What is Heritage Day really about? The surprising history behind 24 September

For many South Africans, 24 September means a day off, a fire in the backyard and enough meat to feed a small army. But the public holiday has a much more complicated history than its modern braai-day reputation might suggest.

Heritage Day is officially about recognising and celebrating South Africa’s cultural wealth and the many cultures, traditions and histories that make up the country.

But 24 September did not start as a national day for everyone.

In fact, before it became the Heritage Day we know today, the date had a very specific significance in KwaZulu-Natal.

24 September was once Shaka Day

The origins of the date are closely linked to King Shaka Zulu, one of the most significant figures in Zulu history.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 24 September was traditionally observed as Shaka Day, commemorating the Zulu king. The date is associated with the anniversary of his death in 1828.

When South Africa’s new democratic government was creating the country’s post-apartheid public holiday calendar in the 1990s, however, Shaka Day was not initially included in the proposed Public Holidays Bill.

That prompted objections from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which had a large Zulu support base.

A compromise was eventually reached: rather than retaining the day solely as a commemoration of Shaka, 24 September would become a national holiday celebrating the heritage of all South Africans.

The first Heritage Day was in 1995

Heritage Day was first celebrated as a national public holiday on 24 September 1995, just a year after South Africa’s first democratic elections.

The idea was to create a day that recognised the country’s enormous cultural diversity while also helping build a shared South African identity.

The government describes heritage much more broadly than historical monuments or famous people. It includes things such as language, food, music, oral traditions, rituals, indigenous knowledge, skills, crafts and other forms of living culture.

That distinction is important because heritage is not simply about looking backwards.

South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture describes living heritage as something that continues to be practised and passed between generations. It can include everything from traditional knowledge and customary practices to music, dance, language and oral history.

So where did the braai come in?

This is where Heritage Day took on the identity many South Africans recognise today.

In the 2000s, the Braai4Heritage campaign promoted the idea of using the traditional South African braai as a way for people from different backgrounds to come together on 24 September.

The campaign was associated with Jan Scannell, better known as Jan Braai, and received particularly high-profile support from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

The National Heritage Council later endorsed the initiative in 2008.

The idea was not simply that everyone should eat the same food. Rather, the braai was presented as a simple shared activity that could bring people together regardless of their different cultural backgrounds.

And, over time, the braai became one of the defining images of Heritage Day.