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17 February 2009

Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Limpopo Tourism and Parks and Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality recently officially launched the annual Marula Festival at the Amarula Lapa in Phalaborwa. The festival, which is due to take place from 26 to 28 February, is centred around increasing market access and raising awareness on available marula products, cultural and tourism products within the region involving enterprises and co-operatives from different areas in the province.

At the launch, MEC for LEDET Collins Chabane said that the idea of Marula Festival came about in 1997 through the need to position the province differently by using natural resources. LEDET after discussions with DSAC then decided to work together in exploring the marula fruit as a tourism and commercial product. Ba-Phalaborwa was then chosen to be the permanent host of the festival because of its strategic positioning as a gateway to the east.

The festival centres around tourism opportunities and business opportunities and building the co-operatives industry. At present, eight co-operatives create 100 job opportunities during the marula season. This year we will still have international guests from Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, he said." The MEC further indicated that part of the concept of the Marula festival was to also promote tradition and culture and encouraged people to wear traditional clothes and to drink from clay pots instead of glasses during the festival.

The Mayor of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Gloria Valoyi in her address expressed her appreciation in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality still being the permanent host of the Marula Festival in its fifth year. She urged everyone who will be attending the Marula Festival to don traditional regalia as in other countries such as Germany during their annual Oktoberfest beer festival. Since its inception in 2005, the festival has managed to exceed all expectations in terms of exposing the greatness in Marula and in exposing Phalaborwa as one of the main business tourist attractions in Limpopo especially within the month of February.

As in previous years, this year's festival will include exhibitions of Marula bi-products, marula beer tasting, tourism career fair, car show, cycling competition, five and ten kilometres fun runs, golf challenge, youth rugby, open-air concert etc. The newly included 4X4 challenge and the street parade will take place at Hlolwa Lodge while the street parade will begin from the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality and end at the Impala Park stadium. Some of the new activities also include street soccer, recreational facilities for children and golf clinics.

The festival's entrance fees for both 26 and 27 are R20,00 and R40,00 for Saturday, 28 February, which covers the open-air concert. Artists who will form part of the music festival include; Freshly Ground, Thomas Chauke, DJ Mahoota versus Vetkoek, Jay Hlungwani, Mshangaan and other various local artists billed to perform at the show.

Issued by: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Limpopo Provincial Government
17 February 2009
Source: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Limpopo Provincial Government (http://www.ledet.gov.za)