Joburg Tourism has partnered with the Locrate Market to host the Africa Day Festival 2021.
From May 22-25 in commemoration of the annual Africa month celebrations, the festival at Constitution Hill will be a demonstration of SMME market exhibitions, business talks, fashion and music activities.
“This is a public-private initiative undertaken in conjunction with industry stakeholders like Constitution Hill and the Gauteng Tourism Authority,” explains Lumka Dlomo, Acting Deputy Director, PR and Destination Marketing at Joburg Tourism.
“Although we’re still feeling the impact of the COVID pandemic in terms of low visitor numbers, we need to remain optimistic and continuously promote Destination Joburg during this time, not only to travellers and tourists from far afield, but locally, domestically and regionally as well.”
Joburg Tourism’s participation at the festival includes providing City Joint Operations Committee services for JMPD to assist with traffic and crowd control, supporting the unemployed youth programme, setting up the Africa Day Market Village for 50 SMMEs and sourcing performing artists.
“The partnership and support of this community lifestyle event aims to reconnect, re-ignite and celebrate the African culture of ‘Umntu ngumntu ngabantu’ (man is man is man), as well as promoting and providing access to markets for local SMMEs,” says Dlomo. “The festival aims to promote and attract tourism into Joburg in line with Joburg Tourism’s campaign ‘#Welcome to Joburg – A City Reimagined’.
“The festival will be a showcase of music, art, food and crafts presented by aspiring young entrepreneurs; we will be providing them with a platform to attract a larger audience, while also positioning Joburg as an all-year-round, vibrant tourist destination.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
On May 25, 1963, Africa made history with the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity – the precursor to the African Union.
Africa Day is celebrated on May 25 every year to celebrate and acknowledge the successes in the fight against colonialism and apartheid, as well as the progress that Africa has made while reflecting on the common challenges that the continent faces in a global environment.
