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OkayAfrica
Sep. 24, 2019 12:53PM EST
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit a Heritage Day event in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, on day two of the Royal couple's visit to South Africa. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images)

Heritage Day 2019 Has Been Filled with Royalty and Stunning Style

Every year South Africans celebrate their cultural heritage by rocking traditional styles—these are our favorite looks from this year's celebration.

Heritage Day is a day for showcasing and celebrating the many different legacies, histories and cultures that make up South Africa. This year, news around Heritage Day was dominated by the royal visit, in particular the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who has been spotted rocking looks by African designers, like the Malawian label Mayamiko during her visit. Yesterday, when the couple arrived, twitter was excited by Meghan's first words to the crowd, claiming she was there as "a woman, a wife, a woman of color and as your sister."

Today, South Africans were excited to share in Heritage Day celebrations with the English pair in the Bo-Kaap district of Cape Town, and the couple is scheduled to meet with Desmond Tutu in the evening. This is day two of the royal couple's Africa tour which they decided to kick off in South Africa.

But the excitement of Heritage Day 2019 didn't rest only with the visiting royalty. The day–also known to some as Shaka Day for King Shaka Zulu—had people all over South Africa stepping out in traditional garments celebrating their roots. One of the great things about Heritage Day is that it is an opportunity to truly see the plethora of cultures that make up the country. The different styles show the diversity of South African customs and the many tribes and traditions that call the land home. It is a day meant to share pride in who you are while admiring the pride others have in themselves–and people look super duper fly when they do.

While it is a holiday that has differing opinions as to its importance, many South Africans have taken to social media to show off what they're wearing and why, using the tag #HeritageDay. People celebrated at work, at school, with their families and more. We've stuck close to our screens and put together a roundup of some of our favorite looks from the day. Check them out below.






















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Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.

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