The dinner
Nyama Choma: The Dinner at Lesedi
What's on the buffet, the three regional sections, and how to handle dietary needs.
See Lesedi Cultural Village on GetYourGuide ↗What's on the Nyama Choma buffet
| Section | Style | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| South African | Traditional South African dishes | Described as including Kalahari lamb |
| East African-styled | A separate themed section of the room | More adventurous options, such as crocodile and ostrich |
| North African-styled ("Nile Room") | Floor seating, a different room style | Part of the same buffet, served in its own space |
A buffet, not a plated menu
Dinner at Lesedi is served at the Nyama Choma restaurant as a buffet of traditional African fare rather than a fixed plated set menu. That means you choose what and how much to try, which matters if you're visiting with a mixed group of adventurous and cautious eaters. It also means the meal moves at your own pace — nobody's waiting on a kitchen ticket, which matters after a full afternoon on your feet.
Three regions on one buffet
The restaurant is arranged in sections evoking different parts of the African continent — a South African section, an East African-styled section and a North African-styled room with floor seating — rather than one long serving line. It's designed to be walked through and sampled across, not eaten at a single station.
What's actually on it
Dishes are described as including South African staples such as Kalahari lamb, alongside more adventurous options like crocodile and ostrich for anyone who wants to try them. Expect a genuinely varied spread rather than a narrow "tourist buffet" of the same three dishes repeated. If crocodile or ostrich aren't for you, the South African section's more familiar dishes, including the Kalahari lamb, are there as the plainer option — nobody has to try the adventurous end of the buffet to eat well.
Dietary needs and children
As with any fixed buffet, flag dietary requirements when you book rather than at the table, so the kitchen knows what to set aside. The buffet format also suits children well — plainer, more familiar dishes sit alongside the crocodile and ostrich, so fussier eaters aren't limited to one option.
Timing: after the boma, not before
Dinner is served after the boma performance, not before it, so don't expect to eat first and watch the show on a full stomach — the evening's order is walk, then fire, then table, and that sequencing is part of the programme rather than incidental. If you'd rather eat before a performance than after one, that's simply not how this particular evening is built — worth knowing going in rather than discovering it on the night.
Drinks
Specific drinks inclusions on this GetYourGuide package weren't confirmed for this guide — check what's included, and whether alcohol is part of the buffet price or paid separately, on the listing before you book if it matters to your evening.