8 ways to celebrate Heritage Day in your real estate business

Heritage Day, affectionately known as ‘Braai Day’ by many, is not just any public holiday in South Africa. It’s a vibrant celebration of our shared identity, diversity, and all the cultural flavours that make this country so unique. For real estate businesses, it’s also a golden opportunity to connect with clients, communities, and colleagues in a more meaningful way.

At its heart, Heritage Day is about honouring who we are, where we come from, and how we live together, the true spirit of Ubuntu values. So why not turn the day into something memorable for your business too?

Here are eight creative and culturally rich ways to celebrate Heritage Day in your real estate business, with authenticity, energy, and just the right amount of flair.

1. Celebrate your team’s roots with traditional dress and stories

Encourage your team to come to work in traditional attire that reflects their heritage, think Xhosa beadwork, Zulu regalia, Tswana prints, Indian saris, ShweShwe dresses, or a mix of cultures. Even better? Host a short story circle or internal blog post series where team members share personal stories about their background, traditions, or what Heritage Day means to them. It’s a powerful way to reinforce workplace diversity and build connections across teams.

2. Host a braai with local favourites

What’s Heritage Day without food? Host an office braai and invite each team member to bring a dish that represents their culture, think bobotie, chakalaka, bunny chow, koeksisters, vetkoek, and more. It’s a fun and informal way to celebrate, and it doubles as a brilliant team engagement activity.

3. Create a campaign showcasing employee heritage

Set up a “culture wall” in your office filled with team photos, flags, maps, sayings, or artefacts that reflect your team’s diverse roots. If you’re a virtual team, build a digital version to share across social media. Pair it with a campaign that highlights your employees and clients. This can evolve into a brilliant real estate marketing idea centred around your company’s people and purpose.

4. Share local events and cultural activities

Heritage Day weekend is full of colour, music, and celebration. From Zulu dance showcases and art exhibitions to heritage site visits and food festivals, curate a list of what’s happening in your area and share it with your audience. This kind of content not only adds value, it positions you as a plugged-in, community-first brand.

5. Spotlight listings or neighbourhoods with South African flair

Use the day to highlight a listing or neighbourhood that tells a story. Is there a heritage home in the area? A street named after a South African icon? A community with rich cultural traditions? Create a “Proudly South African” listing feature and tell a story that goes beyond bricks and mortar. Bonus points for working in some outdoor staging inspired by local design or textiles.

6. Celebrate languages with multilingual greetings

South Africa has 11 official languages, and that’s something to be proud of. Create multilingual signage, social posts, or welcome messages in different languages, even if it’s just a simple “hello” in isiZulu, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Tswana, or Sesotho. It’s a small gesture that can have a big impact in showing that you celebrate diversity.

7. Support local artisans with SA-themed gifts or giveaways

Put together gift packs with local goodies such as handmade crafts, beaded keyrings, fynbos candles, biltong, or locally produced treats, and send them to clients, competition winners, or team members. It’s a thoughtful way to support small businesses while celebrating South African culture. You could even run a giveaway on social media with an “SA Heritage Quiz” or “Guess the Landmark” series.

8. Run a social series on ‘What heritage means to me’

Use your platforms to create real conversations. Ask clients, colleagues, or industry peers to share what Heritage Day means to them, and turn these into a video series, reel, or quote collection. Or go interactive with a poll, Q&A, or “This or That” Instagram story asking followers to choose their favourite SA foods, spots, or traditions. These make for highly engaging real estate posts with a personal twist.

Bonus ideas for going the extra mile:

• Host a community clean-up or outreach event in partnership with a local school or organisation
• Create a playlist of South African music to set the mood in your office or at a showing
• Plant an indigenous tree to mark the occasion and give back to the environment
• Run a short team workshop on cultural awareness or SA history as part of your team-building events strategyRun a short team workshop on cultural awareness or SA history as part of your team-building events strategy

How to celebrate Heritage Day at work 

One last tip: don’t treat Heritage Day like a tick-box event. Be real about it. Whether you’re a boutique agency or part of a larger network, the goal is to make space for an authentic connection with your team, your clients, and your wider community.

You don’t need a massive budget to make a meaningful impact. The most memorable moments are usually the ones where people feel seen, heard, and proud of where they come from.

Make heritage part of your brand story

Prop Data knows that culture isn’t just something you talk about, but it’s something you build. Whether you’re planning a once-off campaign or looking to infuse Ubuntu values into your brand every day, Prop Data is here to help.

From culturally relevant content strategies to hyper-local digital marketing campaigns, we help real estate businesses grow with purpose and pride. Get in touch with Prop Data today and let’s celebrate what makes your business uniquely South African.