Heritage day is special to us, and for a very specific reason. Donkey Long Tong launched on it. 24 September 2021, National Braai Day, the one day a year where the entire country agrees on one thing: you need to get around a fire. Doesn't matter the family, language, or culture. Everyone's doing the same thing, for the same reason. It's the closest thing South Africa has to a national ritual, and we built a business standing next to it.
As far as we can tell, South Africa is the only country in the world that marks its national heritage around a fire and makes it a public holiday so the whole country can do it properly. So when we sat down to make our first Art Tong, there was only one day it could commemorate.
Why gold? Because South Africa's story runs through it. The reef under Johannesburg (called eGoli or "place of gold") is the reason we built one of the biggest cities on the continent out of rock nobody thought was worth digging. It's on the coat of arms, it's melted into wedding rings passed down three generations and it's the colour every Bok and Protea dreams about standing under when the anthem plays. We're not saying our finish has anything to do with mining history, but gold isn't a random choice for a Heritage Day tong. It's the colour this country's been chasing, wearing and dreaming about since long before it had this flag.
So we took the Donkey Tong 69cm and the Donkey Long Tong 80cm that you already know, gave them a solid yellowwood handle (South Africa's national tree) and worked the stainless steel by hand until it turned gold. Then we had it engraved with the animals and icons that feel like home.
What's Different About These Tongs?
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Solid yellowwood handle, shaped asymmetrically for what we call the "Ultimate Grip," with its finger indents cut into the wood.
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A hand-patinaed gold finish on 304 food-grade stainless steel. It's a patina, not plating, so it'll wear with use. It develops character.
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One arm is engraved with a scene of South African icons. You can find a springbok, a rugby ball, a blue crane, a galjoen and more. The other arm stays blank, ready for you to personalise if you want your own name on it too.
Our Yellowwood Handle
We chose yellowwood for our handles because it's South Africa's national tree. It's the wood our old wagons were built from and the wood in the floors and beams of homes and buildings that are still standing a century later. That felt like the right thing to put in your hand on the one day a year we're all supposed to remember what Mzansi is all about.
Wrapped in Heritage
Every Heritage Day tong arrives wrapped in custom-printed paper with the shape of the South African flag printed on, with the same South African icons you'll find engraved on the tong itself. Unwrap it and you're already looking at home before you even get to the tong.
It ships with a Certificate of Authenticity too, because a limited edition should feel like one from the moment it lands on your doorstep.
The Heritage Editions
All three are handmade to order, so allow 14 business days before yours ships.
Final Thoughts
If you're buying for the braai master in your life (or you are the braai master) this is the one Heritage Day gift that you absolutely need.
No matter what's on your fire this Heritage Day, we hope one of these is in your hand while it's happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the gold wear off?Over time, yes, that's the nature of a patina. High-contact areas show wear first. Treat it gently and it lasts; use it hard and it earns a look all its own. |
How long will mine take to arrive?Every tong is handmade to order. Please allow 14 business days before yours ships. |
Can I still personalise it?Yes. The engraved arm carries the South African icons; the opposite arm is left blank for your own typed or handwritten engraving. |
When does the Heritage edition end?Available through September 2026, or until all 300 are claimed. Whichever happens first. |
