“Tastes Doughy”: American Content Creator Tries Magwinya for the First Time in South Africa
- A popular American food reviewer visited South Africa and decided to try magwinya after locals kept recommending the traditional fried bread to him
- The content creator bought his first magwinya from street vendors and shared his honest review
- South Africans flooded the comments with tips on where to find the best magwinya and offered suggestions for proper fillings
Source: Instagram
An American food content creator has gone viral after trying one of South Africa's most beloved street foods for the first time. The visitor came to Mzansi in August and decided to sample various local dishes during his stay, including the famous magwinya that locals kept telling him about.
Tyshon Lawrence, who travels around the world trying different cuisines and giving honest reviews, shared his magwinya experience on 8 August 2025. The TikTok user regularly posts videos of himself testing interesting foods that people recommend, and South Africans have been very vocal about this particular treat.
The video shows the content creator explaining his mission to try the local delicacy, and in typical tourist fashion, food reviewer @tyshonlawrence was seen waving money around and running across the street before spotting some street vendors selling the fried bread. The American approaches the women selling magwinya and asks them to show him what it looks like before making his purchase.
True to his usual format, he gives viewers the "first bite" experience and then shares his honest opinion about the taste. He describes the magwinya as nice and doughy with a fresh taste, but mentions that he would have preferred some meat filling to go with it.
Source: TikTok
South Africans react to the magwinya review
The video attracted massive attention, racking up over 270,000 views, 32,000 reactions and 390 comments from South Africans eager to share their thoughts and advice.
@TheMakeupShapeshifter gushed:
"Magwinywa... That every day staple!!! 😭😭"
@Zuki advised:
"You have to be in Durban to get proper ones😭"
@charmainekl_ explained:
"You can't get magwinya in Bryanston, baby... You gotta get it in the hood, atchaar, cheese, polony, liverspread, chips... You have to go to the hood for that."
@Misharlie declared:
"Yeah, you're a South African now 👏🏾👏🏾"
@Queen_of_War joked:
"Just know that your South African name is Thabang."
@Damipoo_the_mighty suggested:
"Go to Fat Cake City and get a bacon and egg magwinya! 🥰"
The history behind magwinya
According to Wikipedia, magwinya, also called vetkoek (Afrikaans for "fat cake"), is a popular South African fried bread. It dates back to the 1830s when the Dutch settlers made it as an easy, long-lasting food for their travels.
Over time, it became a favourite comfort food in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Today, people enjoy it plain or filled, and it’s widely sold by street vendors, at taxi ranks, and by small businesses.
View the TikTok post below:
Other proudly South African foods in the news
- Briefly News recently reported on a South African woman who introduced her American boyfriend to chicken feet, but his reaction to the traditional dish left viewers questioning his nationality.
- An American man tried local cuisine at a popular Soweto spot, and what he discovered about the flavours had locals sharing mixed reactions about his review.
- A woman served green-coloured pap with strawberries, and the unusual combination had South Africans debating whether this was creativity or complete madness.
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Source: Briefly News
