11th African Renaissance Festival in South Africa

7 May 2009

The 11th annual African Renaissance Festival will be hosted in South Africa at venues in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay from 25 - 30 May, 2009. The theme adopted for this year's African Renaissance is “Uniting the African World”.

It is a gathering of like-minded citizens of Africa to share ideas with key decision-makers from around the country and abroad. The week-long festival sees delegates from around the globe including head of states, leaders in government and business, representatives from NGOs, civic structures, emerging entrepreneurs and local communities.

The festival is held during the last week of May to coincide with Africa Day and is the only annual celebration of the African Renaissance ideals on the continent.

The festival aims to celebrate, debate and examine broader issues related to re-defining and rebuilding the African continent through accessing and developing its social, economic and political resources. It aims to focus on the global economic crisis and its impact on Africa's business, tourism and arts and culture sectors. The line-up of speakers for the conference includes distinguished and well known personalities as well as local and international specialists from both the private and public sectors.

The festival also intends on examining creative ways of addressing the global issue of moral regeneration - a challenge to faith-based leaders, secular and civic society and youth leadership.

The festival comprises a two-day conference at the ICC from 27 - 28 May, a Youth Pioneers Conference featuring 250 delegates representing various youth organisations on 26 May; a seminar entitled "Unity of Faith" to be held on 30 May in Richards Bay looking at the role of the church in the African Renaissance and a celebratory, fund-raising banquet to be held at the ICC Durban, with Hugh Masekela providing entertainment on 29 May.

The conference this year plans to unpack the business, arts and culture and tourism sectors in the context of the global economic downturn with a view to providing tangible outcomes. Relevant role-players in various sectors being represented have been tasked to co-ordinate these sessions including organised business including the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Trade and Investment KZN, tourism bodies including Tourism KZN and the Department of Arts and Culture. The format of the conference will include a plenary, sector sessions and a resolution and way forward session with a final report to a plenary.

The African Renaissance Africa Day Concert will be held at the ICC Arena on Monday, 25 May at 6pm and is open to the public. This year's line-up includes Thandiswa Mazwai, former member of Bongo Maffin and hailed as this generation's Mama Africa (Miriam Makeba); Oliver Mtukudzi (better known as “Tuku”), singer, songwriter and best-selling artist in his home country, Zimbabwe, as well as the legendary Ray Phiri and Stimela.

Tickets are R50 throughout (no concessions) and available through Computicket.

For more information about the full African Renaissance programme contact or telephone 031 266 9792.