The Luxe Awards is a prestigious platform recognising excellence across South Africa’s hospitality industry.
From restaurants and bars to hotels and luxury experiences, the awards celebrate the establishments and individuals who define quality, consistency, and world-class guest experience. Today, the Luxe Awards stands as a trusted symbol of achievement within South Africa’s hospitality and tourism landscape.
The LUXE Guides are curated digital publications designed to guide discerning travellers through South Africa’s most exceptional hospitality experiences. Blending editorial storytelling with expert insight, the guides spotlight the restaurants, hotels, and destinations that define luxury, quality, and memorable guest experience.
The LUXE Restaurant Guide, launched in December 2025, is dedicated to South Africa’s leading restaurants and chefs, celebrating culinary excellence while exploring the trends shaping the country’s fine-dining landscape.
The LUXE Hotel Guide, launching in March 2026, will extend this editorial vision to South Africa’s most distinguished hotels and game lodges, offering readers a considered perspective on luxury accommodation and travel experiences across the country.
Together, the LUXE Guides serve as a trusted digital companion for local and international travellers seeking the very best South Africa has to offer.
On the glamorous evening of 18 February 2025, 150 of South Africa’s most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary innovators gathered at the spectacular rooftop venue, The 11th Floor in Johannesburg, for the 7th annual Luxe Restaurant Awards. With the city skyline glittering around them, the event, hosted by the radiant Shashi Naidoo and culinary icon Mogau Seshoene (The Lazy Makoti), unfolded as a sumptuous celebration of vision, artistry and indulgence, capturing the true essence of South African gastronomy.
Luxe is entirely financed by private partnerships and sponsors. The sponsors do not interfere with nor influence our annual rankings, which remain impartial and data-driven.
Transparency. Integrity. Universality.
A diverse panel of 50 reviewers scouts South Africa’s top hospitality destinations. Reviews from these trusted industry experts converge in a comprehensive database to highlight the nation’s premier establishments.
Every review score is converted into a standardized grade, ranging from 0 to 100, using conversion tables specifically tailored to our guidebook’s specifications. This ensures consistency and fairness across all evaluations.
A panel of six independent judges, comprising chefs, authors, food critics, and more, assesses the shortlisted candidates. Each restaurant is visited by every judge. The chief judge validates ratings through on-site visits.
