The identity of South African or African food is defined by its diversity. The discussion often lands on some of the age-old unifying techniques, such as fermentation, drying and other preservation methods. This may spill over to the different locations and regions whose terroirs shape identities from the ingredients they produce.  

Afrique moderne is a concept and approach that chef Wandile Mabaso has established at his restaurant Les Créatifs. Rooted in French techniques, it’s a contemporary take on South African food that refines and celebrates the soul of the country’s signature and traditional ingredients and flavours. 

Over the years, Wandile has collaborated with like-minded chefs – from Mmabatho Molefe, who modernises Zulu cuisine, to Johannes Richter, who masterfully works with KZN’s diverse produce for his sustainable approach – to explore, play and create within this concept.  

His latest collaboration – the Afrique Moderne dinner series with chefs Moses Moloi, Katlego Mlambo and Coco Reinarhz – amplifies the intention to champion Africa’s foods and flavours, with a growing commitment to exploring indigenous ingredients. The dinner series mirrors an emerging movement across the country that sees chefs delving into their identities, stories, cultures and locations, spearheading Africa’s culinary redefinition with a contemporary eye. The Les Créatifs menu is sprinkled with experimentations with indigenous ingredients including Wandile’s Midlands beef tongue with madumbe atchar mousse and imphepho smoked beef jus, and lobster tail with samp and sorghum ragout. He’s currently working with food anthropologist Anna Trapido on the Ukhova ka Shaka project for the KZN community about the heritage banana that was King Shaka’s favourite food.  

“There’s a myth that part of the tree and bananas were smuggled into Madagascar across the Indian Ocean. I believe Madagascar has the best vanilla bean in the world. The goal is to marry the two ingredients and tell this beautiful South African story while empowering the local community and exercising sustainability,” Wandile says.  

“⁠I have found myself excitedly learning about my own culture and history through all this research, so it’s a very exciting time in my career. I’m rediscovering our natural salts, truffles, ancient grains and teas from Limpopo that have been used for medicinal purposes for over 100 years. It is truly opening up something new in our country’s culinary scene. There’s a special movement happening, especially in Gauteng, as it’s a melting pot of cultures. Something ground-breaking is brewing,” he adds. 

The reputation of young chefs such as Katlego (a Best Chef one knife recipient) has been carved from their modern interpretation of African cooking with cheeky and sophisticated takes on traditional ingredients. 

“Over the years, I’ve grown more intentional with how I experiment. In the beginning, it was more about proving that traditional flavours could be cool and contemporary. Now, it’s more layered. I’m trying to tell deeper stories about identity, memory and even resistance. Each dish is still playful, but there’s often something serious sitting just beneath the surface. That balance is what keeps it exciting for me,” Katlego says.  

With his Gigi restaurant – specialising in contemporary SA-inspired dining with a global flair – Moses also embraces cooking who he is and where he’s from. Vibrant dishes such as the beef tongue with chakalaka, brûléed onions and pap espuma and the signature oxtail are exquisitely relishing. His lamb rack with dried peach and umqombothi foam at the first of the Afrique Moderne dinners at the end of July was a sensorial example of nuanced storytelling recalling a traditional ceremony at home. Moses’ awakening to this way of cooking happened when he attended the 2023 Best Chef Awards in Mexico, where he ranked 85. He earned the Best Chef two knives recognition in 2024.  

“Hearing from the minds behind elBulli, a restaurant that completely redefined what food could be, made me pause and reflect. Ferran and Albert Adrià spoke not just about innovation, but about identity and the power of cooking where you come from,” Moses says.

“I realised I didn’t need to imitate international trends to create something meaningful. My own background, the flavours I grew up with, the traditions of home were more than enough. When expressed with care, skill and honesty, they could be just as impactful, just as refined. Cooking in this way has taught me that authenticity isn’t a limitation, it’s a foundation.” 

The reopening of Coco’s Épicure restaurant adds to this conversation by showcasing the strength of Africa’s diverse gastronomies, refining signature dishes from the North, East, West and South and telling a new story.  

The second of the Afrique Moderne collaboration dinners happens at Les Créatifs with Katlego Mlambo on 15 August and the third at Épicure at One with Coco Reinarhz on 29 August.