By Nangamso Mabindla
11 July 2007

SOME of the country's top artists will be in Buffalo City this weekend for the Songololo Music and Arts Festival, to be held at Jan Smuts Stadium.

The festival, a partnership between the City and the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, will feature music and arts and craft from small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

As part of its social responsibility to assist SMMEs in the tourism industry to grow their market, this financial year the department will spend R2,5-million on a programme to promote emerging musicians and tourism businesses.

The programme involves training and marketing, and developing annual events for Buffalo City that will work as platforms for tourism SMMEs and emerging musicians.

Kicking off this weekend's festival on Friday, 13 July at Jan Smuts Stadium is a concert featuring the popular Mafikizolo, R 'n B sensation Jamali, gospel group Youth With Mission and house music heavyweight DJ Oskido.

Local up-and-coming musicians will also share the stage with South Africa's finest. Speaking about the festival, the City's senior communications officer, Mamnkeli Ngam, said that it would expose local SMMEs to the tourism market.

"On Saturday and Sunday local tourism SMMEs involved in art and craft, accommodation, travel and tours, and catering will exhibit their products at Heroes' Park on the Esplanade. The main objective of the event is to expose local SMMEs to the tourism market."

The long-term aim of the partnership between Buffalo City and the national department was to develop local artists and exhibitors, and to push their participation in bigger events like the annual Grahamstown Arts Festival and the Tourism Indaba in Durban.

Andile Sidinile, of the national department, said that the festival was a pilot to prepare for an even bigger event during tourism month later this year. "As part of the R2,5-million programme … we will have another festival in September. That event promises to be bigger than the one this weekend."

Again, some of South Africa's most popular musicians would be in Buffalo City for that festival.

"These stars will also give lectures to aspiring artists about the music industry. Also, we will train tourism SMMEs to prepare them for exhibitions in bigger events."