…as Luju strengthens pan-African creative ties
Seithati Motšoeneng
SONGSTRESS, Malehloka “Maleh” Hlalele, and acclaimed fashion designer, Katiso Joachim Tsoho, proudly flew the Lesotho flag at this year’s Standard Bank-supported Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival, joining some of Africa’s biggest creative names at one of the continent’s fastest-growing cultural events.
Held at House On Fire in Eswatini over the weekend, the eighth edition of the festival attracted more than 10,000 visitors from 26 countries under the theme, “A Return to the African Future”. For the first time, the festival was expanded into a two-day celebration, showcasing African excellence in music, fashion, food and design while promoting regional collaboration and cultural tourism.
Supported by Standard Bank, the festival has grown into a leading platform for African creatives, bringing together musicians, designers, chefs and entrepreneurs from across the continent.
With Standard Bank pledging greater investment in regional collaboration and creative industries, Luju organisers believe the festival is well positioned to become one of Africa’s premier cultural and lifestyle events while opening more opportunities for artists, designers and entrepreneurs across the continent.
Maleh represented Lesotho’s music industry alongside a star-studded line-up that included South African heavyweights Nasty C, Zola 7, Zakes Bantwini, Liquideep and Mandisi Dyantyis, as well as Mozambican singer Neyma. Performances were spread across four stages featuring an eclectic mix of soul, jazz, folk, Afro-pop and contemporary African sounds.
Joachim, whose designs fuse contemporary fashion with Basotho heritage, also showcased Lesotho’s creative identity on one of Southern Africa’s premier fashion platforms.
Speaking during the festival, Standard Bank Luju Director, Jiggs Thorne, said the institution intends to further strengthen the festival’s role as a pan-African platform for emerging creatives and entrepreneurs.
“Our objective is to evolve the Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival into a more prominent food and fashion festival next year, with fashion taking a more central role,” Mr Thorne said.
“More importantly, we aim to build a pan-African programme supported by Standard Bank territories across the continent. We want to empower emerging SMEs in food, fashion and music, creating a platform for true regional integration.”
He said the festival’s growth had been carefully planned while remaining organic, adding that its regional partnerships were creating greater opportunities for artists to perform across borders.
Mr Thorne cited the Ecorda festival circuit, which supports more than 100 artists across five festivals in Southern Africa, as an example of how regional collaboration can unlock new markets for African creatives.
“The goal is to develop frameworks that facilitate reciprocal exchanges of talent between countries like Lesotho, Botswana and Mozambique, fostering a vibrant, interconnected cultural landscape.
“It’s about working within our capacities, but with the right intent and support, there’s so much more we can achieve.
“Be careful about what you wish for because this festival has become a global phenomenon. Our goal is to keep pushing boundaries and showcasing Africa’s rich narratives to the world.”
Beyond entertainment, Luju continued to celebrate indigenous African cuisine through this year’s “Nguni Foodways” programme, featuring renowned chefs, culinary demonstrations, wine and whisky tastings, and discussions on preserving traditional food knowledge.
South African music icon, Zola 7, said the creative arts remain central to preserving African identity and inspiring future generations.
“Arts and culture are the cosmetics of every country. They shape who we are and how the world sees us,” he told the Lesotho Times on the sidelines of the event.
Joachim said fashion had become an important vehicle for preserving and modernising Basotho culture.
“Putting our cultural inspirations into life and high fashion is a way of showing our creative resilience,” he said.
