Image: An elephant roadblock in Kruger National Park
When the opportunity arose to go on a safari in South Africa and Swaziland, the chance to see rhinos, elephants and big cats in their natural habitat ought to have been a no-brainer. Yet, I hesitated. All I knew of the cuisine suggested that meat was at its very core. Braais, boerewors and biltong — barbecues, farmer’s sausage and dried, cured meat — are South African institutions. How would I be able to maintain a vegan diet?
My trip became as much a quest to discover how feasible it is to travel outside of the cities as a vegan in Southern Africa, as it was about seeing wildlife. Things didn’t start well. In desperate need of a coffee after an overnight flight from London, I pulled in at a service station of the main road from Johannesburg to Swaziland, or eSwatini as it is now known. When I asked whether there were any non-dairy milk options, I was met with baflement and — to my horror — one member of staf even fetched me a glass of milk. I ended up with a black coffee.