The African arm of international events organisation, Clarion Events, is delighted to announce a full rebrand representing their shift to a more future aligned approach to their market offering.

The organisation, now branded as Vuka Group, which means awaken and rise, will be focusing their strategic direction and decision making to include a more African-centric vision of bringing people and organisations together to connect with information and each other, across curated digital and in-person environments.

“The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for the events industry, and for our organisation. Not being able to run any live events for 19 months has necessitated a rapid and exciting evolution of our business,” says Vuka Group CEO, David Ashdown.

“Our vision and brand style is a step away from the traditional bricks and mortar world of exhibitions and talks more to a modern agency approach. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruptor to our industry and re-modelling our business now will allow us to thrive in the future,” explains Ashdown. “We are in the business of connections and experiences, and the evolution of our portfolios has allowed us to now offer a far greater range of touch points to industry. These include in-person meeting places such as exhibitions, conferences and summits, alongside digital events, news media, resource media, webinars, social media and research materials. We can support our customers with channels to market across multiple mediums which allows for effective, integrated campaign management. We are providing greater value to the industries we serve, driven by data and proven by analytics. This is a big shift for us as an organisation and we feel the rebrand is necessary to support the reset in our approach and the mindset of our project teams and customers.”

Having established a strong presence on the African continent over the past 20 years, Clarion Events Africa is an industry leader in the Energy and Mining sectors, which will continue to grow under the Vuka Group. “We are very excited about being able to bring back our scaled in-person projects next year; Enlit Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in June, as well as DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, DRC, and believe that these events will thrive under our new approach,” says Ashdown. “The industry wants to meet face-to-face again and our subtle shift in direction and expansion of touch points will provide increased value to the industry sectors we serve.”

The rebrand follows the local management buyout of Clarion Events Africa from Clarion Events. Vuka Group will continue working collaboratively with Clarion Events on the African continent, supporting them, with no changes to their staff or operations. With a commitment to data at its core Vuka Group is well positioned to support industry stakeholders now and into the future.

“We, as the Clarion Group, are very supportive of the local management buyout, which will focus the business through a more Africa-centric lens rather than a global lens,” says Clarion Group Managing Director, Lisa Hannant. “We believe the future success of the business and its customers, will be best driven locally, with local ownership, and are delighted to support the team as they embark on this new era.”

For more information please visit:

www.clarioneventsafrica.com

www.wearevuka.com

#wearevuka

Linkedin: Vuka Group

Twitter: Vuka Group

Facebook: Vuka Group

EDITORS NOTES

Vuka Group is the new industry facing brand name for Clarion Events Africa. Vuka Group brings together people and organisations to connect with information and to each other. With >20yrs experience in Africa, the group serves the Energy, Mining, Smart Mobility & Transport and Retail sectors, through a range of industry touch points across digital, print and in-person platforms. With a commitment to data at its core the group is well positioned to support industry stakeholders today and into the future. Operating from Cape Town, South Africa the group is actively involved in projects across continental Africa and boasts a diverse African team who take great pride in the work they do for the sectors and markets they serve.

Energy Industry Brands
Enlit Africa https://www.enlit-africa.com/
Future Energy Nigeria https://www.enlit-africa.com/future-energy-digital-series
Future Energy East Africa https://www.enlit-africa.com/future-energy-digital-series
ESI Africa– The African Power Journal https://www.esi-africa.com/
Enlit Africa – Connect https://www.enlit-africa.com/Enlit-365/enlit-africa-connect

Mining Industry Brands
DRC Mining Week https://www.drcminingweek.com/
Africa Mining Forum https://www.africaminingforum.com/
Nigeria Mining Week https://www.nigeriaminingweek.com/
Mining Review Africa https://www.miningreview.com/
Mine.it https://www.africaminingforum.com/register

Smart Mobility & Transport Industry Brands
Smarter Mobility Africa https://generationehq.com/smarter-mobility-africa/
EVRT Africa

Retail Industry Brands
E-com Africa https://ecommerce-africa.com/
Customer Experience Management https://cemafricasummit.com/

After weathering the storm in the events and exhibition industry over the past eighteen months due to the global pandemic and pivoting its portfolio to emerge re-branded, Vuka Group has signed two collaborative deals with Smarter Mobility Africa and Kinetic Events to strengthen their industry foothold.

“We, as Vuka Group, have launched a collaborative approach to assist our industry to fully recover from the global pandemic,” explains Vuka Group CEO, David Ashdown. “We are very excited to add to our industry portfolios and feel this will be an exciting learning curve for the group. As Vuka Group, we can look at our organisation as a ‘machine’ that other complimentary businesses will be able to partner with to grow their portfolios, whilst building shared intellectual property. We are thrilled to work with these amazing individuals.”

Smarter Mobility Africa which was envisioned to inspire and transform smart- mobility across the African continent, launched their first event in 2019 with the South African National Department of Transport and Gauteng Provincial Departments for Roads and Transport as key strategic government partners.

“We are incredibly excited to have partnered with Vuka Group, as this means that we will be able to take what we have built as a small start-up mission driven company to new levels due to the size and scale of Vuka Group,” explains Smarter Mobility Africa founder, Ben Pullen. “Over the past few years, we have been able to achieve incredible milestones with our small team, dedicated partners and limited resources. Partnering with Vuka Group will allow us to grow and achieve our mission of inspiring and transforming mobility across the continent, accelerating the transition towards smarter, accessible mobility for all.”

The 2021 Smarter Mobility Africa event which ran in Gauteng last week, saw 121 in-person delegates and over 500 virtual delegates in attendance. In April 2022, they will once again run their world famous Electric Vehicle Road Trip Africa (EVRT Africa) which is an on-the-road activation across the whole of South Africa, engaging with key stakeholders and media about the future of electric mobility on the continent.

Kinetic Events, an international business-to-business conference and exhibitions producer, has established itself as a key strategic information provider to the Retail sector, with a mission to equip senior management executives with knowledge, market intelligence and viable commercial opportunities. Over the past decade, they have produced and facilitated the end-to-end management and content creation of over 150 conferences and exhibitions spanning three continents and eight countries, which include two of Africa’s foremost shows on the Customer Experience (CX) and eCommerce calendars, which are the largest gatherings of their kind respectively.

“This collaboration with Vuka Group will allow us to scale our Customer Experience and eCommerce shows utilising the marketing and operational resources offered with the partnership,” says Kinetic Events MD, Terry Southam. “Vuka Group has gained an exciting new retail portfolio which includes 4 events and an on-demand educational content platform which fits right in with their established and successful media business.”

David Ashdown goes on to comment, “These working collaboration projects are well-aligned to complement our approach and existing industry sector exposure. The portfolio extensions fit our model of delivering a series of in-person and digital touch points to keep people and organisations connected to information and each other. We believe the Retail and Smart Mobility & Transport portfolios are primed to scale quickly as recognised and valued connectors within their fields of activity.”

Kelly Burke
Account Director
Flux Communications
Cell – 082 498 2797
Kelly@fluxcom.co.za

EDITORS NOTES

Vuka Group is the new industry facing brand name for Clarion Events Africa. Vuka Group brings together people and organisations to connect with information and to each other. With >20yrs experience in Africa, the group serves the Energy, Mining, Smart Mobility & Transport and Retail sectors, through a range of industry touch points across digital, print and in-person platforms. With a commitment to data at its core the group is well positioned to support industry stakeholders today and into the future. Operating from Cape Town, South Africa the group is actively involved in projects across continental Africa and boasts a diverse African team who take great pride in the work they do for the sectors and markets they serve.

Energy Industry Brands

Enlit Africa https://www.enlit-africa.com/

Future Energy Nigeria https://www.enlit-africa.comfuture-energy-digital-series

Future Energy East Africa https://www.enlit-africa.comfuture-energy-digital-series

ESI Africa – The African Power Journal https://www.esi-africa.com/

Enlit Africa–Connect https://www.enlit-africa.com/Enlit-365/enlit-africa-connect

Mining Industry Brands

DRC Mining Week https://www.drcminingweek.com/

Africa Mining Forum https://www.africaminingforum.com/

Nigeria Mining Week https://www.nigeriaminingweek.com/

Mining Review Africa https://www.miningreview.com/

Mine.it https://www.africaminingforum.com/register

Smart Mobility & Transport Industry Brands

Smarter Mobility Africa https://generationehq.com/smarter-mobility-africa/

Evrt AFrica

Retail Industry Brands

eCOM Africa https://ecommerce-africa.com/

Customer Experience Management https://cemafricasummit.com/

In an African continent first, RX Africa in partnership with the Host City of Cape Town gathered the Film, Arts, Media and Entertainment (FAME) industries from 3 – 5 October in an exciting and diverse few days of creativity and networking.

FAME Week Africa Event Director Judy Goddard, says she couldn’t be more pleased with this inaugural event. “The feedback from all who participated was extremely positive, which bodes well for FAME Week becoming an annual event.”

“From the City of Cape Town’s Emerging Artists Workshop that provided talented artists with the knowledge and skill to market themselves and their artwork, to the Emerging Artists Exhibition where 36 of Cape Town’s talented artists showcased their skill and offered some 80 artworks for sale at the V&A Waterfront, to the FILM, ART and ENTERTAINMENT Bus Experiences with CitySightseeing, FAME Week Africa which gave participants a ‘Through the heritage lens’ view of South Africa’s commitment to preserving cultures and sharing stories, this was among the most exciting events ever on African soil.”

Goddard adds, “We rolled out the red carpet to welcome our guests to the FAME Week Africa’s welcome cocktail function. It was the perfect setting for the industry to come together to eat, meet and reconnect with industry friends and peers”.

Goddard says the exclusive premiere of the local film, 2 Thirds of a Man, at the Labia Theatre was much lauded, and the case study afterwards that focused on “Bringing your film to life and identifying opportunities in the ecosystem” was also highly praised.

JP Smith, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security agrees, saying, “This week has been a fantastic reminder that the creative industries are alive and kicking in Cape Town as well as the rest of the country. It has also been an experience that has reinforced that partnerships and collaboration is the only way we can ensure the creative industries recover from the pandemic. While 2021 has provided a taste of things to come, as the City of Cape Town we are looking forward to a much bigger safari of events in 2021.”

Bringing cultural heritage to life

 Also, well-received was the FAME Week Conference, which comprised keynote panel discussions and seminars dealing with, among other things, the importance of supporting artists to return to energetic cultural life post-Covid19; bringing short film content ideas to life; and Women in FAME was fully booked months prior to the event.

Martin Hiller, FAME Week Africa’s content + creative director, says another highlight was The FAME Reel Talent Showcase, where the spotlight fell on talent and creatives across all industries. “The red-carpet gala brought the best African artists and creatives together to showcase their work to industry stakeholders and explore possible opportunities with industry leaders.

“FAME Week is proud to have brought this opportunity to the immense talent on our continent.”

MIP Africa 2022: A perfect fit

During the week, MIP Africa was launched. “MIP Africa a perfect fit for FAME Week Africa and will form the pillar for the film sector.” says Carol Weaving, CEO of RX Africa.

“MIP Africa’s launch means great things for our film industry,” she says. “Bringing everything from blockbuster programming to groundbreaking partnerships to our shores, MIP’s history with global and international buyers like Multichoice and Showmax makes it an invaluable part of the African movie scene and we are excited to welcome MIP Markets on board.”

Industry Creatives have their say to as to their experience at FAME Week Africa:

Keitumetse Madisha, Primedia Broadcasting: “Thank you to FAME Week Africa for providing a meaningful platform in celebration of Africa’s talent, innovation, creativity and inspiration by various powerful speakers. I am honoured and privileged to have been afforded the opportunity to attend the event that allowed me to network, connect with industry professionals and creatives through an amazing well thought exclusive weekend schedule. The experiences included an epic bus tour to various locations with rich history in Cape Town and off course amazing views. I am very passionate about photography, production and few locations that stood out for me were the Roodebloem Studio’s which was the first stop. A quick opportunity to take lots of selfies hahaha. I was blown away by each studio look and feel, the work that went into those studios, how passionate the team are and the kind of events they host. The Cape  Town City Hall with so much history with some local movies that were shot there and the Cape of Good Hope. A lunch at the President Hotel, great conversations with stunning views and a very exclusive welcome party followed by a conference the next day with woman panelists sharing some of their powerful industry experiences. I was truly empowered and thank you FAME Week Africa for recognizing local talent in the industry and celebrating them, this gave me hope that after what the events, arts and entertainment industry went through due to Covid-19, things will go back to normal. I will definitely do this again next year. See you in 2022”.

Sarah Kozlowski, Actor & Producer: “Amazing moderators and eclectic industry individuals made the event really unique. I gained amazing perspectives from fellow artists wearing different hats. Incredibly well organised, no details were spared or neglected. As someone who has recently moved to Cape Town the event was invaluable for me. It was such a comprehensive and clear overview of the entertainment industry and I have left inspired.”

Tecla Ciolfi, Editor Texx and The City: “The inaugural Fame Week Africa achieved what it set out to do by sparking much-needed conversations across the entertainment industry after such a bleak period of lockdown. I’m looking forward to seeing the future expansion of RX Africa’s events in Cape Town and the opportunities that this will mean for the arts.”

Manuela Dias De Deus, One-Eyed Jack: “The FAME Week Africa conference was superbly curated and included a great mix of both industry experts and youngsters that are clearly making their mark.  It’s not often that you hear spontaneous applause from the audience, or a ‘hell yeah’ from the moderator, which is a great indication that the panellists were comfortable enough to speak from the heart, and that audience was totally engaged with meaningful content clearly resonated with them. I made a lot of great connections businesswise too, it was a great networking opportunity”.

Antos Stella;Managing Director: Content Connect Africa: “What a pleasure it was to be part of the inaugural FWA a much needed initiative for the entertainment business by the RX Africa.  FWA is a great networking opportunity for all businesses both here in Africa and globally.”

To view visuals from FAME Week Africa:CLICK HERE

FAME Week Africa 2022: Save The Date NOW

As the organisers look back on FAME Week 2021, it is with pride and gratitude. ”We are looking forward to returning to The Mother City from 24 – 26 August 2022 for the next instalment of FAME Week Africa,” concludes Goddard.

Ends.

About FAME Week Africa

Launched in 2021 in partnership with the Host City of Cape Town, FAME Week Africa is the continent’s unrivalled cornerstone of business development for the Film, Arts, Media and Entertainment industries. Bringing the creative sector together, FAME Week Africa is the go-to place for industry professionals on the African continent. FAME Week Africa provides an opportunity to forge, enrich and strengthen business relationships. FAME Week Africa will take place from 24 – 26 August 2022. www.fameweekafrica.com

About MIP Africa

Launched at FAME Week Africa in 2021, MIP Africa, is the newest addition to the MIPCOM and MIPTV Group, and will be the the continent’s leading event for business development for the creative industries.

MIP Africa offers a unique experience of pre-scheduled one-to-one matchmaking that guarantees meetings between Distributors, Producers & African Buyers and Commissioners to support programmes sales and co-production partnerships. It’s a thrilling opportunity to unwrap your freshest Film and Television content to African and International Buyers.

Designed to connect with TV industry leaders, MIP Africa will form the film pillar of FAME. Exhibitors will be pan African based and enjoy a platform created specifically to showcase the skill and capability of the continent.

Link to the launch video: Click Here

About RX Global

RX Global is a leading global events business. It combines face-to-face with data and digital tools to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors, attracting more than 7 million participants.  Our events leverage industry expertise, large data sets and technology to enable our customers to connect face-to-face or digitally and generate billions of dollars of revenues for the economic development of local markets and national economies around the world.   RX Africa is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.www.reedexhibitions.com

About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.  The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*

*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors

Ends

In partnership with the Host City of Cape Town, FAME Week Africa are getting to roll out the red carpet from Sunday, 3 October to Tuesday 5 October 2021.  The FAME Week Africa team has been hard at work curating a programme in an event set to become the continent’s unrivalled cornerstone of business development for the culture and creative industries.The three-day line-up is a melting pot of extraordinary experiences, includes:

THE EXPERIENCES: Your passport to creative Cape Town

FAME Week Africa and the iconic red bus (City Sightseeing Cape Town) have come together to provide specifically guided tours that showcase the Mother City’s best film, art and entertainment spots. We are almost sold out so if you love all things film, art and entertainment, book now to avoid disappointment.

A FILM Experience This is a film lover’s dream! Hop on the FILM Red Bus tour and experience the iconic monuments and famous landmarks featured in international and local productions. From Netflix’s The Crown to international blockbuster, Safehouse, you’ll have the opportunity to discover a range of award-winning films that have been shot in Cape Town and all the famous names that have graced these locations.

Highlights:  A guided tour of Roodebloem Studios, Cape Town City Hall, The Castle of Good Hope; lunch at the President Hotel; and an exclusive film screening at The Labia Theatre.

• Date: 3 October 2021
• Time: 09h00 – 17h00. Bus departs and returns to the V&A Waterfront.
• Cost: R599 per person. The ticket price includes all venue entrance fees, tours and lunch.

For more information about this tour or to book, Click Here.

An ART Experience If the glitz and glamour of Sallywood, doesn’t tickle your fancy, then how about art? Hop on the Red Bus and explore some of the Mother City’s leading art galleries and museums. There’s plenty to gain inspiration from as with the help of art curators you will get a glimpse into the world of various artists whose work and exhibitions you’ll be enjoying.

Highlights: A guided tour of South African National Art Gallery, Zeitz MOCCA, The Norval Foundation and lunch at Radisson RED.

• Date: 3 October 2021
• Time: 09h00 – 17h00. Bus departs and returns to the V&A Waterfront.
• Cost: R799 per person. Ticket price includes all venue entrance fees, tours and lunch as well as a year’s membership to the Norval Foundation.

For more information about this tour or to book, Click here.

An ENTERTAINMENT Experience Take a sneak peek behind the stage curtain and see how the magic of stage is brought to life. On this tour you will explore a few of Cape Town’s leading theatres, including a creative learning space in the heart of Langa. You’ll also have the added benefit of discovering why Langa the hidden creative gem of Cape Town.

Highlights: A guided tour of Artscape Theatre, Baxter Theatre, Guga S’Thebe Cultural Centre and lunch at Jordan Ways of Cooking.

• Date: 3 October 2021
• Time: 09h00 – 17h00. Bus departs and returns to the V&A Waterfront.
• Cost: R699 per person. The ticket price includes all venue entrance fees, tours and lunch.

For more information about this tour or to book, Click here

THE CONFERENCE: A creative world awaits

Keep your finger on the pulse of the evolving cultural and creative industries at FAME Week Africa Conference on Monday 4 October at Gallery 44 and Theatre.

The FAME Week Africa conference sessions will comprise keynote panel discussions and seminars. The importance of supporting artists is key to returning to vibrant cultural life post-Covid-19, bringing your short film content ideas to life, and Women in FAME are among the topics to be discussed. The conference is fully booked.

THE SHOWCASE: Celebrating Africa’s talent, innovation, creativity and inspiration
To conclude the spectacular culmination of events of FAME Week Africa 2021, GOLD Restaurant, The Bachelor’s Jason Greer and Message Architect Thami Nkadimeng will host the FAME Reel Talent Showcase, where talent and creatives across Africa in Film, Arts, Media and Entertainment will be in the spotlight. This red-carpet gala extravaganza will present the best in African artists and creatives and form a platform for creatives in Africa to be seen and acknowledged by industry stakeholders, to showcase their work and to explore possible opportunities with industry leaders.

THE FUTURE: 2022 and beyond
“Now it is time for Africa to show the world what she is capable of. FAME Week Africa is the perfect platform for us to bring our stories, our content to the world. We will also be making some exciting announcements throughout the three days cementing our commitment to rebuilding the cultural and creative industries. So, watch this space” says Martin Hiller, FAME Week Africa’s content + creative director.

From blockbuster programming to groundbreaking partnerships, every August from 2022, the global and African media and entertainment industry will converge in the Host City of Cape Town to turn every moment into an opportunity, transforming three days of exchange and networking, meetings, screenings, and conferences, into lasting business.

You can stay up to date with industry trends and news by visiting FAME Week Africa’s content hub, www.fwaconnect.com

Ends.

About FAME Week Africa

In partnership with the Host City of Cape Town, RX Africa brings you FAME Week Africa 2021, an event set to become the continent’s unrivalled cornerstone of business development for the film, arts, media and entertainment industries. Bringing the Film, Arts, Media and Entertainment sector together, FAME Week Africa is the go-to place for creative industry professionals on the African continent. FAME Week Africa provides an opportunity to forge, enrich and strengthen business relationships.

It also showcases new technologies and services from industry leaders in AV system integration and communications; live entertainment technology; television and broadcast; animation and film; studio and production, DJ and pro-audio equipment.

Beyond the event, FAME Week Africa continues to drive commercial success as attendees have access to the creative industry community, through leadership pieces, online content and communities from around the world. www.fameweekafrica.com

About RX Global

RX Global is a leading global events business. It combines face-to-face with data and digital tools to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors, attracting more than 7 million participants.  Our events leverage industry expertise, large data sets and technology to enable our customers to connect face-to-face or digitally and generate billions of dollars of revenues for the economic development of local markets and national economies around the world.   RX Africa is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.www.reedexhibitions.com

About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.  The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn,  €39bn,  $47bn.*

*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors

Keep your finger on the pulse of the evolving cultural and creative industries at FAME Week Africa Conference on Monday 4 October at Gallery 44 and Theatre in the Host City of Cape Town. From hot trends to strategic approach and business models, if this is your world, these are your people.

To kick us off, here are 12 thought leaders you’ll get to hear at FAME Week Africa 2021: 

Sisanda Henna, Actor, producer, writer

Sisanda Henna is an award-winning, world-class actor, with an impressive portfolio of diverse and powerful leading roles. Henna’s most recent successes include M-Net Cinemax ZDF created series Trackers, which became the popular African channel’s number one viewed show. Rogue, with a seasoned global cast including Megan Fox; Inconceivable, an M-Net original; One Night Kwa Mxolisi a Showmax original film; and Agent, a 13-part series currently streaming on Netflix to 190 countries and also aired on Canal+ & SABC.

Tshepo Moche, Creator and Writer: Play Nice Pictures

Tshepo is a writer, director, mother, activist and all-round good human being. She spent her early years lecturing television scriptwriting at AFDA Film School and stepped into the animation space, working as a writer on Netflix’s Mama K’s Team 4. Currently working as an Executive Creative Consultant and writer on Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes, a preschool series produced by Triggerfish, eOne, Frogbox, TeamTO and Disney Jnr, Tshepo also taking a first-time seat in the Director’s chair as part of the Disney+/Triggerfish Kizazi Moto short film anthology.

Sarah Kozlowski, Actor and producer

Sarah Kozlowski is a South African actress and producer based between Los Angeles and Cape Town. She has a variety of TV shows and films under her belt, namely Tempy Pushas S2 and Thola S2 to name a few. Sarah is currently starring in the TV show Agent as Zoe Zante on Netflix. She plays an ambitious Football club owner carving a name for herself in a tough male-dominated industry based on a real character.

DJ Fosta, Musician

DJ Fosta is a prolific producer and DJ who is influenced by South Africa’s deep house sound. He hails from the township of Langa, the home of the legendary artist Brenda Fassie. In 2006, He founded 021 records with Sindisa “Skull” Cima to provide a platform for artists from Langa.DJ Fosta has also been deeply involved in community projects in his township and has been an important part of the non-profit Bridges for Music. In 2014, DJ Fosta was invited to perform at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK.

Dr Lwazi Manzi. Executive Producer: Spier Films

Dr. Lwazi Manzi is a young professional who embodies the diverse and energetic spirit of a South African institutional entrepreneur. Lwazi has 12 years of experience as a frontline health care worker, mostly dedicated to emergency medicine. Her keen interpersonal skills, unique creative voice and strong leadership abilities led her beyond the medical field and has resulted in a prolific film career as a producer and executive producer.

Fahiem Stellenboom, Marketing Manager: The Baxter Theatre Centre

Spend time with Stellenboom and you too will be caught up in his enthusiasm and dynamism. A bubbling personality coupled with an eclectic mix of marketing and public relations experience in the corporate world, he is not shy to express his amative feelings for all things “arty farty”. His experience includes being an advertising and graphic design executive, marketing and communications manager at global accounting firm KPMG and head of office for the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation. He also had a fulfilling career as a dancer, choreographer and dance director.

Tumi Mogapi, Women In Music South Africa: Chapter Chair; Director of Culture Coins Agency

Tumi Mogapi has had the pleasure of serving both major publishers and independent writers and publishers for more than a decade, with her passion in providing music rights awareness in Africa. In 2021 she founded Culture Coins Agency, assisting production houses, advertisers, filmmakers, musicians and creatives with music rights consultation and expertise. She was also instrumental in founding the South Africa chapter for Women in Music.

Manuela Dais De Deus, Director: One-eyed Jack

Manuela Dias de Deus is the Event Director of One-eyed Jack. This award-winning integrated marketing agency has scooped significant awards for media relations, sponsorship, influencer relations, event creation and reputation management, predominantly for lifestyle brands.

Manuela joins the discussion on: A vibrant cultural economy post-Covid is key to sustaining artist’s livelihoods and supporting other industries allied to the arts

Monica Rorvik, Head Film and Media Promotion: Wesgro

For the past seven years, Monica has led the Film and Media Promotion Unit at Wesgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape region’s Tourism Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.  A certified African Film Commissioner, she is passionate about growing employment and investment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) creative industries.

Esther Pearl, Founder and Executive Director: Camp Reel Stories

Esther Pearl has spent 20-plus years working in Production Management in the entertainment industry. Most of her film career was spent at Pixar Animation Studios, where her feature film credits include the Academy Award-winning films The Incredibles, Wall-e, and Monsters, Inc. Outside her work at Pixar, her credits include films such as Titanic, Starship Troopers, Armageddon and What Dreams May Come.

Samantha de Bruin, Founder of SAManagement Agency and Radio Show host for plugged in with Samantha de Bruin.

Founded by Samantha in 2013, The SAManagement Agency is a leading artist, entertainment, events and social media management and production company in South Africa. Specialising in Social Media Management and Content Creation, Radio-plugging and PR, Artist Manager and Show Producer, the company manages, represents, and books some of the most sought-after singers and entertainment in South Africa.

Dan Mace, Founder of JOE Films

Dan Mace is a young creative and visionary film director, Youtuber and the founder of JOE Films in Cape Town. Through his 10-year career behind the camera, he has directed over 100 commercials, music videos, documentaries, and short films, spanning four continents. He joined YouTube in 2011, and has grown an audience of over 783,000 subscribers, and generating more than 35 million views of his films. Through his career, he has won multiple awards, including three Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions, an African Crystal Film Grand Prix, Bronze Loerie Awards, Ciclope Africa.

To see the full programme, click here. Tickets are free but booking is essential. Click here to book.

Ends.

About RX Global

RX is a leading global events business. It combines face-to-face with data and digital tools to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors, attracting more than 7 million participants.  Our events leverage industry expertise, large data sets and technology to enable our customers to connect face-to-face or digitally and generate billions of dollars of revenues for the economic development of local markets and national economies around the world.   RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.www.reedexhibitions.com

About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.  The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn,  €39bn,  $47bn.*

*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors

Taking over the streets of the mother city on the 2^nd of October, Comic Con Cape Town will bring a taste of pop culture to fans for one day only. Highlighting the world of art, cosplay, film, anime and gaming, Comic Con Cape Town, in partnership with Film Cape Town and hosted by the City of Cape Town, will be presenting more than 12 exciting activations, showing off the best of what Cape Town has to offer.

In a bid to elevate the pop culture within the mother city, Comic Con is determined to support local talent and aims to grow the pop culture community through this taste of Comic Con. Each fandom will own a part of the city and whether fans attend IRL (In Real Life), or watch cosplay and art activations online, Comic Con Cape Town will have something for everyone. Those who attend are encouraged to dress up as their favourite character and take to the streets. They stand a chance of winning the prize for being the best dressed at each activity.

The heart of Comic Con are the artists and creators, and for the Comic Con Cape Town pop up, all artist activations are proudly sponsored by POSCA. On the 2^nd of October, all artist activities will take place at Redemption Burgers at The Old Biscuit Mill throughout the day. From 10h00 fans will be able to delve into the creative world of local up-and-coming art and artists, with the Live Draw and Interview session hosted by Ray Witcher, South African comic writer and illustrator. Fans can also catch Shooting The Breeze Sketch Battles, which sees local established artists compete to win a R5000 prize, hosted by Breeze Yoko a multidisciplinary artist specialising in video/film and graffiti.

Closing the day at the Biscuit Mill will be a Comic Con favourite, the engaging Drink and Draw taking place from 17h00 – 21h00, where fans can purchase a coaster and select their favourite artist to create a quick work of art on it. All proceeds from this activity will go to charity.

Fans can find out if they’re the ultimate Jedi when they put their Star Wars knowledge to the test and battle it out to win incredible prizes at the Star Wars Quiz at Mojo Market in Sea Point, from 11h00 – 12h00. To all, may the force be with you!

All Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, Giants, Orcs and even men are invited to join the fellowship and drink mead as they fight to be the one that rules them all, in the Lord Of The Rings Fan Meet-up and Quiz at Beerhouse on Long, from 14h30 – 16h00.

One of the premier highlights of any Comic Con is the Cosplay Competition, a live event that allows contestants to show off their creative character costumes. Taking place at the VEGA Campus at De Waterkant, the Cosplay Regional Masters will be held between 13h30 and 14h30. The winner will receive incredible prizes, the title as the first-ever regional champion and will advance to the national competition hosted at Comic Con Africa in 2022.

First-time cosplayer are encouraged to show off their costumes and characters as part of the Casual Cosplay competition between 12h00 – 13h00. Newcomers are welcome to enter with their various borrowed and bought costumes.

No Cosplay competition is complete without seeing the younger fans make their debut and show off their looks on stage! The Kids Cosplay competition sponsored by Build-a-Bear gives all kids a chance to not only dress up for fun, but to show off their costumes to family, friends and fans alike. Casual and Kids cosplayers are encouraged to sign up online by following these links : https://bit.ly/CCCPT_KidsCosplay or https://bit.ly/CCCPT_CasualCosplay. Entries for all Cosplay competitions close on the 26^th of  September. Spectators are also able to book their seats for any of the categories at https://comiccon.howler.co.za/events/comic-con-cape-town-pop-up-activities-de1c/tickets.

Build-a-Bear is also giving all fans R50 of any fury friend. Only those who are dressed up or are in cosplay are eligible if they pop into any Build-a-Bear store on the day. Alternatively, fans who are registered for one of the Comic Con Cape Town activities will receive a R50 coupon with their map, which can only be redeemed on the day.

Skilled and competitive gamers can get ready for an action-packed time as Comic Con Cape Town together with ATK will offer them the chance to test their speed with F1 time trials, or battle in Tekken, and stand a chance to compete against the SA Champ and win a prize fund to the value of R2000.

Comic Con Cape Town will also be hosting an online Comic Con Cape Town Warzone Community Cup in partnership with Cross-Play Gaming. Those who can’t join the in-person activities will be equally encouraged to rank first as they stand to win a prize fund of R2500. Online Registrations Now Open and competition will take place on Saturday at 17h00. Tune in to https://www.twitch.tv/comicconafricaofficial to check out the players.

For those who are interested in venturing into the gaming world from a career point of view, from content creation, esports and game development, they will be able to attend the Business of Gaming Connect: Cape Town as a Gaming Industry Hub, a 2-hour workshop from 12h00 – 14h00 at VEGA Campus Cape Town that will leave attendees inspired and motivated for their future in the industry.

Table Top gamers will come together at Kind Regards at Dunkley square from 09h00 – 16h00 to take their place amongst the day’s action. Alongside the Gathering Pioneer event will be a Dungeons & Dragons Session or two. There is sure to be magic in the air as opposing sides ready themselves for the action, so fans are encouraged to check out session times on the Howler Ticket page.

To wrap up a day of excitement and getting to know the mother city while venturing between their favourite fandoms, attendees will have a chance to party like a pirate with a dress-up sunset cruise on the Jolly Roger at the V&A Waterfront at 17h00.

As space is limited due to capacity restrictions, fans are encouraged to book their slots ahead of time on Howler.co.za, with ticket prices for most activities at R20, with access to a limited-edition collectable commemorative pin. The Artist Activations are free of charge, but other items are priced individually. Activities and Activity Schedules are subject to change.

Remember to get your limited edition Comic Con Cape Town merch on Howler when purchasing your tickets. All information on venues, locations, and limited access can be found by visiting Comic Con Cape Town’s social media platforms or the Howler site on https://comiccon.howler.co.za/events/comic-con-cape-town-pop-up-activities-de1c/tickets.

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Keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social platforms for more:

Facebook: /ComicConCPT

Twitter: @ComicConCPT

Instagram: @comicconcapetown

Web: www.comicconcapetown.co.za

Exciting Comic Con content can be found on YouTube @ComicConAfricaOfficial

For more information contact Martin@thevibemedia.co.za

About Comic Con Cape Town

Comic Con Cape Town is a festival that focuses on all elements of pop culture. Packed with championships, competitions, super show specials, product launches, workshops, panels, Q&A sessions, screenings, activations, and interactive experiences, there is something for everyone to enjoy whether you are a casual fan or a bona fide geek.

Pop culture is growing rapidly in South Africa and the standard of Cosplay is world-class. Comic Con Africa is passionate about developing local fandoms, services and pop culture. In 2018 the South African Comic Con journey began when the annual Comic Con Africa was launched in Johannesburg to much excitement and with great success. In 2019 Comic Con Africa reached 71,000 guests over four days.

For more information, please visit www.comicconcapetown.co.za

Comic Con Africa is owned by Reed Exhibitions (Pty) Ltd and used under license by Mogull

Media Proprietary Limited.

About Film Cape Town

Film Cape Town is a joint initiative between the City of Cape Town and the Cape Town film industry. It’s a focused project, designed to make the most of the City’s amazing locations, diverse talent pool and world class infrastructure to create a thriving and sustainable industry that’s the crown jewel of the continent.

What defines Cape Town as a premium film and media destination is the best “can do” attitude in the business. Beyond world-class skills and infrastructure, it’s our ability to innovate and creatively solve problems that sets the city apart.

Leading power platform to focus on preparation for COP26  

The organisers of Enlit Africa have confirmed that Eskom Group Chief Executive André de Ruyter will once again be part of the opening session of the event on Tuesday morning, 26 October. The leading platform and discussion forum for the power and energy sector on the continent will specifically focus on how the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), taking place in November, could provide the launchpad for Africa’s energy transition.

Formerly known as African Utility Week, Enlit Africa is unpacking what the continent needs to concentrate on to decarbonise the power sector. Running from 26–28 October, Enlit Africa will provide practical solutions to prepare the continent for a NetZero reality. The programme looks at various ways to achieve this; from LNG as a transitional energy source, municipal energy independence, e-mobility, and how Africa is preparing for, and what it is expecting from, the COP26 summit.

During the Mr de Ruyter’s keynote appearance at a previous edition of the event, he shared Eskom’s long-term strategy, discussed the utility’s plans for decommissioning existing coal stations and repurposing the infrastructure, as well as moving into renewable energy. During the keynote session in October this year, the Eskom GCE will give more insight into Eskom’s COP26 journey and the anticipated outcomes. 

Other confirmed industry experts appearing in the Enlit Africa sessions are:

– Meike Wetsch, programme manager, Coega Development Corporation, South Africa
– Dhevan Govender, senior commercial & business manager, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa
– Adrian Strydom, executive director, SA Oil and Gas Alliance
– Frederic Verdol, senior energy expert: energy & extractives, World Bank
– Vally Padayachee, special advisor, Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities
– Jessica Stephens, CEO, AMDA, Kenya
– Roland Nkwain Ngam, programme manager: climate justice and socio-ecological transformation, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, South Africa
– Patrick K. Tonui, head of policy and regional strategy, GOGLA, The Netherlands

Enlit Africa session highlights will include:

– Keynote session: How COP26 could provide the launchpad for Africa’s energy transition.
– To LNG or not: Is that the question?
– Municipal Energy Resilience in South Africa – assisting local government to take advantage of new energy regulations, including purchasing energy directly from IPPs.
– E-mobility: Creating a regulatory and policy environment to encourage EV uptake.
– Prepayment as a precursor to enhanced energy and financial efficiency.
– Digital equity: Ensuring that digital advances are equitable and just.
– Energy storage: Generation, transmission or distribution asset?
– Finance, investment and strategy: Is there an oversupply of funding and an undersupply of projects?
– ROUNDTABLE: Heading to COP26: Has the COVID-19 crises derailed the climate finance agenda?
– Waste not, want not: re-use, recycle and reclaim your wastewater.
– Water security 2.0: Looking Durban’s experience in addressing monumental water challenges.

Gathering the industry
Formerly known around the continent as African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Enlit Africa has been connecting the utility industry on the continent for more than two decades and in the next edition will also bring back its popular water track. October’s digital edition is a precursor in the lead-up to the hybrid event in Cape Town in June next year.

In tune with this year’s theme, leading power and event media partner ESI Africa will highlight the leaders and projects nominated to the African Power & Energy Elites annual publication. During the Enlit Africa digital event in October, the finalists who will  appear in the 2022 edition of the Elites publication will be announced.

Enlit Africa’s successful transition to digital
The fast-growing attendee numbers and feedback from participants and partners fully support the remarkable and successful transition that the organisers of the event have made from live events to providing a digital forum for the industry to connect via live, online events on the Enlit Africa-Connect platform.

The June edition of the event, the third in the last 18 months, attracted more than 5,000 registered attendees, representing more than 70 countries and featuring 50 speakers.

All the previous Enlit Africa sessions remain available on demand on the event platform. For access, register on the Enlit Africa-Connect platform by clicking here.

Industry support
Eskom, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the City of Cape Town have been official hosting partners of the event for many years and 2021 is no exception.

ESI Africa, the continent’s leading news provider for power and energy news, is the official host publication.

Enlit Africa is organised by Clarion Events Africa, a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors. Other well-known events include Nigeria Mining Week, Africa Mining Forum and DRC Mining Week.

Enlit Africa dates and venues:
Digital Event: 26–28 October 2021
Next live, in-person conference and exhibition: 7–9 June 2022
Venue: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa

Website: www.enlit-africa.com

Media contact:
Annemarie Roodbol
Email:  annemarie.roodbol@clarionevents.com

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