Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef stew meat on all sides.
Add the diced yellow onion and minced garlic to the pot, sautéing for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, sea salt, black pepper, and 0.5 cup of water; cover and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes until the beef is tender.
In a separate small pot, bring the remaining 1 cup of water to a boil.
Slowly whisk the white mealie meal into the boiling water, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until a thick, fluffy consistency (pap) is reached.
During the last 5 minutes of the beef cooking, add the shredded cabbage to the stew pot, stirring gently to steam it until it is tender-crisp.
Serve the savory beef and cabbage stew hot alongside a portion of the fluffy mealie meal.