Bushfire launches consultancy for Southern African festivals and events

Bushfire Festivals & Events Consultancy Services will provide strategic guidance for emerging and established events, drawing on nearly 20 years of experience in developing large-scale festivals. According to the team, the service is designed to help organisers strengthen long-term planning, refine concepts and build sustainable models suited to the regional context.

The consultancy stresses that it will not operate events, but instead focus on high-level strategy. The objective is to help organisers shape festivals that are resilient, community-centred and environmentally conscious.

Director Jiggs Thorne said the team’s experience positions them to support others navigating the sector.

“We’ve spent almost twenty years building major festivals with long-lasting local and international appeal, and we deeply understand the unique challenges and opportunities of festival-making in Africa,” MTN Bushfire director Jiggs Thorne, said. “Our work has always been about more than just the stage; it’s about integrating community upliftment, creative economy development, and environmental sustainability. We’re excited to share this hard-won experience to help other festivals and events grow with meaning ,vision whilst ensuring that they are also financially sustainable.”

The consultancy will offer services to events at different stages of development, including strategic planning, financial and partnership development, programming and impact frameworks, audience development and regional expansion strategies and operational frameworks.

The consultancy draws on its knowledge of logistics, regulatory environments and audience behaviour across Southern Africa, as well as its ongoing work through the House On Fire venue.