Page 6 - SA Chamber UK - September Newsletter- eBook

HERITAGE DAY MESSAGE

Heritage Day – 24 September is a relatively new public holiday in South Africa. Previously
known as ‘Shaka’s Day’, the holiday was dedicated to acknowledging King Shaka Zulu on the

day of his death in 1828. Shaka Zulu was largely responsible for uniting different local clans
into one united and mighty Zulu nation.

Heritage Day is a time to recognise aspects of South African culture which are both tangible
and difficult to pin down. These include:

§ Creative expression
§ Historical inheritance

§ Languages of which 12 are official and five languages – Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, English
and Afrikaans are present in our anthem (On 2 May 2023, Sign Language (SASL) was
approved as an official language to promote the rights of persons who are deaf and
hard of hearing.)

§ Food we eat – samp, the traditional braai, seafood and not to forget the wonderful
wines we create
§ The land we love

To this end, the first SAFFA Festival in the Isle of Man celebrated elements of South African
culture, food, creativity, and friendship. See article on page 7.

The powerhouse behind making the
Festival a reality was Vanessa Naude of
Isle Settle and I extend my thanks to you

Vanessa for placing your confidence in the
Isle of Man Chapter of the SA Chamber
UK and our faith in partnering with June
Whiteman, our Isle of Man Chapter Lead.

You and your team skilfully delivered a
magnificent Festival on Saturday and I
hope it will become an annual event.

To the team and my executive assistant,
June, you have made South Africa proud
and all of us were warmed by the spirit of

‘ubuntu’ which abounded at the Festival. Left to right: Marisa Jacobs, MD of Xpatweb and
Sharon Constançon, Chairman of the SA Chamber
UK discussing the number of interested visitors to the
- By Sharon Constançon Xpatweb stand.

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SA CHAMBER UK NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2023