Culture

MBABANE – South African content creators Shaidow Sthembiso Mtileni (Fargo), Bruce Junior Chinyanga, Anil Domingos Peres Gomes (Domingos) and Siv Barnes (Siv) showed up to experience the Umhlanga Reed Dance.

Their captivating content is now flooding the digital space, with most of it available on their YouTube channels. Notably, Bruce’s video has already reached nearly 40 000 views, featuring content from South African musician Blxckie’s upcoming project.

Bruce shared his thoughts during an interview, revealing that this was not his first visit to Eswatini. "The first time coming to Eswatini was in July. We were invited by a student from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) and we even had the opportunity to appear on radio. We had an incredible experience. I had a huge audience from Eswatini and was booked to perform at Mdzimba View Shisanyama. When we heard about Umhlanga, we decided to extend our stay by a day just to immerse ourselves in the culture. We bought traditional outfits, it was crazy and when we arrived, we realised people actually knew us. We took pictures with many of them," he explained.

The creators expressed their admiration for the country. "We were amazed to see the king and the country as a whole. The love that people have here is wonderful. We want to come back and experience all seven days of Umhlanga. Eswatini is now our second home," they said.

The arrival of these prominent content creators to document the Umhlanga Reed Dance is expected to provide a boost to the country’s global cultural profile. Their online content should serve as an effective promotional tool, potentially attracting more tourists to Eswatini. This aligns with the Eswatini Tourism Authority’s target of welcoming 2.7 million visitors by 2026. As viewers engage with the creators’ content, they will learn about the significance of the Reed Dance.

The creators’ footage not only promotes Eswatini’s rich traditions, but also offers a window to a wider audience, helping to preserve and share the cultural heritage of the kingdom. Their contributions are a valuable addition to the ongoing efforts to showcase Eswatini’s unique identity on the world stage.

South African content creators Shaidow Sthembiso Mtileni (Fargo), Bruce Junior Chinyanga, Anil Domingos Peres Gomes (Domingos) and Siv Barnes (Siv). (Pic: Courtesy)