AfroPunk festival to ignite Jozi

09 November 2017

 

Joburg Tourism, in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority and Constitution Hill, will host the first-ever international AfroPunk Festival in Joburg from 30 December 2017 to 1 January 2018 at iconic Constitution Hill.

 

Held over the New Year's Eve weekend, the Johannesburg edition is expected to attract 12 000 revelers each day with a fabulous line-up of performances by Solange Knowles, Anderson, Paak & The Free Nationals, King Tha, Blk Jks, Laura Mvula, The Brother Moves On, Nakhane and Spoek Mathambo, among other established and emerging artists.

Afropunk is an American music festival that celebrates black artists, tracing its origins to "Afro-Punk", a 2003 documentary that chronicled the loneliness experienced by black fans of punk music and culture.

The City of Joburg's support for signature events like this is aligned to our objectives of increasing visitor numbers to Joburg, positioning it as a leading, all year round global destination for business, lifestyle, sports and leisure.

The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development, Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba said events such as these are important for tourism and big business meetings as the City of Johannesburg hosts several prestigious big ticket events that have injected millions of rand into the economy every year.

"Joburg is more than a stopover destination and we urge our visitors to enjoy an extended stay, exploring our multi-faceted and culturally diverse sites and attractions – from exploring our rejuvenated precincts in the inner city, to shopping in Sandton and cycling in Alex and Soweto, the options for sight-seeing and leisure are almost endless," MMC Sifumba said.

She said tourism has been earmarked tourism as a key sector with excellent potential for growth which will contribute substantially to the 5% economic growth target set by the Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg.

Tourism supports one in every 12 jobs in South Africa – or stated differently, one job is created for every 12 foreign arrivals in South Africa. Numerous service industries in the tourism value chain– from transport to accommodation and tour guiding – stand to benefit from increased visitor numbers.

"Hosting events has a direct and positive economic and development impact on the city and all who work and play within its boundaries. Economic benefits include spend, job creation and changing the perceptions of visitors," Cllr Sifumba said.