THE inaugural Mosi-oa-Tunya Festival, which promises to be an exciting multinational and cultural event, has launched in Harare, with organisers promising to rope in prominent players in business and the arts to help scout for talent, while promoting corporate social responsibility.
NATHAN GUMA
The main event scheduled for August is set to provide a platform for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs to showcase their products, services and ideas, while creating networking opportunities for local and international businesses.
Some of the key speakers earmarked for the festival include United States-based Fredy Muks, a board chairperson of Global Music at the Recording Academy (Grammy), conveners of the prestigious Grammy Awards.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, the festival’s co-founder, Caroline Samuel, said more corporates have shown interest in supporting the festival.
It will also feature business and tourism players, for instance, international real estate agent Karen Nyenga and Annabelle McKenzie, director of the Year of Return and Beyond Year of the Return for the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The Year of the Return is a call by the government of Ghana to the African diaspora to return and be a part of the transformation of Africa using the West African country as a gateway.
“The turnout was great. We had people who came through to support. We had the ambassador from Ghana, First Capital, Vintage Travel and Vintage Tours Pvt Ltd and a lot of other big names who came through to support us. The launch was a success and we are looking forward to a great festival in August,” said Caroline Samuel.
On the commercial side, Samuel said they will take advantage of Victoria Falls’ special economic zone status to create a financial hub and a theme park.
She also said the festival will promote sports tourism, by creating medical centre so that sportspeople from around the continent and world will come through to Zimbabwe and have camp in Victoria Falls, which will bring investment to the country.
As previously reported by The NewsHawks, the festival is set to promote corporate social investment in Victoria Falls through the extravaganza.
Some proceeds from the festival are set to revamp Baobab Primary School in Victoria Falls, where the event is going to be held in August.
“We are going to be putting Zimbabwe on the map. We are hosting the Sadc and international community.
“With regards to CSR [corporate social responsibility], we are looking to partnership with IOAN Nurses in USA which are going to help use equip a nursing homes we have Victoria Falls and to help us with up-to-date equipment like blood pressure machines, bedding and beds to revamp the living conditions of the elderly living at the place,” said Sianne Adeosun, co-founder of the festival.
“We are going to help the nursing homes by providing the nurses with some training as well. So, that is one of the programmes we have going on. The partners are also going to provide a new technology that would allow people get e-prescriptions which will scrap out situations where people go to hospitals and get charged a lot. So that is the technology that is going to be introduced through us, and is first coming to Victoria Falls.”
