Local is lekker! Create the perfect corporate event with these catering ideas

South Africa boasts a wealth of cultures, each with its own cuisine, set of customs, and style. The country is most certainly a melting pot while each culture retains its unique flavour - especially when it comes to catering! 

Whether it’s a braai for a corporate event, or a wedding feast, we suggest you…

Pick your people

Select one South African culture and let it inform the theme of your event, from décor, to food, to required dress. Take into account the type of event you are planning as well as your guests – while it can be fun to dress up and step outside their comfort zone? Will it make people feel closer and have them talking at the end of the night? 

Food is often the centre of any event, corporate or social and the menu will naturally be informed by your choice of culture. There are so many varied options if you’re going to go ‘South African’. But, remember, that while it can be fun to try something new, you don’t want to push people too far. Chicken feet? Not for everyone! Also, make sure that you know if your guests have any other barriers to sampling certain foods such as vegetarian or halaal requirements.

Or go for a melting pot

If sticking to one SA team seems too risky, you could practice being multi-cultural and featuring more than one version of what it means to be South African. Ask each guest to come dressed in their traditional garb, decorate each table or cocktail station in line with a different culture, have different forms of South African entertainment, and serve a varied menu with everything from bunny chows to koeksisters.

Focusing on the food, you could divide different your chosen cultural delicacies between different courses or, if you are serving a cocktail menu, have different finger foods representing the different cultures. With Malaysian, Dutch, and Indian influences, traditional South African foods boast a variety of flavour and colour and can make quite the statement. Find creative ways to label any catering platters or make sure your serving staff know what’s on offer. And don’t forget the drinks menu – it needs to cater for different cultures and, if necessary, different religious beliefs.

If you’re going South African, it goes without saying that you should stick to local suppliers for event co-ordination, entertainment, and catering. Local is indeed lekker and no one knows how to cater local better than those that live here.

If you have a big event to organise, catering can seem like one of the most difficult parts of the plan. Don’t let it be. Hire professional caterers – this will go a long way to making your event come to life with an on-point and yet varied menu. Professional caterers can help you design the perfect South African feast as well as source, cook, and serve up the meal. Viva, South Africa, viva!

Put together a South African feast with amazing corporate catering ideas!