Because a destination can be remembered by the flavours it leaves behind, gastronomy offers travellers a deeply personal way to experience the people, culture and stories that make South Africa unforgettable.
South African Tourism will join chefs, restaurateurs, food producers, hospitality professionals and tourism leaders at the Gastronomy Africa Conference & Expo on 19 and 20 October 2026 in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal.
Formerly known as the SA Chef Conference & Expo, the event has evolved into a pan-African platform exploring the business of food, including culinary heritage, indigenous ingredients, responsible sourcing, skills development and gastronomy tourism.
For South African Tourism, the participation comes at a time when visitor insights point to an opportunity to strengthen the role of food in the tourism experience, moving beyond dining as a supporting activity to positioning it as a compelling reason to explore South Africa.
Research by Data Appeal, analysing more than 1.3 million reviews from international travellers between September 2025 and September 2026, found that South Africa’s Food & Beverage sector recorded an overall sentiment score of 90.7 out of 100.
Sithembile Ndaba, Chief Marketing Officer at South African Tourism, says the findings reinforce the opportunity to translate positive visitor experiences into a stronger, more commercially viable tourism offering.
“The data tells us that food is already performing as a meaningful part of the South African visitor experience. Our opportunity now is to be much more deliberate about turning that strength into a tourism proposition that can be packaged, marketed and sold.”
“What is particularly significant is that the strongest part of the story is not only what visitors are eating, but how they are being welcomed. South Africa’s people are part of the product. Every interaction in a restaurant is an opportunity to reinforce the warmth, authenticity and sense of place that we want international visitors to associate with South Africa,” says Ndaba.
This presents an opportunity for tour operators, destination management companies, accommodation establishments and itinerary planners to incorporate distinctive food experiences more intentionally into visitor itineraries. From traditional cuisine and township food experiences to wine routes, local markets and contemporary African dining, gastronomy can encourage travellers to discover more places, engage more deeply with communities and support local enterprises.
South African Tourism’s participation also supports the development and promotion of gastronomy tourism in line with the Department of Tourism’s 2023 National Gastronomy Tourism Framework.
Through its engagement with the sector, South African Tourism aims to strengthen the connection between the work of chefs, restaurants, food producers and tourism entrepreneurs and the international travellers and trade partners who can help bring these experiences to market. The platform also provides an opportunity to identify the support needed to enhance visitor experiences, improve market readiness and develop offerings that can compete internationally.
By positioning food as an integral part of the destination experience, South African Tourism seeks to unlock new opportunities for tourism businesses, support broader economic participation and invite the world to discover South Africa’s flavours, cultures and communities.
Through its Come Find Your Joy brand campaign, South Africa invites travellers to experience the country one flavour, one story and one unforgettable journey at a time.
