#12OfficialSandwichesOfSA: Sasko wants South Africans to settle the sandwich fight
Rather than relying on the familiar Heritage Month staples of braais, traditional recipes and national symbols, the bakery brand is putting the choice in consumers’ hands with its #12OfficialSandwichesOfSA campaign.
The initiative taps into a simple but highly recognisable food occasion: the sandwich.
From the Kota and Gatsby to the bunny chow, braaibroodjie and boerie roll, South Africans have developed a wide range of bread-based meals shaped by different communities, regions and everyday eating habits.
Turning an everyday food into heritage
For Sasko, the campaign provides an opportunity to connect its long-standing presence in South African households with a broader conversation about food, identity and culture.
“A sandwich is one of the most personal things in a South African home. Two people can open the same loaf and end up with two completely different stories,” says Mbalenhle Sithole, marketing manager at Sasko Bakeries.
“We have been in this country's kitchens for close to a century, and in that time, we have learned that we do not get to decide what South Africa eats. South Africa does. That is why we are asking people to tell us which sandwiches deserve to make the cut.”
The campaign is designed to move beyond simply celebrating existing heritage, instead giving consumers a role in creating a list that reflects how South Africans actually eat.
From Kota to Gatsby
The potential contenders span a mix of established favourites and culturally distinctive creations, including the Kota, Gatsby, bunny chow, braaibroodjie, boerie roll, chicken mayo, bacon, egg and cheese, Dagwood, chip sandwich and vetkoek.
The search is open to interpretation, allowing South Africans to put forward the sandwich they believe deserves official status.
J’Something will serve as the public face of the campaign during Heritage Month. His involvement brings together his profile in music with his connection to food and hospitality, positioning him as a voice in the conversation around South African food culture.
Turning participation into a brand experience
Consumers can enter by purchasing any Sasko loaf, buns or rolls, scanning the QR code on the pack and entering the last four digits of the barcode. They then submit their favourite sandwich via text or voice note.
Each valid entry unlocks an instant reward and an opportunity to enter the weekly and grand prize cash draws. Consumers can also share photos or videos of their sandwiches on social media, tagging @Sasko_sa and using #12OfficialSandwichesOfSA for additional chances to win.
The campaign has a total prize pool of R500,000, including more than 26,500 instant airtime rewards, weekly R12,000 cash draws until 16 October 2026, and grand prizes of R20,000, R10,000 and R6,000.
“This is a brand proudly rooted in South African heritage, and one that cares about making things better by celebrating every tasty slice of our heritage,” Sithole says. “We are not asking the country to look backwards at us. We are asking it to look at itself, and to argue, loudly, about which sandwich deserves official status.”
The final 12 will give Sasko a consumer-generated piece of South African food culture that can extend beyond Heritage Month, while giving consumers a direct role in defining the foods they believe belong on the national table.
