A South African start-up is turning township homes into pop-up restaurants.

Dine With is inviting tourists and locals alike to enjoy authentic African cuisine in the houses of their hosts, according to Business Insider.

Costing between ZAR150 and ZAR300 per person, the experience includes food and transport, and hosts can accommodate up to 10 people in a sitting.

‘We wanted to make tourism more inclusive and change it in such a way that it benefits the locals directly,’ says founder Luthando Dyasi. ‘Our main purpose was – and remains – to bridge the gap and disprove various stigmas of South Africa and its locals.’

With 110 spots to choose from across Soweto and Braamfontein in Johannesburg, and Khayelitsha and Gugulethu in the Cape Town, Dine With also provides first-time hosts with a chef.

The initiative was recently awarded a prize valued at ZAR100 000 (comprising a cash component as well as training and marketing) through the Black Lion entrepreneurship competition. ‘Winning the competition, for me, has meant that what we are doing is important,’ says Dyasi. ‘It is a huge opportunity for us to make a difference.’

5 March 2019
Image: Alamy