This Heritage Weekend, Adele Lucas Promotions pulled out all the stops at the Soweto Festival Expo. And the visitor numbers say it all.
Now in its seventh year, the festival was held at the recently renovated Joburg Expo Centre at Nasrec, and saw a 66% increase in visitor numbers compared with last year. “We are thrilled that our decision to move to Nasrec has been vindicated by the enthusiastic response we have received from sponsors, exhibitors, the media and the visiting public,” says Toby Chance, managing director of Adele Lucas Promotions.
The main aim of the festival is to promote SMMEs in Soweto and to assist them by providing them with access to markets and training in small business management.
Well organised and executed, the festival delivered on all its promises. In addition to the 400 SMMEs participating in the expo, more than 150 other exhibitors showcased their goods at the three-day event, providing visitors with a taste of Soweto. Among the exhibitors was designer Thabiso Malebathi, who showcased his collection at the fashion event on the main stage on all three days. “This [the Soweto Festival Expo] is a great platform to get my name out there and my designs recognised.”
The Soweto Festival Expo also provided great entertainment for the family, from wall climbing to table soccer tournaments and a braai area courtesy of Weber. “This place is really great,” says Lebogang Molefe from Protea. “I can shop and still keep the children entertained.”
The festival catered for every palate and featured a wide range of artists, local and international, who rocked the crowds and kept them on their feet.
“The event was fabulously successful, with every inch of the venue packed with activities and people enjoying a day out in the sun. The Soweto Festival Expo has grown into a national event and we will be working hard to ensure it gets even better next year, with the involvement of exhibitors and performers from the entire country,” says Chance
“With the assistance of our media partners, we will raise the profile of the Soweto Festival Expo so that it is in the diaries of everyone coming to Joburg for Heritage Day weekend. Our event offers the best value-for-money weekend of entertainment, inspiration and opportunity for the entire family.”
The happy faces and comments of visitors at the festival are testament to how Soweto is fast becoming one of South Africa’s leading destination brands.
