The annual vibrant Hazendal Festival is here

By Temo Mpodi

We are now counting down the days to the inaugural Hazendal Festival, which will take place from October 4-6 2024. Blending South African culture with global perspectives, the festival, at Hazendal Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, W.C., aims to promote meaningful dialogues through a Community in Practice between artists, scientists, and cultural practitioners. The intention is to encourage leaders in their respective fields to think, create and debate the important dynamics affecting our shared world.

The Hazendal Festival will comprise artist installations and performances, children’s workshops, live music, wine and dining experiences. And will, over the three days, engage all the senses through a series of unique experiences. The inaugural Hazendal Festival will be dedicated to that incredible life-fostering organic material – soil, and will be curated by eminent visionary, Khanyisile Mbongwa, former curator of the Liverpool Biennial.

Mbongwa’s edition of the Hazendal Festival will engage with our conception of geological time in the spirit of holding space for both grief and love – working with soil as an archive holding shared stories of the past, present and future. The Soil Edition will be guided by the Nguni proverb “Belele nje, Abathulunga”, which in English translates to “They may be asleep but they are not quiet” and in Afrikaans to “Hulle slaap dalk, maar hulle is nie stil nie”.

The festival’s explorations and celebrations of soil will also include performances by Zolani Mahola, Tebego Louw, music and sound explorations by Chimurenga as well as Dj Daddy, Dj Phastoki and DJ Attiyah Khan. There will be a live dance performance choreographed by Luke de Kock, short film screenings by filmmakers including Lerato Shadi and Santiago Mostyn, a sensuality self-discovery workshop by Tapiwa Guzha and a weaving and natural dye workshop by Tinyiko Makwakwa.

The culinary offerings will be created by the fine-dining Zulu chef Vusi Ndlovu together with Hazendal’s Head Chef Michelle Theron. The interdisciplinary curiosity of the Soil Edition will also feature a symposium hosted by Lungi Morrison, which will facilitate public conversations between the festival’s invited artists and South Africa’s leading academics including, Dr Christian Lueme, Prof. Kensese Mossanda, Dr Uhuru Phalafala, Li’Tsoanelo Zwane, Ukhona Ntsali Mlandu and Prof. Simeon Materechera. There will also be a children’s programme compiled by Faatimah Mohamed-Luke, which will run at Wonderdal from 10am – 4pm on Saturday and Sunday, in parallel with the rest of the festival’s day-time programme.

Get ready for this exciting, activity-packed weekend!