Durban – The eThekwini Shisanyama Festival is returning for its second year on 26 September 2026, headlined by Amapiano sensation Kelvin Momo. This event celebrates Heritage Month at Berea Rovers in Durban.
The festival brings together food innovators, music lovers, and communities from all over KwaZulu-Natal, showcasing music, culture, and authentic South African cuisine.
It also emphasizes the growing influence of township food culture, illustrating how independent shisanyamas generate employment, attract visitors, and support the local economy.
Lunga Mkhize, the festival’s creator and owner of Metro Gents Shisanyama in Umlazi, reveals that the event was motivated by the late Jabulani “Mjay” Zama, founder of the famous Eyadini Lounge, who altered perceptions of township entrepreneurship.
“Mjay showed that a shisanyama could become much more than merely a place to eat,” Mkhize notes.
“He established a destination that attracted a diverse crowd while fostering opportunities for the local community.
“His vision continues to inspire those of us running shisanyamas today, and this festival seeks to honor that legacy.”
Mkhize asserts that the festival was initiated to give emerging businesses the visibility needed to cultivate Durban’s vibrant township food culture.
“There are many skilled individuals in KwaZulu-Natal who have founded businesses focused on the braai,” he explains.
“Many began by selling meat on busy street corners before moving to permanent locations.
“Our goal was to create a platform for these businesses to display their products to thousands at one venue.”
The festival will feature local meat vendors from around the province, with many operating small, independently owned enterprises.
Their involvement is anticipated to enhance economic activity while introducing attendees to the rich diversity of KwaZulu-Natal’s shisanyama culture.
This initiative is especially timely given the persistent challenge of youth unemployment in South Africa.
For numerous young entrepreneurs, food ventures present an accessible path to self-employment, with shisanyamas and street food businesses increasingly becoming viable commercial endeavors.
“Supporting local vendors means uplifting families, generating jobs, and fostering small businesses,” says the founder of the eThekwini Shisanyama Festival.
“We hope this festival serves as a venue for entrepreneurs to build meaningful business relationships while showcasing the quality of their offerings.”
Choosing to host the festival during Heritage Month was a deliberate choice, Mkhize explains.
“Heritage can be expressed in countless ways, but food is one of the few elements that inherently unites people,” Mkhize shares.
“Whether your family enjoys pap and vleis, braaibroodjies, boerewors, lamb, or chakalaka, the braai is a collective experience across cultures.
“We aimed to create a space for individuals from varied communities to come together and celebrate that bond.”
The eThekwini Shisanyama Festival is scheduled for Saturday, 26 September 2026, at Berea Rovers, 73 Jacko Jackson Drive, Durban.
Tickets are available at: https://www.howler.co.za/events/ethekwini-shisanyama-festival-cef5
