From the middle of December, Cape Town moves outside. Long evenings, family visiting from up-country, Boxing Day lunches that run until dark — almost all of it happens around a fire. The households that enjoy it most are the ones that sorted their braai out in October and November, not the ones queuing for a portable kettle on 23 December. This guide covers which braai suits your home, what installation and delivery actually cost, and the timeline to follow so your braai area is finished before the holidays start.
Why December is the wrong month to start looking
A braai is not an impulse purchase in Cape Town. A built-in steel braai needs a flue through the roof, a core drill, correct clearances from timber and, in most homes, a Saturday morning of installation work. A gas braai needs a licensed practitioner and a certificate of compliance. None of that happens the same week you order.
December is also when the trades slow down for the holidays and when the popular sizes sell out. If you want to cook on your own braai on Christmas Day, the sensible window to order is September through early November. Order now and you get your choice of the range, a booked installation date and time for a second visit if you want to add a canopy or extra shelving.
Which braai suits the way your family actually eats
If you entertain more than twice a month, buy the built-in. If you cook for two or three most nights, buy gas. Most Cape Town homes that braai seriously end up with both: gas for weeknights, coals for weekends.
- Built-in steel braai — the anchor of a permanent patio. Handles high heat and big weekends, holds coals properly, and becomes part of the house rather than something you drag out.
- Gas braai — lights in seconds and holds a steady temperature, so a Tuesday supper is as easy as a Sunday lunch. The right answer for flats, complexes and estates with wood-smoke rules.
- Portable braai — cheap, easy to store and made for the beach, Rocherpan camping trips and small courtyards. A good second braai, rarely a good only braai.
- Boma fire pit and fire slab — cook and sit around the same fire. Perfect for December evenings when the meal is only half the reason everyone is outside.
What it costs to have it installed
Standard installation is R5 500 for a single-storey home and R8 000 for a double storey, and both include one core drill. Extra core drills, additional flue lengths, bends, scaffolding and any structural work are quoted separately after we see the space.
Delivery within 20 km of our Bellville showroom is R500, then R10 per additional kilometre. For built-in braais the installation cost is confirmed after a site assessment — patios, wall build-ups and roof types differ too much for a fixed figure to be honest.
Coastal homes: buy the stainless steel
Anywhere near the water — Blouberg, Melkbos, Muizenberg, Gordon's Bay, the whole West Coast — salt air will find mild steel within a season or two. 304-grade stainless steel costs more up front and still looks like a braai in five years. It is the single upgrade Cape Town buyers most often wish they had paid for.
Wind matters as much as salt. Keep the braai out of the direct line of the southeaster, fit a canopy so the cook is not smoked out, and leave proper clearance from pergolas and awnings.
Finish the whole area, not just the firebox
The difference between a braai and a braai area is the accessories. A canopy keeps the smoke off your guests. A rotisserie turns a Sunday leg of lamb into an event. A pizza oven keeps the children busy while the coals settle. Decent tongs, a heavy grid and a fitted cover will outlast three cheap sets.
Order the extras with the braai so everything arrives and gets fitted on one visit — that is cheaper than a second call-out in December.
Your timeline to Christmas
- Now: pick the braai and request a quote — we confirm the flue route and installation type
- Within a week: accept the quote and book your installation date while the diary is open
- Installation day: braai fitted, flue through the roof, one core drill included
- Before 16 December: order wood, charcoal or gas, and do one test braai so you know your fire
Come and see it burning in Bellville
Our showroom at 189 Durban Road, Bellville has braais and fireplaces set up so you can see the build quality, the grid heights and the finishes in person. Bring photos of your patio and rough measurements and we will tell you what fits, what it costs installed and how soon we can do it.
Phone 021 945 3636 or WhatsApp 068 956 0320. Open Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00 and Saturday 08:00–13:00.
Written by
Progress Group
Fireplace, braai and gas specialists since 1990 — showroom in Bellville, installations across Cape Town and the Western Cape.