PORT ST JOHNS – The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture(EC DSRAC) hosted the 21st annual Isingqisethu cultural festival in Port St Johns, a two-day event that aimed to promote social cohesion and contribute to the region’s economic development strategy. The festival took place on 2nd to the 3rd of December 2023 and featured performances from renowned and local artists, as well as craft displays, food and a fashion show.
The Eastern Cape DSRAC MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe, said,” we are here in Ports St Johns to celebrate 21 years of the Isingqisethu cultural festival, this festival brings various kinds of people together,”Kontsiwe.
The MEC further stated that the event’s objectives included preserving the region’s artistic heritage, improving market access and creating job opportunities through cultural tourism. The local economy was expected to benefit through Small Medium Micro Enterprise (SMMEs) the kasi economy and homestays.
Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency(ECPTA) the Destination Development Executive Director Motsehoa Mahlatsi, explained that their key mandate is to develop tourism and market it, “We are pushing sustainability and with the two(2) decades that the event has been running successfully it shows sustainability. In terms of the tourism value chain it is growing, the tourism guides are benefiting from the Isingqisethu cultural festival and the entire hospitality sector,”Mahlatsi.
The festival saw performances from renowned artists such as Betusile Mcinga, as well as local artists Thuluzobona and Marabula sharing the stage and expressing their talents through art, dance and music. The event also featured an outdoor setup encompassing craft displays, a diverse array of African cuisine and performances ranging from indigenous to contemporary renditions.
The festival included kiddies’ entertainment, a fashion show with designers representing the Districts and the Metros of the province and crafters.
One of the vendors that was selling at the event Beatrice said, “I am happy to be at this festival to showcase my work and get exposure,” said Beatrice all the way from Lusikisiki.
Nkosinathi Xulu from Noqhekwana a paddler who has been paddling for seven(7) years has an entire team of eight (
that are mostly under 18 that he trains to paddle under PSJ Paddlers. The event’s cultural tourism aspect was expected to attract music revellers from all over the province and beyond, bringing much-needed economic stimulus to the area.
A tourist guide from Smart Operations company Mpumelelo Kolobeni told the media that, “It has been identified and confirmed that in future development plans of the municipality they are going to build cable cars that will move between the coasts.”
Andile Mbewu from Mngazi nesaka at Ithombe in Port St Johns has been running his company since 2019 and expressed that, “we have not received any funding from the government, or the municipality and we are grateful for the support we got from the community as they joined us into the journey of plantation.”
In addition the department described the event as a catalyst for social cohesion and pivotal towards the region’s economic development strategy. The department believed that Isingqisethu helped the province promote its unique identity through arts and culture and enabled the province to celebrate unity in diversity and bring people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and ethnic groups together.
The Isingqisethu cultural festival was a significant event that not only highlighted the region’s rich artistic heritage but also contributed to its economic development. The event’s impact on the local economy through SMMEs, the kasi economy and homestays was expected to be significant, making it a valuable addition to the region’s cultural and economic landscape.
