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Food tours that offer a true taste of South Africa.
Township cuisine tours
Nomoliza Xhoma cooks a dish Nelson Mandela enjoyed
© Richard Goode
Did you know?
Spatlho and Kota are Atteridgeville and Soweto terms respectively for half loaves filled with chips and hot sauce.
In the post-apartheid era, township food is as diverse as the people who live there. There are a range of restaurant experiences to be had and township cuisine tours take in everything from super smart hotels and chisa-nyama barbeque style street food. Whatever you want to cook and eat the gastronomic world is your oyster in South Africa’s townships.
If you find it relaxing to cook before you sit down to lunch why not contact Andulela Tours who offer a township cuisine tour in Stellenbosch’s Kayamandi, which will see you provisioning at the local spaza shops before cooking a traditional Xhosa style meal with a local family. Expect hearty portions and a warm welcome.
For those who like to eat but don’t like to cook Jan Oberholzer at the Maloti Tourist Information Office in Ladybrand, Free State conducts a township food tour that takes in a visit to Alida Bikane’s tavern in the local township of Manyatseng and ends in a traditional Basotho family home eating a dinner prepared by the lady of the house.
Those who want a taste of history should contact Nomalizo Xhoma, Alexandra township. Nomalizo is a member of the family who took in Nelson Mandela when he first arrived in Johannesburg in 1941. Her great grandmother’s cooking is discussed lovingly in Mr Mandela's autobiography. The Xhoma family still live in the house to which Mandela came and a booking can be made to sample the recipes he most loved in the place where he loved them.
For those who like to drink more than eat Rhubuluza Tours offer a Gauteng tour that starts with breakfast at Mathula’s Inn, continues on to lunch at Wandies Tavern and ends in dinner and dancing at the Rock Nightclub.
Travel tips & Planning info
What will it cost
Tour costs vary but expect to pay approximately R400 (30 Euro) for a half day session.
What to pack
Tours involve walking and sun exposure. South Africa is hot in summer and many townships have relatively little shade. Sunblock, a hat and comfortable shoes are advisable.
Where to stay
Township based accomodation ranges from the super smart hotels to family style B&Bs. The portfolio collection offers a complete list of such venues (www.portfoliocollection.com)
What to eat
Township food is deliciously diverse. Try a kwarta (hollowed out bread, chips and relish), chisa nyama, mageu mild beer or a refreshing glass of ginger beer.
Best buys
Dorah Sitole; Cooking from Cape to Cairo; a taste of Africa. Tafelberg 1999
Anna Trapido; Hunger for Freedom, the story of food in the life of Nelson Mandela. Jacana Media 2008