NELSON MANELA BAY TOURISM COLLABORATES WITH NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMISION TO HOST EVENTS

With the goal of marketing the city as an ideal tourist destination and attracting more visitors to the city through quality events, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT has formed a partnership with the National Lottery Commission, where funding was sourced to host the City to Town Half Marathon and the Annual Ebubeleni Music Festival in Nelson Mandela Bay this Summer Season.

City to Town Half Marathon

In a bid to market and establish Nelson Mandela Bay as a multi-purpose sporting destination, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism have partnered with the National Lottery Commission to host the City to Town Half Marathon, which took place on 26 November 2016 in Uitenhage. Through solid and meaningful relations established with the NLC, NMBT were able to source funding to the value of R1.4 million for the event.

As part of the developmental aspect of the event, 21 local athletes, some from disadvantaged backgrounds were selected for lifestyle training, funded by NLC, where they were coached and mentored by professional sporting advisors, over a 3 day period. The athletes, who formed part of the development team, were also put through their paces with various trial races, where a notable improvement on their running times was achieved. In addition, they also received various running gear and related equipment. In addition, funding sourced from the NLC also assisted various running clubs throughout the city, offering them much needed equipment and expertise for the event.

In order to effectively market the event to a wider target audience, NMBT conducted various roadshows in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other cities to market the event and attract athletes from all over the country, ensuring the highest level participation. NMBT have also partnered with Eastern Province Athletics (EPA) to ensure that the event was well organised and well marketed amongst the athletics community.

Athletes from across South Africa came together to compete for the gold in a 21KM road race through the streets of Uitenhage and Despatch, which started and finished in Caledon Street. For those who preferred a more casual pace, a 5KM fun run was also organised, also giving non-competitive runners the opportunity to be part of the activities.

In the end, the top 3 male runners were: Lusapho April (first - 1:04:00), Thabiso Moeng (second - 1:04:19) and Mariano Eesou (third - 1:04:50), while the top 3 female runners were: Louisa Leballo (first - 1:16:07), Rutendo Nyahora (second - 1:16:14) and Jenet Dlamini (third - 1:16:20).

The half marathon also tied in with the Uitenhage Street Carnival, offering athletes and visitors a fun and exciting outlet after the races. Festivities included magic shows, kiddies play fair, clowns, 100% local artists, motorbike parades, a summer fashion show, a DJ competition and a great variety of stalls.

Fifth Annual Ebubeleni Music Festival

Voted as “Eastern Cape Event of the Year”, the Fifth Annual Ebubeleni Festival is back and bigger than ever before, featuring over 20 of the most popular musicians (International, National and Local artists) this year at the Scribante Race Track on 30 December 2016.

Through additional funding sourced from the National Lottery Commission (NLC), Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) were able to secure R950 000 in funding towards the event, which forms part of their Summer Season festive calendar. The event is marketed with the idea of attracting visitors to the city over the festive period, through hosting quality events with world class entertainment, whilst also catering to the entertainment needs of local residents. 

This year’s event promises to bigger than ever before, with a bigger venue, more artists and much more to do within the venue. The Bay will be rocked by local, national and international performing artists such as: Syleena Johnson (USA), Monique Bingham (USA), Mafikizolo, Ringo, Emtee, Fifi Cooper, Shekhinah, Timo ODV and NMB’s own Vusi Nova. These headline acts will be supported by local talent, highlighting the city’s goal to promote local artists, by providing them with platforms such as the Ebubeleni Music Festival to further their careers.

In addition, guests will enjoy the ample space and parking for free movement and a designated braai/cheesa nyama area. The venue is enclosed and secured, ensuring the safety of all festival goers. The gates will open at 10am and tickets are available at computicket, ranging from R200 (general), R250 (golden circle) and R700 (VIP). Cooler boxes will also be on sale at R50 each, to keep guests’ beverages cool and fresh throughout the day. No glass will be permitted on site.

For more information, visit www.nmbt.co.za and click on the “events” page, or simply download the newly updated NMB Travel Guide Mobile Application (Available for Android, Apple and Windows) to keep up to date with all the latest happenings in the Bay.