Short answer: Yes. Plain beef or game biltong is naturally low-carb. It has around 2–4 g net carbs per 100 g and roughly 50 g protein, making it South Africa’s premier low-carb whole-food snack.
| Per 100 g | Total carbs | Fibre | Net carbs | Fat | Protein | Carb band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biltong, beef, plain (with fat) | 2–4 g | 0 g | 2–4 g | 12–18 g | 45–50 g | Low-carb |
| Sweet chilli / BBQ biltong | 12–18 g | 0 g | 12–18 g | 6 g | 40 g | High-carb |
A 30 g snack pack of plain biltong has about 0.6–1.2 g total carbs, 0 g fibre and ~1 g net carbs.
Source: USDA FoodData Central.
What to watch for
Biltong in its authentic form is just beef, coarse salt, roasted coriander, black pepper, and vinegar. In Banting, fatty biltong (“geelvet”) is actively preferred over ultra-lean biltong because healthy animal fat provides sustained energy and prevents over-consuming lean protein.
The danger lies entirely in sweet marinades and bastings. Honey-glazed, BBQ, sweet chilli, chutney, and “sticky” biltong can hit 10–18 g carbs per 100 g — four times the carb count of traditional biltong. I ran a pre-packed sweet-chilli stick through Banting Buddy at Checkers and it came out at 12 g glycaemic carbs per 100 g, with brown sugar and dextrose listed high in the ingredients.
Game (kudu, springbok, gemsbok) and ostrich biltong follow the same rules: plain is low-carb, sweet coatings are high-carb. Game meat is naturally leaner, so pair it with some avocado or a slice of cheddar cheese to keep your healthy fat intake up.
Check the ingredients when buying pre-packed bags at Woolworths, Checkers, or Pick n Pay. If brown sugar, glucose, maltodextrin, or chutney seasonings appear near the top, choose the plain, traditional fatty cuts instead.
What to eat instead
Droëwors made without cereal or rusk filler is the closest swap — similar carbs, rich in beef fat, and easy to keep in the car. Raw or dry-roasted nuts (macadamias, walnuts) work for variety, though they are medium-carb and should be portioned to ~30g. Plain salted pork crackling is another zero-carb staple.
Related questions
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General information only, not medical advice. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat. Last updated: 2026-09-19. Sources listed on each page.