The 24th of September is Heritage Day — known to most South Africans simply as National Braai Day. Here is how to celebrate it properly in Umhlanga, with the ocean in front of you and a fire going.

On the 24th of September every year, South Africa celebrates Heritage Day — a public holiday officially dedicated to the country's cultural diversity. In practice, most South Africans celebrate it the same way: by lighting a fire, cooking meat, and spending the day with people they like. The braai has become the unofficial national symbol, and for one afternoon a year the whole country smells of woodsmoke and the good sense of not having anywhere else to be.

Why Umhlanga Is an Excellent Place to Braai

Umhlanga in late September is about as good as braai weather gets. The days are warm without the summer humidity — typically 25–28 °C by afternoon — and the sea breeze that picks up from around 4 pm keeps things comfortable without being cold. Almost all our apartments have braai facilities, whether a built-in Weber on the balcony, a communal braai area in the complex, or a proper hardwood setup with a cast-iron grid. The combination of a sea view, a fire, and a Heritage Day afternoon is difficult to improve on.

What to Cook

The traditional Heritage Day braai is democratic — boerewors, chops, and chicken on the fire, with pap or potato salad and chakalaka on the side. But Umhlanga adds a coastal dimension worth taking advantage of. The fish shops on Chartwell Drive do fresh linefish and prawns throughout the week; Heritage Day sees them busy, so go the morning before to get the pick of the catch. Whole yellowtail on the fire, basted simply with lemon and garlic, is a different experience to the Highveld braai — and a better one, most years.

Braai supply tip

Pick up charcoal or hardwood the day before Heritage Day — the Chartwell Centre Pick n Pay and the local hardware stores stock up but can run low by the afternoon of the 23rd. Hardwood (rather than charcoal briquettes) gives better heat and flavour for fish.

Heritage Day on the Beach

The beach itself takes on a particular atmosphere on Heritage Day. Families set up from early morning with portable braais and umbrellas, children run between the waves and the food, and the promenade develops an easy, convivial energy that is hard to manufacture any other time of year. It is one of those days when Umhlanga feels less like a holiday destination and more like a community — everyone outside, everyone fed, everyone content.

Note that open fires are not permitted on the beach itself, but the grassed areas along the promenade and the braai facilities in apartment complexes are well-used on the day. The beach is for the afternoon swim.

What the Restaurants Are Doing

Several of the Umhlanga Village restaurants run Heritage Day specials — themed menus, outdoor setups, and braai-specific offerings that make eating out on the day genuinely worth considering if you want to leave the fire-lighting to someone else. Ile Maurice typically has a seafood focus; the more casual spots along the Village strip do a brisk trade in braai plates and local craft beer. If you plan to eat out, book ahead — Heritage Day is a busy dining day and walk-ins are difficult.

The Day After

Heritage Day falls on a Wednesday in 2026, which makes it a useful anchor for a midweek break. The surrounding days — Monday and Tuesday arriving, Thursday and Friday departing — are some of the most affordable nights of the spring calendar, and the beach mid-week has a weekday calm that the weekend cannot match. A three- or four-night stay built around the 24th is one of the quieter, more affordable ways to get a spring week in Umhlanga.

  • Buy fresh fish and prawns from Chartwell Drive on the 23rd — shops are busy on the day.
  • Stock up on braai supplies the day before — charcoal and hardwood sell out.
  • Book restaurants in advance if you prefer to eat out — Heritage Day fills the Village.
  • The beach is best in the early afternoon; morning is for the fire.
  • A braai on the balcony with a sea view is one of the better Heritage Day options in the country.
"We came for Heritage Day three years ago — just a long weekend — and ended up staying a full week because we didn't want to leave. The apartment had a balcony braai facing the sea. It was the most South African thing we have ever done."