South Africa's culinary scene is undergoing a vibrant transformation, with local chefs redefining traditional cuisine and earning international acclaim. These chefs are not only creating innovative dishes but also bringing African flavors to the forefront of the global culinary stage.
For many chefs, having a Michelin Star is one of the highest achievements any chef could wish on their restaurant. It is important to note that “There’s no such thing as a Michelin-starred chef,” it says. There are three categories of Michelin star ratings:
- One Star: Awarded to restaurants using top-quality ingredients.
- Two Stars: Awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes.
Here's a look at some of the top South African chefs who are making a significant impact:
Michelin Star Achievements
Several African chefs have achieved Michelin Star status, marking a significant milestone for African cuisine.
In 2016, South Africa’s Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen became the first African chef to be awarded a Michelin Star for his restaurant, Jan. His work has been elevating Afrikaans cuisine for years at his Michelin-starred restaurant Jan in Nice and Klein Jan in the Kalahari, has recently begun to tap into other cultures. At Jan Franschhoek at La Motte wine farm in the Cape Winelands, diners will find a mixture of Afrikaans-meets-French plates: guinea fowl pie and pap and slap, a play on pap and vleis (maize porridge and grilled meat). But also some Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu. “It’s not only Afrikaans anymore,” he says.
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Adejoké Bakare is the latest African chef whose restaurant has gotten a Michelin Star rating. Her West African restaurant Chishuru based in Fitzrovia, London, had brought her this historic milestone.
Pioneering Chefs and Their Influence
The South African professional culinary scene goes beyond honors and celebrity. A local chef, Eric van Dam, achieved second place in the Chaine des Rotisseurs Young Chef of the Year competition in 1987 in Spain, and a year later won second place in the Masterchef Junior World Challenge. The Association puts together national teams which compete at international culinary competitions.
Vusi Ndlovu is one of the many Cape Town chefs who cook cuisine deeply rooted in the continent or connected to their culture. Ndlovu will tell you that part of the reason this all feels so fresh is also because African cooking hasn’t been documented well, which is something he’s something he’s trying to change. “There’s a treasure chest of information,” says Ndlovu, who has travelled the continent, from Senegal to Kenya, looking for clues. “It’s all about talking to people and asking questions. It could be the lady at the market or [watching] Nigerian movies. We go to farms a lot and we speak to workers on the farm. What do you eat every day?”
Anwar Abdullatief, chef and owner of The Happy Uncles, says most African chefs who train at culinary schools also haven’t had the opportunity to cook the food they ate growing up. “We were taught European and French food,” says Anwar Abdullatief, chef and owner of The Happy Uncles. If you didn’t cook that type of food, Anwar says, you wouldn’t get your degree. “It’s so drilled into you [that there’s] a fear of stepping out,” he says.
Nolukhanyo Dube-Cele sees food as a way to share each other’s cultures. At her restaurant, Seven Colours Eatery, she cooks unfussy homey staples, such as samp (maize corn that is cooked in a cream) and oxtail bolletjies. Her aim is for the food to be approachable and incorporate elements from all different cultures-from Xhosa to Afrikaans. “We come from a very dark history. I’m on a journey of healing my country, and one of the ways of doing this [by being] inclusive,” she says. “It’s about unity.” Despite the country’s fractured history though, South Africans have a tendency to bring people together and share their culture, which bodes well for a hospitality establishment.
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Kobus van Der Merwe, who owns Wolfgat in Paternoster is constantly experimenting with new ingredients. At his tiny white-washed seaside restaurant outside Cape Town, Van der Merwe forages for things like dune spinach and uses sustainable, locally caught seafood. He’s also building his dishes around elements that aren’t always highly sought-after in restaurant kitchens, such as amasi (fermented milk). “We try to use a lot of alternative ingredients that are overlooked, like sorghum or millet. That’s a golden thread we wanted to bring through.”
Notable Restaurants and Chefs
The Happy Uncles is South Africa’s first halal fine-dining establishment where chef Anwar Abdullatief prepares Cape Malay cuisine in a raw brick warehouse-like space in Salt River. The menu is ever-changing, but expect Malay curries, foraged tartlets with local greens and an amagwinya (doughnut) filled with Karoo lamb and smoked tarragon buttercream.
La Colombe has been rated as one of the best overall restaurant experiences in Cape Town by top chefs for four years running. Top-class tapas courtesy of chef Ivor Jones (Luke Dale-Roberts’ right hand man at The Test Kitchen) and his team, combined with a spectacular setting and professional service, make this the complete dining package. A veritable jewel in the Constantia Valley’s crown, this internationally acclaimed institution, currently helmed by head chef James Gaag and chef-proprietor Scot Kirton, has been delivering a first-class dining experience for years.
Mmabatho Molefe has captivated diners with her re-contextualisation of traditional Zulu cuisine and indigenous ingredients in a fine-dining setting since opening Emazulwini at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town at the end of 2020. And the world has taken note. Last year, she was named a hospitality pioneer on the 50 Next list, an initiative launched in 2021 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants to earmark the next generation of chefs.
Key Figures in South African Culinary Scene
Here is a list of some of the most influential figures in the South African culinary scene, along with a promising chef they've named as one to watch:
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| Icon | One to Watch |
|---|---|
| Margot Janse | Mmabatho Molefe |
| Luke Dale Roberts | Carla Schulze |
| Cass Abrahams | Zola Nene |
| Lannice Snyman | Vusi Ndlovu |
| Dorah Sitole | Tebogo and Lebogang Ndala |
| Ina Paarman | Ilse Van Der Merwe |
| Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen | Antro Davel |
| Siba Mtongana | Tumi Mogoai |
| Annette Kesler | Nicci Robertson |
| Reuben Riffel | Nokx Majozi |
These chefs and their restaurants represent the forefront of South Africa's culinary evolution, blending tradition with innovation to create unforgettable dining experiences.
