"Seeing It Online is Crazy": SA Wonderbag Invention Helps US Mum Cook After Hurricane, Mzansi Reacts
- A pregnant American mother stuck at home with two kids during a 12-day post-hurricane power outage turned to a South African invention to feed a crowd
- The Wonderbag, a powerless slow cooker handmade by women in South Africa, was founded in 2008 as a solution to the country's energy crisis
- South Africans and international viewers flooded the comments after the video of the device went viral on Instagram
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Source: Instagram
A woman in the United States became an unlikely ambassador for a South African invention when she shared how she used it to cook a full pot of chilli for friends during a 12-day blackout following a hurricane.
Filmed in her kitchen on 3 September 2026, the Instagram video showed Rebekah Moyer using a Wonderbag alongside a camp stove and a Dutch oven to pull off a large, nutritious meal with no electricity. Pregnant and home alone with two children, she said she could not do much to help her community, but feeding people was something she could do.
Her chilli was far from basic. She added sweet potatoes, chorizo, smoked paprika, kale, and a secret ingredient passed down by her father: dark chocolate chips, which she said deepened the flavour in a way that is hard to explain.
What is the Wonderbag?
The Wonderbag is a heat-retention cooker that keeps food cooking for up to eight hours after it has been brought to the boil, using no additional gas or electricity. It was founded in 2008 by South African Sarah Collins, inspired by a method her grandmother used during the 1970s energy shortage and a concept similar to the haybox used to conserve fuel during World War Two.
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Collins first tested the idea by surrounding a pot of hot food with cushions after switching off the stove. The food kept cooking for hours. From there, she developed the product and took it into communities across South Africa, where the response from women was immediate and overwhelming. The bags are handmade by well-paid women in South Africa, and the company has since been voted one of the world's Top 50 Genius Companies by Time Magazine.
The creator noted in her caption that the experience was a reminder about energy use and simpler living, adding that the Wonderbag had become her new obsession.
View the Instagram video below:
Viewers could not get enough
The video on the page struck a chord with people around the world, including South Africans who recognised the product immediately:
@upendoestatesfarm said:
"I love mine 🥰"
@enereelhsa reacted:
"Wait... I could start a pot in the morning, go to work, and come home to a cooked meal? Without worrying about burning my house down???? Love 👏"
@meghanhughes shared:
"I was HOPING you had one of these! My mom gave me one years ago, and they're just the best! So great for bringing food to potlucks and transporting food to go camping, especially 🙌"
@sculpted.from.nothing added:
"Yes, girl. I put cacao powder in my chili, and it takes it to the next level."
@c.j_smith wrote:
"Growing up when these became popular, and now, like a decade later, seeing this online is so crazy!!! 🥹🇿🇦"
@annarajdeo said:
"I'm a South African 🇿🇦. Thanks for showcasing this amazing product from our country! I have one myself, and they really are amazing."
@petalsandpigments commented:
"I love this! Absolutely a big fan of this witchery wonder bag ✨ The chili was also extra delicious!!!"
More Briefly News stories on South African products
- An American TikToker praised Limpopo-born inventor Bohlale Mphahlele for her anti-GBV smart earring, highlighting the innovation and calling for more recognition of her work.
- A South African woman’s patented MiDesk portable desk has reached more than 5,300 children in under-resourced schools, giving learners access to a practical study solution.
- Northern Cape entrepreneur Zimkhitha Duze is turning waste into bricks through her Uuka Bricks business while competing for a life-changing R1 million prize.
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Source: Briefly News
