Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – People from different cultural groups across the country and overseas attended the Windhoek Annual Cultural Festival (WACF) in large numbers to celebrate and promote the rich Namibian cultural diversity over the weekend.
The event which started last Wednesday and ended yesterday was not just a regular cultural festival. It was about giving a platform to local entrepreneurs, upcoming artists, innovators, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to showcase and promote their businesses through culture.
The festival attracted 101 exhibitors and was the first of its kind and it turned out to be a success according to the founder, Sylvester Shapwa.
Speaking to Entertainment Now! Shapwa said, “WACF is just like any other cultural festival but what makes it different is the fact that we are celebrating Namibian cultural heritage in all different forms, either through dressing, how we eat, interacting with other people and also in our ways of living.”
Shapwa was pleased to note that Namibians still respect their cultures and they take it serious despite the influence of western cultures in the country.
“I have seen that people are still proud and keen to celebrate culture in a certain way and to be part of this initiative, they are the ones that have contributed to the success and the uniqueness of our event,” Shapwa said, adding that the event will be celebrated annually and they would at a later stage expand it to other towns.
He said he has attended many cultural festivals but there was “one ingredient of culture” which was missing namely to accommodate, not only Namibians but also tourists that come to visit.”
Apart from exhibitors showcasing their cultural products including food, clothing and other materials, most of the people from different cultural backgrounds were also seen proudly wearing their cultural attires and some doing their cultural dances to showcase their different cultures.
The festival was also full of different activities in which onlookers and customers could also engage and participate such as the battle of Disc Jockeys, Choir competition, the battle of chefs, talent show and Miss WACF, which concluded the festival.