What is a braai?
Braai has deep roots in Southern Africa and evolved over hundreds of years as a communal way of cooking meat over open fire. The word “braai” comes from the Afrikaans word “braaivleis,” which literally means grilled meat.
Open-fire cooking existed among many indigenous Southern African communities. Cooking meat over wood coals, gathering socially around fire and sharing meals outdoors are deeply embedded traditions across the region.
Dutch settlers, who eventually became the Afrikaners, along with influences from European, Malay and African cultures, helped shape what modern braai culture would become. Over time, braai evolved into something uniquely South African - less about simply grilling food and more about bringing people together.
That is why South Africans often say, “A braai is not just a BBQ.”
For many people, braai became a social ritual built around family, friends, storytelling, celebration and community. Traditionally, wood fire is preferred over gas, and the fire itself becomes part of the experience. People gather around the coals for hours while the food slowly cooks, and the person tending the fire often becomes the unofficial “braai master.”
Most importantly, the fire is central to the gathering, not just the cooking.
Today, braai culture is shared across mixed cultural communities throughout Southern Africa. It has become one of the strongest shared traditions in South Africa and remains deeply connected to hospitality, friendship and outdoor living.
While Afrikaans culture heavily popularised and shaped the modern word “braai,” the deeper tradition of communal fire cooking in Southern Africa is much older and culturally broader than any one group.
And honestly, that’s part of what makes it special.
