Latest news with #Wildsfees
The Herald
01-07-2025
- The Herald
Kirkwood Wildsfees a big success at new venue
It was all hands on deck in the town of Nqweba when the annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees had to find a new venue. In less than two months, a patch of veld became a festival village, which attracted thousands of festinos to the Sundays River Valley. 'We are very happy with the numbers,' festival director Jenni Honsbein said. 'There is a perception that our country is all about safaris and Table Mountain, but as you travel across the country you discover these hidden gems and we must diversify our offering,' she said at the opening of the event. 'The Wildsfees is unique because it is not just a celebration of wildlife, but also culture and community. 'It is also a powerful showcase of what tourism should be. It should be inclusive, educational and above all, joyful.' Festival board chair Paul Marais said: 'The Wildsfees is truly a community festival. It is said that adversity either divides or unites people. 'The very successful move of the festival from its traditional home at Kirkwood High School has demonstrated the power of the community — and how much the Wildsfees means to the people of the Sundays River Valley. 'Business community members freely provided advice on how to transform a patch of veld into a festival village, and provided equipment and supplies at cost price or for free. 'The traffic department, SA Police Service and the municipality were also wonderful in their support of the move. 'Our contractors and service providers excelled themselves. 'Our decision to go ahead with the festival was largely based on their assurances that they could create the wonderful venue in record time.' A community initiative two weeks before the opening saw residents of the town from all communities taking to the streets — with brooms, shovels, paint brushes and spades to spruce it up ahead of the 22nd annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees. Community volunteers painted and mounted the rubbish bins, cleaned the verges, painted their gates and road markings and picked up rubbish. Nonprofits and sports clubs which have benefited from the Wildsfees in the past gave their time and energy for free. The annual Kirkwood Wildlife auction turned over R12.6m, which is back to pre-Covid-19 levels, according to Marais. 'It was a great effort by the team, SA National Parks and the other breeders,' he said. A black rhino bull from the Mountain Zebra National Park sold for R170,000, while four male buffaloes from Kwandwe sold for R155,000 each, according to Brandon Leer auctioneers. The festival ran from June 27 to June 29. The Herald
Daily Maverick
27-06-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Eastern Cape's Kirkwood cleans up — community members unite in fight to reclaim their town
Earlier this year, the Sundays River Municipality was mentioned by the Auditor-General as one of the worst in the country — due to a dismal performance report, six years of disclaimed audit opinions, and environmental pollution caused by poor wastewater treatment works and unmanaged landfill sites that were actively harming residents. But then displaying true South African spirit, residents, businesses and farmers decided that this was not how their story ended. Last week Cornelius Korkie, the editor of Kirkwood's local newspaper, Die Lemoentjie (The Little Orange), looked at his town and sighed. The annual Wildsfees, a huge three-day event injecting R60-million into the province, was a mere seven days away. Church Street was a mess, especially over weekends, as was Main Road. Everywhere in town there was rubbish, 'or other shenanigans,' he wrote in an editorial. 'People are worried,' he added. 'It really wasn't that clean,' he said on Thursday. 'The streets had to be cleaned, as did the water canals. There were lots of empty bottles lying around. The train tracks were in a state. There were potholes.' And to top it all off, he said the dustbins had disappeared. So, he called on the community to start cleaning and almost everyone joined in – young, old, municipal workers, businesses, farmers and artists. 'The whole community bought into it. Everybody was happy. Some businesses in Kirkwood (officially Nqweba) went out of their way. One offered to clean the entire railway line that was in a horrible state. It was overgrown and full of litter. They said they would clean it and by Saturday afternoon it was clean. It was truly brilliant to see how everybody operated,' he said. 'The farmer said we will bring you new rubbish bins. The artists repainted them. They are colourful and really brightening up the town. I am feeling very happy. It is so beautiful,' he said. Korkie said his next project was to clean the areas around the town, but they would continue with a town cleanup every month. 'We are going to keep going until we can say this town is now in tip-top shape.' 'Then we can relax, but even that will be dangerous – I think there will have to be ongoing education,' he added. Karen Smith, the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Community Services and Public Safety in the Sundays River Valley Municipality, said the municipality had joined in, and assisted with labour and rubbish trucks. Workers also fixed the potholes. 'They also stepped in big time. The people from the community decided that the municipality cannot do everything alone,' she said. 'We have a very active community and everybody knows each other.' She said it was her job to get the municipality on board, but they had agreed to help within a day. 'The municipal workers even stayed on after their shift had ended to help clean every part of town,' she said. The municipality had also fixed the streetlights and the potholes. 'The town is sparkling,' she said. 'And on Saturday we didn't hear any complaints.' Smith said guest accommodation in Kirkwood was fully booked for the Wildsfees and it is a source of great income for the town – both through the letting of guest accommodation and as many casual workers are needed at the festival. 'The Wildsfees brings up to R60-million to the Eastern Cape,' she said. As the Wildsfees is also a nonprofit organisation (NGO), money is injected back into the community. Spokesperson for the Wildsfees Ed Richardson said: 'The Wildsfees is truly a community project. It is owned and run by a nonprofit, community-owned with all surplus going into Sundays River Valley community projects. 'This year, the community stepped up like never before when the venue had to be moved. Local businesses stepped up to help the Wildsfees team transform a patch of grass-covered land into a festival village in record time. They have donated their time, their equipment and their labour. 'This spirit flowed into the whole community. The Spar Kirkwood Wildsfees salutes the residents of our town from all communities and demographics for taking to the streets – with brooms, shovels, paint brushes and spades to ensure we are looking our best for the visitors to the 22nd annual Spar Kirkwood Wildsfees. 'NGOs and sports clubs, which have benefitted from the Wildsfees in the past, are also giving their time and energy for free,' Richardson added. DM
The Herald
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
All systems go for Kirkwood fest
What was empty scrubland a few weeks ago is now an eight-hectare fenced, cleared, levelled and covered platform for the 22nd annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees. Community volunteers from across the town have also been hard at work ensuring that the Karoo gem looks its best. Sunny skies are predicted for the festival weekend, which runs from Friday to Sunday. Festival highlights include the Walk on the Wildside experience featuring interactive exhibits and activities, agri, outdoor and new vehicle expos, working dog and horse demonstrations, wild rides in the Family Play Park, pony rides, paintball, bungee bounce, pedal-go karting and meeting cosplay fictional characters. There will be more than 300 specialist stalls selling handcrafted items, décor, clothing and freshly prepared delicacies, in addition to wine tastings and ' kuiering ' at the Be-Dingus Bar, Dam Duikers Draai, ATKV Kalmeerkraal, Coca-Cola Kos Kraal, Castle Corner, LITEnUP Bar, and Lagerville Watergat. Visitors will be entertained by more than 30 national stars appearing live on the giant Wildsfees stage. Friday's line-up starts at 4pm with Ruan van der Kuil, and Spoegwolf will be the headline act at 9pm. On Saturday the music starts at 1.30pm with local legend Patrick Lindoor and climaxes with former local Ruhan du Toit and Kurt Darren from 10pm. Sunday's entertainment begins at 11am with Wynand and Cheree, and Blackbyrd plays the festival out from 2.30pm. Lovers of traditional sheep's head, tripe or a mutton potjie will dine at the Lekker Lang Lamtafel while enjoying traditional Afrikaans entertainment. The dog and horse demos will be held in the MTN Arena on all three days, along with a demonstration by the SA National Parks K-9 anti-poaching unit on Saturday. Visitors to the Walk on the Wildside marquee will be able to plan their next break by finding out more about 19 of the province's top holiday and adventure destinations. Sarah Baartman District Tourism, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism and Addo Tourism will connect visitors with all the attractions which the area, including the Sundays River Valley, has to offer. There will also be fossil digs for the young, and dinosaur virtual reality experiences, as well as snake, spider and tortoise demonstrations by Mark Marshall of Sandula Conservation and his team, the Iziko Mobile Museum and the launch of a new tourism product by Small Town SA. The conservation-minded will be able to leave a message on the Tree of Life, made from recycled cardboard by APL Cartons Packaging and decorated with household waste. The Herald
The Herald
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Star-studded line-up set to light up Wildsfees stage
More than 30 of SA's top musical acts will take centre stage from June 27-29 as the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees returns for its 23rd year, promising a weekend packed with entertainment, family fun and unique experiences. Headlining the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency ( ECPTA) main stage on Friday June 27, is popular band Spoegwolf, which will close out a dynamic line-up that includes Die Piesangskille, Droomsindroom, Fatman, Bibi, Jennifer Zamudio, and GQ Ruan van der Kuil. The star-studded programme for the Saturday features performances by Bernice West, Kurt Darren, Rubber Duc, Eloff, Ruhan du Toit, Irene-Louise van Wyk, Refentse, Jakkie Louw and Danny Smoke, with Jan Jan Jan set to headline the evening. The Sunday offers a more relaxed vibe, with acts such as Wynand and Cheree, Keanan Eksteen, Blackbyrd, Ivan Roux and Manie Jackson rounding off the weekend. 'This year's festival truly has something for everyone,' festival director Jenni Honsbein said. In addition to the live performances, the festival will feature more than 300 specialist stalls, animal and equestrian shows in the MTN Arena, pony rides, as well as new vehicle, agriculture and outdoor expos. A highlight for many will be the Walk on the Wildside experience. According to organiser Mandy Roets, the exhibit will include a tourism showcase by 12 of the Eastern Cape's top destinations, educational wildlife talks with live reptiles by Mark Marshall, the Iziko Mobile Museum, an Addo Elephant National Park display, bee-keeping demonstrations, a dinosaur experience, and the launch of a new tourism product by Ron Mackenzie of Small Town SA. Families can look forward to a sprawling family play park, and fans of pop culture will enjoy photo opportunities with cosplayers dressed as popular action characters. All shows and activities are included in the entrance fee. Ticket prices are R120 per day for under 18s, adult day tickets are R250 on Friday and Saturday, and R200 on Sunday. Pensioners (65+) qualify for a 50% discount on Sunday. Weekend passes are available at R250 for youth and R500 for adults. Festival gates open at 9am daily, with main stage performances running until 11pm. The Herald
