Feeding people is a blessing' DJ unites South Africans through good food

Solly's Corner, a fast food restaurant in downtown Johannesburg, was bustling. Slabs of hake and golden chips sizzled, green chillies were being chopped and homemade sauces distributed liberally into packed sandwiches.

- Rachel Savage

Solly's Corner, a fast food restaurant in downtown Johannesburg, was bustling. Slabs of hake and golden chips sizzled, green chillies were being chopped and homemade sauces distributed liberally into packed sandwiches. Nick Hamman stepped behind the counter and was greeted as an old friend by Yoonas and Mohammed Akhalwaya, the father-son duo behind the family business in Fordsburg, historically a south Asian and Middle Eastern area.

Hamman, an influencer and radio DJ who has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, has made it his mission for the past two years to boost food businesses across South Africa, highlighting its diverse cuisine and bringing its people together across their often divided cultures.

Each video opens with a cheerful: "I'm Nick Hamman!" He goes on to state his goal for the day, such as looking for the best burgers, boerewors sausages or breyani (biriyani). From mala mogodu intestine stew to magwinya doughnuts slathered with liver, there is seemingly nothing Hamman won't enjoy.