Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) using conventional oven settings or 200°C (390°F) using a fan-forced oven. Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and halve them lengthwise. Score the cut surfaces in a diamond pattern, rub with a little oil (about a teaspoon), and season generously with salt and pepper.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with the cut side facing up and bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.

Wash the vegetables, slice the spring onions into rings, reserving the green parts for garnish. Finely dice the bell pepper and tomato, peel and finely dice the garlic.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the ground beef, and sauté for four to five minutes until crumbly. Once the beef is brown and crumbly, add the bell peppers, tomatoes, spices, and the white parts of the spring onions, and sauté for another five minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cream cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Set the filling aside until the sweet potatoes are ready.

Remove the soft-cooked sweet potatoes from the oven and fluff up the insides with a fork. Distribute the filling evenly among all the sweet potato halves and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven at 200°C (top and bottom heat) or 180°C (fan-assisted heat) for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with the remaining spring onions.