South African Tourism to promote culinary heritage at Gastronomy Africa 2026

South African Tourism is prioritizing gastronomy as a central pillar of its destination marketing strategy. The organization will participate in the Gastronomy Africa Conference and Expo, scheduled for October 19–20, 2026, in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal.

The initiative aims to leverage the country’s culinary heritage, local ingredients, and diverse food traditions to attract international travelers. By positioning food as a primary reason to visit rather than a secondary activity, the strategy seeks to create new economic opportunities for chefs, restaurateurs, food producers, and hospitality professionals.

Data from Data Appeal, analyzing over 1.3 million international traveler reviews between September 2025 and September 2026, indicates a high sentiment score of 90.7 out of 100 for South Africa’s food and beverage sector. Sithembile Ndaba, Chief Marketing Officer at South African Tourism, noted that the goal is to transform these positive experiences into a deliberate, commercially viable tourism proposition that highlights both the cuisine and the authentic hospitality of the South African people.