When you jet off to a new destination and touch down on foreign shores, ready to start a whole new life, you might think that you have to leave the culture and flavours of your home country behind. You might have fears of missing grandma’s famous home-made Bobotie or the camaraderie of standing around the braai with friends while munching on chips and swigging back on local beers.
While it’s true that life as an expat is certainly different to what you are used to, there’s some good news! With SA shops popping up all over the world, some of the most missed South African snacks are a little easier to get your hands on. You might have already guessed it, but our focus for today is those good old South African snacks that are sorely missed by those who bid farewell to the country.
We’re talking Ouma Rusks, Mrs Balls Chutney, KWV Brandy, Rooibos Tea, Bovril, Simba Chips, Provitas, and even Chappies Bubblegum and Sparletta Crème Soda! Have we got your taste buds going?
South African snacks
The Traditional South African Snack, Sweet, and Junk Food Feast Upbringing
As a South African kid, you undoubtedly grew up with the obligatory bag of Flings or Ghost Pops at every braai, Pecks Anchovies (uh huh…that yummy but smelly fish paste we all love) at the breakfast table, Aromat to sprinkle on well, just about everything, and dad drinking a Klipdrift Brandy as a nightcap. We’ve all munched our way through dull moments on the ever-famous Chomp, slathered our hotdogs with All Gold Tomato Sauce, and dipped mouth-wateringly chocolatey Romany Creams into a hot cup of coffee.
We shared Big Korn Bites and Simba Chips through movies, were strategically silenced as kids with sticky sweet Fizzers and Fizz Pops, chewed thoughtfully on Mebos, and grabbed a creamy Yogi Sip as a healthy breakfast on the run. We’ve peered just as hard at our Zoo Biscuits trying to guess the animals on them as we have at the inside of a Chappies bubble gum wrapper, learning the interesting facts and jokes locked inside! We’ve enjoyed sore jaws from chewing Wilson’s Toffees and of course, savoured every bite of a Chocolate Log, Peppermint Crisp, or Tex. We’ve also passed the biltong and droёwors around the fire, helped ourselves to extra generous dollops of Ultramel Custard or Amarula when nobody’s watching, and revelled in a seemingly unending supply of spicy Chakalaka and Monkey Glad Sauce. Why are these the memories we share of “back home”, you ask? Because this is what it means to grow up South Africa! These are the South African sweets, snacks, and chocolates that set us apart from other nations. And as you already know, South African candy, snacks, and sweets are delicious!
Where to Get Your Fix of South African Snacks, South African Sweets & South African Chocolates
So, you’ve just touched down in a new country and you’re already having a hankering for all your favourite treats. The problem is that they’re all South African snacks and seemingly not readily available in your new home country. Where does this leave you? Does it leave you feeling down and out? Does it mean you have to develop a taste for new things when you are already dealing with so many new things in your life? No, it doesn’t! With a bit of online prowess (get ready to call on Google), you can probably find a South African shop or an online store selling South African snacks, candy, chocolates, and sweets, with relative ease. Below are a few popular places to get South African treats in the countries that most South Africans are emigrating to.
South African shop: United Kingdom
Click on through to these South African shops to find their full range of snacks, chocolates, sweets, and biltong online in the United Kingdom.
- The South African Shop
- Snoggy’s South African Food
- Number 1 South African Shop
- The South African Spot
- Kalahari Moon
South African shop: New Zealand
Click on through to these South African shops to find their full range of snacks, chocolates, sweets, and biltong online in New Zealand.
South African shop: Australia
Click on through to these South African shops to find their full range of snacks, chocolates, sweets, and biltong online in Australia.
- The South African Shop
- SATOOZ
- South African Food & Beverage
- African Vibe
- SA in SA
- Cape to Cairo
- South African Home Foods
South African shop: Canada
Click on through to these South African shops to find their full range of snacks, chocolates, sweets, and biltong online in Canada.
- The South African Shop
- Betsy’s South African Deli
- African Breese Specialty Foods
- Eat Sum More
- Kalasimbi
These are just a few of the South African shops in the most popular countries for South Africans to emigrate to. With a bit of online research, you can find a South African snacks supplier in just about every country!
FinGlobal: financial services for South African expats
It’s one thing to head on down to the local South African shop to buy your favourite South African snacks, chocolates, and sweets, but where do you go if you want to sort out your tax and financial emigration, or learn more about accessing the funds tied up in your SA retirement annuity? FinGlobal is the ideal one stop South African “shop” for SA expats across the globe. We have a decade of experience in handling tax and financial emigration and we also work with tailor-made tax solutions, retirement annuities, and foreign exchange. Need a helping hand or a bit of advice? Simply get in touch with us. You can give us a call or send us an email at your convenience and one of our friendly consultants will assist you further.