The South African Season in
France Unpacked
Bongani Tembe Commissioner-General of the
South African Season in France
As the Commissioner-General for the France-South Africa
Seasons (2012 and 2013) I was appointed by the South African
National Department of Arts and Culture to drive the Seasons.
The Seasons was a multifaceted collaboration between the
two countries and in 2012 South Africa successfully hosted
the French leg of the Seasons between July and November. In
2013 the South Africa Season launched in May and the country
was hosted in France until December.
The South African Season is a tribute to the struggle for
freedom and the choice of reconciliation over racial division as
embodied by many South Africans, including its most famous
citizen, former President Nelson Mandela. During the ninemonth 2013 Season the French public were treated to a glimpse
of today’s South Africa – a thriving and young democracy still
healing from its oppressive past, yet forging ahead to secure
its place amongst the world’s emerging economies.
At its conclusion, the 2013 Season involved more than 250
events, taking place in more than 150 cities across France.
Perhaps more significantly, more than 1,000 South African
artists, cultural heritage practitioners, sportsmen and women,
academics, scientists and learners participated in the Season.
The South African Season will be remembered for its richness
in terms of magnitude and diversity. It is varied in terms of the
calibre of the artists – there are well-established international
artists such as Hugh Masekela, who appeared at the Paris
Jazz Festival in July; Johnny Clegg, better known as the ‘White
Zulu’/‘Zulu Blanc’ performed in October; and the Grammy
Award-winning Ladysmith Bl