Heritage Day is annually celebrated on the 24th of September each year!
It is far more than just a public holiday. It’s a day where all South Africans can celebrate their unique cultures as well as their underlying unity. As diverse as our cultures and backgrounds may be, Heritage Day is all about bringing the entire nation together.
- Prior to 1994, the day was commemorated in KZN as Shaka Day and was a day that used to acknowledge the Zulu leader, King Shaka Zulu.
- In 1995, when 24 September was omitted from the proposed Public Holidays Bill before parliament, the Inkatha Freedom Party objected.
- In order to reach a compromise, a day was decided upon that would celebrate the country’s cultural unity and diversity – Heritage Day.
It is a day on which all South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people. As the self-proclaimed ‘Rainbow Nation’, boasting a vibrant cultural diversity, eleven official languages, a rich and intricate history and a variety of traditions, Heritage Day is recognized and celebrated in many different ways in South Africa.
At the end of the day, we are ALL South Africans, and our ability to grow and learn from each other is not only endless, but a gift. This will further allow us to grow as individuals and contribute to a more unified South Africa.
Heritage Day therefore provides a great opportunity for all South Africans to put their differences in politics, perspectives, and opinions aside, to unite and come together in a single shared purpose and objective – To celebrate South Africa’s profound history and heritage TOGETHER AS ONE NATION!