The annual Visa Street Food Festival is back to dish up new flavours in South Africa's culinary capitals this September. For 2017, this all-out celebration of street food brings together some of the country's best chefs and food makers.

best of local fare

The fourth edition of the popular festival is the biggest yet, kicking off at Side Street Studios in Woodstock, Cape Town, on 2 and 3 September. In a series of free talks, leading culinary minds including Nikki Albertyn of LionHeart patisserie studio and Nobhongo Gxolo of pop-up supper club Third Culture Experiment will gather to share their insights. Also in the Mother City, chefs Wesley Randles of award-winning restaurant The Shortmarket Club and Andy Fenner of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants will offer a taste of their Convivium – a showcase of local food, chefs and producers. In addition to the launch of the festival's new night market, the Visa Food Studio will make its first appearance, promising interactive tastings and demonstrations at Workshop 17 at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday 31 August. A week later, on Sunday 10 September, the festival moves to Common Ground, 16 Staib Street, Maboneng in Johannesburg. Here, festivalgoers can attend talks by Jako van Deventer from The Rogue Cheddar, freelance food writer, recipe developer and food stylist Dorah Lydia Sitole, and small-scale urban farmers the Kotze Rooftop Garden Co-operative. This year's festival is crammed with more tastes than ever. In Cape Town, visitors can expect deep fried Mac and Cheese balls, authentic Ethiopian coffee, pap and tripe, steamed bread and trotters, bunny chow and samoosas. Foodie highlights in Johannesburg include an eclectic menu of butter chicken on chips, foot-long boerie tools, scrumptious grilled-cheese sandwiches and super decadent milkshakes. 'The Visa Street Food Festival is more popular than ever,' says director Hannerie Visser. 'Street food is something everyone can relate to, and South Africans have always been fans of informal dining, whether it’s pancakes at a church bazaar or bunny chow in a corner shop. With more food trucks popping up now than ever before, the festival will not only give visitors the chance to taste all their favourite foods, but also create a platform where food makers can educate visitors.'

festival times and dates

Admission to the Cape Town Saturday market (2 September), which includes the first-ever night market, is R50. The festival’s doors open at 5pm and close at 9pm. Admission to the Cape Town Sunday market (3 September), which includes vendors, free talks and live DJs, is R100. The festival’s doors open at 9am and close at 4pm. Admission to the Johannesburg Sunday market (10 September), which includes vendors, free talks and live DJs, is R100. The festival’s doors open at 9am and close at 4pm.

win tickets

We're giving away five double tickets to the Cape Town day market, five double tickets to the Cape Town night market and five double tickets to the Johannesburg day market. Follow House and Leisure on Facebook and Twitter to find out how to enter.

Tickets are available at webtickets.co.za and if you pay with Visa Checkout, you will get a 10% discount on your ticket price. Tickets are also available at the door. For more information on the Visa Street Food Festival, visit streetfoodfestival.co.za.