Cultural events are listed here with basic background details. For specific events, dates, and times, please see the Featured Events on the Cultural Calendar main page.

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Heritage Day celebrates the culture, beliefs, diversity and traditions  of South Africans in the wider context of a nation belonging to all people. The Zulus were the members that named it Heritage Day. In Kwa Zulu-Natal, 24th September was known as Shaka Day for most people in commemoration of Shaka, the Zulu king of Southern Africa on the presumed date of 1828. Shaka played an important role in writing the disparate Zulu clans into cohesive nations. People gather annually to honour him on this day. The public Holidays Bill presented to the post Apartheid Parliament of South Africa in 1996 did not include 24th September on the list of proposed public holidays. As a result of this excursion, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a south African political party with a large membership objected to the bill. Parliament and the ANC reached a compromise and the day was given its present title and accepted as a public holiday known as Heritage Day. 

LIKELY DATES

24th September, 2023.