By Lonwabo Mtyeku
Johannesburg, August 2025
Johannesburg has always been a city of contrasts — a place where concrete skylines meet jacaranda canopies, and where stories of resilience are stitched into every street. Yet even within this landscape of vitality and ambition, few landmarks have commanded the reverence of Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff. Perched on the Witwatersrand Ridge, its terraces look out over the world’s largest man-made urban forest — a view that has long defined luxury in the city. Now, under the leadership of Executive Chef Rudi Liebenberg, this storied property is poised to redefine not just fine dining in Johannesburg, but the very notion of culinary excellence in South Africa.
The Return of a Maestro
For Chef Rudi Liebenberg, the return to Johannesburg is not just a professional move — it is a homecoming. After an illustrious tenure at Cape Town’s iconic Belmond Mount Nelson, where he became celebrated for championing indigenous ingredients and sustainable gastronomy, Liebenberg now steps into a role that is both expansive and transformative.
Tasked with overseeing all food and beverage operations at Four Seasons — from the award-winning Flames restaurant to banqueting, events, and forthcoming dining concepts — he brings with him a philosophy that marries African authenticity with global sophistication.
“Returning to Johannesburg feels like coming full circle,” he reflects. “Here, I can celebrate South African cuisine in its purest form while creating experiences that resonate on an international stage. My vision is simple: let the produce and the culture speak for themselves.”
Flames Reignited
At the heart of this transformation is Flames, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which has already garnered accolades including Best Restaurant at the South Africa Restaurant Awards and the Luxe People’s Choice Award. But awards are merely the beginning.
Under the guidance of Chef de Cuisine Avuyile Fumba, Flames is embracing a bold new chapter. With a newly installed state-of-the-art kitchen, Fumba’s cooking pays homage to the primal artistry of fire while elevating local ingredients — game meats, heirloom grains, and indigenous botanicals — into dishes that are both rooted and refined. Dining at Flames becomes more than a meal; it is an immersion into Africa’s flame-grilling traditions, reimagined for the modern gourmand.
Sweet Symphonies
No great culinary journey is complete without artistry in pastry, and the Four Seasons has secured none other than Nathan Jacobs as its Executive Pastry Chef. Jacobs, who honed his craft in the UK and previously led pastry at both The Twelve Apostles and The Saxon, now brings an avant-garde approach to dessert. His creations are poised to blur the lines between art and confection — intricate chocolate sculptures, ethereal mousses, and bold flavour pairings that speak to global trends while honouring South Africa’s natural bounty.
Together, Liebenberg, Fumba, and Jacobs form a triumvirate that elevates the Westcliff’s kitchens into one of the most exciting culinary destinations on the continent.
Beyond the Plate
The transformation extends far beyond the kitchen. With its 400-seat Grand Ballroom, widely regarded as the finest in Johannesburg, Four Seasons is positioning itself as the city’s premier stage for gastronomic showcases and cultural gatherings. Whether intimate corporate dinners or lavish weddings, this ballroom represents not just opulence but a commitment to placing Johannesburg firmly on the map as an international culinary destination.
Meanwhile, the re-imagined lobby, lounge, and bar will serve as vibrant social hubs, blending cosmopolitan elegance with a distinctly South African warmth. These redesigned spaces will cater as much to locals seeking community as to international travelers seeking authenticity.
Culinary Identity and Global Prestige
What makes this evolution significant is not simply the calibre of its chefs or the grandeur of its spaces. It is the philosophy underpinning it all: a celebration of South Africa’s culinary identity as part of the global gastronomic conversation.
Liebenberg’s ethos — of honouring the land, embracing indigenous ingredients, and blending them with international technique — represents more than innovation. It is a reclamation of Africa’s rightful place on the global culinary map.
A Legacy in the Making
As Johannesburg’s skyline continues to change, so too does its culinary narrative. The Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, under its renewed vision, stands at the forefront of that evolution. With its fusion of heritage and innovation, it offers not just a dining experience but a cultural statement — that African luxury is not defined by mimicry of the West, but by its own unique abundance and creativity.
For those who visit, whether as guests of the hotel or diners seeking transcendence on a plate, one thing is certain: Johannesburg’s most iconic hotel has entered a renaissance. And at its heart beats the flame of South African gastronomy, redefined for the world.
