Top 10 South African Foods: Here’s What’s Delicious!

South Africa is best known for braai (meat grilled over a wood or charcoal fire), biltong (air-dried cured meat), bobotie (spiced baked mince with an egg custard on top), and malva pudding (a warm apricot-jam sponge soaked in a buttery sauce).

Around Cape Town, Cape Malay cooking adds curries, sambals and syrupy fried sweets like koeksisters. For wine, the country’s own grape is Pinotage.

If you only have a few meals to work with:

• For a first taste of a lot of things at once: the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock
• For a snack: biltong, sold everywhere from grocery stores to safari lodges.
• For a splurge: Karoo lamb on a Franschhoek tasting menu.
• For dessert: malva pudding, wherever you see it.

Biltong is thick strips of meat, usually beef and sometimes game, cured with vinegar, salt and spices (coriander is the classic), then air-dried. The name comes from two Dutch words usually translated as “rump” and “strip.”

Full disclosure: I have never liked beef jerky. Slim Jims never did it for me. Biltong won me over anyway, and the vinegar is the reason. It gives every bite a tang that jerky doesn’t have.

How it differs from jerky:

• Biltong is cut thick, often with a bit of fat left on.
• It’s cured with vinegar.
• It’s air-dried. Jerky is usually sliced thin and dried with heat.

I’ve had my fair share of amazing lamb from the melt-in-your-mouth goodness at Pedro’s House of Lamb in New Zealand (still dreaming about it!) to the tender, earthy lamb in Iceland.

Before this trip, I didn’t know South Africa had a lamb with its own protected name.

Just like sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it’s from France’s Champagne region, or beef earns the Kobe title only when it comes from Japan’s Tajima-gyu cattle in Hyogo Prefecture, South Africa has its own version of that prestige: Karoo lamb.

To be called Karoo lamb, it must come from sheep raised in the Karoo region, where the land itself gives the meat its distinct flavor.

Karoo lamb owes its distinctive, herbaceous taste to the local shrubs the sheep graze on. They must feed on at least two of six indigenous plants unique to the area.

On a label or menu, look for the Karoo Lamb logo, often paired with an official SA-GI mark.

South Africa sits on two oceans, and seafood shows up everywhere from harbor fish shops to tasting menus.

Two fish to know are hake, the usual fish in fish and chips, and snoek, a long, bony fish in the snake mackerel family that’s a Western Cape staple.

I lost count of how many gin and tonics we had during our two weeks in South Africa! The craft gin scene here is absolutely booming.

At its core, gin is simple: a base spirit, juniper, and whatever botanicals the distiller dreams up.

In South Africa, many gin makers add a local twist by infusing fynbos (the unique vegetation found only here) to give their spirits a distinctly regional flavor.

We tried a few standout bottles along the way. Inverroche Gin was one of our favorites. Their Classic, Verdant, and Amber gins all showcase different expressions of fynbos. Musgrave Pink Gin and Six Dogs Blue Gin also became quick favorites for their fresh, vibrant flavors.

Even winemakers are joining the gin movement.

We sampled the small-batch Wildcraft Equinox 79 Gin at Môreson Wine Farm during our self-guided tour of the Cape Winelands. It’s made from triple-distilled Chardonnay and nine botanicals. Crisp and aromatic.

Of course, some distillers are taking creativity to new levels like Indlovu Gin, made using elephant dung (we passed on that one!).

But not all experiments are quite so wild. KWV Cruxland Gin, infused with rare Kalahari truffles, won World’s Best London Dry Gin at the 2020 World Gin Awards, beating out 150 international brands.

After tasting it ourselves, we can confirm: it’s every bit as good as the hype.

Malva pudding is one of South Africa’s most beloved desserts.

Pure comfort in a bowl.

Even Nelson Mandela was a fan, and Oprah’s chef, Art Smith, famously served it at her Leadership Academy’s first Christmas dinner.

So what exactly is Malva pudding? Think of it as a tender, fluffy sponge cake made with apricot jam and a touch of vinegar. As soon as it comes out of the oven, it’s soaked in a sweet, buttery sauce kind of like how a tres leches cake gets its signature texture.

The result is a caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth dessert that feels like a warm hug.

The story goes that back in the 1970s, a woman named Maggie Pepler was asked by wine expert Michael Olivier to help run the kitchen at Boschendal Wine Estate. Her malva pudding quickly became legendary, and it’s been a South African staple ever since.

For many locals, it’s pure nostalgia. It’s best served with homemade vanilla custard or ice cream, preferably right out of the oven.

There’s even a boozy cousin to this dessert called the Tipsy Tart, made with brandy. We had a taste of it during our stay at the Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel in Zimbabwe. So delicious!

Bobotie is baked spiced mince, usually beef or lamb, often with dried fruit mixed in, set under a layer of egg and milk custard. It’s usually served with yellow rice and chutney.

There’s no official national dish, but bobotie is the one South Africans most often give that title.

It’s one of the best-known Cape Malay dishes. The Cape Malay community descends largely from people the Dutch East India Company brought to the Cape, many of them enslaved, from places like Indonesia, India and Madagascar.

Instant coffee still has its loyal following. It’s cheap, quick, and does the job, but South Africa’s coffee scene has evolved far beyond that.

Over the past several years, there’s been a real buzz around specialty coffee, with farmers producing higher-quality beans and top-tier baristas showing off just how good those beans can taste.

South Africa has quietly become one of the world’s emerging coffee hotspots, and Cape Town sits right at the heart of it all. Cafés here don’t just serve coffee. They celebrate it.

One thing we noticed right away: coffee culture here moves at a slower, more intentional pace.

In the U.S., we’re used to grabbing a cup “to go,” but in South Africa, it’s more common (and expected) to sit down, sip, and actually enjoy your coffee in a proper cup.

It’s part of the experience, and we loved that!

Welcome to Africa, where meat lovers are in paradise!

If you’re a carnivore at heart, you’re in the right place. South Africa offers a wild variety of game meats: kudu, springbok, ostrich, wildebeest, crocodile, zebra, and even warthog. Everyone has their favorite.

One of our safari guides swore that warthog was a must-try, describing it as somewhere between pork and beef. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to confirm that myself.

Next time, maybe.

I haven’t sampled every type of game meat, but my favorite so far?

Ostrich.

When it’s cooked right, this deep-red meat tastes just like a beef steak. Tender, flavorful, and surprisingly lean. You’ll find it served as a steak, burger, or even carpaccio, and the best part is that it’s not gamey at all.

Many people compare it to filet mignon, only healthier thanks to its low fat content.

In South Africa, game meat is often cooked over an open flame with friends and family, a local tradition known as a braai. If you get the chance to join one, don’t miss it.

It’s a celebration of everything that makes South African food so special: flavor, fire, and community.

Every wine-producing country has that one varietal it’s known for.

Say Champagne and you think of France.

Sauvignon Blanc? Instantly, New Zealand comes to mind.

For South Africa, that wine is Pinotage. Bold, smoky, and proudly homegrown.

My husband and I aren’t wine experts by any means, but we are devoted wine travelers.

From the rolling hills of Slovenia and the historic vineyards of Burgundy to the volcanic slopes of Madeira, we love seeking out the best local pours wherever we go. South Africa’s Cape Winelands had been on our list for years, and Pinotage was one of the main reasons why.

Created in 1925, Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. It didn’t make a big splash at first, but that changed in 1991, when a South African Pinotage won the Robert Mondavi Trophy for Best Red Wine at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

From that moment, it became the country’s calling card.

Pinotage is not a shy wine. It’s rich and full-bodied, often with notes of blackberry, raspberry, smoke, tobacco, and licorice. It’s one of those “love it or hate it” wines . Bold, distinctive, and full of personality.

Wondering what to pair it with? Go for meat … steak, sausage, burgers, or game. The smoky, earthy flavors of Pinotage really come alive alongside South Africa’s legendary braai dishes.

And while Pinotage gets most of the attention, South Africa’s wine scene is far from one-dimensional.

The country also produces outstanding Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines made in the traditional Méthode Cap Classique style.

Proof that South Africa deserves a spot on any wine lover’s map.

What a fun name, right?

Pronounced “cook-sister,” this South African treat has a story as sweet as it tastes. The word “koek” means cake, and “sister” might come from “sisser,” meaning “sizzle.”

Or maybe it’s literal, referring to the way the dough is braided together like two sisters intertwined. I like to think it’s the latter. Either way, these golden pastries are basically “cake sisters,” and they live up to that adorable name.

Koeksisters are made from a simple donut-like dough that’s deep-fried until crisp, then dipped into sticky sugar syrup. They’re a Sunday tradition in many South African homes. The kind of treat that brings people together over tea and conversation.

They’re also something of a national treasure. When Prince Harry and Meghan visited the Bo-Kaap district on Heritage Day in 2019, koeksisters were proudly served with tea.

There are actually two main versions of this dessert:

→ Afrikaans Koeksister (with two k’s)
This version features tightly braided dough, deep-fried, and immediately dunked in cold syrup. That quick temperature contrast gives it a crisp shell and a syrupy center.

→ Cape Malay Koesister (with one k)
Rounder and softer, this version is spiced with cinnamon, aniseed, ginger, and cardamom, then deep-fried, dipped in hot syrup, and rolled in shredded coconut. It’s fluffier, warmer in flavor, and a little more like a traditional donut.

And if you spot something called a bolla, think of it as a baby koesister, basically South Africa’s version of a glazed donut hole. Definitely worth trying if you have a sweet tooth.

If you really want to experience South Africa’s incredible food scene, consider joining a highly rated food tour.

My husband and I have done food tours all over the world from Madeira to Vietnam, and they’re always one of our favorite ways to dive into a country’s culture.

We didn’t have the chance to do one in Cape Town, but if you can, check out Cape Town Culinary Tours. They are known for showcasing the city’s diverse flavors and hidden gems. Reviews speak for themselves!

My husband and I have always believed the best way to experience a country is through its food, and South Africa proved that ten times over. It’s a true melting pot of cultures and flavors, each dish telling its own story.

From browsing the Saturday markets in Cape Town, to sipping wine in the Cape Winelands, to savoring unforgettable meals at our safari lodge, every stop offered something new and delicious.

If you’re a curious traveler or just someone who loves good food, you’ll fall in love with South Africa’s culinary scene. It’s bold, diverse, and full of surprises.

Enjoy every bite!

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What other South African foods have you tried?

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