Heritage Day in South Africa is a public holiday for South Africans to celebrate their diverse cultural heritage, traditions, and languages, while also promoting unity as a nation.

When is Heritage Day?

Heritage Day in South Africa is celebrated every year on September 24.

The following is the list of Heritage Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Heritage Day?

Heritage Day has its roots in KwaZulu-Natal, where September 24 was traditionally observed as Shaka Day. This day honoured King Shaka Zulu, the legendary leader who united the Zulu clans into a powerful kingdom in the early 19th century.

When South Africa's new democratic government reviewed the official public holiday calendar after 1994, Shaka Day was not included. This sparked protests and concerns, especially from groups in KwaZulu-Natal who wanted the day recognized.

To resolve this, the government declared 24 September as Heritage Day, broadening its meaning beyond Zulu heritage to include all of South Africa's diverse cultural traditions, histories, and languages.

In the 2000s, media campaigns encouraged South Africans to celebrate Heritage Day by enjoying a braai (barbecue), a shared cultural pastime across communities. This idea, championed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who humorously called himself the "patron saint of braai day", helped make the holiday more widely embraced as a day of togetherness and inclusivity.