Cape Town’s annual Street Food Festival has included Johannesburg as a second venue this year, where it will trade at the Hazard Gallery in the Maboneng Precinct on 1 August 2015.Both cities will follow the same programme with a day-long food market and conference featuring a panel of prominent industry speakers. The markets will showcase a rich selection of local vendors serving up authentic street fare ranging from shisa nyama and bunny chows to gatsbys, vetkoek, askoek, and fish and chips.

Activities like beer tasting and an eating competition are also on the cards, and while vendors will only be finalised in May, festival director Hannerie Visser promises a plethora of the country’s best street food. “It’s an opportunity to try out all your favourite street foods in one day and learn how to make a business out of your passion for food,” she says.

The conference costs R300 per person and will focus on talks and workshops aimed at food lovers and entrepreneurs, with topics ranging from food styling and trends to social media marketing and logo and packaging design. Speakers include Eat Out editor and TASTE food editor Abigail Donnelly, The Kitchen’s Karen Dudley, food writer Thando Moleketi, design expert Gideon van Lill, and more. The event will conclude with a collaborative street food dinner, which will cost R350 per head and feature contributions from select speakers and market vendors. “By showcasing our South African street food culture, we hope to inspire and empower people to pursue their love for food as a career,” says Hannerie.

The Street Food Festival, which launched in Cape Town in 2014, attracted over 2 000 visitors and hosted more than 40 local food vendors. The Cape Town branch of the event will take place at Side Street Studios in Woodstock on 26 July 2015, before moving to Hazard Gallery in Maboneng, Johannesburg, on 1 August.

Purchase your tickets on Quicket.co.za and follow #StreetFoodZA on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates.