What does it mean to be South African?

Dear Friends,

What does it mean to be South African?

While writing this newsletter, I found myself asking a question I didn’t really expect:

Do I still know what it means to be South African? And do I still understand what my heritage means to me?

It’s actually a difficult question to answer.

Do I see myself as South African? That answer is easy. Absolutely, yes. Even after all these years living in the Netherlands, that part of me has never disappeared.

Do I get emotional when we sing the South African anthem? Yes.

Am I ridiculously proud when a fellow South African wins a race, stands on a podium, or when the Bokke take the field? Yes! Suddenly, everyone around me knows exactly where I come from.

Do I long for my people? Yes. For the warmth, the laughter, the loud conversations around a table, the way strangers can become friends, the smell of a braai, a familiar accent in a supermarket aisle, and that feeling of being understood without having to explain yourself.

But then I started wondering about my children. Do my kids know what it means to be South African? They were born and raised in the Netherlands. Their school, friends and everyday lives are Dutch. But somehow, South Africa is still part of who they are. They identify as South African. They know the food, the stories, the music, the humour and the traditions. They know that when we say, “Kom ons braai,” it means so much more than simply putting meat on a fire.

Anne once said something that really stayed with me. She said that sometimes she feels she is a South African when she is at home, and Dutch as soon as she walks out the door.

And maybe that is what heritage becomes when you grow up between two countries.

It isn’t always one thing or the other. It’s both. It’s learning to carry pieces of where you come from while making a life somewhere new. It’s passing down stories you grew up with, even when your children are growing up far away from the places where those stories began.

And perhaps that is why Heritage Day means so much to me.

It reminds me that heritage isn't only about where you were born. It’s about the things you carry with you. The food you cook. The language you speak. The songs that make your heart beat a little faster. The stories you tell your children. The people you miss. The traditions you keep alive.

And, of course, the food. Because if there is one thing we South Africans know how to do, it is bringing people together around a table.

At KuierKos, we get to do exactly that every day.

We get to cook the food we grew up with, share it with people who know exactly what it tastes like, and introduce it to people who are discovering South Africa for the first time.

So this Heritage Day, we invite you to come and celebrate with us.

Whether you are proudly South African, married to one, have South African friends, have travelled there, or simply love a good boerewors, bobotie and lekker kuier...

There is always a place for you at our table.

Happy Heritage Day from our KuierKos family to yours.

with Love,

Marella & Andreas