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Jollof rice, waakye, banku and tilapia, fufu and goat light soup … these are the West African staples that makes up Nigeria and Ghana’s food tapestry. Joburg doesn’t have restaurants that serve Ghanaian or Nigerian food on the same level as, say, our Ethiopian restaurants. But you can still find it here … IF you know where to look. So, without further ado…

HotPot African Cuisine

HotPot African Cuisine is all about ‘bringing Naija food to South Africa’. Here you can find traditional staples like yam and beans, jollof rice, egusi, ogbno, afang, okoro or banga soup, as well as bitter leaf and fried plantain. Located on Vale Avenue in Ferndale, this is your one-stop-shop for all things West African.

Hombaze African Cuisine

Forget about the long trip to your home base and just visit Hombaze located in Parkmore, Sandton for traditional African cuisine that will impress even your gogo. Offering quality and healthy food paired with exceptional service you won’t want to go anywhere else. Hombaze is also rated as one of the top African cuisine restaurants in the country so give it a shot.

Pata Pata

Located in Maboneng, Pata Pata is a local café that serves traditional African-inspired cuisine. Their menu offers simple meals like burgers, wraps, and salads. Signature dishes include stuffed chicken breast, lamb shank, oxtail stew and crocodile wors (yup, your read that right – croc sausage!). The restaurant is known for its live entertainment too with regular live jazz tunes, making it a great spot for a chilled night out with friends.

Yeoville Market

Also known as the Congolese market, the Yeoville Market is a treasure chest of cool stuff just waiting to be discovered. Think fresh plantain, Adire tie-dye cloth and everything in between. The market itself is the perfect spot to purchase interesting ingredients used in Central and Western African cuisine – such as plantain, dried crayfish meal and cocoyam.

Many of the stallholders at the market are not from South Africa. Some have come from as far as the Horn Of Africa to come and live the South African dream. With them, they bring their respective culinary cultures. It’s indeed a melting pot where different cultures come together in a most colourful and vibrant atmosphere.

Asanka

Asanka in Sandton is a great spot for Ghanaian and African cuisine with a modern twist. The two executive chefs have crafted a menu of interesting takes on dishes found all across the continent. The idea was to take recipes from north, east and west Africa and give them a fine-dining twist.

Food Tour by Honest Travel Experience

Another way to experience some West African food (as well as dishes from other parts of Africa is to go on a guided food tour. We recommend Honest Travel’s Taste of Africa tour. Their friendly, experienced guide will take you to places like Malalahitoka for traditional Ghanaian Wat, Kifto, Injera, Pondu and Kwanga as well as Mama Osu for Akara and Killshi … just to name a few. The cost is R550 per person and the tour happens on Saturdays and Sundays. Book here.