This Heritage Day, commemorated on Tuesday, September 24, the nation also celebrates three decades of democracy.
Mzansi has come a long way since 1994 when apartheid finally came to an end.
And while scores of South Africans will be feasting on delicious braai food, here are some homegrown luxuries that the country can be proud of.
SA’s first Michelin-star chef
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen opened JAN in Nice, France in 2013 and less than three years later, it received a Michelin star.
The renowned chef later expanded his restaurant by introducing MARIA, a bespoke dining concept named after his grandmother, who had a profound impact on his cooking, in Liguria, Italy.
He also announced the opening of Klein JAN, which will be situated on a private game reserve in the Tswalu Kalahari in Kuruman.
SA’s first luxury township hotel
Annette Skaap built the country's first four-star township boutique hotel, Spade Hotel and Spa in Khayelitsha in the Mother City.
The hotel, situated 24 kilometres away from Cape Town International Airport, has 13 suites with modern finishes and design elements.
Skaap is a qualified auditor and first ventured into rental property seven years ago after observing travellers flocking into the Western Cape annually from other provinces.
Her decision to open the hotel came after she noticed a gap in the market and started developing rental apartments and properties.
SA’s first and original pink gin
Musgrave Pink Gin is South Africa’s first and original pink gin and was first introduced in 2015 by founder and owner of Musgrave Crafted Spirits, Simone Musgrave.
While on a trendspotting trip to the UK, she noticed the craft trend shifting between categories with gin making the biggest impact.
Meanwhile, back in South Africa at the time, the craft beer market was flooded, making it the ideal time to launch the gin.
In order for the new alcoholic beverage to be a success, Musgrave started distilling her own unique botanical blend.
This includes rose hips, which are added during the distillery process, accentuating the distinct top notes of Cardamom, African Ginger and Grains of Paradise sourced from exotic locations across the African continent.
SA’s first luxury rail travel
The Blue Train was first launched in 1923 by the Union Limited and Union Express. The idea was inspired by Cecil John Rhodes, who dreamt of extending the British Empire by building a Trans-African railway between Cape Town and Cairo.
Although that never materialised, the Blue Train did become known as the Palace on Wheels as it connected the Cape Town harbour with the Witwatersrand’s goldfields.
As of 2009, the Blue Train is operated by Luxrail, a division of Transnet Freight Rail. It was voted Africa’s Leading Luxury Train for 10 consecutive years by the World Travel Awards.
SA’s first black artist to exhibit at the South African National Gallery
Renowned self-taught artist Moses Tladi, who was born in 1903 and died in 1959, became the first black artist to exhibit at the Iziko South African National Gallery. This was soon after the present building was opened, first in 1931 and then in 1933.
Tladi, who has also earned widespread acclaim as a realist landscape painter, was the son of a traditional healer who made a living by working creatively in iron, and a mother who was a gifted potter.
His work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realised prices ranging from 8,626 USD to 23,526 USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork.
SA’s first black female celebrity chef
Siba Mtongana is one of the most in-demand celebrity chefs in South Africa and she is continuously being featured on an array of local and international programmes.
This includes at food festivals all over the world as well as on the cover of several glossy magazines.
Mtongana’s popularity sky-rocketed after the success of her cookbook “Welcome to My Table” and television shows such as “Siba's Table”, which appeared on the Food Network.
She also recently launched Siba – The Restaurant at The Table Bay Hotel.
SA’s first African denim brand
AfrikansSwiss was first launched in 2014 by Tshepo Mohlala, Thato Mafubelu-Matabane and technology specialist Vusi Ndinisa.
While their early joint venture went bust, Mohlala is currently the founder of celebrity-endorsed premium ready-to-wear denim brand, Tshepo The Jean Maker which he launched in 2015, and Ngwenya, who is among Forbes Africa 30 under 30 entrepreneurs, went on to found his international premium sock brand, Skinny Sbu Socks.
Mohlala opened a flagship store in Hyde Park Corner in Johannesburg and in 2019, he made a pair of jeans for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex who collected them in person.