ESSENCE Festival Durban starts this week

R&B soul singer Jill Scott. File photo

R&B soul singer Jill Scott. File photo

Published Sep 25, 2017

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The much-anticipated ESSENCE Festival Durban is set to kick off in the city on Tuesday.

The Ethekwini municipality said in a statement on Monday that preparations were well underway for the 2017 installment of the event scheduled to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) and Durban Exhibition Centre from Tuesday until Sunday. 

Among the international guests expected to jet into Durban next week, they said, were Grammy award-winning musician Jill Scott and the renowned Bishop TD Jakes.

Already, tickets to the Women Economic Empowerment Engagement session featuring Johanna Mukoki, Lindiwe Rakharebe, Bongi Shangase and Rapaleng Rabana, and those for the Durban Business Fair Business Conference with Dr Judy Dlamini, Thulisile Mhlungu, Darrin L. Harris and Vivian Reddy have been sold out.

Bishop Jakes said: “I’ll be teaching principles that will escalate your business, your faith and put you in alignment with a systematic and pragmatic approach to help you take your business to the next level.”

Tickets remain available for a talk by activist Reverend Al Sharpton and a concert headlined by Jill Scott, Nasty C, Babes Wodumo, MiCasa and Khuzani. 

Some sessions of the festival are free and open to members of the public.

Last year, the festival drew over 60 000 attendees from across the country, and injected over R230 million into the province’s GDP. 

Mayor Zandile Gumede said: “(The) programme is diverse, informative, thought-provoking and fun. 

It is focused on talent, cultural, economic and business development – which connects with many people.”

Visit the

for more information and for the full schedule.

The Mercury

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