A video shared by South African content creator Ntokozo King has sparked conversation online after he visited a themed restaurant in Germany.
Image: Instagram
A South African content creator known as Ntokozo King recently sparked a lively conversation online after sharing a video of himself visiting a restaurant in Germany that got people raising their perfectly shaped eyebrows.
The spot is called “Shaka Zulu”, and according to his clip, it leans fully into African-inspired décor with colourful interiors, vuvuzelas mounted on the walls, lion artwork and a general vibe that feels like someone said “let’s make it loud and cultural” and committed without hesitation.
In his caption, he wrote: “There’s a South African restaurant in Germany named Shaka Zulu, and I tried it out …”
After that, the internet did what it does best.
Inside the restaurant, he noted that amapiano music was playing, which he described as giving a “township, shebeen sort of feel.” The menu, however, is where things started to divide opinion.
While the concept is a nod to African cuisine, the offerings reportedly included dishes from Uganda and Namibia, with only a couple of South African staples like pap, chakalaka and samoosas.
That is where South Africans in the comments section started raising eyebrows. #
One user was quick to point out, “Well, that’s not chakalaka… I think we can all agree on that.” Another added, “Shaka Zulu would have told me everything I needed to know 🥹” while a third wrote, “It’s the audacity to name it Shaka Zulu…”
The reaction also opened up a wider conversation about cultural naming and representation in food spaces abroad. The restaurant name references Shaka kaSenzangakhona, a powerful Zulu leader, which is why some South Africans question its use in a commercial setting abroad.
The concern is less about offence and more about cultural respect, representation and how heritage is packaged in branding far from its origin.
Some users argued that restaurants should be more transparent about ownership and authenticity before people spend money expecting a specific cuisine.
One comment read, “If you read traditional or native cuisine, look up the owners and chefs before you go.”
Then came the comparison that split opinions further: “South Africans can’t get mad when we literally have Spur and nothing on the menu is remotely close to the cuisine of Native Americans.”
Spur Steak Ranches is a well-known South African family restaurant chain famous for burgers, ribs and steaks, but often loosely themed around Western cowboy-style branding rather than authentic Native American cuisine.
That comparison added fuel to the debate about how global restaurant branding often borrows cultural imagery without always reflecting the original food traditions.
At the centre of it all, the restaurant name, the title carries deep historical weight in South African heritage, which is why some viewers felt it needed more thoughtful representation rather than being used as aesthetic branding abroad.