The Ballito 2020 Rage Festival was well attended
Excitement and anticipation are building following the announcement that the Rage Festival is heading for the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
As one of the biggest festivals in the country and attended by thousands of matriculants form Johannesburg to Ballito, the event organisers recently confirmed that the 2022 tour will now include Margate. The location was added after Wozani Africa Events reached out to the festival organisers, Rage Festival Group, to offer Margate as a host town with the support of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, Margate Business Association, Margate Ratepayers’ Association, Margate Community Police Forum and the South African Police Service.
Vicky Wentzel, Group CEO of Wozani Africa Events, described Margate as the “perfect event staging town” for the massive event. “You can relax, sleep, play here with the warm Indian Ocean or great outdoor pools all in close quarters. It really is the perfect event party town! Over the past two years, Margate business owners have spent time investing and upgrading the incredible beachfront strip which is now ready to welcome holidaymakers,” Wentzel said. The invitation to the new location was warmly received by Greg Walsh, the CEO of Rage Festival Group. He said after a successful 19-year history in Ballito, 11 years in Jeffreys Bay and 22 years in Plettenberg Bay, they have become synonymous with world-class production, unrivalled safety and the best musicians South Africa and the world has to offer.
“Our recent engagement with the people of Margate has been terrific. The town has its objectives clearly defined and there is a whole community working tirelessly and investing deliberately towards a very bright future. The main beach area of Margate offers the Rage Festival a unique platform to create a walking festival experience yet unseen in our history. Within 400 metres of the main festival beach site are multiple, freshly-upgraded hotels, new restaurants and bars and a community willing to close roads and welcome the matric class of 2022 safely for the week of their lives. Festival revellers will be able to book their entire experience, Rage Passport, accommodation and even flight in a single transaction – another first for the Rage Festival Group. Thank you, Margate! We can’t wait to see you in 2022.” Cynthia Mqweba, the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Mayor, who has provided significant support to secure the Margate Rage Festival, said it’s crucial that everyone works together to ensure the event’s success. “The KZN South Coast has so much to offer visitors and we truly hope the Margate Rage Festival will act as a platform to showcase what the area has to offer. Tourism is undeniably the region’s biggest income generator and with this dynamic team of organisers and the support of local communities and businesses, this could be a massive boost for the area.”
The week-long event will take place around the end of November or start of December 2022 depending on the matric examination timetable. According to event organisers, the Rage Festivals will create part-time employment and generate significant funding for the local tourism economy. The report indicated that the festivals attract around 15 000 students, with each one spending between R8 000 and R15 000 during their stay, bringing in around R250 million to the region. Recently, to prevent the spread of Covid infections, the festival organisers said for the Ballito leg of the event, between 30 November to 6 December, that all attendees must provide proof of vaccination to be granted entry. “The festival will be subject to all necessary Government approvals, Covid-19 event regulations at the time and all attendees will be required to show proof of their Government approved Covid-19 vaccine prior to entry. Furthermore, all attendees will be subject to non-invasive Covid-19 Rapid Antigen tests every second day and all staff daily. We can’t wait to host you safely at #Rage2021.”
