Hi Mark. Good question, I have the same issue in the US (not finding quark or it being incredibly overpriced).
And while you can make your quark, the process is rather lengthy and not realistic for most people.
The closest I have come to replace it is to use low fat Greek Yogurt. I don’t know South African products and how similar they are to the US but if you can find something like Greek Yogurt that would work.
The other product, I keep meaning to try (but have not tested) is American cottage cheese (with the curds). If I were to do that I’d 100% blend the cottage cheese and maybe add a bit of sour cream to add some tartness. It’s something I’d love to try but I haven’t gotten to.
So your best bet would probably be finding Greek yogurt (I talk in the blog post more about which one). If you have extra time, there are plenty of recipes how to make Quark. But it’s not an instant thing and for most people here not a great option. I know that’s not a perfect answer but hopefully gives you some inspiration. Good luck trying and happy baking season. 🙂

The consistency of 0% fat Greek yogurt is closest to German ‘Quark’. The translation for which is cottage cheese but it’s not quite the same type of cottage cheese we have in our US supermarkets. Quark is a staple in German supermarkets but it’s very hard to source in the US.

Thanks for the question. Fage 0% is thicker and tangier than what this recipe calls for, so the cheesecake will turn out firmer and less creamy if you use it. It’s not the best swap, but it will work in a pinch. Just know the texture and flavor will be different from the original German version.

Yay! I’m glad that worked for you. Thank you for sharing.