Concert to celebrate South Africa’s local content policy

Dubbed the Thank You SABC Music Concert, the event will be held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on 10 September. Organisers are hoping to fill the 40 000 seat venue to capacity.

In July this year the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) started playing 90% of local music across its 18 radio stations.

Critics have questioned why SABC would stage a concert to thank itself.

A total of 100 artists are reportedly billed to perform at the event. AKA, Mafikizolo, Rebecca Malope, Mango Groove, the Parlotones, Emtee, Kwesta, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Black Coffee are some of the top artists who are expected to grace the occasion.

Organisers of the event are giving away a thousand free tickets to valid SABC TV licence holders to attend the concert. Tickets cost R100. The event will start at 10am and end at 10pm.

It’s not clear who is financing the event. The SABC recently rubbished reports that it is footing the bill as suggested by a recent press release from a pr company linked to the public broadcaster.

In a statement, the SABC said, "The SABC has welcomed the Thank You SABC Concert and all the artists that will perform have embraced and are proud of the public broadcaster's initiative to prioritize and support local music.”

One of the concert organisers Mzwakhe Mbuli said, “Everybody must vote for SABC. Vote to go to the stadium. We have incentives. We will have free gifts. There will be T-shirts".

Last month the cash-strapped public broadcaster was also under fire for allocating R50 000 (about $3500) grants to 180 local artists to help them record “quality” music. It is understood the SABC spent R9m (about $641700) on that initiative.

Tickets are available at Computicket.