BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
The 9th edition of GhanaFest South Africa was undoubtedly the best in the history of the festival. Mama Money’s partnership with GhanaFest SA made this year’s festival the most explosive one yet.
When the headline artist, ‘OBRAFOUR’ (aka Ghana Rap Sofo), went on stage the atmosphere was electric. The High Commissioner, Mr. Charles Asuako Owiredu, also joined OBRAFOUR on stage with youthful exuberances and challenged OBRAFOUR with his dancing skills.
The festival, which is free for anyone to attend, took place on Saturday 16th September 2023 at Fountains Valley in Pretoria with the theme ‘Heritage Changes’. Over 5,000 people came to the event with revelers celebrating past midnight.
The event showcases the rich culture of Ghana through music, dance, clothing, cuisine, and more. It also fosters unity among Ghanaians in South Africa and deepens the relations between Ghana and South Africa.
The High Commissioner of Ghana to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Charles Asuako Owiredu was ushered onto the stage with beautiful adowa dancers. In his welcome address, he touched on the development of passport applications. He proudly said all the backlog of passports has been cleared. He further promised their unfailing support to the annual GhanaFest SA program.
Thomas Maree from Mama Money also addressed the audience to express his gratitude for being able to support the revival of GhanaFest SA. He went on to thank everyone for attending and for making Mama Money the most trusted service in South Africa for sending money to Ghana.
The event was charged with several performances including a Chieftaincy Display by Ashanti, the Nzima cultural group, a fashion show by Sedglo Industries, and live music by the Sankofa Band. The performance from the South African Zulu dancers from the African Child Dance Group has never disappointed the audience.
For the first time, GhanaFest SA honoured individuals who passionately contributed to their community. An award certificate was presented to Mr Benjamin Quashie and Mr Emmanuel Semaglo for their enormous contributions to the Ghanaian community.
In attendance were Ambassadors from various countries to South Africa. The event’s success is attributed to the commitment of GhanaFest SA Committee members and the enviable support of Mama Money. Our thanks also goes to supporting sponsors Ghana High Commission, Sedglo Industries, Glory Computers, African Radio TV, Sankofa Insurance, Sheila Afari PR, Ofosu Kwakye Attorneys, Jupisey Global Cargo, Wesbury College of Science and Allied Consortium.
Image: Supplied
