South Africa is known for its wildlife, picturesque beaches, stunning landscapes, rich culture, and adventure opportunities. However, there is another aspect of the country's tourism offering that requires more attention when planning itineraries for international guests—its gastronomic culture.
The country's culinary scene, which includes both fine dining and local establishments with traditional South African flavors, is becoming an important part of visitors' experiences. According to new sentiment data from Data Appeal, South Africa is successfully addressing this tourism segment.
Based on over 1.3 million reviews left by international travelers between September 2025 and September 2026, the country's food and beverage sector demonstrated an overall sentiment score of 90.7 out of 100. These results indicate an opportunity for the tourism industry to give restaurants a more prominent place in travel packages, rather than viewing meals as mere stops between sightseeing.
Dinner is another way for international guests to experience South Africa, interact with locals, discover regional tastes, and feel the cultural diversity. An unforgettable restaurant experience can add a new dimension to a vacation, whether it's discovering local produce, enjoying traditional cuisine, or spending an evening in an otherwise overlooked area.
Interestingly, one of the strongest findings from the Data Appeal study relates not just to what visitors eat, but how they are treated. Staff became the most discussed topic, gathering over 254,000 reviews and achieving a sentiment score of 83.3. Hospitality also performed well, reaching a sentiment score of 86.9.
This data underscores the significance of the human element in tourism. A warm welcome, attentive service, a knowledgeable waiter or chef willing to tell the story of a dish, can leave an indelible impression on an international guest. Furthermore, hospitality is increasingly featured in visitor conversations, increasing its share of mentions from 9.7% to 11.7%. For South Africa's tourism industry, this is a chance to make the country's reputation for hospitality an even more significant part of its tourism offering.
For tour operators, destination management companies, hotels, and travel planners, these findings provide a basis to rethink the approach to incorporating gastronomic experiences into holiday packages. Instead of simply leaving guests with a free evening, there is an opportunity to recommend restaurants that will add something meaningful to their introduction to the destination.
A carefully selected restaurant can introduce visitors to local cuisine, showcase South African ingredients and wines, and allow them to feel the character of a specific area. International markets contributing to these reviews also show potential audiences: Germany accounted for 14.4% of international food and beverage reviews, followed by the UK with 13.4%, the USA with 7.4%, and Saudi Arabia with 6.9%. These visitors not only enjoy South African restaurants but also share their experiences online. Google provided 98.7% of the analyzed reviews, making the online reputation of a restaurant an important factor when recommending venues to international travelers.
Although the overall sentiment towards South Africa's restaurant sector is positive, the study also identified areas needing improvement to enhance the quality of visitor experiences. Lower sentiment scores were recorded regarding waiting times, reservations, value for money, safety, and hygiene, indicating that practical aspects of dining affect guests' perception of the experience. Cleanliness is another area requiring attention, as its sentiment score dropped from 82.6 to 76.6.
While quality food and friendly service are important, visitors expect restaurants to meet basic requirements. Efficient service, accessible booking systems, clean premises, and a sense of security contribute to a pleasant dining experience. For the tourism and restaurant sectors, addressing these issues will be critical to maintaining South Africa's positive reputation among international tourists.
There is also an opportunity to use culinary tourism to encourage visitors to explore more regions of the country. Data shows high sentiment levels in places like Kimberley, the Eastern Cape, and the Northern Cape, proving that memorable culinary experiences are not limited to traditional South African tourist centers. Including restaurants and gastronomic events in lesser-known destinations can help expand travel routes, support local businesses, and encourage guests to spend more time in different parts of the country.
For travel planners, this means looking beyond familiar names and choosing restaurants based on the quality of their offerings, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, and value for money. It also implies allocating sufficient time for meals, checking booking processes, and considering visitors' dietary needs when making recommendations.
In conclusion, South Africa has a strong offering in food and hospitality, and international guest reviews attest to a positive response. The task now is to make dining a more conscious part of marketing and packaging the country as a tourist destination. When planning a trip to South Africa, the questions should not only concern which sights guests will see, which beaches they will visit, or what wildlife adventures they will have, but also where they will eat, what they will try, and who they will meet at the table. After all, sometimes the most memorable part of a vacation is not the attraction on the itinerary, but the meal itself.
