Pretoria - After a two year hiatus, the annual Limpopo Marula Festival is expected to take place in Phalaborwa next month.
The festival of the first fruit was last hosted in 2020 and then not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fruit extravaganza gives a platform to marula beer brewers, sport individuals and artists to showcase their talent, while local crafters share traditional brewed marula beverages with community members.
Economic Development and Tourism MEC Thabo Mokone said the festival and activities contributed to economic growth, domestic tourism and enhances local trade.
Mokone was speaking to journalists at a media launch this week at Sefapane Lodge in Phalaborwa to drum up support for the four-day festival.
“The Marula Festival brand and the people of Limpopo suffered a lot in the past two years of the pandemic, but now that the pandemic has stabilised, we are ready to re-launch and take the brand back to where it was in 2020, however, we will traverse within the applicable Covid-19 regulations.”
The MEC added that the festivities were about empowerment of various sectors of the population, especially women, youth and people with disabilities through the various programmes of Marula, including the production of the various by-products from the marula tree and its fruits.
“For the past two years, life has been very difficult for most sectors in the country and the world due to Covid-19. By way of contributing to the recovery of the tourism sector and other value chains within the sector in the wake of a devastating Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
The event aims to limit the number of festival goers to 2 000 people, with two other venues used as fan parks, to accommodate overflow.
“We took advantage of the relaxed lockdown regulations, that allows events to be hosted with a maximum number of 2 000 people attending physically in an outdoor venue,” Mokone said.
The festival annually raises the economy of the province, injecting over R50 million into Phalaborwa.
The festivities will take place from April 6 to 9, kicking off with the Limpopo Marula SMME exhibition.
The programme includes a fun fair, welcome dinner, golf day and an open-air concert that will feature three international artists.
Department spokesperson Zaid Kalla said details of price tickets would be announced next week.
Mokone said the line-up of gospel, youth festival and jazz will be placed on the festival website and social media platforms.
Pretoria News