Masi Creative Hub founder Yandiswa Mazwana.
Masi Creative Hub, a non-profit that provides a safe educational environment, has been involved in the Cape Town Carnival for the past 10 years and it has already started preparing for the 2023 event, which will take place on Saturday March 18 in Green Point.
Masi Creative Hub founder Yandiswa Mazwana said this year their offering would be a mix of Xhosa, Zulu, and Ndebele cultural elements, and, for the first time, they would have drumming by a group of boys from Masiphumelele High School.
When Ms Mazwana first arrived in Masiphumelele from the Eastern Cape, the only job she could find was that of a beach cleaner and she started turning plastic bottles into crafts.
To started teaching the community’s children the creative skills she had learnt from her grandmother. Later she taught art classes at the high school before opening Masi Creative Hub.
“I wanted to make sure I gave back, could pass along my knowledge, and teach that your hands also hold great value. You don’t have to be an A student in maths. You can also use your hands to build your future,” she said.
She will lead a group of 30 participants from Masi Creative Hub at the 2023 Cape Town Carnival.
Ms Mazwana and her creative crew started as float builders before becoming parade participants.
“When I saw the carnival and the parade in action for the first time, I fell in love with it. From the second year, we were fully involved, dancing on the streets, and we’ve been a part of it ever since.”
Ms Mazwana said that the community’s participation in the carnival is an annual highlight and gives Masiphumelele’s youngsters a glimpse of an inclusive way of being.
“It is a very beautiful platform for me to teach children about diversity. It allows them to witness and experience the spirit of diversity and feel that pure joy of people being together, no matter where they are from,” she said.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the carnival is a vibrant and unmissable experience for all residents and the many visitors to the city. From the floats to performances, he said, the event is a celebration of individual creativity, ingenuity, and diversity.
“We look forward to this year’s carnival bringing spectacular colour and life to Cape Town’s streets once more,” he said.
Tickets are available from Quicket or it can be enjoyed for free along the fan walk. For more information, see capetowncarnival.com