Where to Buy Droëwors in the USA (2026): Who Makes It and What It Costs

Where to buy droëwors in the USA: order it online from an American producer. Droëwors cannot be brought in from South Africa, so every stick sold here is made here, by a few dozen small makers that ship nationwide. Expect to pay roughly $34 to $42 a pound. A handful of grocery chains and Amazon carry the bigger brands.

I should declare an interest. Droëwors is on the Billi Tong's launch list and we are not selling it yet. So this is a guide to buying from people who are, written by a future competitor. Prices are what each seller listed in early October 2026. Check before you order, because they move.

Where can you buy droëwors online?

Direct from the maker is the freshest route and usually the best price per pound. These are US producers and shops that listed droëwors for sale when I checked, Texas first because that is where I live.

That is not every maker in the country. It is the ones I could confirm had a live listing and a price. If you run a droëwors operation in Texas and I have missed you, email me and I will add you. The more of us there are, the sooner Americans stop calling it a beef stick.

Can you buy droëwors in stores?

Sometimes, and it depends heavily on your zip code.

• Whole Foods lists Ayoba droëwors in 1 oz and 2 oz packs.
• Amazon lists several brands, including Ayoba and Biltong Depot.
• Costco carries biltong in some warehouses. I could not find a droëwors listing as of October 2026.
• H-E-B lists biltong online. I could not find droëwors there either. Stock varies store to store, so it is worth a look in the jerky aisle.
• South African shops. The surest in-person option. If there is one near you, they will have it, usually behind the counter by the pound.

For Texas, the city guides list the shops I have been able to verify: Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

Why can't you order droëwors from South Africa?

Because the USDA will not let it in. South Africa is not on the list of countries the USDA recognises as free of foot-and-mouth disease, and APHIS does not allow travellers to bring most beef products back from affected countries, cured and dried ones included. Pack it in your suitcase and customs will take it off you.

That rule is the reason an American droëwors industry exists at all. South Africans who moved here could not import it, so they built drying rooms and made it under USDA inspection. The longer story is in why biltong is illegal in the US and can you bring biltong into the US.

What should you look for on the label?

• Beef, not pork. Traditional droëwors is beef with beef or lamb fat. Pork fat goes rancid as it dries.
• A short ingredient list. Beef, vinegar, salt, coriander, pepper, clove, nutmeg, casing. That is the whole recipe.
• The casing. Sheep or lamb casing is traditional and gives the snap. Collagen casing is common and fine.
• Sugar. Most have none. A few add something sweet, such as raisin juice concentrate. The panel will tell you.
• Made under USDA inspection. Any dried meat sold across state lines should be.

Whether it is good for you is its own question: is droëwors healthy.

What types of droëwors can you buy?

Traditional is the one to start with. After that you will see chilli or peri-peri versions, thick and thin sticks, and the occasional smoked one, which a purist will tell you is not droëwors and then eat anyway. Game droëwors made from kudu or springbok is common in South Africa and rare here. If you hunt, you can fix that yourself: venison droëwors.

How much does droëwors cost?

By the pound, the makers above cluster between about $34 and $42. Small packs cost more per ounce, as small packs always do. A 2 oz bag at $9.50 works out to $76 a pound.

It is not cheap, and there is a reason. Droëwors loses around half its weight as it dries, so a pound of finished sticks started as roughly two pounds of beef and fat. You are paying for the water that left.

When will Billi Tong's have droëwors?

It is on the launch list and there is no date. We are not open yet. The only way in early is a Founding 50 spot: $100 for a first-batch founder box of biltong, with first dibs on everything that follows. Until then, buy from the people in the table. They make good droëwors and you should not have to wait for mine. Questions go to cal@btbiltong.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is droëwors called in English?

Droëwors means dry sausage in Afrikaans. In the US it is sold as droëwors, droewors, drywors or dry wors, and sometimes described as an air-dried beef stick.

Is droëwors allowed in the USA?

Yes. Droëwors made in the United States under USDA inspection is legal to buy and sell. What is not allowed is bringing South African-made droëwors into the country.

Does Costco sell droëwors?

Some Costco warehouses carry biltong, but I could not find a droëwors listing as of October 2026. Stock varies by location.

Does Whole Foods sell droëwors?

Whole Foods lists Ayoba droëwors in 1 oz and 2 oz packs. Availability depends on the store.

Can you buy droëwors on Amazon?

Yes. Several US-made brands list droëwors on Amazon. Buying direct from the producer is usually fresher and cheaper per pound.

Which is healthier, biltong or droëwors?

Lean versions of both are nearly identical in calories and protein. Traditional droëwors is fattier than biltong, so biltong is usually the leaner choice.

Related reading

• What Is Droëwors? South Africa's Dried Sausage, Explained
• How to Pronounce Droëwors
• Biltong vs Droëwors
• How to Buy Biltong in the USA
• South African Meat Sticks: The Complete Guide