If you've got a taste for meat, you'll be spoilt for choice with South African cuisine but most restaurants cater for vegetarians too. Thanks to the influence from other countries you'll also find peri-peri seasoning from Portugal, bagels from the Jewish population, biryani from India and pizza from Italy.
Braais If you thought Aussies were the only ones who did BBQs, think again! South African braais are social as well as culinary events, where men develop a sudden interest in cooking and grill boerewors, lamb cutlets, steak and other meat.
Beer is the popular accompaniment, along with potatoes and salads. You'll find the facilities for braais at most parks.
Sosaties The South African version of kebabs, which are marinated overnight and often cooked on a braai.
Boerewors A lot easier to eat than to pronounce, boerewors is a spicy sausage and another star of the braai.
Biltong South Africa's favourite snack, biltong is strips of dried, salted meat that is usually beef but can be ostrich, venison or other game. They are usually dipped in vinegar and other spices before being hung up to dry.
Potjiekos Meat, vegetable and spices are slow-cooked in a cast iron, three-legged pot over an open fire. They're something of a cholesterol-fest, with generous helpings of butter used in the cooking, but on the plus side, they'll fill you up!
Bunny Chow Bunny chow, which doesn't have a morsel of rabbit in sight, is bread that has been hollowed out and filled with one of various types of curry. Napkins might come in handy when you eat them.
Waterblommetjiebredie This long-titled stew is made from lamb and Cape pondweed, the taste of which some people have compared to green beans.
South African Cuisine - Drinking
Apart from the beer drunk at braais (Windhoek lager from Namibia is the most popular with the South African locals), wine is plentiful and improving all the time. Don't be surprised if you get the odd request to bring some home! You can drink your fill of fruit juices, too.
South African Cuisine - Desserts
Koeksisters or koeksusters
A type of doughnut made into a plait, probably best if you have a sweet tooth - they're dipped in syrup after being fried.
Melktert Melkterts - milk tarts - are a lighter, milkier version of the custard tart.
If you think you might fancy a trip to South Africa then check out our South Africa programmes below!
26 trips have been found based on your filter/sort
You’ll receive training in sanctuary management and come away with an in depth understanding of chimpanzees. Based near Kruger National Park, you’ll learn about the history and habitats of chimpanzees, sustainable tourism and more.
Teach children who often make do with carrier bags for balls and inspire them to play football or take up other sports. You’ll combine much needed sports coaching with academic tuition.
Volunteer in a desperately underprivileged township and set children up for a better future. Give them some individual help with English, maths and basic skills – you’ll be amazed at the difference you can make!
Get yourself on course to manage a game farm or nature reserve. Surrounded by the Big Five and other African wildlife, you’ll learn about educational bush walks, how to identify animals, game tracking, navigation and more. Project Video Now Online
Nurse injured and orphaned monkeys, plus baboons, snakes, crocodiles and any other animals needing attention. Longer-staying volunteers have the chance to work on sites that release monkeys back into the wild. Project Video Now Online
Live a horse lover’s dream! Help with the day-to-day care of neglected and abused horses and build up their confidence. You’ll be able to ride the Wild Coast’s spectacular beach and bush trails too.
Get up close and personal with Africa’s wildlife, from Black Mambas to Baboon Spiders. As a reptile centre volunteer, you’ll be involved in research, feeding, building enclosures, demonstrating and much more. Project Video Now Online
Help the children of Hout Bay in Cape Town, whose families have been deeply affected by these problems, by providing them with the much-needed attention they deserve and teaching them invaluable life skills.
Riding and caring for horses and learning about African wildlife are at the heart of this unique experience. At night, you’ll shower in the open air and sleep in a bush lodge. Project Video Now Online
Capture the animals of Greater Kruger National Park in new ways. You’ll be taught new techniques, instructed on bush safety then taken on game drives. Come home with the holiday photos of your dreams!
Help soothe the effects of abuse, poverty and neglect. Lend a hand with schoolwork or computer skills or just arrange games and activities that will let them enjoy being children again.
Help children develop a love of reading with one-on-one sessions. Read with them, and work in the library, and also get involved in teaching, running garden projects and more besides.
Help to take the fight against poverty and AIDS to the very heart of the Wild Coast community in South Africa; make a huge difference to the long-term prospects of the village and its people.
Pass on your computer and sports skills to deprived children in rural South Africa. You’ll stay just two minutes from the beach, surrounded by some of Africa’s most spectacular scenery. Project Video Now Online
Gain invaluable experience through coaching cricket to children in schools, clubs and townships, under the guidance of the highest level instructors - plus get paid for the privilege! Have the rare opportunity to play local league cricket for a South African side, and practice two evenings a week with your new team mates.
Get a feel for Zulu culture and help counteract the effect of AIDS. Play games with orphans, raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and destroy the myths surrounding them, visit sick people at home and help build classrooms.
Help doctors with sick children in the mornings and get involved in building and painting schools, AIDS support and an education centre in the afternoons. You’ll make a difference and have time to explore Cape Town’s sights.
Help provide vital teaching assistance at two schools within underprivileged communities of Fish Hoek, on the outskirts of Cape Town. Assist in community work and development initiatives and gain an insight into the lives of underprivileged individuals in Cape Town.
Put your love of photography to good use on a World Heritage Site. Photograph elephants, rhinos and many other creatures for a database, and possibly magazines. You’ll also teach local children about their surroundings.
Swim with great whites…in a cage! Sail through Sharks’ Alley, among seals and penguins, while you record shark activity. Tuition on shark behaviour, underwater filming and lots more will give you an in depth understanding of these magnificent creatures.
Play a part in protecting South Africa’s beautiful Wild Coast. Work at a lion cub centre, sleep under the stars, learn about wildlife management, go on game drives and bushwalks, and more – perfect for outdoor people!
Take an unforgettable tour of southern African, getting close to game in South Africa, working with orphans in Swaziland and snorkelling with whale sharks in Mozambique. Indian Ocean beaches provide a paradisiacal finale!
Improve your cricket and get paid to coach others. Work on your fitness and skills at the academy, with help from past and present cricket stars, and earn some cash by running sessions for school children.
Sample some of Africa’s exhilarating highlights. Camp in Kruger National Park with the big five, do a volunteer placement in Swaziland and learn to scuba dive in Mozambique. An adventure with a bit of everything!
Draw and paint South Africa’s wildlife and tap into your creative side. Visit Big Five reserves, go on bush walks, learn to see the animals differently and take a look at art history.
Need a career change? Want a qualification? Always dreamt of working alongside the wildlife of Africa? Then this is field guide course in South Africa is the ideal programme for you!
Project Video Now Online
