DStv DELICIOUS FESTIVAL IS PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!



For the first time, an event has become a member company of the Proudly South African buy local campaign. It might have ‘International’ in its name, but the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival is Proudly South African.

The Festival will be held once again this year at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on 7th & 8th October. Whilst some of the acts are from overseas, and the food offering represents many different countries’ cuisines, the Festival features many established as well as up and coming local artists and the concept and production of the event is entirely home grown.

“When we approached Proudly South African earlier this year to become partners, they automatically assumed that our Festival was an international model that had been imported into South Africa,” said Lloyd Cornwall, Festival Director. “When they realised that the Festival has its roots firmly in South Africa, then we were able to start talking,” he added.

“In addition to the event providing 2 days of family entertainment, the business end of the Festival is what impressed us as a campaign,” said Proudly South African CEO, Eustace Mashimbye.  “The event represents millions of Rands in local procurement and is a significant creator of jobs both directly and indirectly which is exactly the key message we preach – buy local to create jobs. The DStv Delicious Festival team is living this message.”

Already committed to sourcing as many local products and services that it takes to put on a multi-million Rand event, for this year’s edition of DStv Delicious, the organisers have worked their way through Proudly South African’s database of members to procure as much as they can from those companies that are part of and support the buy local campaign.

From security services to a travel agent to put festival packages together, from printers to toilet roll suppliers, they are able to keep their spend almost 100% local. Their overall needs are vast from legal services, safety and security, marquees and tents, sound and structural engineers and set builders, cleaning and waste management services, uniforms, standby medical services, astro turf, hostesses and runners, amongst much else.

Said Chief Officer Marketing & Communications at ProudlySA, Happy MaKhumalo Ngidi, “I have been attending DStv Delicious since its inception and have always loved it, but had no idea of its origins. The passion with which it is put together and the commitment of the team not only to put on an amazing event, but to make a difference to the city and province in which it is staged, is very meaningful for Proudly South African.”

In addition to what they have sourced for themselves, the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival will generate revenue for local hotels, guest houses and transport companies. Forty per cent of the gourmet market traders are local SMMEs, who will benefit from the exposure to 40 000 visitors, whose average spend is R2 000.

“The job creation figures are also staggering,” said Mashimbye. “When we looked at last year’s numbers, we saw that there were 900 crew members working for 10 days, with an additional 3 500 workers taken on for the duration of the festival. We believe that this event has an impact on SMMEs, the Gauteng economy and jobs that goes far beyond the 2 days that the general public experiences. It is a perfect fit with our campaign and we look forward to working with the DStv Delicious team this year and beyond.”

Proudly South African will have a dedicated food Village at the Festival featuring a number of its members each offering something unique and of course, delicious.




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