16 Mar 2025

Soke, Celebration of Africa music festival was received with love and warmth in Gaborone as African heritage was celebrated in music and fashion.
Soke, true to its testament of showcasing Africa’s vibrancy, brought its first time Gaborone patrons to an intimate Game City Urban View for celebration of a rich cultural diversity of African community in Botswana. From the rhythms of Botswana’s traditional drumming and beats of modern Afro-pop, the rhythmic Afro beats of West and East Africa, soulful melodic Amapiano of South Africa and the jazzy African melodies of Kenya and outstanding Congolese Rhumba; Soke offered immersive African experience.
Curated to seamlessly captivate its patrons as a day event, Soke offered an unforgettable fusion of music and African fashion displays from some of Botswana’s brands Glotto and African Zuri. The patrons also understood the theme as they were clad in their African touch styled outfits to go with the mood. The event served as a true cultural unison through the ambiance as the crowd harmoniously enjoyed the diverse melodies of Africa.
Soke is not just a music festival as it brings African heritage to life and blends rhythm, tradition and tourism to create an inclusive celebration of unity. For the pilot event in Botswana, Soke, Celebration of Africa organisers partnered with a travel agency to better showcase the tourism aspect in Botswana.
“We partnered with African Explorer travel agency, which is operating in many different African countries. We realised that people who love Soke wants to explore, experience and tour Africa. So, we decided to create a package for every country we go to,” said one of the organisers of Soke, Tashinga Mutakwa.
Mutakwa, a producer and DJ based in Cape Town said the moment they put out the Botswana package, their patrons in other countries also showed interest for a similar experience as this was a first for Soke. The Botswana Soke edition travel experience included a tour of Gaborone City, a visit to Manyana as well as a game drive at Mokolodi Nature reserve.
“I had an amazing time, experiencing Botswana tourism close to Gaborone. This is a beautiful concept and I am looking forward to experience other tourism sites in Gaborone next time we come for Soke,” said Soke enthusiast from Johannesburg Nomusa Maseko. She said she travelled for a Soke weekend to Gaborone because she wanted to experience the tourism in the city as she has only experienced Botswana wild tourism in Chobe.
Impressed with Botswana vibe and attendance, Mutakwa said they would definitely bring back another edition of Soke. “We are planning to have it bi-annually this year, our expectations were exceeded,” he said. He said he was doubtful, at first, of how Botswana will receive the Soke concept, “but more energy was received here and a lot of lessons for other Sokes out there,” Mutakwa said adding that Botswana taught them a lot in terms of curation.
Soke, Celebration of Africa originated in Cape Town, South Africa, and extended to other African countries celebrating the continent’s diverse culture. The next Soke will be in Harare, Zimbabwe on April 5. ENDS