Broke but must braai? How to keep the fire going until payday

With Christmas behind us and payday still painfully far away, many South Africans are staring down the longest month of the year — January — and wondering if there’s still money left to fire up the braai.

The answer, according to braai enthusiasts and food creatives, is yes — but expectations need to be adjusted.

Gone are the days of thick-cut steaks and lamb chops piled high. For now, it’s about stretching cheaper cuts, getting creative with mince, and accepting that January comes with a warning label.

Mince is your best friend

Beef and lamb mince are emerging as January’s MVPs. Smashburgers are firmly on the menu, as are koftas — mince mixed with spices, shaped onto skewers, and grilled over the coals.

There are also North African-inspired options like arayes: pita pockets stuffed with spiced mince, onions and garlic, brushed with oil or butter, and toasted directly on the grid. Cheap, filling and braai-friendly.

Chicken over chops

While red meat prices remain stubborn, chicken is offering some relief. Whole free-range chickens have been spotted at under R50 per kilogram, making spatchcock chicken a go-to option for families trying to feed four without blowing R400.

Add a simple marinade, flatten the bird, and you’ve got a centrepiece that still feels like a proper braai.

Potatoes are back on the table

There’s also some good news on the sides front. Potato prices have dropped slightly, making potato salad a realistic addition again — proof that a braai doesn’t live on meat alone.

To bring-and-braai or not?

January may be the one month where even staunch anti bring-and-braai hosts must bend. The advice: coordinate. Decide on one protein type so cooking times align and nobody ends up eyeing someone else’s expensive cut while their boerewors waits.

Because nothing causes silent tension around a fire quite like unequal meat economics.

Lower expectations, keep the flame alive

The message is simple: the January braai isn’t about abundance — it’s about survival, creativity and keeping tradition alive until salaries land.

The fire might be smaller, the portions slimmer, but for many, giving up the braai altogether would be far too high a price to pay.

For more information, listen to Steak Chop van Zijl of Braai Witness News using the audio player below: