From 15 – 21 November, Durban will be host to the Intra African Trade Fair with a strong focus on the African Creative economy. The Trade Fair (IATF2021), a platform to promote trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), is billed to be an event that will bring together continental and global buyers and sellers and enable stakeholders to share trade, investment and market information as well as trade finance and trade facilitation solutions designed to support intra-African trade and the economic integration of the continent.
The organisers said that IATF2021 will have a strong focus on Africa’s creative economy, featuring what has been dubbed the Creative Africa Nexus @ IATF2021, a unique showcase and celebration of Africa’s vibrant creative and cultural heritage. This will reportedly bring together the best and brightest of Africa’s creative sector through substantial exhibition space, business to business/government meeting opportunities and a comprehensive programme of engaging conversations, panel discussions, live performances, installations and screenings. CANEX, as it has been called, is scheduled to begin on 15 November and will culminate in the two-day high-level CANEX Summit @ IATF2021 from 19 - 20 November 2021.
“This will be the highlight of Africa's creative and cultural calendar with hundreds of creative gatherings at the Durban International Convention Centre (DICC) and Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC), Durban, South Africa to exhibit, showcase and network with policy makers, prominent investors and financiers, through leaders and other creative sector practitioners”, said the organisers.
Sporting events are more than moments of competition, national pride, and entertainment. They are economic activities that can stimulate tourism, create employment, support local businesses, and generate revenue across multiple sectors of the economy.
Umntwana womgquba a term traditionally used in the Nguni language that means “born out of wedlock,” but nowadays it is used to emphasise that one is born kwisintu. As lontwana, I look back on my own adventures: sometimes I pat myself on the back, and sometimes I wish I could redo them.
Each September, South Africa turns its attention to the rich cultural tapestry that defines our nation. Heritage Month is a time to honour the traditions, languages, histories, knowledge systems, customs and creative expressions that have been passed from generation to generation, while recognising that our heritage is not confined to the past.
My first encounter with heritage at the Mandela Bay Development Agency was, appropriately, somewhat uncomfortable. It began with cleaning. The Gale Monument, the Horse Memorial and the Queen Victoria statue became my first practical introduction to the business of preserving history.
