Popular and Traditional South African Foods To Try

South African food is vibrant, cosmopolitan, and truly unique — just like the country’s people and culture.

A mixture of African, Dutch, French, and Malay, among others, have influenced South African cuisine through the decades.

For your next trip to this beautiful country, here’s our list of sixteen top South African foods you simply have to try…

1 – Braai (Barbecue)

There’s arguably not a more iconic food to start with than South African braai!

Befriending a local South African and attending a braai is one of the best things you can do in the country.. Surrounded by great people and delicious food, you’ll get to see a very real side of South Africa.

2 – Vetkoek (Fried Donuts Stuffed with Minced Meat)

As South African foods go, vetkoek are some of the most wholesome and honest you will try!

Literally meaning ‘fat cake’ in Afrikaans, vetkoek start out life as a fried dough cake. This doughy handful of goodness is then shaped and split along the middle.

From there, your choice of fillings are endless. South Africans love to fill them with minced beef, boerewors, or cold meats.

3 – Boerewors (Sausage)

Boerewors is renowned for its spiraling shape and is loved by millions across South Africa in a wide range of recipes.

Incredibly, this delicious South African food is also in the record books. In 2014, the longest boerewors ever made, measuring over 5100 ft in length, officially broke the record.

4 – Bobotie

Bobotie is a much-loved South African national dish. Wholesome and hearty, it is a dish rich in flavor.

Remarkably, the dish originates back to Roman times. Ancient Roman chefs would blend and season a combination of tender meats and crunchy nuts, then top it with a layer of milk and egg.

Brought to South Africa by the Dutch, today’s recipe is an alluring dish enhanced by spices like curry powder. Dried fruit is also used to garnish the top. Raisins and apricots help give a final fruity kick to this hearty South African food.

Vegetarian versions of bobotie have been cooked and gained popularity in recent decades. Lentil bobotie is a particular favorite of South Africans.

5 – Potjiekos (Small-Pot Food)

As with braai, potjiekos encompasses a style of cooking, rather than a particular recipe.

Literally meaning ‘small pot food’, the practice was brought to South Africa by the Dutch through the seventeenth century.

Over time, this cooking method grew in popularity among both natives and settlers across South Africa.

6 – Tomato Bredie (Stew)

Nothing soothes the stomach and soul on a cold evening like a hearty stew. If you visit South Africa off-season, make sure you try tomato bredie.]

7 – Durban Bunny Chow (Hollowed-out Loaf of Bread Filled with Curry)

Now here’s a truly innovative fusion dish. Bunny Chow was originally cooked by the Durban-based Indian Africans, hence the name.

This culinary delight is made by hollowing out a loaf of white bread. Once hollowed, the loaf is filled with any number of delicious curries.

It is believed Indians working in the sugar cane plantations hollowed out the loaves so that they could carry their lunch to work.

8 – Traditional Koeksisters (Sticky Donut)

Koeksisters are a sweet treat fit for anyone with a sweet tooth or love of desserts.

How they’re made is fascinating. Firstly, the dough is rolled into rounded strips. Then, it’s fried in plenty of oil.

Once fried, the sizzling dough is plunged into a large volume of tinglingly cold sugar syrup. The glazed strips are then weaved together and lashed with cinnamon, lemon, and ginger. You’re then left with beautiful koeksisters.

That first bite of koeksister takes your breath away. The initial satisfying crunch is then met with soft syrup!

9 – Biltong

This cured meat was brought over to South Africa in the seventeenth century. Due to boat travel taking weeks or months, meat was preserved using vinegar and potassium nitrate.

Those techniques are still used today. Although the biltong recipe has evolved through the decades. Biltong comes in a wide range of meats. Sliced beef is common, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, native South African meats like tender kudu and ostrich can be eaten as biltong.

Many ingredients help give biltong its powerful taste and crispy texture. Along with salt and vinegar, pepper, coriander, chili, nutmeg, and a wide range of other seasonings are used.

Great as a snack and for the curious culinary traveler, biltong is a South African food loved by millions.

10 – Pap or Isidudu (Porridge)

Pap has been filling the bellies of African families for generations. It’s a truly beloved South African food that brings back childhood memories to many South Africans.

Pap’s core ingredient is maize. This crop was first introduced to the country in the sixteenth century.

African farmers were able to produce much higher yields growing maize, and ultimately, it became one of the country’s most important foods.

Pap is a warm, soothing starch that acts as an excellent base for meatier and spicier flavors. Pap is also very simple to make. South Africans simply boil maize meal, stock, and butter to create this wholesome, fluffy porridge.

As mentioned, pap goes well with so many foods. Chakalaka chicken livers, with a spicy, chili-infused sauce, is a true South African favorite.

11 – Gatsby Sandwich

To Capetonians, the word ‘Gatsby’ conjures up thoughts of something very different to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s world-famous novel.

In Cape Town, a ‘Gatsby’ is a legendary and monstrous sub-style sandwich residents of the Mother City simply cannot get enough of.

The sandwich was first made in the city in 1976. An owner of a recently purchased shop wanted a quick and easy way to feed his construction workers.

So, he got resourceful. He quickly cooked and stuffed some French fries, polony, and pickle into a large loaf of bread, then cut it into four.

One of the workers had recently watched the film ‘The Great Gatsby’ in the local cinema. He took his first bite and instantly fell in love. The worker jokingly declared the sandwich was a ‘Gatsby smash’, and the shop owner started selling the sandwich once the shop opened.

The Gatsby was a huge hit, and its popularity spread like wildfire through the city. Little did the shop owner know at the time he was inventing one of South Africa’s most beloved fast foods!

Nowadays, Gatsbys come in all shapes and sizes. One of the most popular recipes pairs French fries with succulent slices of chicken, steak, or polony.

Whether you opt for a quarter, half or foot long, a Gatsby is a South African food you simply have to try in Cape Town.

12 – Braaibroodjie (Barbecue Sandwich)

Many South Africans will happily admit while braaing meat is the main attraction, they get more excited about grilling braaibroodjies.

Braaibroodjies are thick, hearty grilled sandwiches that are enjoyed by South Africans at all times of the day. nThe traditional braaibroodjie recipe is a simple one. Thicks slices are cut from a fresh white loaf, and the slices are loaded with cheese.

Slices of tomato and onion are added in. Chutney is smothered across each slice, and both are seasoned with salt and pepper.

Once the sandwich is put together, butter is brushed over all sides of the sandwich. South Africans recommend braaing the sandwich over mild coals.

Once the cheese melts and the bread is a crisp golden brown, you are good to go!

13 – Sosaties (Kebabs)

Sosaties are another of the delicious meat dishes introduced by the Malay people, originating from the Cape region of South Africa.

The key to the most sumptuous of sosaties is all in the preparation. First, a marinade of chilies, curry leaves, garlic, tamarind juice, and onions is made.

Tender cuts of South African lamb are cubed and then placed in the marinade. The marinade is left to sit overnight to maximize the flavor.

When it’s time to cook, sosaties can be fried or grilled. But, as with all South African meat dishes, braaing them takes the flavor to a whole new level.

The lamb is skewered, along with juicy peppers, onions, and dried apricots. Then, the magic happens on the grill. Utterly sumptuous.

14 – Malva Pudding

With all the braaing and spices, you’d be forgiven in thinking South Africans had forgotten about dessert. Not a chance!

Our first stop on the South African dessert tour takes us to the rich taste and spongy texture of Malva pudding.

The key ingredient to any Malva pudding’s sweet taste is the apricot jam that’s used when baking the pudding.

Jam is added to a creamed base of flour, soda, milk, butter, eggs, and salt. The pudding is poured into a dish and baked until browned.

A delicious, sweet sauce of cream, sugar, butter, and vanilla is then poured over the pudding while it’s still piping hot. Served with some ice cold ice cream or thick custard, it’s a wondrous sweet treat that South Africans across the country love to enjoy.