This weekend marks the inaugural NUZ Festival & Expo taking place at Umlazi’s King Zwelithini stadium. The festival is being organised by the Umlazi Management Company, which is 100% black owned, with the support of the eThekwini Municipality. NUZ Festival & Expo hopes to promote Umlazi as a proper tourist destination, provide support for local businesses, and help to strengthen entrepreneurship in the area by hosting a series of free workshops.
Umlazi is South Africa’s second largest township, with a population of nearly 1.7 million people. Interestingly the name Umlazi comes from the time of King Shaka, who while traveling through the area had a sip of water from a river and announced that the water was sour and tasted like ‘umlaza’, fermented milk. The area is characterised by spatial and economic isolation, a result of Apartheid town planning policies, and experiences typical township problems, which are magnified due to the size of the area, and the number of people populating it. It is hoped that this festival, which shows massive potential for growth, will make a real difference to the lives of the inhabitants of Umlazi.
If you have the time this weekend make sure to swing past – it promises to be a fantastic event!