Wesli grew up in a small suburb of Durban called Greenwood Park. After three years of studying professional cookery and kitchen management, he was a commis at a Durban restaurant for a year before joining Coastlands Hotel to work as a demi chef.

Over the next few years, he worked his way up to Chef de Partie before moving to the Durban International Convention Centre, where he served as garde manger and later as sous chef.

At 27, Wesli was appointed as executive chef at Spier Wine Farm in Cape Town. About two years later he joined the Table Bay Hotel – first as executive sous chef and then executive chef. His journey continued to the Palace of the Lost City at Sun City and Four Seasons The Westcliff in Johannesburg. Today, he leads the kitchen as executive chef at Cape Grace, a Fairmont Managed Hotel.

Wesli thrives on connecting with people, which has included royal families, presidents, and celebrities, and he believes no guest request is too big or too small. “There’s nothing that can’t come to life and nothing that can’t be achieved,” he says. For him, wowing guests isn’t just part of the job; it’s the heart of his career.

As an executive chef in one of Cape Town’s most prestigious hotels, why do you believe it’s essential to have a deep understanding of wine?

It’s paramount to the guest experience, especially when your hotel is positioned in one of the wine capitals of the world. Guests come from all over the world to enjoy our wines, so why not showcase that with some of the best food ingredients and culinary skills to go along with it?

How has your knowledge of wine influenced your approach to flavour development, menu design, and creativity in the kitchen?

My love for food and wine started at Spier, where I consistently worked with the winemakers, tasting wines and developing my palate. What excites me is how dynamic it all is, because it’s forever changing and evolving. I love taking something unfamiliar, like an indigenous ingredient, and transforming it into a flavour that feels instantly familiar and comforting.

What one standout wine and food pairing would you recommend to WineLand readers visiting Heirloom this August?

I’d recommend trying our springbok loin with aged balsamic vinegar. It’s a beautiful match with the Atlas Swift Wellington Chardonnay.

What makes this pairing particularly memorable or special?

The combination really brings out the richness of both the dish and the wine. It also breaks away from the usual ‘red wine with red meat’ rule in a fresh, creative way.

Cape Grace celebrates local heritage and produce. How do you work with your sommelier or beverage team to curate pairings that showcase the Cape’s wine regions?

We are celebrating the ingredients first by showcasing the best South African ingredients, such as oysters, quail, tuna, crayfish, and springbok. Then, we pair them with citrus ingredients, which are in season now, and allow them to enhance the flavour of the wines.

Do you feel your dishes have influenced how guests experience or appreciate South African wines? How have you contributed to shaping the hotel’s wine and food story?

Yes, through engaging with our guests, we have converted staunch red wine believers to white wine enthusiasts. That’s important as South Africa has quite a few award-winning white wines to showcase to the world.

How do you see the future of South Africa’s food and wine tourism evolving, especially with growing interest in sustainable, locally sourced dining?

It’s evolving rapidly, as many of our guests want to know that whatever we provide them is sustainable, local, and of the highest quality. It is my responsibility to show both local and international guests that we believe in our homegrown products and that they’re worthy of being celebrated on a global stage.

What is the secret to being a great chef?

I live by the 3 C’s: creativity, collaboration and consistency.