“What Was All the Food for?”: German TikToker Stunned by South African Padkos Culture

• Ili, the German half of popular TikTok couple @ili_lebo, shared a humorous clip about her first real encounter with South Africa's padkos culture
• She thought packing a few snacks for the road was enough, only to find out her South African partner had a very different idea of road trip food
• South Africans flooded the comments to defend the tradition, sharing their own must-have padkos essentials

Ili, the German half of the popular TikTok couple @ili_lebo, had no idea what she was signing up for when her South African partner mentioned padkos before a road trip. She shared the story in a candid home video on 5 October 2026, and it quickly struck a chord with South Africans who know the tradition all too well.

In the clip, Ili recalled how she assumed padkos meant grabbing a few simple snacks. What followed was a full stop at an Engen garage for chips, biltong, something sweet, water, coffee and cold drinks, before the trip had even properly begun. Then, an hour down the road, someone announced they were hungry.

Read also

Senzo Radebe shares hilarious six-pack meal plan in viral video, SA reacts: "Does it have to look like that?"

"What do you mean?" she asked in the video. "Then what was all the food for?"

Padkos has levels

As Ili quickly discovered, South African road trip food is not a single category. There are snacks, drinks, coffee, and somehow, still, a proper meal waiting somewhere down the line. The Afrikaans word padkos translates literally to "road food," and for many South African families, preparing it the night before departure is a ritual as old as the highway itself.

Traditional padkos spread includes hard-boiled eggs, frikkadelle (seasoned meatballs), cheese and tomato sandwiches that go perfectly soggy by the time you eat them, cold chicken, and a flask of coffee or rooibos tea packed with rusks for dipping. The garage stop adds another layer entirely, with biltong, droëwors, hot pies and Simba chips rounding out what is essentially a moveable feast.

Ili ended the video with a question for her followers:

"What's your go-to padkos for road trips?"

Watch the clip that started the debate:

Read also

"Oh, we had a time": Gold Reef City Night Market vlog looks at rides and food, SA wowed

Mzansi defends the tradition

South Africans were quick to weigh in on the TikTok page, and the responses showed just how personal padkos can get:

@KD Bookish 📚 🇿🇦 wrote:

"Padkos isn't proper without boiled eggs and frikkadelle. Ask anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s. It's not about what you buy at the shop; it's about preparing food the night before. Add some cheese and tomato sandwiches that are super soggy when you finally eat them. 😂"

@zeemo_041 added:

"Back in the day there weren't convenience stores or takeaways at petrol/gas stations. And trips would take double the time it would now. So there will be meals prepped, drinks hot and cold packed and snacks. Its still needed, as the cost of fuel leaves with no money for takeaways on the road."

@nas explained:

"South Africans love food, and padkos is just a backup or a reassurance in case we need something to eat. We want to feel secure in the fact we will never go hungry 😁"

Read also

Checkers and Woolies pots look almost identical, but shoppers spotted one big difference

@Yunnus Bismilla added:

"Padkos needs samosas, crumbed chicken and egg bread. Not forgetting masala tea and juices 🤣🤣🤣"

@DJ_QC offered a different take:

"Padkos ain't really there to be consumed. It's there for the vibes. We actually buy food on the road as we're going."

@Bevi agreed:

"Padkos is not really to eat. It's in case you get hungry in-between the Engen stops. Then the real padkos is for the security guard when you arrive."

More on food

• Briefly News recently reported on actor Senzo Radebe sharing his bodybuilding meal plan, and South Africans had questions.
• A content creator also impressed Mzansi by cooking a full home-cooked meal at Shoprite for under R20.
• There was also a look at what's eating into South Africans' wallets, according to a Woolworths report.

Source: Briefly News