Khayelitsha Festival

What better way to honour Khayelitsha’s 25th anniversary than a Khayelitsha Festival celebration, jam-packed with local youth, entertainment and entrepreneurship?

The largest event of its kind in the Western Cape, the Khayelitsha Festival, based on the hugely successful Soweto Festival, takes off on Friday 24 -26 October at the OR Tambo Hall. Primarily targeting Khayelitsha, surrounding communities and greater Cape Town, the festival is sponsored by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town in association with the Khayelitsha Development Forum.

With three days of non-stop entertainment from local and national artists, and a world-class fashion show, focusing on local, emerging designer talent, festival-fun-seekers will be spoiled for choice. Local small businesses and NGOs, as well as bigger brands will be plying their goods and services to eager patrons .

The Youth will make a beeline for the awesome line-up of activities at the Youth Zone, where very funky career guidance counselling is on offer. Tertiary institutions and other organisations targeting 16-25 year youth will feature alongside a stage featuring relevant, entertaining presentations with DJs & media personalities as role models with important social messages.

“This is a festival for all the people,” remarked City of Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille, keynote speaker at the recent Khayelitsha Festival media launch, where she actively encouraged private sector corporate participation in this exciting venture, identifying this as a key ingredient in the ultimate success of the festival.

The Festival comprises the following major themes, each of which will provide a focus for sponsors, exhibitors and the visiting public: SMME Development; Youth Zone; Arts & Culture; Main Stage Entertainment Programme; Travel & Tourism; Health, Beauty & Fashion.

The City and the Province are sponsoring 60 SMME and 20 NGO stands and organizers are encouraging local community SMMEs to enter, to stand the chance of being selected to showcase their products and services at the festival. Sponsored SMME exhibitors will be trained and provided with all the tools necessary to promote, market and sell their products and services at the exhibition as well as providing valuable follow-up support.

The Khayelitsha Festival will also showcase up-and-coming artists and entertainers, providing a great launch pad for local talent.

Seeking strong backing from the private sector and from local communities, the festival will not only attract residents from Khayelitsha, the Cape Flats communities and the Western Cape, but also aims to draw more affluent city and suburban consumers, and tourists keen to visit Khayelitsha and experience the unique community vibe in a vibrant, entertaining setting. 

There is plenty of safe, secure parking at the OR Tambo Hall – the instantly visible large white building right next to the N2, off the Mew Way ramp, Khayelitsha.

Visit the website www.khayelitshafestival.co.za