cape economy

With this year’s Cape Town Festival barely over, organizers and management are already looking at ways to improve on what is widely regarded as the most successful festival to date. A record number of 130 000 people attended the Mother City’s premier arts and culture showcase this year, of which some 21 600 were visitors to the city. In line with the long-term vision of establishing the festival as Africa’s foremost cultural festival, City officials, festival organizers and project managers are reviewing structures, financing and support infrastructure that need to be improved to enhance the experience for audiences attending the different components of the festival.

Over the nine day festival period, Capetonians and visitors were treated to a myriad exciting multi-sensory performances and artistic expressions in all imaginable forms, effectively bringing together the best in arts, culture and entertainment that Cape Town has to offer. However, behind the lighthearted frivolity lies serious commitment by the festival organizers, City officials, the arts community and the various cultural entities involved in all aspects of the festival.

The festival injects a substantial economic infusion and the provision of job opportunities into the arts industry and related service providers. This year over 2000 people derived benefit, either financially or through skills development, from their involvement in this multi-dimensional event. Much of the strategic planning is focused on ensuring that these benefits extend to all the communities in the region.

CEO Yusuf Ganief, maintains that with refined planning and greater financial input, the improvements required are well within reach. “We need to fine-tune the festival program and strengthen infrastructure within the key components. An area of improvement is the popular Stage of Democracy, hosted in the Company’s Garden which will see a tighter, more impactful and diverse performance line-up in future years. Addressing fundamental issues such as socio-economic benefits within the previously disadvantaged communities is also high on the agenda. This relates specifically to improvements within the In-Touch Community festivals which are one of the key components of the festival.

One of the most successful events was the Open-air film festival at the V&A Waterfront’s amphitheatre – a first for Africa. Says V&A spokesperson Maureen Thomson, “This has proven to be a resounding success, and it’s been wonderful to see this space being transformed into an outdoor film venue.

People from all walks of life arrived to view the cinematic stories vividly brought to life on-screen. Sitting under the stars, with the sound of the waves lapping on the quayside, whilst being transported into a cinematic world of wonder is a thrilling experience. What a vibe!” enthused Ms Thomson. “We will definitely host this event again.”

“As part of the strategic planning, says Ganief, formal research was conducted by Event Research International and Cape Tech Research Department, to determine factors such as attendance figures, audience demographics, as well as the perceptions of festivalgoers and general awareness regarding the Cape Town Festival. This gives us a strong basis from which to develop a strategic marketing plan to take the festival forward, and also to make improvements to the festival programming and production.”

According to Mr Ganief, research statistics show that more than 120 000 people attended the free events within the city center. This is well in excess of predicted attendance figures (70 000) and 80 000 up on last year’s figures of 40 000. Of the people attending, 21 600 were visitors, which, says Ganief, is very encouraging as the festival acts as a platform for the promotion of arts-based cultural tourism, and one of our focal aims is to package and market the festival more effectively on an international level.

“The year ahead will see an extensive outreach in terms of corporate sponsorship, as corporate funding and sponsorship is integral to the growth and success of the festival, said Ganief. The festival offers potential sponsors a number of branding opportunities to maximize their brand awareness and reach niche target markets that were created within the different components. This was done very successfully with strong brands such as Night Vision, In Touch, Unleashing Local Vibe, Stage of Democracy, Craft Fair, Cape Cuisine and others.” Ryland Fisher, Chair of the Cape Town Festival, is extremely proud of the partnerships that have been forged between the festival office and local heritage and arts bodies, citing this as one of the key successes of this festival.

Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo lauded the success of this year’s festival, confirming the importance of the Cape Town Festival, from both a socio-economic and tourism perspective for the city and its people.

Mr Ganief echoed this sentiment with his conviction that this year’s positive research figures indicate that the platform has been established to further elevate the status of the festival as an international player and major tourist attraction for South Africa.

Says Ganief, “It is my belief and the management team’s vision that the Cape Town Festival has the potential to become a showpiece for Africa, on a par with other global festivals. All our efforts will be focused on achieving this. “

For further information, please contact Rebecca at Rosemary Hare Public Relations on (021) 465-1166. or 072 2422685. Alternatively email rebecca@rosehare.co.za

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