Zazi Ndebele

Hey, I’m Zazi. I’m one of the owners of Sydenham Markets, the covered food market under the Durham Street bridge in Christchurch, and I look after the market’s marketing: the videos, the posters, our Instagram and Under the Pass, our monthly newsletter.

You might know me from my food page, @zazi_was_taken, where I film the food spots around Christchurch that are worth your money. A lot of those videos started with a vendor I met under this bridge, and making them is honestly one of my favourite parts of the week.

I also co-founded Cerebria AI, which helps businesses get set up with AI: systems, assistants and hubs that take the admin off your plate. A lot of my own work runs on it, including this market. Invoicing a whole market used to take five hours. Now it takes ten minutes. On top of that, I make content and run marketing for local food and retail brands.

What ties it all together is people. Between filming, the market and working with business owners, I’ve met so many new people and made some amazing friends. I use AI a lot, but really what it does is free up my time and my headspace, so I can spend more of it connecting with people. That’s been the real unlock for me.

Outside of work, I’m on the committee of the Christchurch Youth Choir and look after their socials. I grew up between South Africa and New Zealand, and I’ve called Ōtautahi home since 2023.

Want to work together, or just say hi? Find me on Instagram at @zazi_was_taken, at zazi.lol, or by email at hi@zazi.lol. Or come find me on market day.