Why Heritage Day is South Africa's Real Braai Day
Every 24 September, something happens across South Africa that no government notice could ever organise. Smoke rises over Soweto and Stellenbosch, over Durban balconies and Karoo farmyards. That is Heritage Day, and it is why South Africans also know it as National Braai Day.
From Shaka Day to a holiday for everyone
Heritage Day began life in KwaZulu-Natal as Shaka Day, honouring King Shaka Zulu. When the new democratic government drew up its list of public holidays in the mid-1990s, the day was nearly left out. It was saved and given a broader purpose: a day for every South African to celebrate the culture, customs and traditions that make us who we are.
The question was how a country with eleven official languages would celebrate one shared heritage. The answer was sitting in every backyard.
Different languages. Different histories. One fire.
How the braai became our common ground
In 2005, a campaign launched to position 24 September as National Braai Day, a day to unite South Africans around the one tradition that crosses every line. It gained real weight when Archbishop Desmond Tutu became its patron, backing the braai as something that brings all South Africans together.
It worked because it was already true. A braai is not a meal. It is an invitation. Someone lights the fire, someone brings the boerewors, someone argues about when the coals are ready, and for a few hours nobody checks the time. That is heritage. Not something kept in a museum, but something we practise every weekend.
The Heritage Day braai area: the heart of the home
Ask any South African where the best conversations in their house happen and the answer will not be the lounge. It will be the braai area, regardless if it is a Charcoal braai, Gas braai or even a Drum braai.
A proper built-in braai turns a patio into the place where family traditions are made and passed on. For over 40 years, Jetmaster has built braais and fireplaces in South Africa for exactly this.
Jetmaster Nova Braai 800mm
Heavy-duty mild steel firebox with a removable door. The ideal first built-in braai for a townhouse or smaller patio.
Jetmaster Nova Braai 1000mm
The same trusted build with more grid space for the whole extended family.
Jetmaster Entertainer 1200
Built for people who host. Mild steel, 430 or 304 stainless steel to suit your budget and coastal conditions.
Jetmaster Unibraai 1200mm Stainless
Premium 304 stainless steel for a patio that looks as good as the food tastes.
Jetmaster Super Deluxe 1200mm
The flagship for large families and big gatherings. Also available in 1500mm.
Jetmaster Dual Built-in Braai
Wood, charcoal and gas in one unit. For the household that never agrees on how to braai.
No space for construction? The Jetmaster Table Top Insert gives you a built-in braai on an existing counter or brick surface. From R3,999.
View the Table Top InsertMost of these ship with free delivery.
Start a tradition this Heritage Day
This 24 September, light a fire and tell a story. Teach your children how your father made his fire. Ask your neighbour what they grew up eating on Heritage Day. Cook something from a tradition that is not your own.