Cuisines

South African Cuisine

Citation Formats

General Reference

Food and Drink Atlas. "South African Cuisine." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/south-african-cuisine.

APA Style

Food and Drink Atlas. (n.d.). South African Cuisine. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/south-african-cuisine

BibTeX

@misc{foodanddrinkatlas-south-african-cuisine,
  author = {Food and Drink Atlas},
  title = {South African Cuisine},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/south-african-cuisine},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

South African cuisine is a genuine fusion tradition, blending indigenous Khoikhoi and Nguni foodways with Cape Malay cooking brought by people enslaved and exiled to the Cape from the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia and India from the 1650s onward, Dutch and Afrikaner farming traditions, British influence, and a large Indian community concentrated in Durban whose indentured laborer ancestors arrived from 1860 to work sugar plantations. Maize porridge, mealie pap, is a broad staple, and the braai, an outdoor barbecue, is a central social institution.

Facts

Signature Technique

The braai, grilling meat outdoors over an open wood or charcoal fire, a central South African social occasion. 1

Origin Region

South Africa, at the southern tip of the African continent. 2

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Indian Cuisine

Durban holds one of the largest Indian communities outside India, the product of indentured laborers brought by British colonizers from 1860 to work sugar plantations, whose descendants built a distinct South African Indian curry tradition including bunny chow.

Source Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)Erica Platter