Kirkwood Wildsfees joins ranks of SA's elite

The SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees attracted more than 55 000 visitors from all cultures across the three days.

The success of the recent SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees has cemented its standing as one of South Africa’s most popular family-friendly events.

Strong comparisons are now being drawn with Oudtshoorn’s Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees after more than 55 000 people passed through the turnstiles in the Sundays River Valley town from June 27 to 29.

The past 22 years have seen the festival evolve from a quaint gathering primarily catering to the rural Afrikaans-speaking community to a grand production celebrating the country’s diverse cultures and tastes.

“It can’t be seen as a little festival anymore,” Sarah Baartman District Municipality mayor Deon de Vos said. “It is now known throughout the country.”

Towns like Nqweba and Addo (which hosts the annual Herald Cycle Tour mountain bike race) have been put on the map as alternative lifestyle destinations for those living in the Eastern Cape and who, in the past, had to travel beyond the province’s borders for similar experiences.

The municipality put its full weight behind these annual showcases because they boosted economic development and tourism in the district, De Vos added.

He explained that the various municipalities were upping their game to ensure visitors benefited from excellent services and a safe environment during their stay.

The buy-in from the Nqweba community, he said, has made the festival a huge drawcard for visitors from all parts of the country.

The governing authorities are conveying to communities that it is in their interest to look after their towns.

“Partnerships are what make us succeed. We need to appreciate the [Wildsfees] organisers for their planning.

“These are passionate people.”

One of these relationships is with SPAR Eastern Cape, which became the longest-serving title sponsor when they signed up for the eighth consecutive year.

The retailer’s advertising manager Roseann Shadrach said, as an indication of the Wildfees’s appeal, visitors and stall-holders were already booking accommodation and trading space for the 2026 event.

“It’s come to the point where you can’t find a place to stay three months before the festival,” she said.

“In terms of our numbers, our line-up of artists and overall product, we are right up there with the biggest in the country.”

The three-day gathering has a strong entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and gives SMMEs a platform to promote what they offer to a much larger audience.

Contractors and merchants are in town weeks ahead of the event, thereby swelling the coffers of local businesses and guesthouses.

More and more people from Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds are realising they do not need to travel to other provinces for similar attractions.

“The Wildsfees is only a stone’s throw from Gqeberha and you get to see the likes of Kurt Darren and Jan Jan Jan in one place,” Shadrach said.

“You are spoilt for choice in terms of the number of artists you can see in one day.”

An interesting development is that the Friday night is now attracting almost as many festivalgoers as the Saturday, which is the traditional flagship day.

Shadrach attributes this to growing interest among younger festinos who enjoy listening to live music and socialising in a safe setting.

Its increasingly-diverse nature was especially pleasing, she added.

This was plain to see when people from all cultural backgrounds sat together to sample the traditional African delicacy of sheep’s head – many of them for the first time.

“It was beautiful to witness so many people representing the different groups of South Africa sharing a table. Everyone left with happy hearts.”

Shadrach said family and community were cornerstones of the Group’s ethos and that its two retailers in the Addo-Kirkwood area played a big role in the lives of locals.

“They identify with the SPAR brand and this pulls through to the festival and life beyond it.”

Festival director Jenni Honsbein said events like the Wildsfees helped raise the profile of “less-visited” provinces.

It is . . . a powerful showcase of what tourism should be. It should be inclusive, educational and, above all, joyful.”