In collaboration with South African Tourism and Exceptional ALIEN
The diversity of South Africa’s culture and landscape is unmatched. Spend your time searching for wildlife on safari, catching waves along the coastline, hiking along untouched trails, awing at archeological wonders and dining on culinary delights.
Come along as we share tips on how to experience South Africa like a local; a chef shares her hidden gems for foodies in Cape Town, a pro surfer reveals the most scenic spots in the Western Cape, and a conservationist gives his perspective on wildlife watching in Gauteng.
Embrace Colourful Cuisine in Cape Town
“You can eat cuisine from anywhere in the world and find it in Cape Town.”
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – Ana Nielsen
MasterChef South Africa judge and three-time cookbook author Zola Nene has always felt at home in the kitchen. Growing up, she’d laugh alongside her mum, aunts, and grandmother as they cooked colourful dishes for family functions. A longtime Cape Town resident, she says, “My relationship with Cape Town can be described as a delicious love affair.” These are her tips for finding the best food and ingredients in this vibrant city.
Why Cape Town?
There are few cities in the world as multicultural as Cape Town, and this diversity is revealed through its cuisine. Zola says, “South African cuisine can be Cape Malay, it can be Afrikaans cuisine, it can be Zulu cuisine, Xhosa cuisine. There’s so much but it is all correct. No one cuisine defines South Africa. That’s why it’s so beautiful and so unique, and why we should be celebrating all the differences even more.”
“Simply Seven Colours is the title of my third cookbook. Basically ‘seven colours’ describes the way South Africans love to eat. We all call it different things: some people call it several colours, some call it Sunday lunch, some Sondag kos, some ukudla kwasekhaya. Whatever you call it, the premise is the same. We, as South Africans, love to eat family style, and we gather for a meal, usually on a Sunday, when we cook an abundance of colourful dishes to share with our family and loved ones.”
Zola Nene
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – (1, 3) Ana Nielsen, (2) Gulshan Khan
Zola’s tips on where to find the best food in Cape Town
If you’re in search of seafood, venture to Kalk Bay for fish and chips. Zola’s top tip? “You should always get there early, just as the boats are coming in, so you can get the first pick of all the best fish. The fishermen and fisherwomen are incredible as they’ll tell you what’s really great and how to cook it, and they will prepare the fish for you however you want it.”
For more waterfront dining, head to the foodie haven of Makers Landing. Zola recommends Moses Coffee for a fresh cup of coffee, Sweet Lionheart for cake, and Kapoochka for flavourful Indian fare.
Farm-to-table freshness is part of Cape Town’s food scene. Shop like a local and head to Oranjezicht City Farm Market to pick up locally grown meat and produce. It’s the type of place you’re bound to linger. Zola says, “There’s a guy who sells mushrooms, who will talk to you about all the different mushrooms for ages while you eat the beautifully barbecued mushroom skewers.”
For some vibrancy and spice, Zola points to Atlas Trading in the colourful neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap. She says, “I love that the spices are always fresh, they know exactly where they’ve come from. I love to buy the whole spices so I can grind them myself.”
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – Gulshan Khan
And have you really experienced the best of Cape Town’s food and drink scene if you haven’t tasted its wine? For top-tier wine, Zola will send you to Klein Goederust, the first Black-owned winery in Franschhoek.
Zola also recommends Boschendal in the Cape winelands region. While it’s famous for its wine. You’ll also find decadent honey made on their bee farm and can leave with a heap of produce you’ve picked from their garden.
Cruise along the coastline of the Western Cape
“We have the most beautiful coastline, mountain ranges and crystal-clear oceans.”
Image Credit: Exceptional ALIEN – Gulshan Khan
Professional surfer Tanika Hoffman has spent her life exploring South Africa’s coastline in search of waves. In between swells, she embraces South Africa’s incredible landscapes by freediving through kelp forests, hiking the trails around Table Mountain and searching for wildlife on a game drives. Sometimes she even goes swimming with penguins. These are her tips for finding beauty along the Western Cape.
Why the Western Cape?
The Western Cape encompasses the southernmost point of South Africa and includes a wide range of landscapes. If you’re up for a taste of city living, there’s Cape Town. If you want to escape into the hinterland, there are plenty of parks and reserves. If you’ve ventured from Australia to South Africa with a surfboard in tow, you’ll score waves all along the coast.
“I absolutely love the Western Cape of South Africa, it’s an epic place… We actually have a joke amongst surfers, because sometimes we’re just on such a mission to go on an adventure that we end up driving to six different surf spots and don’t surf anything, but you had the best day.”
Tanika Hoffman
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – (1) Ana Nielson, (2, 3) Gulshan Khan
Tanika’s tips for making the most of your time in Western Cape
With so many adventures to be had, you’ll want to hire a car for your journey through the Western Cape. Tanika says the best coastal drive veers into Cape Point Nature Reserve. She says, “It’s one of the few places where I’ve seen zebras, ostriches and antelope just roaming along the sand. It’s a very special place. From Cape Point, you can continue along the coast and you’ll get to Scarborough, which is the most beautiful little quaint beach town.”
When hunger strikes, she recommends stopping at The Village Hub for lunch in Scarborough for a meal made from locally-sourced ingredients. For dinner, head to The Aegir Project in Noordhoek. “It’s got a really cool vibe. They often have live music, it’s got a nice little bar… I think I could potentially live off their cauliflower burger — it’s delicious.”
Image Credit: Exceptional ALIEN – Gulshan Khan
Don’t miss the False Bay Coast. Tanika advises going early in the morning, saying, “It’s got that stunning sunrise light.” And if you’re keen to capture that first light without a long drive, spend the night at Tintswalo Boulders.
“Seeing the penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is such a happy way to start your morning. They just bring so much joy and they’re beautiful to watch. You can swim with the penguins or you can have a beach stroll surrounded by happy little feet waddling along the beach.”
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – (1, 2) Gulshan Khan; (3) Ana Neilsen
If the water at Boulders Beach is enticing, go on a scuba diving or snorkeling trip with Pisces Divers to explore kelp forests–where you might spot a seal. Tanika says, “They’re the dogs of the ocean, they’re super fun and playful to dive with.”
For wildlife watching, go on safari along the Garden Route. “You can drive two hours from a busy town and there are elephants roaming free, or zebras in the wild.” One of Tanika’s favourite places to spot the Big Five (leopards, lions, rhinoceroses, elephants, and African buffaloes) is Gondwana Game Reserve. She also recommends Pumba Private Game Reserve among the smaller game reserves.
If you keep driving to the Transkei, you’ll find one of Tanika’s favourite places in South Africa. She says, “I think of it as one of the most authentic parts of South Africa. It’s just so untouched, which makes it really, really special. There are big cows roaming the beaches.”
For some time in the ocean, surf along the coastline around Cape Town. Tanika says, “We go from beach breaks, we have the odd points, we have reefs, we have slightly heavier slabs, so you get to learn in all different kinds of conditions and at various spots.” Her home surf spot? Long Beach in Kommetjie.
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – (1, 3) Gulshan Khan; (2) Ana Neilsen
Wander on the wild side around the Gauteng Province
“South Africa is diverse in so many different areas, from a biodiversity perspective, but also a cultural perspective.”
Known as the “Lion Whisperer,” Kevin Richardson has dedicated his adult life to preserving South Africa’s big cats. Offsite, he puts his pilot’s license to use by patrolling for illegal poaching and habitat destruction in South Africa’s wildlife refuges. Kevin shares his favourite things to experience in the wild and wonderful Gauteng Province of South Africa.
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – Gulshan Khan
Why the Gauteng Province?
Johannesburg is a prime a jumping-off point for the Gauteng Province that is home to some of the best wildlife parks and refuges. Within the province itself, you’ll find an array of museums, cafes, and restaurants all worth exploring.
[Gauteng] is eclectic, that’s the one word I would use to describe it. Gauteng has a lot on the go. It’s a hustle and bustle. It’s where all the go-getters are, and we have a lot of cultural diversity.
Kevin Richardson
Kevin’s tips for experiencing the best of the Gauteng Province
Twenty five years ago, Kevin fell in love with two lion cubs he’d seen at a wildlife park. He says, “I made it my life’s mission to see these lions every day of my life after that.” Today, he runs the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary, a refuge for lions, hyenas, leopards and other predators in Dinokeng.
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – (1, 2) Ana Neilsen, (3) Gulshan Khan
“If you had said to me, the day before I met Tau and Napoleon 25 years ago, that people would call me the Lion Whisperer and I would be running a sanctuary, I would have asked if you were smoking something.”
Spend the night near Dinokeng for an immersive experience. Kevin says, “The lions are nearby, you hear them roaring at night. I still never get sick of the lions roaring or the hyenas whooping.”
Mongena Private Game Lodge is one of Kevin’s top recommended places to stay for its proximity to wildlife. Even if you can’t stay overnight, he says it’s worth stopping in for breakfast and a cup of coffee.
Going on safari in South Africa isn’t just about ticking the Big Five off the list, either. Kevin says, “People come to game reserves just wanting to see the Big Five; when people don’t see one of those animals, they get upset and disappointed. But if you just looked at that little water monitor, or that blacksmith lapwing with her little babies, fighting for survival, it’s insane — I even stop for impala because they’re so spectacularly beautiful. It’s also all about the guides; sometimes, if you do a self-drive, you overlook so much because you don’t have knowledge.”
Image Credits: Exceptional ALIEN – Ana Neilsen
Step into the Magaliesburg area and you’ll step back in time. Tiptoe among stalagmites and stalactites at the Cradle of Humankind, an ancient cave system where three-million-year-old humanoid fossils have been discovered.
“To think that the origins of our species could have come from there is quite mind-boggling. And then to think that the mountain range just to the north is 2.3 billion years old, who wouldn’t be wowed by that?”
For more ancient wonders, visit the Tswaing Meteorite Crater, a one-kilometre-deep crater formed by a meteorite from the Ice Age. A salt lake at its centre, it’s an ideal wildlife refuge. Kevin recommends viewing the meteorite from the skies via a hot air balloon ride, helicopter, microlight, or other small aircraft.
Image Credit: Exceptional ALIEN – Gulshan Khan
“Hot-air balloons are fantastic because you have that floating sensation and it’s silent for periods, and then there’s this burst of noise from the burner.”
When you want an urban escape, head to Pretoria. Kevin recommends Alfie’s Italian Cafe for not just for the pizza but also for the vibes. “It has a real hustle and bustle, people rock up in their cool cars and on their bikes while you sip on gin and tonics.”
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