Gauteng rolls out AFROPUNK Joburg promotion campaign at the Big Apple

Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) will be in the Big Apple, New York this coming weekend as part of Team South Africa’s efforts to promote the upcoming inaugural AFROFUNK Joburg Festival in the US market under the theme “Road to South Africa-Johannesburg”.

“AFROPUNK Joburg, which is planned for 30th and 31st December 2017at the iconic Constitution Hill, joins an elite collection of festivals globally, positioning the Gauteng City Region among the world’s leading cities,” says GTA CEO Siphiwe Ngwenya. “This event will attract visitors from across the globe to Johannesburg, Gauteng during what is normally our quite season, the festive season.

“We expect the festival will draw up to 3000 international visitors thus helping us to deliver on our target of attracting and growing numbers of international visitors into the city region.”  Together with South African Tourism, Brand SA and Constitution Hill, GTA will target its efforts on AFROPUNK Brooklyn, which is the main event in a series that takes place in several big cities around the world. The festival also takes place in Atlanta, London, Paris and will be coming to Johannesburg and Africa in December 2017 for the first time.

Ngwenya believes that drive to bring more US visitors to Gauteng will bear fruit. Already as it were, the destination is popular there, meaning that it resonates with the market.

“Gauteng Tourism has identified the New York City Region as one of the key target market in the America to consolidate our marketing efforts,” he adds. 

“The US together with Germany, France and United Kingdom constitute our core markets and focus in terms of our marketing programme. It is in the US in particular that we attract substantial volume of visitors to Gauteng and South Africa in general. These are visitors who are interested in urban and cultural tourism, paleo sciences, the safari, international music and cultural festivals, and connection with our anti-apartheid struggle.”

Working together with other state agencies, GTA will manage the “RoadToSouthAfrica-Joburg” pavilion at the main festival during the weekend in Brooklyn promoting travel packages to South Africa and reassuring thousands of Americans that it’s safe, cost effective and it’s a fulfilling experience to visit the country following the recent unfortunate travel advisories issued by the US government.

“We will market our lifestyle and musical events at large with a special focus on AFROPUNK Johannesburg,” Gaoganediwe explains. “Further, we will specifically target the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) and the choir communities because they are central to our strategic thinking and forthcoming activities in Gauteng.

“We are going to present the Gauteng LGBTI programme to the highly influential New York LGBTI structures and media and mobilise them to participate in our activities like the Feathers Awards and Joburg Pride March in October 2017. We will further sell our plans to stage the inaugural International LGTBI Conference and Exhibition in Gauteng in 2018.”

Similarly the GTA team will use its presence in New York to engage with the choir community with a view of interesting them in travelling to the City of Tshwane in July 2018 for the World Choir Games.

“We have planned engagement and promotional activities with the African American Choirs Community to encourage them to register and participate in the forthcoming World Choir Games. Staging quality global events is our preoccupation in Gauteng because events helps us to increase visitation and boosts the profile of the destination. We are going all out in New York to sell our events right inside their main events” concluded Gaoganediwe.