It was all hands-on deck in the town of Nqweba (Kirkwood) when the annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees had to find a new venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In less than two months a patch of veld became a festival village, which attracted thousands of festinos to the Sundays River Valley and impressed tourism minister Patricia de Lille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are very happy with the numbers,\u201d says festival director Jenni Honsbein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a perception that our country is all about safaris and Table Mountain, but as you travel across the country you discover these hidden gems, and we must diversify our offering,\u201d she at the opening function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Festivals such as the Wildsfees helped raise the profile of \u201cless visited\u201d provinces such as the Eastern Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Wildsfees is unique because it is not just a celebration of wildlife, but also culture and community. It is also a powerful showcase of what tourism should be. It should be inclusive, educational and above all joyful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Wildsfees is truly a community festival. It is said that adversity either divides or unites people,\u201d says Kirkwood Wildlife Festival board chairperson Paul Marais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe very successful move of the festival from its traditional home at the Kirkwood High School has demonstrated the power of the community \u2013 and how much the Wildsfees means to the people of the Sundays River Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBusiness community members freely provided advice on how to transform a patch of veld into a festival village, and provided equipment and supplies at cost price or free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe traffic department, South African Police Services and municipality were also wonderful in their support of the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur contractors and service providers excelled themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur decision to go ahead with the festival was largely based on their assurances that they could create the wonderful venue in record time\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A community initiative two weeks before the opening saw residents of the town from all communities and demographics taking to the streets \u2013 with brooms, shovels, paint brushes and spades to spruce it up ahead of the 22nd<\/sup> annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Community volunteers painted and mounted the rubbish bins, cleaned the verges, painted their gates and road markings and picked up rubbish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NGOs and sports clubs which have benefited from the Wildsfees in the past gave their time and energy free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The annual Kirkwood Wildlife auction turned over R12,6 million including VAT, which is back to pre-Covid levels, according to Marais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a great effort by the team, SANParks and the other breeders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A black rhino bull from the Mountain Zebra National Park sold for R170 000, while four male buffalo from Kwandwe sold for R155 000 each, according to Brandon Leer auctioneers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It was all hands-on deck in the town of Nqweba (Kirkwood) when the annual SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees had to find a new venue. 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