From amapiano to pap: Scorpion Kings celebrate South African heritage through food - IOL

DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, known as the Scorpion Kings, have partnered with RocoMamas on a Heritage Month menu, reflecting the connection between music and food.

This Heritage Month, the Scorpion Kings are taking their celebration of South African culture beyond the dance floor and into the kitchen.

The amapiano duo, DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, have teamed up with RocoMamas for a menu inspired by their personalities, music and South African roots, including the Madumane Double and Papta Sting.

The collaboration brings together two things that have long been central to South African social life: food and music. 

Pap, chakalaka and atchar are not simply additions to a dish. They are familiar parts of South African food culture, associated with family meals, braais, gatherings and the shared experience of eating together.

For Maphorisa, the significance of the collaboration goes beyond the food.

“Amapiano has given the world a different view of South Africa. It’s not just our music that people are connecting with, but our culture, language and creativity,” he said.

“Seeing that influence grow globally makes me very proud of where we come from.”

The collaboration arrives at a time when amapiano's influence stretches well beyond South Africa, but Maphorisa remains conscious of the genre's origins.

“It means a lot because amapiano comes from home. Seeing our music succeed globally reminds me of how powerful and special our culture is,” he said.

That idea of taking something from home and allowing it to travel is also reflected in the food.

Pap remains one of South Africa's most recognisable staples, with its place at family tables and braais spanning generations. Chakalaka brings heat and vegetables, while atchar adds the sharp, tangy flavour that many South Africans will recognise immediately.

“I thought it was a really cool idea," said Maphorisa.

"We’re used to expressing ourselves through music, so putting our personalities into food was something fresh and exciting,” he said.

Kabza De Small sees a particularly strong connection between food, memory and culture.

“Food is a big part of our culture. Flavours like atchar bring back memories and bring people together, just like music does,” he said.

That is perhaps what makes these ingredients so interesting in a Heritage Month context. They are everyday flavours, but everyday food can often tell the most revealing stories about where people come from.

Pap at a family gathering, chakalaka alongside a braai and atchar added to a plate for an extra hit of spice. These are familiar tastes, but they are also tied to memories and rituals that are passed from one generation to another.

The Papta Sting, meanwhile, takes its inspiration from Kabza and embraces the kind of heat that mirrors the energy of the music.

“Definitely. The Papta Sting has that bold heat, and I think our music has the same energy – it’s meant to make you feel something,” he said.

For Kabza, collaborations that place local flavours in new contexts can also help shine a light on what South Africa has to offer.

“It’s very important. We have so much to be proud of, and collaborations like this help us celebrate and share our culture with more people,” he said.

The Scorpion Kings' story is, in many ways, about what happens when something deeply local finds an audience far beyond its original home.

Amapiano has travelled internationally, but Kabza believes that reaching new audiences should not mean leaving one's roots behind.

“Stay true to yourself and your roots. That authenticity is what makes you different, and people around the world connect with that,” he said.

South African cuisine continues to evolve, but familiar ingredients such as pap, chakalaka and atchar remain connected to the memories and traditions that gave them meaning in the first place.

“It’s a celebration of our culture, our music, and how far we’ve come,” said Kabza.