When they refer to South Africa as a melting Pot of Culture, what they mean is that our industry players – whether on stages and screens, or behind the scenes – have found the perfect way to weave the South African story together.
This October, visitors to the South African pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, experienced an array of cultural activities that perfectly encapsulate the strengths of our Nation. On one of the busiest weekends at Expo to date, the Drakensberg Boys Choir added a melodic flair with a special choral performance, while Human Rights Activist and Coming 2 America Actor Nomzamo Mbatha joined Consul General, Mr Mogobo David Magabe for a special walkabout. The cast and crew of international co-production Reyka and Showmax Original, Bloods Psalms, also paid a visit to the SA pavilion for a meet and greet, and of course, a photo op!
As anticipated, South African musicians rocked the Dubai Opera stage, during the iconic “One Night with Mzansi” headlined by the Multichoice Group. One thing you must know about Mzansi, is that we will have young and old share a stage for a common purpose, in this instance to spark collaboration, innovation, trade, and ultimately show the world the spirit of Ubuntu (generosity) we often boast about. Think Mzansi Youth Choir meets Mi Casa, meets Dr Nothembi Mkhwebane, the Queen of Ndebele music.
This overflowing cup of South African splendour, spilled over into the Cultural Diversity Week, where award-winning Jazz artist Zoe Modiga, gave a special live performance, as well as Acapella Group, Uju Voices. This week, visitors to the SA pavilion were treated to a series of short films including Five Tiger produced by Nomawonga Khumalo and The Letter Reader, directed by filmmaker Sibusiso Khuzwayo.
Fancy yourself a sneakerhead? Stop by our pavilion for a sneaker customising experience with Ayashisa Amateki Custom Kicks studio that specialises in branded content creation in the often-underestimated sneaker culture in SA.
According to a Report compiled by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, “the top three Creative and Cultural Industry contributors to GDP by domain are Design and Creative Services, Books and Publishing, and Audio-Visual and Interactive Media”. This has evidently been on display at Expo, if the over 36 000 visitor-count to the SA pavilion to date is anything to go by.
Don’t miss a beat! Click here to view the full programme as we head into November to state South Africa’s case for investing.
