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The South African braai calendar

Every braai festival, potjie competition and braai-friendly long weekend in the year, plus what to do around the fire each month.

January

1 Jan New Year's Day (Friday): long weekend

  • Western Cape fire season (December to April). Watch for fire danger warnings: when one is out, no open-air fires are allowed, braais included. Veld fires and firebreaks →
  • Hot days: light the braai later and keep a hose or bucket nearby.

February

  • Late-summer braais: mielies, sosaties and snoek on the grid. Braai timer →

March

22 Mar Human Rights Day, observed (Monday): long weekend

26 Mar Good Friday

29 Mar Family Day (Monday): four-day Easter weekend

April

Event

Karoo Food & Wine Festival

📍 Jenkins Creek, near Cradock, Eastern Cape · 🗓 Late April (24–26 April in 2026)

Karoo lamb, potjiekos and food stalls. It hosted the Karoo Potjie Master competition from 2023.

Last confirmed: 2026. We could not confirm that the potjie competition ran after 2024. Source

27 Apr Freedom Day (Tuesday)

  • Check gas heaters before the first cold night: hoses, regulator, and a soapy-water leak test. Gas heater safety →
  • The Western Cape fire season ends with April.

May

Event

Mzansi Food & Drink Show

📍 Kyalami International Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng · 🗓 Late May or early June

A big food show. In 2024 it hosted braai and smoked-meat competitions judged on KCBS-style criteria.

Last confirmed: 2026 (show); 2024 (braai competitions). Braai competitions not confirmed for 2026. Source

Event

Championship Boerewors: entries open

📍 National (butcheries enter) · 🗓 Entries open around May and close in mid-June

Shoprite and Checkers' long-running search for South Africa's best boerewors, now past its 30th year.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

1 May Workers' Day (Saturday)

July

Event

Nicarela Charity Potjiekos Competition

📍 George Hay Park, Parkview, Johannesburg · 🗓 July (27 July in 2025)

A charity potjie cook-off in the park.

Last confirmed: 2025. The 2026 edition was not confirmed. Source

  • Mid-winter: fire pits and patio heaters keep the braai going after dark. Fire pit guide →

August

Event

Championship Boerewors final

📍 Live cook-off, Gauteng · 🗓 Mid-August (15 August in 2026). The winning wors goes on sale in early September.

The top 10 finalists braai their wors live for the judges.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

Event

Hantam Vleisfees

📍 Calvinia, Northern Cape · 🗓 Late August (the main days were 28–29 August in 2026)

The High Karoo's meat and lamb festival, running since 1990: open-fire meat, boeremusiek and a festival queen.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

9 Aug National Women's Day (Monday): long weekend

September

Event

Waterblommetjie Festival potjiekos competition

📍 Windmeul Kelder, Agter-Paarl, Western Cape · 🗓 Early September (5 September in 2026)

A potjie competition with traditional and non-traditional categories, plus waterblommetjiebredie.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

Event

National Braai Day (Heritage Day)

📍 Everywhere · 🗓 24 September, every year

Jan Braai's campaign, started in 2005, to celebrate Heritage Day around a braai fire.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

Event

World's Biggest Braai record attempt

📍 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria · 🗓 Heritage Day (attempts in 2025 and 2026)

A mass braai aiming at the Guinness World Record for the largest barbecue.

Last confirmed: 2026. The 2025 attempt wasn't certified on a technicality, and we found no published result for 2026. Source

Event

eThekwini Shisanyama Festival

📍 Berea Rovers, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal · 🗓 Late September (26 September in 2026)

Shisa nyama and live music. A young festival: 2026 was only its second year.

Last confirmed: 2026. Source

24 Sep Heritage Day / National Braai Day (Friday): long weekend

October

Event

Long Tom Potjiekos Competition

📍 Hops Hollow Brewery, Long Tom Pass, Mpumalanga · 🗓 October

A potjie competition on the pass between Lydenburg and Sabie. The 2025 edition, its sixth, drew 24 cooks.

Last confirmed: 2025. 2026 not confirmed. Source

  • Inland fire season usually ends with the first good rains.
  • Time for a new braai before December? Which braai quiz →

December

16 Dec Day of Reconciliation (Thursday)

25 Dec Christmas Day (Saturday)

27 Dec Day of Goodwill, observed (Monday)

About National Braai Day

Heritage Day on 24 September has been a public holiday since 1995. In 2005, Jan Scannell, better known as Jan Braai, started a campaign to celebrate it around a braai fire, on the idea that the braai is something South Africans of every background share. Archbishop Desmond Tutu became the campaign's patron in 2007, and it's now known as Braai4Heritage. Not everyone loves it: some critics argue that a braai crowds out the wider heritage the day was meant to celebrate.

Know an event we've missed?

Organisers of braai, potjie, wors and shisa nyama events: tell us the dates and we'll add yours. Festival dates change from year to year, so always check with the organiser before you travel.

Event details were checked against public sources on 3 November 2026. Holidays follow the Public Holidays Act: when a holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday is a holiday.