Mpumalanga, with its lush landscapes, winding mountain passes, and cultural depth, is one of South Africa’s most rewarding destinations for travellers who appreciate the stories behind the places they visit—and the food they eat. Known as the “Place Where the Sun Rises,” the province is home to two vibrant cultural communities: the Swazi and the Ndebele. Their culinary legacies are deeply woven into the region’s heritage and remain central to the food culture found across towns, villages, and even luxury lodges like Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa.

For travellers looking to experience more than just the scenery, diving into the traditional foods of Mpumalanga offers a rich, sensory way to understand the province’s roots. Swazi cuisine, influenced by the Kingdom of Eswatini which borders Mpumalanga, leans into wholesome simplicity. Staple ingredients include maize, beans, groundnuts, pumpkin, spinach, and beef. One dish you’re likely to encounter in local homesteads or cultural villages is sishwala, a soft maize porridge usually served with soured milk or roasted meat. It’s a hearty meal that speaks to both tradition and sustenance, enjoyed communally and often accompanied by slow-cooked stews made with whatever’s in season.

In contrast, the Ndebele influence brings in both flavour and flair, much like their iconic geometric art and vibrant beadwork. Ndebele cooking is built around community, ceremony, and preserving customs through meals passed down through generations. Dishes like umngqusho—a fragrant mix of samp and beans—feature prominently in their homes. You might also come across morogo, wild spinach sautéed with onion and a touch of peanut or chilli, which balances beautifully alongside starches like pap or steam bread.

One of the best ways to explore these flavours is by seeking out small, locally-run establishments or community-led experiences. In the town of Siyabuswa, for example, where Ndebele culture thrives, you’ll find local matriarchs hosting cooking experiences that go beyond just a meal. Visitors are invited into the kitchen, taught how to pound maize the traditional way, shape dumplings from scratch, and slow-cook meat in clay pots over fire. It’s a hands-on experience that allows you to taste the food and feel its cultural heartbeat.

If you’re heading through Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit), a stop at Orange Restaurant gives a more modern twist to some of these heritage ingredients. While not strictly traditional, they’ve been known to incorporate local flavours into their seasonal menus—think roast pumpkin with amasi drizzle, or grilled trout served with wild greens foraged from the Lowveld. The juxtaposition of old and new offers an interesting perspective on how Mpumalanga’s food culture is evolving while honouring its roots.

For a more elevated experience, Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa in the Waterberg District, though technically in Limpopo, offers a beautifully curated take on indigenous flavours and seasonal produce from the region. While the lodge is known for its luxury and wildlife experiences, it also places a strong emphasis on food that tells a story. Guests are treated to tasting menus that often feature heritage grains, local vegetables, and traditional cooking methods with a fine-dining twist. It’s where braised oxtail can meet a wine reduction, or mieliepap becomes the base of a plated gourmet dish rather than just a humble side.

Travelling further east, in the village of KaMhlushwa near Komatipoort, some community-based tourism initiatives have begun to introduce culinary trails. These are designed to support local entrepreneurs—mostly women—who run informal eateries from their homes. Here, you can sample dishes like inkhukhu yenyama, a village-style chicken stew cooked low and slow with rich tomato, onion, and a medley of spices that vary from one household to another. Often served with steamed dumplings, it’s a meal that’s deeply satisfying and always accompanied by warm conversation and storytelling.

Drinks also play a role in the region’s culinary identity. Traditional beverages such as umqombothi, a fermented maize beer, are still made and served during celebrations or gatherings. For a non-alcoholic alternative, amahewu, a smooth and sour maize-based drink, is often enjoyed as a refreshing accompaniment to meals or even as a light meal on its own.

Those with a sweet tooth won’t be left out either. While traditional desserts aren’t as dominant in these cultures, seasonal fruits like marula, wild figs, and baobab pods are often used to create jams, syrups, and treats that are either preserved or served fresh depending on the time of year. In some parts of Mpumalanga, it’s still possible to find roadside stalls selling boer sweeties—hard, fruity candies often homemade and packaged in little twist-tied plastic bags.

What’s striking about Mpumalanga’s food culture is that it isn’t performative. There’s an authenticity in the way meals are prepared, shared, and spoken about. Eating here often means sitting at someone’s kitchen table, in a space with no menu, and letting yourself be guided by the people who know these foods not as trends, but as heritage.

Food in Mpumalanga is more than sustenance. It’s a form of storytelling, a preservation of identity, and a quiet resistance against cultural dilution. Whether you’re feasting on a fireside meal at a luxury lodge, picking up homemade vetkoek from a roadside stand near eManzana, or learning how to stir a pot of umngqusho with someone’s gogo, the experience is rich, grounding, and deeply South African.