South African Food: Our Tips for Eating & Drinking in South Africa

What is there to eat in South Africa?

South Africa’s cuisine is an absolute multicultural mix: Dutch, German, and Indonesian influences all come together here. You’ll definitely get to try flavors you’ve never tasted before — but you’ll also find all the classics like pizza, fries, and burgers.

Especially in the Cape region, meat has traditionally been a big part of the diet. Lamb, chicken, beef, and pork are the most popular choices. But you can also find kudu, ostrich, crocodile, zebra, and springbok at better-stocked supermarkets.

In coastal towns, everything revolves around fish and seafood. In the major cities, you’ll also find plenty of vegetarian and vegan restaurants working with fresh, local ingredients.

For breakfast, South Africa delivers eggs in every variation — classic with beans and bacon, on toast with avocado, or as Eggs Benedict smothered in hollandaise sauce. Breakfast bowls are also super on-trend right now.

To wash it all down, you’ll typically drink coffee, rooibos tea, black tea, or a freshly squeezed orange juice or smoothie. Capetonians in particular are serious about their breakfast culture. Even on weekdays, the cafés in Cape Town are packed to the brim.

How did South African cuisine come about?

South African cuisine has had many influences, but the most important were the Cape Dutch and Cape Malay.

In earlier times, the Dutch East India Company brought enslaved people from Malaysia and Java to South Africa, and both the food culture of the enslaved and that of their enslavers left a lasting mark on the country.

From the Dutch, for example, come certain meat dishes, while the Cape Malay contributed curries and dishes like bobotie and koeksisters — more on those in a moment.

Typical South African dishes you absolutely have to try

Want to explore what to eat in South Africa? Here are the dishes you really shouldn’t leave the country without trying.

Braai

Braai is the South African way of grilling and it’s incredibly popular. Meat is always part of a braai, but unlike a typical backyard cookout, it’s cooked over an open fire. It’s more than just a cooking method — braai brings people together and is the go-to food for any celebration.

These three dishes are especially typical for braai:

• Boerewors: a sausage made from beef and spices like nutmeg, cloves, and coriander.
• Roosterkoek: small rolls grilled until crispy on both sides.
• Braaibroodjie: a sandwich filled with cheese, onions, tomatoes, and mango chutney.

Bobotie

Bobotie is a classic of Cape Malay cuisine and the base is typically either beef or lamb. For vegetarians, lentils work just as well.

It also includes onions, dried fruit, curry spices, and bread soaked in milk — the whole thing is baked with an egg-and-milk mixture on top. Traditionally, you eat bobotie with yellow rice seasoned with turmeric.

Vetkoek

Vetkoek roughly translates to “fat cake” — pretty fitting! It’s a deep-fried dough ball that’s fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

It’s usually served savory — for example with ground beef — but also works beautifully with sweet toppings like honey or jam.

Biltong

Biltong is seasoned and dried meat — usually beef, but also ostrich, kudu, oryx, eland, or springbok. Historically, biltong existed because people had no other way to preserve food on long journeys.

You’ll find biltong in every supermarket and at every gas station. But honestly, it tastes best fresh from the dedicated biltong shops that specialize solely in preparing it.

Potjiekos

Potjiekos roughly translates to “small pot dish” — it’s a hearty stew of meat and vegetables slowly cooked over an open fire.

There are different versions of potjiekos, but we especially recommend the one made with oxtail. Really, really good.

Malva Pudding

Malva pudding is a dessert and absolutely delicious. The name is a little misleading — it’s actually a cake baked with plenty of apricot jam.

The hot cake is then drenched in a sauce made from cream, butter, sugar, and vanilla, making it wonderfully moist and gooey. Don’t skip it.

Koeksusters

Koeksisters are another sweet treat — a braided pastry that is deep-fried and soaked in sweet syrup.

You can pick up koeksisters not only at supermarkets but also at many street stalls around the country.

Ouma Rusks

Rusks are very similar to zwieback — hard, dry, and slightly sweet. They taste best in the morning dunked in your tea or coffee.

This baked good has a long tradition. During the colonial era, bread was baked for extended periods to make it more shelf-stable — and over time, that evolved into the rusks we know today.

Melktert

Melktert is another standout dessert, originally invented by Dutch settlers in South Africa. The recipe hasn’t changed much over the centuries.

The tart has a shortcrust pastry base and a custard cream made from flour, eggs, and lots of milk, topped with a dusting of cinnamon. It’s the perfect mix of creamy and crispy!

Chakalaka and Pap

Chakalaka and pap are often served as side dishes with meat. Chakalaka is made primarily from vegetables like beans, onions, bell peppers, carrots, and a specific spice blend.

It’s very often served together with pap — a type of polenta. Both are absolutely delicious and a real staple of South African food culture.

Prices for food and drinks in South Africa

All dishes are very affordable. Of course, it depends on where you eat — koeksisters at a street food stall will be significantly cheaper than at a fine-dining restaurant on the Waterfront in Cape Town. Meat in particular is very inexpensive compared to most Western countries.

You’ll roughly pay between 20 and 60 euros for a three-course dinner at an upscale restaurant, and 12 to 20 euros per person for a regular dinner at a mid-range restaurant. A meal at a fast food chain starts at around 4 euros.

In short: eating out in South Africa is affordable and seriously delicious.

Drinking wine in South Africa

Make sure to visit the Cape Winelands at least once. Here you can taste truly excellent wines, enjoy great food, and go on lovely walks through the vineyards.

The most famous wine-growing region is Stellenbosch. But the lesser-known ones like Franschhoek, Paarl, Constantia, Robertson, and Elgin are also well worth your time.

Wine has been produced in the Cape region since the 17th century. Today, it belongs at a braai the same way beer belongs at a backyard grill.

Tours to wineries in South Africa

If you want to visit a winery, joining a guided tour is a super convenient option — you don’t have to worry about logistics or a designated driver.

Most of these tours last a full day, depart from Cape Town, and head to the wineries near Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl.

From Cape Town: Tour to 3 Wineries with 15 Tastings

Looking for a more budget-friendly alternative? There’s also the Hop-on/Hop-off Wine Tram.

It sounds quirky, but it’s actually a tram that travels through the Franschhoek Valley to various wineries in the region. With your ticket, you can hop on and off as many times as you like depending on which winery catches your eye.

The ticket also includes the transfer from Cape Town to Franschhoek — the bus ride takes about an hour.

From Cape Town: Ticket for the Franschhoek Wine Tram

Other drinks in South Africa

Of course, wine isn’t the only thing people drink here. These are the other drinks you’ll want to know about.

• Beer: Alongside wine, South Africans love a good local craft beer. Many small breweries also offer tastings — well worth a stop.
• Springbokkies: A peppermint liqueur topped with Amarula. Named after the South African springbok and the national rugby team.
• Rooibos: Rooibos tea originally comes from South Africa. Here you’ll find it not only as regular tea but also as a rooibos latte with frothed milk and cinnamon.
• Amarula: a liqueur made from the fruit of the marula tree. It tastes sweet, a little like Baileys — especially delicious over ice or with dessert.
• Brandy: a distilled wine. The Cape Dutch used distillation as a method of preservation, and the tradition stuck. Brandy is often drunk neat or with cola.

Tips for dining out in South Africa

Just like anywhere else, there are a few things to keep in mind when eating out in South Africa. Here’s what you should know.

• Tipping: The standard tip is 10 percent. Service staff often earn low wages and really depend on tips. For groups of six or more, a flat gratuity is automatically added to the bill.
• Please wait to be seated: In South Africa, you wait at the entrance of the restaurant to be shown to a table — don’t just seat yourself.
• Credit card or cash: Almost all restaurants accept credit cards, which has become the preferred payment method. Cash is often no longer accepted.
• Corkage fee: Many restaurants let you bring your own wine. You’ll pay a small corkage fee of 2 to 5 euros.

Tip: Staying in Cape Town and craving a taste of home? There are several stores that import a wide range of international groceries. Just search for “German Grocer Cape Town” and you’ll find what you need.