| Summary: | As poultry organ meat is widely consumed, especially in low- and middle-income countries, there is reason to investigate it as a source of <i>Salmonella</i> infections in humans. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, serotypes, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance of <i>Salmonella</i> isolated from chicken offal from retail outlets in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Samples (<i>n</i> = 446) were cultured for the detection of <i>Salmonella</i> using ISO 6579-1:2017. Presumptive <i>Salmonella</i> were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. <i>Salmonella</i> isolates were serotyped using the Kauffmann–White–Le Minor scheme and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion technique. A conventional PCR was used for the detection of <i>Salmonella invA</i>, <i>agfA</i>, <i>lpfA</i> and <i>sivH</i> virulence genes. Of the 446 offal samples, 13 tested positive for <i>Salmonella</i> (2.91%; CI = 1.6–5). The serovars included <i>S.</i> Enteritidis (<i>n</i> = 3/13), <i>S</i>. Mbandaka (<i>n</i> = 1/13), <i>S.</i> Infantis (<i>n</i> = 3/13), <i>S</i>. Heidelberg (<i>n</i> = 5/13) and <i>S</i>. Typhimurium (<i>n</i> = 1/13). Antimicrobial resistance against amoxicillin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol and oxytetracycline was found only in <i>S</i>. Typhimurium and <i>S</i>. Mbandaka. All 13 <i>Salmonella</i> isolates harboured <i>invA</i>, <i>agfA</i>, <i>lpfA</i> and <i>sivH</i> virulence genes. The results show low <i>Salmonella</i> prevalence from chicken offal. However, most serovars are known zoonotic pathogens, and multi-drug resistance was observed in some isolates. Consequently, chicken offal products need to be treated with caution to avoid zoonotic <i>Salmonella</i> infections.
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