By Sbongile Sokela
South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation for a reason. Our country is blessed with many different cultures, traditions, and languages that together tell a powerful story of who we are. Heritage Month and Day, celebrated every September, remind us to pause and honour the roots that shaped us, while also respecting the differences that make us unique.
Heritage is more than just clothing, food, or music, it is the heartbeat of a people. It carries the wisdom of our forefathers, the practices that were passed down through generations, and the stories that give meaning to our everyday lives. When we celebrate Heritage Day, we are not only remembering the past but also keeping it alive for the future.
Kwa-Thema-based designer, Nomthandazo Gloria Shabalala, explained the deep meaning of cultural celebrations and how they connect us with the wider world. She shared:
“My experience is a bit abroad, not exactly traditional clothes only, I go with a deeper spirit. It started when we were very young from our forefathers, our transporters, it started from the Bible itself whereby the Bible we know it’s there. So my experience with cultural month and day is huge. I’m coming from that other side of the world to just check what’s going on, they celebrate the way we do and more than the way we do. That is why they do Carnivals sometimes on the streets, enjoying, it’s how they celebrate. My wish is that my Township, Kwa-Thema, as I was born and bred here, is that Kwa-Thema must come back, Africa must come back, we must start here.”
Her words echo the spirit of Heritage Month and Day, a reminder that celebrating our culture is not only about wearing traditional attire or attending events, but also about reviving pride, unity, and identity in our communities.
Different cultures across South Africa have their own ways of celebrating, from colourful street carnivals, traditional dances, indigenous food, beadwork, to music that tells powerful stories. Yet, at the core of all these celebrations is one common thread, the desire to belong and to pass on a legacy.
Heritage Month and Day is not just a public holiday on the calendar, it is a call for every South African to look within, to reconnect with their roots, and to share the richness of their culture with others. It reminds us that unity in diversity is not just a slogan, it is who we are.
