The eThekwini Shisanyama Festival is set to return for its second edition on 26 September 2026, with Amapiano heavyweight Kelvin Momo announced as this year’s headline act. The exciting news was revealed at the festival’s launch in Umhlanga on 30 July, where organisers unveiled plans for the Heritage Month celebration, which will bring together food entrepreneurs, music lovers and communities from across KwaZulu-Natal.
Set to take place at Berea Rovers in Durban, the festival promises a celebration of music, culture and authentic South African cuisine, while shining a spotlight on the growing influence of township food culture. More than a music festival, the eThekwini Shisanyama Festival highlights how independent shisanyamas across Durban and surrounding townships have evolved from neighbourhood braai spots into established businesses that create employment, attract visitors and contribute to local economic activity.
The festival’s founder, Lunga Mkhize, owner of Metro Gents Shisanyama in Umlazi, says the event was inspired by the late Jabulani “Mjay” Zama, founder of the iconic Eyadini Lounge, whose business changed perceptions of what township entrepreneurship could achieve.
“Mjay showed us that a shisanyama could become much more than a place to eat. He built a destination that attracted people from all walks of life while creating opportunities for the community around him. His vision inspired many of us who own shisanyamas today, and this festival is about continuing that legacy.”
Mkhize says the festival was established to give emerging businesses the same kind of visibility that helped shape Durban’s township food culture.
“There are so many talented people in KwaZulu-Natal who have built businesses around the braai. Some started selling meat on street corners or outside busy trading areas before opening permanent establishments. We wanted to create a platform where those businesses could showcase their products to thousands of people in one place.”
The festival will feature local meat vendors from across the province, many of them small and independently owned businesses. Their participation is expected to generate additional economic activity while introducing visitors to the diversity of KwaZulu-Natal’s shisanyama culture.
The initiative also comes at a time when youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most significant socio-economic challenges. For many young entrepreneurs, food businesses have become an accessible route into self-employment, with shisanyamas and street-food enterprises increasingly developing into sustainable commercial operations.
“When people support local vendors, they are supporting families, creating jobs and helping small businesses grow. We want this festival to become a place where entrepreneurs can make meaningful business connections while showcasing the quality of what they produce.”
Hosting the festival during Heritage Month is a deliberate decision, according to Mkhize.
“Heritage is expressed in many ways, but food is one of the few things that naturally brings people together. Whether your family gathers around pap and vleis, braaibroodjies, boerewors, lamb or chakalaka, the braai is something shared across cultures. We wanted to create a space where people from different communities could celebrate that together.”
The eThekwini Shisanyama Festival takes place on 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
