‘WE ARE NOT MAKING MONEY’

MBABANE – Even with the 100 people permitted in gatherings, event organisers have expressed their dismay over the inability of making profits.

Although events are now allowed to take place, but with 100 people permitted to attend the gatherings, event organisers have cried foul over the current regulations in place, which only allow them to host 100 people.
Event organiser and DJ Karly B, whose real name is Khulekani Mamba, also attested to this by mentioning that it was not only event organisers that were affected, but this was a business chain as the printers of the tickets, stall owners who sold food and accessories and designers among the many, were making a loss currently. In a recent post he uploaded on social media site Facebook; he disclosed that as event organisers, they had done their best in keeping the dream alive since the lockdown was effected, but this did not prove to bear any results. “We are driven by the love of what we do and the fire of passion burning inside. If only we were in a country that appreciates arts...but we hold on to the hope that one day, some-day ...it will all make sense,” read the post.

purposes

Mamba went on to add that corporates were currently not sponsoring their shows because they too benefitted from the numbers of the people at events for advertising purposes. “We have tried engaging the corporates as some are willing, but because of brand association; they fear partnering with us because the police shut us down when we try to host some of the events. If the numbers are low, this essentially means that the sponsorships will be low too,” he said. Another notable well-known events company which has hosted some of the biggest events locally and internationally, Kufeziwe Communications, attested to this through PRO Nomfundo Makhubu.

She mentioned that it was also a hard task to make money out of the events they were currently hosting under the current circumstances. “It is really hard to make money from 100 people at our events. We wish government could consider our plights in the arts sector and increase the number of people who can attend because we are now hosting these events out of the love for this industry,” she said.

proximity

Makhubu further stated that on a normal day at the bus rank, you found that there were over 500 to 1 000 people in close proximity, thus not observing social distancing rules, but the same was not allowed for event organisers.

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