South Africa is a great place for filling your belly at a food festival. In part, this is because our raw materials are world-renowned: from fresh fruit and vegetables to Karoo lamb, the landscapes of South Africa allow a variety of crops to flourish. Then there’s the mix of cultures, ensuring that the same ingredient can be prepared in many ways depending on who’s doing the cooking. There’s no reason to ever have bored taste buds here!
In celebration of our awesome food culture, here are our top food festivals for the rest of the year:
1. Cherry Festival (17-19 November 2016)
Cherries in Ficksburg: one of the best food festivals in South Africa. Photo by Henry Bloomfield
There’s a very simple reason why thousands of South Africans flock to Ficksburg every November: and the answer can be made into jam, ice-cream, cocktails, syrup, alcohol… It claims to be the cherry capital of the world, and we don’t think anyone’s arguing.
Ficksburg is situated on the gorgeous Maloti route and is steeped in history. It’s also known as the “Gateway to the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho”, so it’s a perfect jump-off point for a spot of fossil-hunting, or a good 4×4 adventure.
Find out more about the Cherry Festival here.
2.Good Food and Wine Show (28 – 30 October 2016)
This festival has legs! It visited Cape Town in May, Joburg in July, and now is headed for Durban. With appearances from top local and international chefs, there will be plenty of opportunity for learning about (and tasting) some of the best gourmet food South Africa has to offer.
Find out more about the Good Food and Wine Show here.
3. Spier Secret Festival (6 November 2016)
Bridge at Spier: a perfect look-out at the Secret Festival. Photo by Charles Starling.
Spier comes to Joburg! This year one of the Cape’s most popular wine farms will be exploring food heritage at the Nando’s Central Kitchen in Yeoville. It’ll be a day of workshops, talks, eating and drinking – focusing on ethical production, sustainable practices and trends. Ash Heeger from Cape Town’s hot new restaurant, ASH, will be speaking (as well as serving lunch) so it promises to be a tasty affair.
Find out more about the Spier Secret Festival here.
4. Strawberry Festival (1 – 2 October 2016)
Strawberries abound at the Strawberry Festival in George. Photo by Fried Dough.
Is there anything more symbolic of spring than the first crop of fresh juicy strawberries? This festival in George (read: 5 favourite backpackers on the Garden Route) has been growing steadily over the years and offers plenty of delicious fare for when your sweet tooth has been satisfied. From local cheese and fresh produce to pony rides and steam-trains, it’s going to be a great way to entertain the family.
If you want to go one step further, check out where to pick fruit in South Africa.
Find out more about the George Strawberry Festival.
Wine festivals
Good, better, best: wine is an integral part of any South African festival
1. Diemersfontein Pinotage on Tap (August – October)
This festival has been spreading out from its origin in Cape Town like a wine stain from a great party: and one of the main reasons for this is their flagship wine, the original coffee-chocolate Pinotage. The idea of this wine being on tap is reason enough to drop everything and book a ticket, but there’s going to be all sorts of delicious treats as well as music from the very talented Gangs of Ballet and Natasha Meister. You can find out more and book tickets for each of the events below
Joburg: 20 August
Durban: 24 September
Cape Town: 29 October
2. Season of Sauvignon (22-23 October)
Summer celebrations should be crisp and zesty. This event means that you get to spend a weekend sampling all the most delicious Sauvignon in the Durbanville area, and that’s not even the best part: Simonsberg is the official cheese partner, so think of the pairings you’ll be tasting!
Find out more about Season of Sauvignon here.
3. Robertson Wine on the River (14-16 October)
If you tend more towards the buttery side of the white wine spectrum, this one’s for you: there will be tastings of seven different styles of Chardonnay from the Robertson Wine Valley. It’s on the banks of the Breede River, and will have over 300 tasting options, from olives and cheese to wine and chocolate.
Find out more about Robertson Wine on the River here.
Beer festivals
Beer, glorious beer: celebrate it with these beer festivals. Photo by Felix
1. TOPS at Spar Bierfest (September – November)
Similar to the Munich Oktoberfest, Spar brings an Oktoberfest with a dash of South African flavour. Grab a keg or two at the Spar Bierfest, running for the 6th year. The event will be held in both Cape Town and Durban, in a marquee seating 4000 people. You have the option of dressing up for an authentic German experience.
Durban: 30 September
Joburg: 2-4 October
Cape Town: 4-6 November
2. Windhoek Oktoberfest (21-22 October 2016)
Beer, music and food are all one ever needs for full contentment. The Namibian Breweries brings this year’s Windhoek Oktoberfest to Durbanville Winelands. There will be a special performance by the Kitchdorfer Band from Munich and plenty of beer, to keep the festivities flowing. Tickets are available from Computicket. Contact 0215513683 for more information.
Find out more about the Windhoek Oktoberfest here.
3. Cape Town Festival of Beer (25 – 27 November 2016)
The much-loved golden nectar will bring crowds to the Cape Town Festival of Beer held in Greenpoint. Over 200 beers will be on display. Local and international brewers will be there to guide beer enthusiasts and those simply wanting to gain more knowledge on beer. Beer tours, topped with a food and beer pairing will be available for your indulgence.
Find out more about the Cape Town Festival of Beer.
4. Pecanwood Oktoberfest (29 – 30 October 2016)
A 15-minute drive out of Pietermartizburg is what separates you from the Pecanwood Oktoberfest. Fast becoming one of South Africa’s popular events on the calendar, you can indulge in 32 types of craft beer and take part in extreme sports. If you are an extreme sports enthusiast then chain saw showdowns, a 4×4 exhibition, motorbike racing and a trail run will be top of your list.
Find out more about Pecanwood Oktoberfest.
5. The Thousand Sensations Craft Beer and Food Festival (16 – 17 September 2016)
This event is the largest of its kind in the Garden Route / Southern Cape and is one of the 5 largest Craft Beer Festivals in South Africa. This year will feature 150 artisanal, hand-crafted beers and ciders from 35 craft brewers, as well as non-alcoholic, crafted, and malt-based soft drinks, fine wines, crafted liquors, fruit juice and gourmet foods.
Find out more about the Thousand Sensations Craft Beer and Food Festival.
