11-08-2025
Rosefest: How Shekhinah created a girls' girl festival
Shekhinah prioritised women's safety with security and a free shuttle service to and from the overflow parking.
Singer-songwriter Shekhinah hosted her annual music festival, the Rosefest, on Women's Day.
By doing so, she created a safe space for women to enjoy music and have a great time in each other's company.
The Rosefest was established in 2019, and Shekhinah created it as an all-female music festival celebrating women's empowerment.
This year's Rosefest was held at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort.
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Dispelling PHD myths
There are beliefs that women can't enjoy each other's company, that there's a tendency of women to undermine or discourage other women, often in professional or social settings.
This is known as the Pull Her Down (PHD) syndrome.
However, Shekhinah's Rosefest was also a space for love among the females who celebrated their femininity through song, dance, fashion and all-around fun.
There were free activities like face painting, a photo booth with a print-out stand and roses made from crinkled paper. The sip and paint was also a favourite for most of the women in attendance.
The crinkled paper rose garden made the setup prettier. It was reminiscent of her second album, Trouble in Paradise.
On Friday, a day before the festival, Shekhinah released her third studio album, Less Trouble.
Patrons had the opportunity to listen to the new album in the listening booth. It was like being at an old school music store where you could listen to an album before purchasing it.
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Safety element
Safety is essential for women in South Africa, with the country's alarming prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV).
With the Rosefest, Shekhinah prioritised safety with security and a free shuttle service to and from the overflow parking, which was about 1.6km from the venue.
The variety of performers on stage was accommodating to the diverse female audience, from Amapiano, a bit of jazz, house, hip hop and R&B.
Zoë Modiga and Zee Nxumalo were some of the standout acts on the day, although all the performers gave their audience a fun experience, as they looked like they were having fun performing on stage.
R&B singer Elaine's performance was also one of the special ones, and it was made better because she performed during sunset.
Shekhinah herself performed in the backdrop of a full moon shining over the venue, which made the whole experience more intimate.
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