Vegan Foodstuffs

This section is a directory of vegan foods in South Africa which will help you understand just what's available and where to buy it. We also have some useful tips for persuading your local store to begin stocking these products.

Complete our Vegan Foodstuffs Questionnaire to stand a chance to win great prizes and help provide information to support and strengthen the South African vegan community as a whole.

List by Type      Tips      Listings Criteria

Burgers/sausages/etc.    Faux meat    Ready-made meals    Tempeh    Tofu/bean curd    Cooking sauce    Dressing    Gravy/stock/broth/etc.    Other condiments    Cheese    Cream    Ice cream    Margarine    Milk/creamer    Soy drinks    Yoghurt    Biscuit/rusk/cookie    Cake/muffin    Chocolate    Confectionery/crisps/chips    Dessert    Health bar    Vitamin/health supplements    Yeast/yeast-based spread

Select a vegan food option from the list above.

Listings Criteria for Vegan Foods

In this section we list out food stuffs that are suitable for vegans in South Africa, and that are available but maybe difficult to source. We have chosen not to list basic food staples such and fruit, nuts and vegetables, as these are all freely available throughout the country. Our dual purpose is to promote businesses that offer food choices for vegans, whilst also providing a useful guide for South African vegans searching for different types of food. Our listings service is free of charge.

To qualify for a listing on our site as a vegan foodstuff, a product must be:

• Free of animal products, and use only ingredients that contain no animal products; and
• Free of animal testing, and use only ingredients that have not been tested on animals.

If your business produces vegan foodstuffs and you would like to be listed here, we'll gladly reward you with a free listing. Please contact us now to get your vegan-friendly business listed and help promote veganism in South Africa.

Note: all of these food stuffs are suitable for vegetarians too.

Helpful Hints for Asking your Local Store to Stock Vegan Produce

If you can't buy these foods in your own local area we recommend that you approach your local supermarket/shop to ask them if they'll be willing to stock the product.

Here we provide step-by-step instructions on how best to approach the store manager/supermarket stockist, what issues to/not to mention, what details to provide of the brand, and how to overcome difficulties.

1. Find out the name of the manager or the main buyer of food.
2. Go to see that person and arrange a meeting at a time that suits him/her.
3. Be charming, earnest and constructive throughout the meeting.
4. At the meeting, explain how happy you are shopping at the store, mention a few good points about the store, e.g. staff courtesy, efficiency, cleanliness, good stock.
5. Then mention that you are a vegan. Explain what vegans are, and how being vegan can be quite difficult in South Africa.
6. Mention certain foodstuffs in the store that are vegan, and how much you appreciate their being stocked.
7. Ask if the manager would be prepared to order more vegan food brands if you gave him a list of suppliers/producers with their contact details.
8. Mention that not just vegans, but also vegetarians as well as those who have a kosher and halaal diet, would be interested.
9. Inform the manager that the VeganSA.com website will list the store as vegan-friendly and an ideal place to buy vegan food. This is a free-of-charge promotional opportunity and can only help the store with more sales.
10. Ask if he/she knows of any other vegan food brands that the shop does not stock due to perceived lack of interest. Please forward this information to Vegan SA so that we can add these brands to this section.
11. Thank the manager for his/her patience, understanding and support and assure him/her that you're looking forward even more to shopping there with your friends or family in future.
12. Now repeat this process with any other stores that you wish to approach.
13. Conduct a follow-up with the manager/buyer a month later regarding what stock the store now has.
14. If there has been progress then thank him/her for acting on your conversation. If there has not been any progress then ask why and if there is anything that you can do to change the situation. Contact Vegan SA if you need any assistance in handling any specific issues.
15. Report back to the manager/buyer on various foodstuffs, and say what you like about them.
16. Keep a list of all the stores that are vegan-friendly, and blacklist those that are not, and submit your report to Vegan SA, together with each store's contact details and any further suggestions.