Africa Day inspires and reconciles

Gallery Video

GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - The Africa Day celebratory programme hosted by the George Museum on Friday evening, 25 May was an inspirational event where the variety and unique talents of South Africa's racial and cultural groups were centre stage.

The main aim of the evening was to introduce the museum as a platform for talented people - especially the youth - where they can be enabled and assisted to produce, market and sell their products to tourists and locals.

According to the event's coordinator, Marie van der Merwe, the previously disadvantaged community is often excluded from local markets as they cannot afford the stall fees. "We would like to assist and advise them to produce goods that will appeal to locals and tourists and give them a place to exhibit and sell their wares. We believe this will entice tourist buses to stop over rather than bypass George."

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A strong message was conveyed during the evening that South Africans must reach out to one another, learn from each other, embrace the uniqueness of each other's culture and, above all, try to make a contribution to each other's lives.

It was the first such celebration to be held and the idea is to make it an annual event that will hopefully grow bigger. Various up and coming artists entertained an appreciative audience with dance, poetry and singing. A group of youngsters also had an exhibition of herbal medicine and among the refreshments was some traditional beer that guests could sample.

Quaanitah Simons, chairperson of the museum's management committee, said they were making history. "We at the George Museum are breaking new ground tonight and it is to ensure that we build relationships out of the melting pot of our various cultures and out of that come up with something that is our own."

The vibrant Eden FM presenter Nolly D (Dyonase) was a brilliant master of ceremonies who had a conciliatory message for every South African: "Take the time to meet people from other cultures and discover what it means to relate across racial boundaries. I'm black, she's white. I can connect by just going over and saying hello. Be the one that reaches out."

The main speaker, Peggy Dlephu, George Business Chamber's 2015 entrepreneur of the year, from Knysna, shared her amazing life story of starting out as an artist selling her paintings on the street, to progressing to running her own art studio and township tour business.

With encouragement and moral support from the George Business Chamber as well as people from the UK who noticed her work, she made her business grew.

She said that hard work, relentless dedication, a willingness to learn from others, and continuous marketing and networking are prerequisite to making a business succeed.

Watch a video below.