News

With voting now closed for the 2025 Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge, pizza lovers across South Africa have spoken, and the results are in! The nation has selected its Top 20 Pizzerias, a showcase of the passion, flair and flavour that define South Africa’s pizza culture.

But which province can boast the most crowd-pleasing crusts? Here’s the breakdown of this year’s top contenders in alphabetical order by province:

Gauteng (7)

Charlies Pizzeria and Coffee Shop (Benoni)
Fratelli (Ferndale)
Gino’s Pizza (Robertsham)
Harry’s Grill and Sportsbar (Robertsham)
Iggs Pizzeria (Pretoria)
Osteria Rossa (Bedfordview)
Toni’s Fully Furnished Pizza Co. (Pretoria)

Western Cape (6)

Bardelli’s (Kenilworth, Cape Town)
Corlie’s Italian (Somerset West)
Datterino (Observatory, Cape Town)
Fat Harry’s (Kenilworth)
Ferdinando’s (Observatory)
Satori (Kalk Bay)

North West (3)

Julia’s Eatalian (Potchefstroom)
Oukraal Restaurant (Potchefstroom)
The Broken Pot (Potchefstroom)

KwaZulu-Natal (2)

19 Beach Road Restaurant (Amanzimtoti)
Al Pescatore (Ballito)

Mpumalanga (1)

Phat Boys Beer House (White River)

Eastern Cape (1)

The Nose (Gqeberha)

The excitement doesn’t end with the Top 20 announcement. Beginning November 4, Porcupine Ridge will roll out the results across its Facebook and Instagram pages:

Nov 4–10: Counting down from #20 to #11, with two restaurants revealed each day.
Nov 11–14: #10 to #4 will be unveiled.
Nov 17: The Bronze and Silver spots will be revealed.
Nov 21: The Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge Winner for 2025 will be crowned!

So what’s at stake?

For the pizzerias, the rewards are as mouthwatering as their creations! For the winner, not only 12 months of bragging rights as the country’s favourite pizzeria, but also a bespoke Porcupine Ridge winner’s paddle and marketing collateral and Porcupine Ridge wine valued at R40 000. The winning team will also receive R900 in vouchers and three cases of wine to share among its staff.

Runners-up (2nd & 3rd) will receive Porcupine Ridge marketing support, wine and vouchers for standout team members.

And for one lucky voter, a grand prize worth nearly R10 000, that includes an EarthFire Tabletop Pizza Oven, a year’s worth of pizza (up to R2 000) from their favourite pizzeria and five cases of Porcupine Ridge wine.

As the countdown unfolds, fans are encouraged to follow along on social media and join in celebrating the restaurants that make South Africa’s pizza scene one of the most vibrant in the world.