With the Michelin Key rating system for hotels being awarded in South Africa, speculation has intensified about whether restaurant stars might follow.
Culinary tourism ranks among the reasons international travellers visit South Africa, especially the Western Cape. South African Tourism says it is a key growth area. But not everyone believes Michelin is the right fit.
Introducing Michelin to a country requires an investment of millions and includes flying in inspectors. Michelin Keys started in 2024, and 27 hotels and safari lodges in South Africa received rankings last year.
Starred restaurants draw high-spending visitors and create spillover benefits for luxury hotels, wine estates, suppliers and transport operators. But for some chefs, the excitement is mixed with anxiety. “It’s another thing to worry about,” says one top South African chef, noting that prices could rise.
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, the first South African chef to earn a Michelin star — awarded to his restaurant JAN, in Nice, in 2016 — says it transformed his life and can rapidly elevate a business. But, he admits, it comes with immense pressure. “We’ve kept our star for 11 years now, and every year there’s a two-month wait for the call. The one that tells you whether you’ve kept or lost your star. Does Cape Town deserve it? For sure. Do chefs need it? I don’t know.”
If Michelin came to South Africa, he says, many local chefs would earn stars; the question for him is whether the strain is worth it.
Van der Westhuizen says Michelin demands strict discipline around consistency, wastage and seasonality, which could be a positive learning curve for anyone in the industry, especially the new generation of chefs.
If they apply a Eurocentric mindset to how we do things, I don’t think it will work. I think we’ll lose the essence of what African hospitality is
— Ryan Cole
Chef Ryan Cole, owner of Salsify and COY restaurants, is unsure of how much value it adds. He says a Michelin entry would “ignite the craze” but fears it could encourage restaurants to hike prices after receiving stars.
He says its relevance has been challenged. “It will be interesting to see if they do arrive and what they think of our standards. If they apply a Eurocentric mindset to how we do things, I don’t think it will work. I think we’ll lose the essence of what African hospitality is.”
Michelin expanded to New Zealand last year, a move that divided opinion. Its arrival was backed by a NZ$6m deal with Tourism New Zealand. Food writer Nick Iles calls it “a terrible move”, noting that Australia rejected Michelin despite its sophisticated dining scene. “If a country of that size with such an impressive dining scene feels they will not benefit from the guide, then it is an act of utter arrogance to think it will do anything for us,” he says.
Writing in The SpinOff, Iles says the money could be better spent elsewhere. He says Michelin does not reflect how New Zealanders eat: “This will ultimately be a massive, and free, marketing exercise for a handful of restaurants.”
Citing the UK’s 201 Michelin-starred restaurants and Hong Kong’s 95, he frames the expansion as “another act of colonialism”. Inspectors flown in from Europe, he says, rate restaurants without meaningful understanding of local food traditions.
Iles predicts homogenisation as chefs work in a broadly Michelin-shaped way that defeats originality and warns of the return of the “Michelin star chef” stereotype — egos, toxic kitchens and outdated hierarchies.
Tourism minister Patricia de Lille says: “We would certainly welcome Michelin should it choose to establish a presence in South Africa, and as government we stand ready to support it where needed. Michelin is a world-renowned institution, and its collaboration with our private sector would further elevate South Africa’s gastronomy and strengthen our global culinary profile.”
Jenny Handley, author of the JHP Gourmet Guide, says Michelin has long held allure because of its global recognition. “Every part of the world understands Michelin because it’s been around since the 1920s — it’s the North Star for restaurants.”
She says the South African dining scene is fiercely competitive, and Michelin’s arrival would intensify that. “We are already attracting discerning diners who are coming here for a specific restaurant experience.”
High-end gastronomic travellers, she says, boost airlines, accommodation and local eateries. “To put someone in a seat at a top restaurant [who does] not worry about what it costs while they’re here, others benefit. They’re going to sleep in a bed, go to a market, visit a cheap-and-cheerful restaurant. I think it’s really good for our tourism.”
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