The seven SA foods every expat hunts down (And why we drive miles for them)
Living in Putney has its perks – including several South African shops within reach for those SA foods that spark taste-of-home moments.
Mrs Ball’s Chutney and Rooibos tea don’t count anymore – you can grab them at any Tesco or Sainsbury’s these days.
But what about the proper gems that send us on pilgrimages across London, clutching our shopping lists like treasure maps?
Living in Putney, I’m fortunate to have a few South African shops within driving distance, and I’ve become a regular at most of them. Here are the seven items that make me feel like I’ve struck gold – and what I hear other expats desperately searching for.
The essentials we can’t live without
Proper Boerewors tops the list every time. Not the sad British attempt at “South African sausage” – we’re talking about that perfectly spiced spiral that belongs on a braai. I make regular trips to a South African butcher I know for the real deal. Saturday morning boerie and eggs when you’re missing home? Absolute perfection.
Biltong and droëwors are essential survival supplies. Every South African I know has strong opinions about which shop does the best cuts and keeps a secret stash somewhere. It’s not just food, it’s edible nostalgia that gets you through tough London days.
Ouma Rusks – specifically Ouma, not the knock-off versions. This isn’t about dunking biscuits in coffee; it’s about that morning ritual connecting you to Sunday visits at your grandmother’s house. When you find fresh stock, you buy at least three packets because you never know when they’ll disappear.
Maggi 2-Minute Noodles in proper SA flavours (Chicken, Beef, Curry) are comfort food gold. British Pot Noodles just don’t hit the same when you need that university student nostalgia fix.
All Gold Tomato Sauce – not ketchup, tomato sauce with that sweet, tangy perfection that transforms everything from chips to Sunday roast. Heinz simply doesn’t cut it when you’re craving that specific taste of home.
Simba Chips in Mrs H.S. Salt & Vinegar or proper Tomato flavour take you straight back to school tuckshop days. The crunch and flavour combination is irreplaceable.
Jungle Oats might sound psychological, but that blue box makes a difference when you’re trying to give your kids a taste of their South African roots over morning porridge.
What fellow expats are hunting for
Thorkild Clausen, originally from Rondebosch and now living in St Albans, knows exactly what he’s after: “I always grab a stash of Zoo Biscuits when I’m in an SA shop. There’s something about those animal-shaped biscuits that instantly takes me back to childhood tea times in Cape Town.”
Gordon Glyn-Jones, a semi-Saffa originally from Zimbabwe, gets equally nostalgic: “I start craving a Peppermint Crisp just thinking about visiting an SA shop. That green wrapper is like a beacon calling me home.”
Other expats tell me they hunt for Woolworths chocolates (when someone smuggles them over), Five Roses tea (the proper SA blend), Cremora coffee creamer, and basically anything from Pick n Pay or Checkers shelves that miraculously makes it to London.
The emotional connection in these SA foods
These aren’t just ingredients – they’re links to family Sunday lunches, university days, childhood treats, and the taste of home when you’re 6 000 miles from it. Each item carries memories that British alternatives simply can’t replicate.
The hunt for these foods becomes part of the expat experience. We swap tips about which shops have the best stock, celebrate when someone finds a rare item, and share our discoveries with the community.
What’s on your essential SA shopping list? Drop by our SAPeople Facebook page and tell us what foods you can’t live without. Whether you’re in London, Sydney, Toronto, or anywhere else in the world – we want to know what sends you searching through SA shops and reminds you most of home.
Because sometimes, all it takes is one bite of the right biscuit to transport you straight back to where your heart belongs.