Spend five minutes in any South African hardware shop and you'll get a strong opinion on this. Here's the analysis without the tribal loyalty — because both formats have a legitimate place, and many households end up owning both.
Cost per braai
Gas wins on running cost by a factor of three. Over a year of weekly braais that's a R2,700 gap — enough to pay for itself if you braai often.
- Gas: ±R25 per session on a mid-sized braai (roughly 500g LPG at R60/kg refill).
- Charcoal: ±R60 per session on a 2kg bag of hardwood charcoal.
- Wood: ±R80 per session on a Rooikrans bundle from a service station.
Time to first steak
A gas braai is at cooking temperature in 5–8 minutes. Charcoal takes 25–30 minutes to reach a proper white-ash cooking coal. If your typical braai is a Tuesday-night steak after work, gas is the honest answer. If it's a Saturday all-afternoon affair, the wait is part of the ritual.
Flavour (the real argument)
Charcoal and wood impart smoke and Maillard char that gas physically can't replicate. Gas braais that use lava rock or ceramic briquettes narrow the gap, but a blind taste test on a lamb chop or boerewors will pick the wood every time. If flavour is your primary metric, charcoal wins.
Practical realities
- Apartments & sectional title: gas is often the only permitted option.
- Windy West Coast patios: gas holds temperature; charcoal flares and dies.
- Coastal salt air: 304 stainless for either — critical for gas burners.
- Load-shedding: neither cares. Both win over an electric grill.
Our showroom recommendation
For most households, a mid-range 304 stainless built-in gas braai with a separate portable charcoal unit gives you the best of both — convenience for weeknights, ritual for weekends. Under R30,000 all-in, installed.
Written by
Progress Group
Fireplace, braai and gas specialists since 1990 — showroom in Bellville, installations across Cape Town and the Western Cape.
