As African countries increasingly use culture, food and fashion to drive tourism and economic growth, South African artists, chefs and designers will take centre stage at one of the region’s biggest lifestyle events next month when the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival returns to Eswatini.The eighth edition of the festival, taking place on 1 and 2 August at House on Fire in the Malkerns Valley, is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors from over 26 countries, making it one of Southern Africa’s largest celebrations of African cuisine, fashion, music and entrepreneurship. This year also marks an important milestone for the festival, which has expanded into a full two-day programme for the first time.
While the event is hosted in Eswatini, its impact extends well beyond the country’s borders. For South Africa, Luju has become a platform where local designers, musicians, chefs and entrepreneurs showcase their work to regional and international audiences, while strengthening tourism and cultural ties within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).Speaking at the official launch earlier this month, Eswatini’s Prime Minister, through the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, said the festival demonstrates how culture contributes to economic development.> “Our food, our fashion and our culture are not on the margins of our economy; they are part of its very foundation.”
The festival’s growth reflects a wider trend across Africa, where cultural events are increasingly being used to attract visitors, support small businesses and promote local creative industries. Similar festivals in South Africa, including the National Arts Festival in Makhanda and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, have shown how arts and culture can generate tourism spending while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and performers.For South Africans, Luju’s biggest draw may be its strong local representation.
South African talent takes the spotlight
Award-winning Johannesburg fashion designer **Mzukisi Mbane**, founder and creative director of Imprint South Africa, will headline this year’s Luju Fashion Runway.Mbane recently won Africa Fashion Up 2026 and has earned recognition for combining traditional African identity with contemporary luxury fashion. His collections often celebrate indigenous textiles and African storytelling, making him a fitting choice for this year’s festival theme.
Photo: Bram Lammers
The fashion programme is built around “Kwasukasukela”, a siSwati phrase meaning “Once Upon a Time.” Inspired by African oral traditions, organisers are encouraging designers and festivalgoers to use fashion as a way of telling stories rooted in heritage and identity.> “Every garment carries a story, every silhouette holds memory, and every fabric becomes a bridge between past and future,” organisers said while unveiling the fashion programme.Mbane will be joined by 11 emerging designers from Eswatini, whose collections will explore the same theme while showcasing the country’s growing fashion industry.
Photo: Bram Lammers
The festival’s Fashion Indaba will also bring together designers, retailers, stylists and fabric producers to discuss how African fashion businesses can become more competitive, sustainable and globally recognised.For South Africa’s fashion industry, events such as Luju provide an opportunity to strengthen regional partnerships while exposing designers to new markets beyond the country’s borders.
A celebration of shared food heritage
Food is another major focus of this year’s festival.The culinary programme centres on **Nguni Foodways**, celebrating the food traditions shared by Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi communities whose history stretches across South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.Rather than presenting food simply as cuisine, organisers say the programme explores how generations have preserved culture through farming, cooking and communal eating.The festival will feature several South African culinary personalities, including celebrated chef Mmabatho Molefe, whose contemporary interpretation of traditional Zulu cuisine has earned widespread recognition.South African duo Coco & J will also present Afro-fusion cooking inspired by Xhosa food traditions.
Zimbabwean chef Prince Sivalo Mahlangu will lead demonstrations on indigenous fermentation and ancestral foraging, while Eswatini’s Chef Sive Bhembe will showcase innovative desserts using indigenous ingredients.Traditional beer brewing demonstrations and nose-to-tail cooking will further explore African preservation techniques that have been practised for generations.The accompanying Food Indaba will bring together chefs, elders, academics and cultural experts to discuss indigenous food systems, sustainable agriculture and the role of Nguni cattle in Southern African culture.
Music line-up reflects regional collaboration
South African musicians dominate much of this year’s entertainment programme.Festivalgoers can expect performances by Zola 7, Nasty C, Mandisi Dyantyis, Liquideep, Shwi Mantombazane,WONDERboom,Kyle Shepherd,Vuyo Viwe,Thando Zide and Wandile Mbambeni.Artists from Eswatini, Mozambique and Lesotho will also perform, reflecting the festival’s commitment to celebrating African music across borders.The line-up highlights the growing collaboration between Southern African artists while providing audiences with a diverse mix of genres, from kwaito and amapiano to jazz, Afro-soul, maskandi and folk music.
Beyond entertainment
Although known for its fashion and music, Luju has increasingly positioned itself as a platform for economic development.Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs said expanding the festival into a two-day event is expected to increase visitor spending, create more opportunities for local businesses and strengthen the country’s tourism sector.The festival also supports entrepreneurs through food markets, fashion exhibitions and business networking opportunities that connect producers with buyers from across the region.Organisers say launch events held in Johannesburg and Maputo form part of a broader strategy to attract more visitors from South Africa and Mozambique while promoting Eswatini as a regional tourism destination.
Supporting communities
Beyond the festival grounds, Luju continues investing in community development through its partnership with World Vision Eswatini.Since launching in 2023, the initiative has raised more than E148,000, helping establish over 240 beehives across four farming communities while providing practical training to more than 50 farmers.The programme is funded through E10 from every festival ticket sold, supporting sustainable livelihoods while promoting environmental conservation.The Prime Minister described the initiative as “an exemplary model of integrated, community-centred development”, saying it demonstrates how cultural events can create lasting social and economic impact beyond entertainment.
More than a festival
With Eswatini less than four hours by road from parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, Luju has become an increasingly attractive destination for South African travellers seeking authentic cultural experiences close to home.Its continued growth reflects a broader shift in regional tourism, where visitors are looking beyond traditional sightseeing towards festivals that combine food, music, fashion and local culture.
For South African creatives, the festival offers exposure to international audiences and opportunities to collaborate with artists and entrepreneurs from across Africa. For neighbouring Eswatini, it showcases how investment in culture can support tourism, create jobs and strengthen the country’s creative economy.As Southern Africa continues promoting regional integration through tourism and trade, events such as the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival are proving that culture is more than entertainment — it has become an important driver of economic development, cross-border collaboration and African storytelling.
