Khayelitsha to launch own arts festival

About R5 million has been set aside to make the festival a success

Khayelitsha in the Western Cape is to follow in the footsteps of Grahamstown and have its own arts festival. This was announced earlier this week and about R5 million has been set aside to make this a reality before the end of the year. The festival will be launched to mark Khayelitsha's 25th anniversary.

The festival will run along the lines of other successful cultural and artistic events such as the Grahamstown and the Soweto festival.

"After having run the Soweto festival for three years, we decided we have such a great project. We need to take it to other parts of the country, we looked around the country and thought Khayelitsha was a fantastic brand," says festival organiser Toby Chance. Organisers say the festival will be a money spinning event for the locals.

The festival is the brainchild of the City of Cape Town, Khayelitsha Development Forum and the private sector.

"The City of Cape Town has contributed sponsorship for the exhibition for small, medium and macro enterprises - it's because business development is the only way to grow the economy and create opportunities for everyone," says Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille.

The Khayelitsha Development Forum says it will ensure that crime in the township does not deter festival-goers.

The festival kicks off on October 24.