Africa Day Festival in George champions unity and culture

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For nearly a decade, the vibrant Rastafarian community in George has quietly nurtured a tradition rooted in unity: an annual gathering that calls Africans together in celebration of shared identity, culture and heritage.

Now in its ninth year, the Africa Day Festival returns to the lush surrounds of the Witfontein Nature Reserve along the Gwaing River Mouth, where locals and visitors alike will once again converge for a cultural experience from Friday to Sunday.

More than just a festival, the event has grown into a platform for connection at a time when divisions — particularly around issues of migration and xenophobia — have come sharply into focus across SA.

Organiser Hein Scheepers, who has been at the helm of the event for several years, says this year’s festival carries added significance. He believes the call to “Unite Africa” comes at a moment when tensions around undocumented foreign nationals have intensified, with some critics branding SA as xenophobic.

Scheepers argued that rising anti-foreigner sentiment risked missing the deeper structural challenges facing the country.

“Most of the issues we are complaining about should be directed at government officials, as they are a reflection of a country that lacks leadership and strategies to protect, uplift, and provide proper security for its people,” he said.

We are arguing about someone working in a restaurant or as a delivery driver ... We overlook the elements in our country that ensure inequality, poverty and unemployment — and instead blame foreigners. That is anti-African
— Hein Scheepers, organiser

“The socio-economics of SA make people fight over scarce jobs. We are arguing about someone working in a restaurant or as a delivery driver.

“The irony is that we are so desperate that, out of convenience, we blame the easiest target.

“We overlook the elements in our country that ensure inequality, poverty and unemployment — and instead blame foreigners. That is anti-African.”

Against this backdrop, the Africa Day Festival positions itself as both a celebration and a counter-narrative — one that reaffirms the ideals of Pan-Africanism and cultural solidarity.

Set against the natural beauty of the reserve, the family-friendly event invites festivalgoers to immerse themselves in a weekend of live music, art and community engagement.

Performances will span genres including reggae, hip-hop, amapiano and jazz, with artists travelling from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town to deliver a diverse and dynamic line-up.

Poetry and traditional African art forms will also form part of the programme.

A curated artisan marketplace will showcase handcrafted goods, while wellness activities will centre on healing, connection and community — values that organisers say are at the heart of the festival’s ethos.

As a South African artist, I use Africa Day to celebrate the rich tapestry of African heritage and identity beyond stereotypes. It is also a celebration of African leadership and an acknowledgement of indigenous culture
— Hakkiesdraad Hartman, multidisciplinary artist

The event operates as a bring-your-own camping weekend, encouraging attendees to fully embrace the shared experience.

Tickets are priced at R80 for a single day and R120 for a full weekend pass.

For Scheepers, the festival is also about creating opportunities.

“We are about empowering the community and local artists, giving them a platform to share a stage with established names,” he said.

Among those taking to the stage is renowned performer Hakkiesdraad Hartman, a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends conscious hip-hop, indigenous storytelling and performance art. Deeply rooted in his Khoi heritage, Hartman sees Africa Day as a moment to reclaim and celebrate identity beyond narrow or stereotypical narratives.

“As a South African artist, I use Africa Day to celebrate the rich tapestry of African heritage and identity beyond stereotypes,” he said. “It is also a celebration of African leadership and an acknowledgement of indigenous culture.”

Known for his high-energy, thought-provoking performances, Hartman uses music, poetry and comedic, cabaret-style storytelling to engage audiences on social issues, while promoting community upliftment.

As the festival prepares to welcome crowds once again, its organisers remain committed to a broader vision — one that extends beyond the weekend’s festivities.

According to Scheepers, the Africa Day Festival forms part of an ongoing campaign to have Africa Day officially recognised as a public holiday in SA — a symbolic step, he believes, towards honouring unity across the continent.