…Amid growing cries to include 90% local artists in their line-ups
By JN Reporter
For years, festivals like the annual Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe), LemoFest, and Cufa Fest have drawn massive crowds, offering vibrant celebrations of local culture, music, and art. Yet behind the bright lights and big-name headliners lies a glaring issue - the persistent sidelining of Free State artists.
Despite being marketed as platforms rooted in local community pride, cultural celebration and development, these Free State mega festivals have inversely been supporting artists, creatives and service providers from outside the province, thus blatantly leaving local musicians, dancers and entrepreneurs out in the cold.
Local artists themselves have also consistently raised concerns about their exclusion from these festivals, highlighting the plight of being neglected by the organisers of these big festivals. This travesty has forced many talented artists in the province to abandon their artistic talents and passions to take up odd salaried jobs to make a living.
Speaking anonymously to Journal News, for fear of reprisal, a well-known Free State singer told Journal News that while she welcomes the return of Macufe, she hopes the festival will finally prioritise local talent, calling for at least 90% of the line-up and resources to be dedicated to Free State people.
“I am hoping the current administration is serious about supporting and uplifting local talent.
“We have fought for this for years, but nothing has changed. We go all out to pay outsiders and headliners huge fees as a province, but we fail to build sustainable platforms for local artists to thrive,” she added.
The reason the artist spoke to the Journal News anonymously is deeply rooted in the fear of being blacklisted by the festivals’ organisers, as well as the relevant authorities in the province’s Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR).
She further called on government and event organisers to implement a bold 90% local content policy - like the one introduced by the SABC in 2016 - as a tangible commitment to promoting local talent and stimulating the province’s creative economy.
The SABC’s 90% local content policy, introduced to promote South African music and culture, received mixed reactions but remains in place despite leadership changes and erstwhile controversy.
This renewed call for local prioritisation comes after the announcement that Macufe will return in September 2025 – a month earlier than the festival’s renowned conventional October slot.
Macufe’s relaunch follows a rather lengthy blackout due to legal disputes between SACR and events company C-Squared, which is owned by Ben Moseme. C-Squared later retorted with the launch of Cufa Fest, which is now a clear rival festival.
Cufa Fest, as well as the Lemo Fest, both emerged during the long Macufe hiatus to fill the big void. Nevertheless, concerns that even these alternative festivals fail to adequately showcase Free State talent and support local businesses persist, including paying equal fees to local artists and those sourced from outside the province.
Earlier this week, the Free State branch of the South African Arts and Culture Youth Forum (SAACYF) expressed its frustration over the relaunch of Macufe and its apparent lack of inclusivity.
SAACYF provincial secretary Linda Ngqotwane criticised the festival’s planning process, particularly the unwarranted “invitation-only” criteria that applied for its launch event, which projects selectiveness.
“SAACYF Free State is disappointed to observe that the launch event appears to be invitation-only, raising serious concerns about the inclusivity and transparency of the festival's planning,” Ngqotwane said in a statement issued this past Wednesday.
“We are also concerned that the department continues to work with individual artists rather than engaging with established structures that represent the broader creative and cultural sector,” he added.
Ngqotwane further called on the provincial department and the custodians of Macufe to reconsider their approach, urging that the festival’s planning and implementation be “transparent, inclusive, and representative of the broader arts and culture community.”
As Macufe gears up for its 2025 edition, many artists and cultural organisations are watching closely, hoping for more than just performances but for a real shift in how local talent is valued and supported in their province.
While many assume that being a renowned musician comes with a glamorous lifestyle, this is often far from the truth. Various reports over the years have shown that a significant number of artists across the country live and subsequently die as paupers.
Among them was multi-award-winning jazz legend and songwriter Peter Nthwane, who tragically passed away in November 2016 after being shot twice. Nthwane took his final breath in poverty, according to another Journal News source that wished to remain unknown.
“The list is endless… many of our artists and role models, like Nthwane, have died with nothing to show for their years of hard work and passion. Others are still with us but are no longer remembered because they left the industry in search of stable employment,” said the source.
A prime example in this regard would be the once-popular, award-winning Bloemfontein Afro-pop group, Kaya - best known for hits like Kunzima and Avulekile Amasango.
Despite winning a Metro FM Award in 2013, it has been reported that group member Mpho Entle was obliged to leave the group due to financial difficulties. She’s now self-employed.
Central Music Awards chairman Lehlohonolo Mokoena urged Macufe and private festival organisers to adopt formal structures in their artist selection processes. Mokoena is also a member of Alah-Yen - another popular music group from the Free State capital.
Although the suggested 90% local artists demand is thoughtful, Mokoena concedes that festivals like Macufe cannot thrive on this recommended prerequisite.
“We must be honest. Both local government and organisers are seeking a return on investment when allocating budgets and planning events. A line-up made up entirely of local acts simply won’t deliver that,” he explained.
“Even though Macufe is a government-sponsored event, it should not be treated like a charity project. To succeed, it (Macufe) needs headlining, crowd-pulling artists,” Mokoena added.
SACR MEC Zanele Sifuba said this year’s focus of the Macufe programme will be on arts and culture-related activities.
“Guided by the theme ‘Back to our African Heart and Soul’, the central focus of the recalibrated Macufe programme will be on arts and culture-related activities.
“Reverting to its original concept, the festival will therefore elevate the African cultural heritage as a pivot around which our existence should revolve as Africans, and in line with the mandate of the Department of Nation-Building and Social Cohesion,” said Sifuba.
Macufe is set to launch on August 1st at the Wesleyan Church in Waaihoek, Bloemfontein, and will officially run from September 3rd to 7th, 2025.
