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South Africa is home to marvellous carnivals that depict the jovial culture, exciting history and warm nature of the people. Millions of travellers book flights to South Africa to revel in the country’s incredible celebrations.
One of the most vibrant and delightful countries on the globe, South Africa charms the travellers with its picturesque landscapes, wildlife attractions, diverse cultures, excellent infrastructure and warm ambience. South Africa shines with a heavenly splendour that lures the travellers into planning a holiday trip to this blissful tourist destination!
South Africa features a stimulating blend of different cultures and celebrates an array of carnivals all year long. The famous cities of the country such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London are known for their exciting and brilliant celebrations.
Here are the top 10 popular carnivals in SA that portray the value of culture and traditions in the life of the locals and at the same time drench individuals in the colour of joy.
Cape Minstrel’s Carnival
Cape Minstrel’s Carnival is one of most popular carnivals in South Africa that mirrors the splendour and cheerfulness of Cape Town. The carnival takes back the travellers booking flights to South Africa to the dark days of slaveholding and dominance. Cape Minstrel’s Carnival is celebrated as a traditional New Year and features activities like folk dances, vibrant parades, live music, ethnic shows and endless stalls of food and drinks.
The Cape Argus Cycle Tour
Started in the year 1978, the Cape Argus Cycle Tour of South Africa is the largest single-day cycling contest in the world. Millions of travellers book cheap flights to South Africa well in advance to partake in this grand event where the participants need to cover 109 kilometres of distance passing through the most beautiful landscapes. The event is usually held in March and is counted among the top carnivals of South Africa.
J&B Met
For the speed enthusiasts, the J&B Met carnival of South Africa is the best pick. The carnival is the most fascinating horse racing fiesta and is celebrated at Kenilworth near Cape Town. The event is attended by more than 50,000 dazzlingly bedighted viewers and is a great hit among the travellers booking flight tickets to South Africa.
The Splashy Fen Music Festival
Celebrated at Underberg, the Splashy Fen Music Festival is South Africa’s one of the longest-running music festivals and features many thrilling music concerts and outdoor leisure activities such as children games, camping and building tent hotels. The carnival magnificently portrays the fusion of diverse music styles and cultures and arouses a mutual feeling of oneness among the new and old artists.
The Comrades Marathon
Considered as the world’s biggest ultra-marathon, the Comrades Marathon of South Africa is celebrated in KwaZulu-Natal between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. This 90 kilometres marathon is celebrated to pay tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in World War II. The main objective of the Comrades Marathon is to “rejoice mankind’s spirit over hardship” and entices millions to plan air travel to South Africa to be a part of this awe-inspiring event.
The Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon
The Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon is an annual canoe race between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. More than 2000 participants take part in the event that runs along the Msunduzi River and passes by stunning Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu Natal. The cheerful ambience, loud applauses and energised spectators waiting along the river make this marathon a great hit.
Cape Outback Mountain Bike Expedition
For extreme adventurers planning tour to South Africa, the Cape Outback Mountain Bike Expedition is a great feast to hop on. The expedition takes participants through the rocky, but extremely gorgeous areas like Hessequa, Cape-Agulhas and other parts of the Western Cape.
Cape Town Jazz Festival
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is one of the best carnivals of South Africa and hosts a star-studded ensemble including many local and international musicians. The travellers visiting the event may partake in the various musical and training workshops to learn some practical skills and know the valuable information about the music industry. The festival is no doubt a treat for the music lovers and offers them a platform to flaunt their hidden talents.
Time of the Writer
Hordes of travellers travel to South Africa to participate in the Time of the Writer event. The festival boasts an impressive gathering of literary spokespeople from different branches of the art such as short story writers, novelists, humour writers, political critics, etc. The enriching activities and ethnically diverse line-up of writers at the Time of the Writer make the event a fantastic literary podium for dialogue exchange on varied subjects and bestows a great chance to grab knowledge regarding many facts related to the art of writing.
Ladysmith Swartkop Challenge
Inspired by achievements of arms in the South African War of 1899-190, Ladysmith Swartkop Challenge is an exciting event that features teams including 20 members and 2 leaders. The teams participating in the event have to draw a gun of 1300kg up a mount over a distance of some 130m. This electrifying event replicates Swartkop history in The Battle of Vaalkraz.