{
  "id": 6256261,
  "title": "Lima Sopoaga’s South African food journey took him from a Cape Town gatsby to a Soweto kota",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/lima-sopoagas-south-african-food-journey-took-him-from-a-cape-town",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-08T08:46:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/2026-09-08-lima-sopoagas-south-african-food-journey-took-him-from-a-cape-town-gatsby-to-a-soweto-kota/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former All Blacks player Lima Sopoaga embarked on a food journey in South Africa after arriving for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. The former rugby player sought out local experiences to gain a deeper understanding of the cities he visited. In Cape Town, Sopoaga enjoyed a masala steak gatsby at the Golden Dish in Athlone, a dish he found unexpectedly delicious while eating from the parking area rather than inside the restaurant. His journey continued to Johannesburg, where he made his way to Soweto to try the popular kota sandwich. Sopoaga shared his experiences with lifestyle content creator Tshepo, who posted some of their day on social media. The food adventure included stops at KFC Dunked Wings in Braamfontein, where Sopoaga was so impressed that he urged his fellow New Zealanders to get dunked wings in their own country. Tshepo and Sopoaga also visited Pantry in Rosebank for South African sweets and indulged in a pepper steak pie. The kota sandwich emerged as Sopoaga's favorite, while the pie received mixed reviews. Throughout his South African experience, Sopoaga focused on the local food and culture, reflecting on how the trip had opened his eyes to the beauty and perspective of the country. He expressed his gratitude for the privilege of experiencing South Africa firsthand and emphasized the lasting impact the journey had on him.",
  "summary": "Former All Blacks player Lima Sopoaga explored South Africa through its food, from a masala steak gatsby in Cape Town to a kota, Dunked Wings and local treats in Johannesburg.",
  "key_points": [
    "Lima Sopoaga explored South African food culture during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.",
    "Sopoaga enjoyed a masala steak gatsby in Cape Town and later tried a kota sandwich in Soweto.",
    "The kota sandwich was Sopoaga's favorite, while pepper steak pie received mixed reviews."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}