South Africa celebrates Heritage Month through culture and cuisine

South Africa is observing Heritage Month through various cultural celebrations and culinary innovations. In Cape Town, the 2026 World Koesister Day Competition was held at the V&A Waterfront, tasking chefs with incorporating indigenous ingredients into the traditional Cape Malay pastry.

Chef Huwitt Strydom won the competition by integrating Rooibos into the spiced koesister recipe. The use of Rooibos, an indigenous plant primarily cultivated in the Cederberg region, aims to introduce young culinary talent to local ingredients while preserving traditional food stories.

Other ways to observe Heritage Day include educational activities in schools and offices, such as sharing cultural fun facts, creating book hampers featuring diverse languages, and participating in language exchanges to explore the idioms and philosophies of South Africa’s eleven official languages.