Heritage Day is one of the biggest celebrations on the South African calendar. Commemorated annually on September 24, it’s the day that enables us to celebrate our diverse cultures and traditions.
We dress in our traditional garb, dance to the African beats, belt out ancestral songs and share a taste of African cuisine prepared with love.
If you prefer an outdoor celebration this Heritage Day, we’ve got a few suggestions for you below.
Joburg
The Stables Village food market
Spoil your family to a variety of tasty foods at the Heritage Day food market at the Stables Village.
There will be a cocktail bar, a deli, a nursery, an arts and crafts studio for kids, an interior design shop, hair salon, nail studio and Thai massage in a peaceful garden setting, along with a Sunday Market and live music.
Where: The Stables Village Centre
When: September 24
Cost: Free ( bring money to buy food and drinks)
Braai at the Maslow
For meat lovers, the Lawns Maslow Hotel in Sandton is hosting a braai on September 24.
On their menu is a Tandoori chicken sosatie brushed with yoghurt, lamb shoulder, pita, hummus and all the trimmings, pap tart, mature cheddar with sweet corn, home-made chakalaka with red beans and grilled peppers and roasted mealies on the cob.
For something sweet, seasonal fruit skewers with honey and hazelnuts, peach schnapps, home-made trifle with vanilla sponge, wild berry jelly and crème anglaise, chocolate tart with peppermint crisp and koeksisters will be served to tickle your taste-buds.
Where: The Lawns, Maslow Hotel, Sandton Corner Grayston Drive and Rivonia Road
When: September 24
Cost: R350 per person and R170 for kids
Call: (010) 226 4815
Cape Town
Braai at Constantia Glen
Just like Jo’burgers, Capetonians can also enjoy a toast to spring over a braai and cool climate wines at picturesque Constantia Glen.
The celebration will offer guests live music as they indulge in a generous platter for two of tasty lamb spit braai, boerewors, braaibroodjie, pap poppers with Peppadews & cheese, chakalaka, mixed salad and olives.
To make reservations, visit www.constantiaglen.com.
Where: Constantia Glen
When: September 24
Cost: R360
Special dinners at the Lanzerac Manor Kitchen
Although it officially reopens on October 1, after closing for 12 months, the Lanzerac Manor Kitchen will be hosting special dinners in celebration of Heritage Month.
The dinners be held on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Manor Kitchen.
“September is such a significant month for South Africans, and we want to take this opportunity to wish all our guests an enriching Heritage Month in the best way we know how to.
We invite all South Africans to join us for a month of celebration with delicious cuisine and our signature wines at Lanzerac,” says Lanzerac general manager Emile Langenhoven.
With wine being a part of South Africa’s heritage, most of the dishes at these special dinners will be paired with the Lanzerac Heritage Range – specifically introduced to embrace the wine heritage of South Africa.
Dates and costs: Friday dinners (September 17 and 24) at R995 per couple.
Saturday dinners (September 18 and 25), wine pairing excluded: R560 pp or R1 120 per couple. Wine pairing included: R895 pp or R1 790 per couple.
To purchase tickets, please contact: discover@lanzerac.co.za
Heritage Day Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book food festival
Rivendell Wine Estate invites the whole family for a Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book (LRSB) festival on Heritage Day, paying tribute to South Africa’s rich and diverse culinary culture and “komvandaan”.
The LRSB group is a Facebook initiative, curated by television personality and businesswoman, Ingrid Jones, started in early 2020 when South Africans faced the first hard lockdown and many conversations had to be moved online.
The food stalls offer a range of hot meals, preserves, pies, samoosas, and koeksisters, frozen meals and pastries, as well as various sweet options.
The day’s programme includes cooking demonstrations by leading chefs and celebrity cooks, food, wine, and gin tastings, storytelling, entertainment, poetry readings by revered local artists, book discussions and signing, a cooking competition and much more. Call 028 284 9185.
Venue: Rivendell Wines
When: September 24
Cost: R60 per person
Durban
Indulge in a Durban-style curry
There’s nowhere else in the country that does curry quite like Durban. From unique spice blends that add flavour and heat to the aroma of curry leaves and the rich red colour of the gravy that soaks into the melt-in-your-mouth potatoes, tucking into a curry there is all part of embracing the true Durban experience.
If you’re looking to satisfy your taste-buds with more authentic Indian dishes, Durban is the ultimate treasure trove of hidden restaurant gems.
When it comes to generous portion size and authentic and tasty flavours, Goundens in Umbilo Road is where it’s at.
Satisfy monster curry cravings with mutton, chicken, fish or mince curry or, try something different and dig into kebabs or chops chutney, for a change.
But whatever you decide, be sure to also try their bunny chows that overflow with gravy and come served with tangy vinegar chilli, onion and grated carrots.
Venue: Umbilo Road, Glenwood
Cost: Between R49 to R70 per portion
Call: 031 205 5363
Get cultural at Phansi Museum
Durban is home to an array of museums that house objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest. Operating from a fully restored, Victorian national monument in Glenwood, the Phansi Museum bursts with culture.
The three floors of the mansion showcase Zulu beadwork, earplugs, wire baskets, beer-pots, fertility dolls, Ndebele blankets and ceremonial items, and artefacts from the Eastern Cape, Namibia and Kenya.
The most popular exhibit is the life-size marionette room, where 30 life-size puppets are adorned with ceremonial dresses from all over Southern Africa.
The museum is open Monday to Thursday from 8am-4pm, 8am-3pm on Fridays, 10am-2pm on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays.
Where: Esther Roberts Road, Glenwood
Cost: R70 per person
Call: 031 206 2889
Traverse a suspension bridge at Oribi Gorge
Surrounded by lush greenery and wildlife, one of the most exhilarating parts of a visit to Lake Eland Game Reserve is getting to walk across their 80m suspension bridge.
A short road trip of 120 km south of Durban, the drive is worth the sweeping views seen from such a height. With lush greenery and splendid landscapes, the experience can only be described as awe-inspiring, as you get to see the magnificence and grandeur of the Oribi Gorge from a very unique point.
Apart from the restaurants and tea garden, there is also a site for picnics and braaing and the choice of taking a self-guided game drive through one of their various routes.
Where: Lake Eland Game Reserve
Cost: R65 per person
Call: 039 687 0395