From chefs redefining South African fine dining to food personalities making cooking feel more accessible, these are the names we’re keeping on our culinary list.
South Africa’s food scene is as diverse as the landscapes it comes from. There are chefs pushing indigenous ingredients into new territory, restaurateurs building dining destinations, private chefs turning a dinner at home into an occasion, and food personalities inspiring a new generation of home cooks.
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
With his cooking rooted in South African nostalgia but shaped by his experiences abroad, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen has made heritage a central part of his culinary language. His JAN family now includes JAN Franschhoek and Le Bistrot de JAN Cape Town, with the latter opening at the InterContinental Table Bay in 2025.
Vusi Ndlovu
Fire, indigenous ingredients, and African culinary heritage sit at the heart of Vusi Ndlovu's work. His restaurant EDGE provides a platform for exploring these ideas through contemporary cooking, with techniques and ingredients that connect the plate to a much broader African food story.
Luke Dale Roberts
Luke Dale Roberts has played a significant role in shaping Cape Town's modern restaurant landscape, from The Test Kitchen and The Pot Luck Club to his more recent ventures. His approach combines technical precision with curiosity, while his work with The Test Kitchen Fledgelings has also placed mentorship and developing young culinary talent firmly in the spotlight.
Peter Tempelhoff
Peter Tempelhoff's cooking is an exploration of place, with South African ingredients meeting the precision and restraint of Japanese culinary traditions. Through FYN and his wider restaurant group, he has developed a distinctive approach to contemporary African dining, including a growing interest in indigenous ingredients and foraging.
Siba Mtongana
Few South African chefs have brought local food culture to such a broad international audience as Siba Mtongana. A chef, restaurateur, author and television personality, Siba has built a career around celebrating South African ingredients with a distinctly contemporary touch.
Her culinary world now spans SIBA – The Restaurant at Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel and The Siba Deli at Time Out Market Cape Town.
Wandile Mabaso
Johannesburg-based chef Wandile Mabaso brings a fine-dining sensibility together with a strong interest in African ingredients, French technique, and culinary entrepreneurship. As the chef-owner behind Les Créatifs, his work extends beyond the plate into mentorship and building a broader culinary ecosystem.
Moses Moloi
Moses Moloi's career has taken him through some of South Africa's most respected kitchens and an international stint at the Ritz-Carlton in Florida. Today, he is co-owner and executive chef of GIGI Restaurant, where his cooking reflects the experiences and influences gathered throughout his career.
Chef Ollie Swart
Chef Ollie Swart takes a more relaxed approach to kitchen expertise – one that is as entertaining as it is useful. Known for his “real food for real people” philosophy, he has worked in some of South Africa's leading restaurants before moving into catering, content creation, and cookbook writing with Freestyle Cooking.
Chef Nokx Majozi
Known affectionately as the “Pie Queen”, Nokx Majozi has spent more than two decades working internationally while maintaining a strong connection to the flavours of home. Her recent The South African Cook Book and a Cape Grace collaboration have further cemented her focus on taking South African food stories to a wider audience.
Neill Anthony
For those who believe dinner at home deserves the same attention as a restaurant meal, Neill Anthony is one to watch. The Cape Town-based private chef creates bespoke dining experiences, cooking demonstrations and culinary content, with an approach centred on seasonal, sustainable, and locally sourced ingredients.
Kamini Pather
Food, culture, and storytelling are inseparable in Kamini Pather's work. After winning the second season of MasterChef South Africa, she went on to host the travel series Girl Eat World, write cookbooks, and build a career spanning food media, wellness, and culinary storytelling.
Liam Tomlin
Liam Tomlin has had a lasting influence on the way Cape Town approaches casual fine dining. His Chefs Warehouse group grew from the original Bree Street restaurant and its now-familiar “Tapas for Two” concept into a wider collection of restaurants and food experiences.
