About the project

The MusicXwords project is a project of the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF), a non-profit organisation with the mission to support African musicians and the broader performing arts sector. The MusicXwords project is an initiative by the EU Delegation to South Africa, implemented in partnership with the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and supported by the Cultural Relations Platform.

MusicXwords aims to facilitate training, exchange and touring opportunities for South African musicians and spoken word artists to gain access to European markets. Musicians and spoken word artists will apply via our digital platform,showcasing their content (audio and video) to European festivals, bookers and programmers. A jury will then select up to 10 of the best applicants who will perform at a virtual concert, aired from Soda Studios in Johannesburg on the 29 October 2021. From this group of 10 the very best will be selected to tour Europe in 2022.

About the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa

Since the establishment of the European Union Delegation in the country after the first democratic elections in 1994, the EU and South Africa saw rapidly expanded cooperation. The relations were strengthened in 2007 with the establishment of the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership, a forward-looking platform that facilitates wide-ranging cooperation between our two parties.

A range of dialogues between the EU and South Africa allow to share experiences in areas of common interest, or where challenges have to be faced. Areas covered by these dialogues include education, health, energy, the environment, macro-economic policies, human rights, peace and security including maritime security. The partnership is broad and comprehensive and covers political, trade and development interests, as well as cultural relations.

Except for consular tasks, the Delegation in Pretoria functions like an embassy; it is a diplomatic mission representing the European Union to South Africa together with the 27 Member States of the European Union.

About the Cultural Relations Platform

The Cultural Relations Platform (CRP) is a project funded by the European Union (EU) and supporting international cultural relations and cooperation between European and global cultural and creative sectors. 

The Platform aims to strengthen the European Union's ability to engage meaningfully with different audiences and stakeholders in its partner countries through diverse cultural relations activities.