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Food tours in Johannesburg: what to eat and which tour to book
Johannesburg eats like the mix of people who built it. Township food from Soweto and the East Rand gives the city the kota, a quarter loaf of bread hollowed out and stuffed with chips, polony, cheese, egg and sauce, and the shisa nyama, where you choose raw meat at a butcher and it is grilled for you over coals with pap and chakalaka. The Indian community in Fordsburg and Mayfair cooks curries, samosas and bunny chow, Cape Malay dishes like bobotie appear on family menus, and biltong is sold everywhere. Restaurants in Maboneng, Braamfontein, Rosebank and Parkhurst cover the newer side of the city.
Use this page to decide what to eat and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours are real listings on GetYourGuide, with prices as seen when we checked; prices and group sizes change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Johannesburg
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota kota / spatlo | Quarter loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with chips, polony, cheese, Russian sausage, egg, atchar and sauce. Township fast food. | Takeaway shops in Soweto, the inner city and townships across Gauteng. | roughly R35–80 depending on fillings (about €2–4) |
| Township barbecue shisa nyama | Butcher-and-braai places where you choose beef, boerewors, chicken or lamb chops raw, and it is grilled over coals and served with pap and relish. | Soweto (around Vilakazi Street and beyond), and shisa nyama spots across the city, busiest at weekends. | roughly R100–250 per person (about €5–12) |
| Maize porridge with relish pap and chakalaka | Stiff white maize porridge eaten with the hands, with chakalaka, a spicy relish of beans, carrots, peppers and onions. | With almost any braai or township meal. | usually included with meat; about R20–40 on its own |
| Bunny chow | Half or quarter loaf of bread filled with curry (mutton, chicken or bean), originally from Durban's Indian community. | Indian takeaways in Fordsburg and Mayfair, and casual restaurants. | roughly R70–150 (about €3.50–7.50) |
| Sausage roll boerewors roll | Coiled, coriander-spiced farmer's sausage grilled and served in a roll with tomato-onion relish. | Markets, sports grounds, braai stands and food markets. | about R50–90 |
| Spiced mince bake bobotie | Curried minced meat with dried fruit, baked under an egg custard topping and served with yellow rice; Cape Malay in origin. | South African restaurants and home-style cafes. | roughly R120–200 a plate |
| Fried dough vetkoek / magwinya | Deep-fried bread dough, eaten plain, with jam, or split and filled with curried mince. | Street vendors, taxi ranks and township stalls. | about R5–30 |
| Dried meat biltong and droëwors | Air-dried, spiced beef or game, sold in strips or as dried sausage (droëwors). | Butchers and biltong shops all over the city and at markets. | roughly R40–80 per 100 g |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Soweto (Vilakazi Street and Orlando)
Historic township with restaurants serving traditional food near the Mandela House, plus kota shops and shisa nyama across the area.
Fordsburg and Mayfair
Long-established Indian and Muslim community with curry houses, sweet shops, spice stores and halal butchers; Fordsburg's street food market comes alive in the evening.
Maboneng Precinct
Regenerated inner-city area with restaurants, cafes, galleries and a Sunday market tradition; quality and activity have varied in recent years.
Braamfontein
Student and creative district near Wits University, with cafes, bars and a Saturday food market at the Neighbourgoods building.
Rosebank and Parkhurst
Northern suburbs with sit-down restaurants, a Sunday rooftop market in Rosebank and Parkhurst's restaurant strip on 4th Avenue.
Food tours in Johannesburg compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg: Pan-African Cooking class & Market visit | 3.5 - 4 hours | from €83 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Soweto: Walking Tour with a Local Guide and Lunch | 4 hours | from €37 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Johannesburg: Local Food Tasting Guided Walking Tour | 3 hours | from €56 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Johannesburg: Art and culinary stroll in Maboneng | 3 hours | from €52 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Soweto Food & Beer Bike Tour | 4 hours | from €43 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Johannesburg: Wine Tasting | — | from €11 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Johannesburg: Pan-African Cooking class & Market visit
On GetYourGuide · run by Honest Travel Experience
- Length
- 3.5 - 4 hours
- Price
- from €83 per person
- Rating
- 4.2 ★ from 12 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Soweto: Walking Tour with a Local Guide and Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by One Day Africa
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €37 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 827 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Vilakazi Espresso
Johannesburg: Local Food Tasting Guided Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Honest Travel Experience
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €56 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 230 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Pickup and drop-off Food Water Guide Alcoholic beverages
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- please look for a sign that says "Johustleburg" and get into that office. this is where your guide will be.
Johannesburg: Art and culinary stroll in Maboneng
On GetYourGuide · run by NSL BRIGHT PROJECTS
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €52 per person
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 53 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Photographer/guide Food tasting Rooftop access to the Hallmark Hotel
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- 286 Fox St, City and Suburban, Johannesburg, 2094, South Africa
Soweto Food & Beer Bike Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Soweto Experience
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €43 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 52 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- 7346 Kumalo St, Orlando West, Johannesburg, 1804, South Africa
Johannesburg: Wine Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Eighteen13 Boutique Wine Shop
- Price
- from €11 per person
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 48 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tasting of 5 select South African wines. Expertly paired charcuterie board. Interactive session with a wine expert. Relaxed and intimate venue setting. Personalized group experience. Educational insights into w…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Our tasting room is located in Cedar Square Shopping Centre, in Fourways Johannesburg
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street and township food is cheap and filling: kotas, vetkoek, grilled meat at shisa nyama, mielies (corn) on the roadside. Hygiene is generally fine where there is high turnover. For safety reasons, a first visit to townships and inner-city street-food areas is easiest with a local guide.
Sit-down meals
Johannesburg has a strong restaurant scene, from steakhouses and Portuguese-South African grills to modern African tasting menus in the northern suburbs. Prices are low by European standards. Dinner is early, often from 18:30, and many people drive or use ride-hailing rather than walk at night.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are less common than in tourist cities. The food experiences that are easy to find are guided township visits with shisa nyama, market tours, and wine or craft-beer tastings.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | R250–400 (about €12–20): kota or bunny chow, shisa nyama, market snacks |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | R600–1,000 (about €30–50): two sit-down meals with wine or beer |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | R1,800+ (about €90+): tasting menu at a top restaurant with wine pairing |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Workable in the suburbs and Fordsburg, where Indian restaurants serve plenty of vegetable curries, samosas and bean bunny chow. Township and braai food is meat-centred; pap and chakalaka are usually vegetarian, but check.
Halal: Easy in Fordsburg and Mayfair, which have halal restaurants, butchers and sweet shops. South Africa's halal certification bodies (such as SANHA and MJC) are widely used; look for their logo in shops and restaurants. Many chains also offer halal-certified branches.
Gluten-free: Pap (maize) is naturally gluten-free, as is biltong in most cases, but kota and bunny chow are bread-based. Restaurants in the northern suburbs understand gluten-free requests; township stalls generally won't, so stick to pap and grilled meat.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Card skimming or switching at restaurants and stalls where the card is taken out of sight. Keep your card in view and ask for the card machine to be brought to the table.
- Phone and bag snatching in busy inner-city streets and taxi ranks, especially when walking with a phone out. Keep valuables out of sight, use ride-hailing for evening trips, and visit inner-city food areas with a local or a guide.
- 'Car guards' or unofficial helpers demanding large payments when you return to your car. A small tip (about R5–20) is normal for informal car guards; you are not obliged to pay more.
- Unlicensed township 'tours' offered on the spot by strangers, with unclear prices and routes. Book through established operators or ask your accommodation for a trusted contact.
Top tours & activities in Johannesburg
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Johannesburg?
Yes. Tipping 10–15% at sit-down restaurants is standard, and waiters' wages depend heavily on it. Check whether a service charge has already been added, which happens for larger groups. Petrol attendants and car guards also expect small tips. On food tours, guides are usually tipped around 10% of the tour price.
Is street food safe to eat?
Generally yes, where there is a steady flow of customers and food is cooked in front of you, like at shisa nyama and kota shops. The bigger concern is personal safety rather than hygiene: avoid walking alone at night with valuables, and for a first visit to townships or inner-city markets, go with a local guide.
Is it safe to visit Soweto for food?
Many visitors go to Soweto, especially Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, which is busy, well-visited and has several restaurants serving traditional food. Go during the day, and use a guided tour or a trusted driver if you plan to visit shisa nyama spots or areas away from the main tourist streets.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about R250–400 (roughly €12–20) covers a kota or bunny chow, a shisa nyama meal and snacks. Two sit-down meals with wine or beer cost about R600–1,000. A tasting menu with wine pairing at a well-known restaurant starts around R1,800. Local wine is very good value.
When are the food markets on?
Most food markets are weekend affairs: Saturday mornings in Braamfontein and some suburbs, Sunday markets in Rosebank and, at times, Maboneng. Fordsburg's street-food scene is busiest on weekend evenings. Markets in Johannesburg open, move and close fairly often, so check current days and hours before going.
What should I try at least once?
A kota, a shisa nyama plate with pap and chakalaka, a bunny chow in Fordsburg, a boerewors roll, bobotie at a South African restaurant and biltong from a butcher. If you are adventurous, try mogodu (tripe) or mopane worms, which appear on some traditional menus.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.