Every 24th September, South Africans celebrate Heritage Day—a public holiday celebrating the country’s cultural diversity. True to the moniker of “Rainbow Nation,” we celebrate this holiday to show our acceptance of everyone’s uniqueness.

That said, if you want to truly enjoy Heritage Day in South Africa, then there are several things you can do to party it up with your family and friends. Here are our recommendations!

All About Heritage Day

Before we get to our list of things to do, here’s a brief explainer on Heritage Day so you can celebrate it with a rich understanding of its history. 

It’s celebrated during Heritage Month (September) and is marked by locals wearing traditional outfits (Zulu clothing like the isinene, ibheshu, and izicolo) and eating local dishes such as bobotie, boerewors, potjekos, and koeksister.

Historically, September 24 was marked as Shaka’s Day, which commemorated Shaka Zulu—a legendary king who played a crucial role in the unification of the nation. The government eventually changed it to “Heritage Day” to make it more inclusive.

Do note though, that Heritage Month is also Tourism Month for South Africa. As such, expect to see promotions all related to the country’s tourism.

Enjoy some braai with the locals

South Africans love gathering around a fire and cooking their food while sharing stories with each other. This barbecue is called braai, and it’s also one great way to celebrate Heritage Day.

This started out with Jan Scannel—locally known as Jan Braii. He initiated the proposal for National Braai Day, which called on all South Africans to gather around the fire to celebrate the country’s unique heritage and culture.

During a braai cookout session, you’ll see locals donning aprons and cooking some farm sausages (also called boerewors). This simple but heartwarming act aims to further unite its citizens, which was previously a divided nation.

Look for hotels and restaurants that offer braai platters or a braai picnic basket that you can share with your family and friends. The best part about these braai events is that they’ll usually have live music and a fantastic local vibe for you to enjoy!

Explore South African cuisine

To immerse yourself further in the culture of South Africa, you also need to sample some of their traditional condiments, spices, and wines. These include spices like ginger, allspice, turmeric, and garam masala.

Traditional South African wines, on the other hand, include Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon—perfect for pairing with any meal! 

You can enjoy these spices and wines during your braai picnic, or you can have them packed to give as a gift to your loved ones.

Once you already have a basic idea of the local flavours, you can then better appreciate and enjoy the local dishes (e.g. bobotie, boerewors, and biltong). 

South African cuisine has colonial roots, which means you’ll experience a variety of different flavours and textures.

The country has two styles of cooking: Cape Malay cooking which usually involves Islam-influenced dishes that come from Indonesia and different parts of Africa. This style of cooking features dishes such as meat skewers and grilled vegetables. 

Cape Dutch style, on the other hand, features meat-based dishes seasoned with spices like nutmeg and allspice. 

It’s influenced by the cooking styles and dishes found in Malaysia, Bengal, and Java introduced by slaves whom the Dutch trafficked from these countries.

Visit a nature reserve

South Africa has some amazing and the nature reserves around the country are some of the best sites to check out during Heritage Day. Visiting nature reserves is a fantastic way for you to further immerse in the country’s natural heritage. 

You can check out some of these fantastic sites at the Western Cape.

We recommend dropping by some of the more popular ones in the area like Karoo National Park, Garden Route National Park, Overberg Nature Reserves, Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, and West Coast National Park.

Aside from their cultural significance, visiting these nature reserves will also allow you to do some exciting (and physically demanding) activities. Nothing beats cycling, bouldering, and horse riding in the middle of Mother Nature during this holiday!

Go on a cruise

You can also embark on a cruise to celebrate Heritage Day. There’s a 30-minute circular cruise around the Durban Harbour where you can check out the breathtaking scenery and admire the stunning beauty of the surrounding area in comfort.

These cruises will usually have a tour guide that will give you a short history of the area and the points of interest you need to look out for. Plus, you get to do this cruise in style while aboard a luxurious pontoon and sipping on local wine.

You can also go all-out and splurge a bit for your family and friends. There are some cruise packages that will provide lunch for up to ten people, a bottle of champagne, and a photoshoot for your group as a souvenir for Heritage Day.

Visit Freedom Park

Finally, you can cap off your Heritage Day celebration by visiting Freedom Park. The park isn’t just a place for you to enjoy the views but to also learn more about the culture and history of South Africa.

The park as a whole celebrates the men and women who contributed to the liberation of South Africa, and the museum inside the park chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the nation. 

Keep in mind though that the park has an entrance fee of around R70 for adults and R50 for students. However, check out their website in case they are offering promos, discounts, or even free entrance during public holidays such as Heritage Day.