, the amazing calibre of musicians, the offering of fusion food and world-class distilleries, and the weather. Durbanites always joke that we have two seasons here: summer and summer. But Durban really appeals to someone who wants to discover — who wants to peel back the layers of a city. Durban needs a little work. And I think that’s what makes it so exceptional.

Durban sounds like a pretty cool place to be right now.

Absolutely. Take Florida Road, one of Durban’s main strips. It’s undergoing this second wave of urban revitalisation at the moment, and entrepreneurs are doing some really amazing stuff. There are loads of incredible local coffee places, like Skyline Coffee Roastery. And restaurants such as Falafel Fundi, which has become a Durban institution in no time at all. Florida Road is a place that’s full of life and energy and colour. It’s really bustling, and is good representation of the spirit of Durban.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about South Africa?

That the country is just a big wildlife reserve! People aren’t aware that South Africa is a superpower on the continent with amazing, cosmopolitan cities to rival the Americas, Asia and Europe.

How easy is it to get to Durban?

I think British Airways’ new direct flights from the UK (from October 2018) are going to make Durban much more accessible. This city is the perfect base for travellers who want to explore South Africa: you’ve got some of the world’s best game parks and wildlife less than a two-hour drive away; Cape Town is two hours away by plane; Johannesburg just one hour. You’ve got the Drakensberg Mountains close by. You’ve got this incredible coastline. There’s an amazing variety of things to do, all just asking for you to jump in and explore.

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