From braais to bunny chow: Your Heritage Day checklist - IOL
A celebration of South African flavour, culture and connection, Heritage Day reminds us that home is often found in the traditions we share and the memories we make.
There are a few things you can almost guarantee with a South African gathering: someone will argue about the braai, someone will arrive with extra people, and somebody will insist their family makes the best version of whatever is on the table.
With Heritage Day also popularly known as National Braai Day, September is the perfect time to celebrate everything that makes South Africa feel like home.
Proud supporter of the Mrs South Africa pageant, Dotsure, asked the Mrs South Africa 2026 finalists what heritage means to them, and their answers covered everything from family recipes and favourite songs to wildlife and the pets they consider part of the family.
Angelique shares her personal perspective on South African heritage and everyday moments that make home feel like home.
Food featured strongly in the finalists’ own Heritage Day plans. Angelique Janse van Rensburg goes for milk tart, boerewors rolls, and biltong, while Meghan Cyster’s ideal spread includes steak, chops, wors, braaibroodjies and family-made salads. Carika Bebb keeps it simple with boerewors, while Aleche Landman brings rib-eye, pap, potato bake, and pampoenkoekies to the table.
Different menus, the same familiar feeling of bringing people together.
The soundtrack of home can be surprisingly specific. For Angelique, it is the National Anthem. Meghan chooses “Sister Bethina” by Mgarimbe, while Carika’s pick is PJ Powers’ “World in Union”. Aleche doesn't need a playlist at all; the sound of guinea fowl takes her straight back to home.
Meghan reflects on the importance of family and connection.
The finalists’ choices show just how differently a place can hold meaning. Angelique and Aleche both chose Kruger National Park, Meghan chose Robben Island for its place in South Africa’s history, while Carika chose Cape Town.
Your place might be a famous landmark. It might also be the corner shop where everyone knows your name, the beach you visited every December or your grandparents’ old house.
Carika shares the values and sense of resilience that shape her idea of South African heritage.
For the finalists, family traditions often came down to something wonderfully simple. Family meals, Sunday gatherings, braais, and shared memories all featured in their answers.
There is no single recipe for a typically South African holiday. Yours might involve a Durban bunny chow, a family braai, a favourite song, a trip somewhere beautiful or a dog asleep under the table while everyone else carries on around them.
Heritage lives in the things we remember, the traditions we keep and the new memories we make along the way.
At Dotsure, we believe the things we care about are worth celebrating and looking after. So, gather your people and enjoy everything that makes your corner of the country feel like home.
Dotsure Limited (Registration number 2006/000723/06) is a licensed non-life insurer and authorised financial services provider (FSP39925). Voted South Africa’s Best Pet Insurance 2023-2025 by readers of The Star, Die Burger, Beeld, and City Press.
