The global street culture phenomenon KARDO International officially touched down in South Africa in Kimberley for the first time.

According to a statement, this landmark event, hosted at the world-class Kimberley Skate Park last weekend, marked a defining moment for the Northern Cape as it positioned itself as the continent’s premier destination for action sports and creative industries.

“This landmark event brought the renowned international street-culture and action-sports platform to South African soil for the very first time, turning the global spotlight onto local talent.”

The inaugural KARDO South Africa Stage was brought to life through a partnership between the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the legendary Kimberley Diamond Cup (KDC). This high-energy collision of sport, art and sound aimed to discover local talent and elevate them to the global stage.

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The competition focused on three core disciplines: skateboarding, DJing and graffiti. Participants came from all over the country to compete.

From 111 entries nationwide, Kimberley’s own Ashley Vos walked away with the R50 000 grand cash prize in the DJ competition.

The graffiti art section attracted over 30 entries from across the country, with Kimberley-born Casey Hendricks securing the top honours with a R50 000 grand cash prize.  

In the skateboarding event 80 elite skaters fought for a piece of a R100 000 prize pool, where Kimberley’s Brad Bailey claimed his victory and R15 000 in cash.

In addition to the cash prizes, all three champions earned a golden ticket – an all-expenses-paid trip to represent South Africa at the KARDO World Finals in Stavropol, Russia, from 16 to 26 September. They will join elite street athletes and artists from 147 countries.

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Venus Blennies-Magage, Northern Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, says that the arrival of KARDO is about more than just trophies.

“It demonstrates that Kimberley is an emerging global destination for youth culture, action sports, and creative industries,” she stated.

The initiative is designed to stimulate tourism, empower local youth, and bolster the province’s creative economy.

True to the mission of sustainable youth development, the event paired high-stakes competition with structural mentorship. Legendary industry pioneers DJ Ready D and DJ Azuhl from the Beatbangaz Academy spearheaded intensive DJ workshops, transferring invaluable industry skills to the next generation of urban artists.

KARDO International is the world’s premier street culture platform, reaching over 225 000 participants across 147 countries.

The KDC is Africa’s leading action sports event, which has established the Northern Cape as a global skateboarding hub.