NEWS RELEASE                                                                            15 January 2004

CAPE TOWN CEO SWOPS JOZI FOR MOTHER CITY

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Yusuf Ganief, newly appointed CEO of the Cape Town Festival is the man responsible for bringing more than 100 performances and events, held at 40 venues around the city, to more than 70 000 Capetonians during this 9 day cultural festival. The festival will run from 14 to 22 March, and is the city’s premier arts and culture platform.

Mr Ganief, a born and bred Capetonian, who left the fast pace of Johannesburg to head the Cape Town Festival team, aims to create a well-positioned, viable and inclusive festival of which Capetonians can be proud.

Born in Claremont, Mr Ganief’s family was forced to relocate to Lansdowne during the Group Areas removals of the 1960s. He attended Oaklands High School before starting a career in the financial sphere. A strong business acumen attracted him to accounting, resulting in a move towards business and financial consulting. He swopped the Mother City for the freneticism of Johannesburg, serving as general manager of the Association of Marketers and the Marketing Federation for two and a half years.  In this position Mr Ganief was responsible for serving and driving the committees of the Loeries, Raptors, Assegaais and Tusk Awards.

Says Ryland Fisher, chair of the One City Events Company responsible for managing the festival, “In Yusuf, we believe we have found the right person to develop the event to its true potential.”

 CAPE TOWN FESTIVAL CEO SWOPS JOZI FOR MOTHER CITY

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Despite the festival budget being slashed by the City from R2.5 million to R1.5 million, this year’s Cape Festival is very much on track, according to Mr Ganief.

However, the budget cut means that Mr Ganief is looking for extra sponsorship form government and the corporate sector. “This is an opportunity for corporates to own an important part of the city,” he said.

Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo has added her voice to the call for sponsorship, saying “it is the long term vision of the Cape Town Festival to establish a world class festival on a par with Sydney, Adelaide and Edinburgh through developing and showcasing our unique talents. To this end I fully support CEO, Yusuf Ganief in his quest for the necessary trade and financial support.”

“The Cape Town Festival is one of the most exciting arts events that Cape Town has with all the right ingredients to take it forward as a world class event. It’s structure and philosophies have a solid community base and the spirit of the event has yet to be explored. I am excited about taking this event forward and with a strong organizing team and specific components feel confident that 2004 will be a turning point for the future of the Festival,” said Ganief.

The 2004 Festival will have as its theme ten years of democracy and this will be celebrated through various platforms within the major components of the festival.  These are Night Vision, a nocturnal celebration of the CBD; In-Touch, a series of community mini-art festivals; the African Summer Stage and Art in the Gardens, which will take place in the Company’s Garden.

Partnered with the City of Cape Town the Festival endorses the City’s philosophies of bringing the communities back into the City. This, says Pat Lennox of the City of Cape Town, ties in with the regeneration of the inner-city precinct.  “The City recognizes the potential of the Cape Town Festival to act as a catalyst for positive change within the inner city.”

“Mr Ganief’s commitment to the people of Cape Town echoes this sentiment.

 For more information, please contact Rebecca Atherstone at Rosemary Hare Public Relations cc on (021) 465 1166 or 072 242 2685

 Issued by                    Rosemary Hare Public Relations cc

                                    P O Box 12521

                                    MILL STREET

                                    8010

 On behalf of               The Cape Town Festival

                                    PO Box 12610

N1 CITY

7463