Just like the Bokke keep showing us, South Africans are unstoppable when they stand together—proving once again that, even in the face of controversy, we unite to celebrate our heritage, our traditions, and the spirit of a shared braai.
Western Cape, South Africa (25 September 2024) – Just like the Bokke keep showing us, South Africans are truly stronger when we stand together. And it was this unity that shone brightly over Heritage Day when South Africans from all walks of life rallied behind Jan Braai, a man who has become almost synonymous with this beloved South African tradition.
Heritage Day, also known as “Braai Day” to many, is a day when South Africans come together to celebrate their diverse cultures, often around the warmth of a braai fire. Braaiing has grown beyond just a way of cooking—it’s become a symbol of unity, togetherness, and proudly celebrating who we are. One man who has played a massive role in this is Jan Braai (real name Jan Scannell), the founder of National Braai Day, who encourages South Africans to connect through the simple act of sharing food over a fire.
This year, Jan partnered with the Western Cape Food Lover’s Market for a special Heritage Day promotion, where he handed out his latest creation, the ‘kerriewors’—a delicious Kerrie-flavoured boerewors roll—at their Willowbridge store.
But what should have been a joyful day of celebrating Heritage Day took an unexpected turn when a now-viral video clip surfaced online. In the video, captured by a bystander, Jan is seen handing out kerriewors to excited shoppers in the parking lot, but the caption suggested something far more negative. It read, “See how Jan Braai ignores the guy in the blue tracksuit,” leading many to accuse Jan of racism. Mainstream media quickly picked up the story, fanning the flames of the controversy.
The original video, showing just a snippet of the event, painted Jan in a negative light. But, in an era where online narratives can quickly get skewed, there was much more to the story.
Food Lover’s Market stepped in with the facts, posting CCTV footage of the full event, which clearly showed that the man in the blue tracksuit did, in fact, receive a kerriewors roll. The retailer was quick to rubbish the racism allegations, calling them out as a gross misrepresentation of the day.
“We enjoyed a lovely day out at our Willowbridge store, giving customers a taste of the Jan Braai Kerriewors. Shoppers, from all walks of life, had great fun sampling delicious free boeries. We are aware of allegations making the rounds that only selected shoppers received boerewors rolls. This is simply not true,” the Food Lover’s Market team said in a statement.
They further added: “This allegation is based on an uncharitable interpretation of a single video, which was a small snapshot of the day. Anyone who was there would find the allegation laughable.”
Some mainstream media platforms pulled the original articles and issued corrections and apologies.
What could have easily spiralled into a harmful “cancel” moment was quickly turned around as the truth emerged, and South Africans rallied behind Jan. Social media was soon flooded with love and support for the braai master, with many users defending him and pointing out how easily a misleading video can change the story.
“We need to focus on our country’s positivity. We can’t let things divide us, especially things that are not true. We are stronger together! I think we need to spend less time fighting with each other online and more time together, united around a lekker braai,” Jan told Good Things Guy.
The irony in it all? On a day meant to celebrate our heritage, including the tradition of gathering for a braai, South Africans came together on social media to stand behind a man whose very name is Jan Braai! This wasn’t just about defending a person, but about uniting for something bigger: a shared culture, a love for braaiing, and a sense of fairness that brought everyone together.
And that’s the real beauty of Heritage Day—no matter where we come from or what we believe in, we are united in our love for a good old-fashioned braai and in standing up for what’s right.
South Africans, we truly are stronger together!
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