South Africa’s food and beverage sector recorded a visitor sentiment score of 90.7 out of 100, highlighting the potential to turn culinary experiences into a stronger tourism offering and create new opportunities for tourism businesses.
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The Gastronomy Africa Conference & Expo takes place in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, on 19 and 20 October 2026, bringing together chefs, restaurateurs, food producers, hospitality professionals and tourism leaders to explore the business of food and its role in tourism.
Formerly known as the SA Chef Conference & Expo, the event has evolved into a pan-African platform exploring culinary heritage, indigenous ingredients, responsible sourcing, skills development and gastronomy tourism.
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.
South African Tourism sees an opportunity to translate these positive visitor experiences into a 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 Sithembile Ndaba, chief marketing officer at South African Tourism.
Food as a tourism product
Tour operators, destination management companies, accommodation establishments and itinerary planners can incorporate distinctive food experiences into their offerings. These range from traditional cuisine and township food experiences to wine routes, local markets and contemporary African dining.
Gastronomy tourism can encourage travellers to explore more destinations, engage with local communities and support local businesses, while creating opportunities for tourism operators to develop and market new experiences.
The development and promotion of gastronomy tourism in South Africa is supported by the Department of Tourism’s 2023 National Gastronomy Tourism Framework.
Through its participation at Gastronomy Africa, South African Tourism aims to strengthen connections between chefs, restaurants, food producers and tourism entrepreneurs and the international travellers and trade partners who can bring these experiences to market.
The engagement also provides an opportunity to identify the support needed to improve visitor experiences, strengthen market readiness and develop offerings that can compete internationally.
Positioning food as an integral part of the destination experience could create opportunities for tourism businesses, broaden economic participation and showcase South Africa’s flavours, cultures and communities to international visitors.
South African Tourism’s Come Find Your Joy brand campaign also invites travellers to experience the country through its food, stories and destinations.
