The City of Mbombela in Mpumalanga has been a hive of activities as festival enthusiasts from across the country and abroad gathered for the 21st annual Innibos National Art Festival.
The annual festival held at the Bergylam High School from Thursday, attracted more than 80 000 people, who enjoyed various artistic displays.
The theme for this year’s event is “Lekker.”
Attendees enjoyed a variety of artistic displays such as music performances, art gallery exhibitions, traditional cuisines and attire, as well as fun games for all ages.
The Innibos Festival Media and Marketing Manager, Sandra Jacobs, says besides the exciting activities, the festival also brings significant economic benefits to the Mpumalanga province.
“Art exhibitions, beautiful concerts on our main stage, at the festival grounds. More than 200 art and craft exhibitors are here on the festival grounds. Theatre productions outside the festival, classical music, and contemporary music. So, there’s a lot to see and do. The objectives of the Innibos Arts Festival are not only to create a platform for national and local artists, but also to attract people from all over the country to come and enjoy our wonderful province and all it has to offer. And of course, the festival has a wonderful economic injection into our area.”
Those, who attended the festival shared their expectations and their experiences of the Innibos:
“It’s first time we’re coming here and we are looking forward to the big festival, music festival, and we are looking forward to having a good time. And there is a lot of food here. I don’t know whether we are going to be rolling down home or we’re going to be driving down.”
“This is our second time here. So, I am excited for the rides and the festival that is going to be later this afternoon and just the singers that I am going to be looking for.”
“I like the singers, the festival and the food is really good.”
The festival also plays a role in uniting South African cultures, says Carol Sanderson, who was part of those promoting culture unity.
“One thing I like, is that as much it is an Afrikaans culture, Afrikaans is part of the South African culture. So, South African culture that is very much inclusive of every other culture. So, as you can see here, we’ve got Ndebeles that are actually showcasing their work. We’ve got Swatis showcasing their work. These are entrepreneurs from different regions of the province.”
Veteran Afrikaans singer who has been with the Innibos Festival from its early stages, Snotkop, was also pleased to once again entertain the Innibos lovers.
“This year, I think is the biggest that I have ever seen. This stage is something else. I was shocked when I saw it, massive screen, massive ramp. But yeah, I am very excited to be on this massive stage again. Probably one of the biggest in South Africa.”
The organisers are hopeful that the festival will continue to grow, saying it managed to generate about R80-million for the province last year.
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