Amapiano producer Kelvin Momo will headline the second edition of the eThekwini Shisanyama Festival on 26 September 2026, at Berea Rovers in Durban. The Heritage Month gathering will unite food vendors, music lovers and communities from across KwaZulu-Natal to celebrate South African cuisine, live performance and cultural celebration.
Founder’s Vision
The festival was founded by Lunga Mkhize, owner of Umlazi-based Metro Gents Shisanyama. Mkhize said the event draws inspiration from the late Jabulani “Mjay” Zama, whose Eyadini Lounge demonstrated how a township shisanyama could become a destination that creates economic opportunities while bringing together people from all backgrounds.
“Mjay showed us that a shisanyama could become much more than a place to eat. He built a destination that attracted people from all walks of life while creating opportunities for the community around him. His vision inspired many of us who own shisanyamas today, and this festival is about continuing that legacy.”
Lunga Zama, festival founder
Showcasing Township Businesses
The event will feature meat vendors from across the province, many of them small, independently owned businesses. Mkhize said the festival was designed to give emerging entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their products to thousands of potential customers and forge new business connections.
“There are so many talented people in KwaZulu-Natal who have built businesses around the braai. Some started selling meat on street corners or outside busy trading areas before opening permanent establishments. We wanted to create a platform where those businesses could showcase their products to thousands of people in one place.”
Lunga Mkhize
Food, Culture and Heritage
Mkhize also stressed the role food enterprises can play in addressing high youth unemployment, noting that supporting local vendors helps sustain families and grow small businesses. The festival’s Heritage Month timing, he added, is intended to highlight food as a shared cultural experience.
“When people support local vendors, they are supporting families, creating jobs and helping small businesses grow.”
Lunga Mkhize
“Heritage is expressed in many ways, but food is one of the few things that naturally brings people together. Whether your family gathers around pap and vleis, braaibroodjies, boerewors, lamb or chakalaka, the braai is something shared across cultures. We wanted to create a space where people from different communities could celebrate that together.”
Lunga Mkhize
