Culinary delights spice up African trade, tourism

By Bonface ORUCHO

Visitors at the AfroGastro Festival swallowed morsels of fufu and watched chefs from 12 African and diaspora nations plate modern twists of jollof rice in Accra this October. The air was thick with the scent of roasted plantain, sizzling suya, and palm wine cocktails, while drummers and DJs kept up a rhythm that turned dining into performance.

Pop-up kitchens lined the festival grounds, each stall a snapshot of Africa’s culinary map, from coastal spice blends to inland stews and grilled delicacies.

More than a celebration of flavor, the event offered a glimpse into a new tourism strategy, one that treats cuisine as cultural capital and export infrastructure.

Held on October 17–18, 2025, under Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the country’s first government-backed pan-African food festival marked a pivot toward what officials now call “culinary diplomacy.”

According to Ghana’s tourism minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the country sees gastronomy as “a strategic pillar” for both its tourism and export plans, adding that the government will support investors “seeking to build Africa’s food and tourism economy.”

“Food is not only about taste; it’s about trade,” Gomashie said, according to the ministry’s official statement. “We must brand, package, and promote it like any other export.”

Across Africa, similar festivals are taking hold. Each pointing to a rising trend: cuisine is fast becoming a driver of tourism and investment. In Nigeria, the Naija Food Festival and African Food & Drinks Festival have become major draws for domestic and foreign visitors alike.

The Naija Food Festival brings together chefs, food brands, and producers in a vibrant celebration of Nigerian cuisine, innovation, and community. Its 2025 Lagos edition, held in October, drew record crowds and showcased what organizers describe as “a joyous explosion of flavors, aromas, music, and culture.”

The African Food & Drinks Festival, which has been held since 2021, marked its fifth edition this October 26 in Lagos, attracting over 30,000 visitors and chefs from across the continent, according to organizers. Another edition is scheduled in Abuja from November 14 to 16, underscoring the growing appetite for African food experiences.

Kenya has followed suit. The Nairobi Street Food Festival, returning for its sixth edition in November 2025 at the ASK Arena, celebrates the city’s informal food scene, from chapati and nyama choma vendors to artisanal coffee roasters. The festival links street cuisine to creative enterprise and urban tourism, elevating everyday flavors into national identity.

Further north, Cairo Food Week and Cairo Bites have solidified Egypt’s reputation as a regional culinary hub. Cairo Food Week, held from September 25 to October 2, transformed the city into a dining playground, featuring collaborations between world-renowned chefs and Egypt’s rising culinary stars. Its centerpiece, The King’s Feast at the Grand Egyptian Museum, turned dinner into a theatrical, multi-sensory experience that blended gastronomy with art and history. “Cairo Food Week was always about shining a light on Egyptian cuisine and nurturing collaboration across the industry,” said founder Hoda El-Sherif.

Cairo Bites, held shortly after at the Open Air Mall in Madinaty, drew more than 30,000 visitors and over 100 food brands. The event combined cooking demos, live music, and a food “passport challenge,” offering an accessible, family-friendly complement to the fine-dining spectacle of Food Week.

Morocco, too, continues to blend trade with tourism. The Africa Food Show Morocco 2025, set for November 19–21 in Casablanca, will bring together hundreds of exhibitors from across Africa and Europe in what has become one of the continent’s premier agri-food events.

Part of a pan-African series that also spans Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire, the show connects producers, buyers, and investors across the entire food value chain, from advanced farming technologies to processing, packaging, and export logistics.

Organizers describe the event as “a hub where business meets culture,” reflecting Morocco’s strategy to merge gastronomy, sustainability, and commerce. According to Anne Kaoma, Executive Director of the Zambia Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Studies, the time has come for the continent to reclaim and redefine its culinary identity.

“African food is ready for the world,” she said. “Indigenous food is not just nourishment; it’s identity, memory, and connection. Yet for decades we focused on Eurocentric culinary and hospitality models and failed to recognize the authenticity and uniqueness of our food and culture.”

Kaoma believes that gastronomy tourism can become one of Africa’s most powerful transformation tools if countries invest in education, policy, and entrepreneurship. “We must be deliberate about teaching our young chefs to tell the stories behind our food, integrating traditional cooking into hospitality education, and supporting street food vendors and indigenous entrepreneurs,” she said. “This is how we can boost local economies, empower women and youth, and deepen cultural exchange across borders.”

Her call aligns with the broader movement across Africa to build homegrown gastronomy ecosystems that merge creativity, commerce, and cultural storytelling.

Globally, the United Nations World Tourism Organization estimates that gastronomy tourism now accounts for over 20% of global tourism spending. Africa’s share remains small but is growing quickly as countries diversify beyond traditional products like wildlife and beaches.

In March 2025, Tanzania hosted the Second UN Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa in Arusha, co-organized by UN Tourism and the Basque Culinary Center. Endorsed by the government, the forum built on the inaugural 2024 edition in Zimbabwe and positioned gastronomy as a driver of sustainable and inclusive growth across the continent.

According to Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Pindi Hazara Chana, gastronomy tourism is a key pillar of UN Tourism’s Agenda for Africa because “it empowers local communities, preserves cultural heritage, and strengthens economic resilience.”

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili described the forum as “a celebration of Africa’s many flavors and diverse talent,” emphasizing food’s potential to diversify economies, create jobs, and strengthen national brands.

The diaspora connection adds another layer. AfroGastro’s lineup included chefs from the Caribbean and Latin America, reflecting Ghana’s push to link food diplomacy with its “Beyond the Return” initiative, the government’s decade-long program to deepen diaspora engagement after the 2019 Year of Return.

South Africa’s AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival, held in Johannesburg in March 2025, made similar inroads. The event brought together international mixologists and African bartenders in “bar mashups” using African botanicals.

Festival co-founder Khanya Mzongwana told TimesLIVE in March, “African gastronomy has always been global; we’re just now telling that story ourselves.”

Kaoma shares this optimism, noting that every corner of the continent must participate in this transformation agenda. “Gastronomy tourism is another avenue for the realization of Africa’s transformation, to boost local economies, empower women and youth, and strengthen trade across borders,” she said.