The World Cup came, we celebrated, the Spanish conquered. And the gees is still bubbling up in Cape Town’s streets in the form of the Ubuntu Festival, which starts on Friday, 16 July and runs until the celebration of Mandela Day on Sunday, 18 July (Nelson Mandela’s 92nd birthday).

Festivities will take place in the heart of the old city from Mandela Rhodes Place across St Georges Mall and along Church Street, from Wale Street to Longmarket Street.

The Festival programme kicks off with an ubuntu business breakfast hosted by the SA Ubuntu Foundation at the Pavilion at the V&A Waterfront, with speaker Mewa Ramgobin, author of Waiting to Live and Prisms of Light.

On Saturday 17 July there’ll be a community cook-off in the atrium of Mandela Rhodes Place. Chefs from the Three Cities Hotels group, along with the Giggling Gourmet, Jenny Morris, will be cooking up storm. Come and lend a hand, or a spatula for that matter.

Then join in a gala dinner at The Rainbow Room. Top musicians will entertain you, and you’ll get a sneak preview of the upcoming Cape Town Show.
On Sunday 18 July, sing happy birthday to Madiba as Mandela Day is celebrated with a free music festival from 10am to 6pm. The DJs from Good Hope FM will be there, plus musicians including Out of Africa, Coda, Hessel van der Walt, Tina Schouw, The Gugulethu Tenors, The Moreira Project, Karin Kortje, Saalim Ismail, Men Blessed, and more.

Bookings for the gala dinner and the breakfast can be made by visiting: www.webtickets.co.za or by e-mailing anita@amybiehl.co.za