Heritage Day. Measured in Search Terms
Heritage Day Habits
Heritage Day in South Africa is about more than just a public holiday. It’s about acknowledging and honouring our country’s diverse cultural heritage, including its various cultural traditions, languages, and customs. And what better way than celebrating over a meal with loved ones?
The 24th of September has become a day where friends and families often gather in homes, parks, and public spaces to fire up the grill…. So much so that in 2005 the National Braai Day initiative was started, under the patronage of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to ‘celebrate our rich cultural tapestry amidst the backdrop of a shared tradition – the braai.’
At Predictive Insights, we track shifts in consumer behaviour and make forecasts for restaurants, hospitality, and retail groups, and so, changes in the frequency of braaiing can matter for our clients.
From the data we see that:
Heritage Day is the start of the first part of braai season, which extends onwards into October.
To look at this in more detail we use tools like MyTelescope, which tracks searches across various platforms.
This graph compares search terms for Heritage-based keywords over 4 years.
What the (MyTelescope) Data says
1. “Braai” dominates search terms
Searches that include the word “braai” peak in two places: starting with Heritage Day (September) but extending into October, and Christmas (December).
2. Heritage Day braaiing is catching up to Christmas
In 2024 the share of “braai” searches in the month after Heritage Day (October) was very close to searches during the Festive Season.
3. Traditional attire still matters
Traditional attire, although lower than “braai”, spikes around Heritage Day every year, but this spike was lower in 2024 than previous years.
4. Traditional food is trending up
Traditional food is increasing in popularity and is trending upwards lately, pointing to growing interest in cultural dishes.
What this means: Feasting as a Connector
In the digital signals we can measure, Heritage Day marks the start of braai season, and this first month of braai season is increasing in popularity with time, as is interest in other types of traditional food.
Braaiing and traditional food aren’t just meals. They’re cultural rituals that bring people together, across communities and across the country.
Curious about what your data is telling you?
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