…Yvonne Chaka Chaka to headline The African Festival on Dec 28
By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected] )
Festivals are critical to boosting Ghana’s tourism and economic growth, offering immense opportunities for job creation, revenue generation, and business exposure, Chief Executive Officer of Globe Productions Limited Latif Abubakar has emphasised.
Speaking on the economic impacts of festivals and ahead of the mega The African Festival 2024, Mr. Abubakar emphasised their transformative role in driving development across multiple sectors.
He noted that festivals generate revenue, create jobs, and provide businesses with a platform for local and international exposure, and these cannot be underestimated.
“For instance, festivals like The African Festival go beyond entertainment; they stimulate economic activity at various levels, from local vendors to large-scale businesses,” he said highlighting that the most significant economic benefits of festivals are the creation of employment opportunities.
Mr. Abubakar revealed that The African Festival 2024 alone is projected to create approximately 1,000 direct and indirect jobs for vendors, transport operators, and accommodation providers. “These festivals create a chain of economic benefits, providing income to service providers and boosting the hospitality and transport sectors,” he explained.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), particularly those involved in arts, crafts, and food production, also stand to gain considerably from festivals, he said, underscoring how festivals offer these businesses a platform to showcase their goods and services while driving increased demand. “SMEs are essential to Ghana’s economic, and festivals provide the visibility and demand they need to grow,” he remarked.
In the tourism sector, festivals attract both domestic and international visitors, significantly impacting Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product. “Festivals have a ripple effect on the economy; they drive growth and position Ghana as a key cultural destination,” he added.
To maximize these benefits, Mr. Abubakar recommended strategies such as targeted marketing to attract a diverse audience, fostering collaborations with SMEs, and conducting market research to understand patron preferences.
He also highlighted the importance of showcasing Ghana’s cultural heritage through festivals to attract foreign investments.
“Festivals are a powerful tool for promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and cultural pride,” Mr. Abubakar told the B&FT ahead of The African Festival 2024, urging stakeholders to leverage the potential for national development.
The African Festival 2024
The national capital, Accra, is set to come alive this December as it hosts this year’s edition of The African Festival, a celebration that harnesses the transformative power of culture, arts, and music to promote awareness of climate change.
The three-day event, beginning on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at the Accra International Conference Center, will feature celebrated African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka as the headline act.
The festival is themed ‘Kinako! Feel Africa, Be the Change’ and aims to inspire collective action toward addressing environmental sustainability across the continent. Highlights include two plays by Mr. Abubakar: ‘Don Quixote Africa’, an African adaptation of the classic European novel, and “Ghana Must Go,” a comedy celebrating Ghana’s cultural heritage and investment potential.
Music lovers can look forward to the Afro Night Music Concert, headlined by Yvonne Chaka Chaka, with performances by Rocky Dawuni, MUSIGA President Bessa Simons, and Okyeame Kwame. Other attractions include ‘The Den of History’ and ‘The African Food Festival’, featuring outdoor film screenings, fireside storytelling, and sustainable African cuisines.
Giving an overview of the festival, Mr. Abubakar whose production team are organizers of TAF said, besides re-igniting the spirit of Pan Africanism for sustainable development of the African continent, the festival would also promote climate action by using art and cultural narratives to raise awareness about the environmental challenges Africa faces.
He said TAF would inspire change by drawing from Africa’s rich heritage and traditional ecological knowledge as a solution to modern climate issues, while uniting communities through a shared cultural experience that celebrates resilience and innovation in response to climate change. “It is a celebration that will take patrons through a captivating journey of the rich tapestry of African history,” he said.
Also, dubbed ‘The Climate Change Edition’, the festival will focus on driving the ‘Be the Change’ campaign via Arts and Culture, and promised to offer theatre lovers Africa’s biggest cultural nights.
Tickets for The African Festival are available at GH¢250 per day or GH¢600 for all three days. Patrons can purchase tickets by dialing 71470# or visiting www.theafricanfestival.com. The festival, powered by Globe Productions Limited, is in partnership with AFRIWOCC, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and UNESCO, with support from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Graphic Communications Group Ltd, and Media General Group.
