The three-day festival will take place from the weekend of March 17-19, 2023 at the Mmabatho Stadium in Mafikeng.
The show will start with a gospel night featuring MTN Joyous Celebration on the 17th, followed by a jazz festival and Amapiano Night billed for the 18th and 19th respectively.
The organisers have decided to host this leg as a precursor to the main event in December. Whilst local artists have been given the opportunity in the past to showcase during the festival, no one has made the cut this time around.
Artists such as Amantle Brown, the late Dramaboi, ATI, Samantha Mogwe, Sereetsi & the Natives are some of the performers who have had the opportunity during the show in the past. The event has always enjoyed massive support from local revellers, with thousands crossing the border to attend the festival each year.
It has been revealed that Batswana made about 30% of the revellers during the last held Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Festival.
However, all is not lost as the organisers said they will consider booking locals for the main event in December. Speaking during the festival launch recently in Sandton, Stoan Seate, of the legendary Kwaito group Bongo Maffin, said due to the support the festival has received from Batswana over the years, there is always an opportunity to take them on board during the festival He said as they were regrouping following after missing out in the past two years, the idea was to give South Africans the chance bearing in mind that there is another event in December. “Batswana have supported us in the past and we will definitely look into that for the show in December. We will definitely consider bringing in international artists and Batswana will obviously get the chance to be part of the festival,” Stoan said.
He said the two nations have strong ties in all aspects, including in the areas of music as South Africans have also enjoyed bookings in Botswana. MmaAusi is the only artist in the line-up with Botswana connections. She will perform alongside Zonke, Ringo Madlingozi, Mosekaphofu, Kgethang Konese, Dineo Kotane, Tshenolo Ts Aus Tebza, Hadaassah, Ayanda Jiya and Peter Mashata during the jazz event. The Amapiano Night will feature the likes of Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Young Stunna, Daliwonga, Areece, Njelic, Focalistic and Toss of Umlando among others while the gospel festival will be headlined Bucy Radebe and Joyous Celebration.
The aim of the festival is to encourage collaborative partnerships with the community and stimulate the local art economy. It provides a platform for product, position and paradigm innovation for the creative industries sector in Bokone Bophirima and the development of Mahikeng as the capital of the arts in South Africa.
