IDUTYWA- Mbhashe Local Municipality used its annual Ilifa LoMbhashe Festival to put the spotlight on the area’s cultural heritage, rural tourism and opportunities for small businesses and unemployed young people.
The festival, held in Dutywa on Saturday, 19th September formed part of Heritage and Tourism Month celebrations and brought together residents, artists, crafters, traders and visitors.
Mbhashe Municipal Manager Mkhululi Nako said the Ilifa LoMbhashe concept was introduced four years ago to showcase the municipality’s heritage and create opportunities for communities.
“The concept of Ilifa Lo Mbhashe started four years ago with the aim of showcasing and celebrating our heritage in Mbhashe,” said Nako.
He said the programme was also intended to promote healthier lifestyles through activities such as walking, jogging and running, while creating space for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to participate in the local economy.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, who attended the celebrations said Heritage Month provided young people and communities with an opportunity to showcase their talents and celebrate their roots.
“I see a very beautiful thing here. Young people are happy and people from Mbhashe are able to showcase their talent and work during this Heritage Month while remembering their background,” Mabuyane said.
The municipality said the festival was conceptualised with its partners to promote Mbhashe’s culture, tourism attractions and investment opportunities to visitors.
Mabuyane urged Eastern Cape residents to explore tourism attractions within the province, saying tourism could help promote towns and support local economies.
“We sell our towns through tourism. I encourage our people to explore our attractions in the Eastern Cape because we have a lot to offer, instead of always going to other places to explore,” he said.
The festival forms part of Mbhashe’s efforts to promote rural tourism and position the municipality as a destination along the Wild Coast tourism route.
Municipal spokesperson Babalwa Magqwanti said local crafters were among the beneficiaries of the initiative.
“As we celebrate Heritage Month, Mbhashe came up with this initiative to allow local crafters from across the Eastern Cape to showcase their talent and have an opportunity to market their work to potential sponsors, buyers, investors and customers,” she said.
For some entrepreneurs, the festival offered a chance to reach customers beyond their usual markets.
Founder of Sitsaba Funda Creations, Nositsaba Funda, which specialises in traditional beadwork, urged unemployed young people to develop skills that could help them earn an income.
“My advice to unemployed youth is to use whatever skills you have. If you do not have a skill, learn something that can help you make money,” Funda said.
She said beadwork and other practical skills could provide income opportunities regardless of where people lived.
“It does not require you to work in a particular place. The skill goes with you wherever you are. You can also teach your relatives and leave a legacy for them,” she said.
Funda said opportunities such as the Ilifa LoMbhashe Festival were important to small businesses that did not have large online audiences.
“Ilifa lombhashe really made a difference because being here as small businesses helps our businesses grow,” she said.
Magqwanti further added that, the municipality wanted the initiative to attract visitors to the province while giving local businesses a platform to grow.
“We want to attract people to visit the Eastern Cape, learn about our culture, background and traditions, while growing SMMEs and allowing people to see the beauty of our province,” she said.
The festival was part of a broader programme that began earlier in September. The Eastern Amathole Agriculture and Food Trade Fair was held at the TRC Hall in Willowvale on 04 September followed by cycling, a guided tour and kayaking activities at Lurhwayizo in Willowvale on 11 September.
On 19th September residents and visitors took part in a hiking trail, fun walk and aerobics along the R408 between Willowvale and Dutywa.
The programme also included a music festival and flea market at the Dutywa Sportfield, where local artists, traders and entrepreneurs displayed their work.
Among the performers was Dutywa-based Afropop artist Enkosi Salaphi, who said performing in front of her local community was an important part of her career.
“I feel honoured. It is always nice to perform for my people and the love is always warm,” Salaphi said. She said opportunities to perform in rural communities were particularly important for artists trying to build their careers.
“It is a nice feeling especially when we get to perform for our very own people from rural areas. I wish they would continue hosting us and giving us opportunities to grow in front of them,” she said.
The municipality said the festival was intended to strengthen the connection between heritage, tourism and local economic development.
For Mbhashe residents, the initiative provided a platform for local businesses, artists and crafters to display their work while promoting the municipality’s cultural and tourism assets.
The municipality said it would continue using the Ilifa LoMbhashe initiative to promote Mbhashe as a rural tourism destination and create opportunities for communities to participate in the tourism economy.
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