Budula Festival returns with expanded vision, trans boundary participation

By Beatific GumbwandaThe second edition of the Budula Festival is set to make a bold statement when it unfolds within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) corridor, in Mhlanguleni, expanding far beyond its inaugural roots to celebrate the full tapestry of Tsonga/Shangaan heritage while deepening community ownership of conservation on the 27th of June 2026.Organised within the GLTFCA framework, the festival has quickly established itself as more than a cultural gathering. The event organiser Herbert Pikhela said purpose of the festival ran deeper than entertainment.“This event serves as a transboundary community-driven platform within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, connecting the diverse communities and stakeholders from Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique to exchange knowledge, best practices, and collaborative livelihoods and conservation efforts. It is for communities living in or adjacent to protected areas in the GLTFCA,” said Pikhela Last year’s inaugural edition centred largely on the iconic Xibelani dance. This year, the festival has grown considerably in scope. Pikhela explained that while the Xibelani remains the festival’s cultural anchor, the programme now encompasses a much wider embrace of VaTsonga identity.“The Xibelani dance remains the Budula Festival brand and remains a unit of the GLTFCA cultural heritage,” he said. “We are growing the festival to represent the key aspects of our culture, the cuisines, agriculture, conservation, as well as safeguarding the indigenous knowledge which facilitated a symbiotic relationship between the local communities and natural resources.”To entrench the festival’s legacy among younger generations, schools have been incorporated into key programme areas, including the Xibelani showcase itself.A defining thread running through this year’s programme is the central role of women in VaTsonga society. The choice of activities, Xibelani dance, Lowveld drums, food and cookery demonstrations, and cultural exhibitions, is deliberately deliberate in this regard.“Women play a critical role in the VaTsonga society. They are central to the welfare of the home and the safeguarding of critical aspects of the VaTsonga cultural heritage.“The Xibelani dance celebrates the resilience of the VaTsonga women in the face of hardships, human-wildlife conflict, climate change, domestic violence, farming, family, and livestock care after men have emigrated to work locally and abroad. The dance, the drums, the food remind us of the role of women in the sustainable development of the GLTFCA communities. We are celebrating the resilient Tsonga woman,” added Pikhela. There will also be food demonstrations and exhibitions, which will run concurrently with other programme activities, giving participants diverse engagement choices throughout the day.Last year’s edition was graced by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director General Professor Edson Gandiwa as guest of honour. This year, the festival is set to attract an even more prominent official presence.Pikhela said the ministers responsible for Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Environment, Climate and Wildlife, as well as the Masvingo State Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, have been proposed as keynote speakers.“Aligned with the national whole-of-government approach, their involvement highlights their critical roles in advancing community conservation within the GLTFCA framework. This integrated approach emphasises inclusive growth, sustainable development, and ecological resilience as key pillars of Zimbabwe’s developmental agenda,” said Pikhela.Pikhela also highlighted that Budula’s trans boundary identity, it draws its name from Mahlanga, the confluence of rivers that bind Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa at their shared borders. This year, that symbolism is matched by tangible cross-border participation.“Chief Makuleke and Mahonisi from South Africa have confirmed their participation. Together, they will be leading a team of 15 to Zimbabwe. Details from the Mozambique side were still being finalised.Among the groups showing the most notable growth in participation from last year are traditional leadership, community members, government departments and ministries, schools, and exhibitors, a sign that the festival’s grassroots appeal is widening.The Budula Festival carries a strategic conservation agenda. By bringing together communities, governments, traditional leaders, conservation organisations, private sector players, and the diplomatic community, the festival functions as an informal but powerful platform for advancing community buy-in for trans frontier conservation.“Community connectivity and exchange of knowledge and conservation best practices,” Pikhela said, summarising what the festival contributes to the GLTFCA’s broader goals.This year’s edition also places emphasis on community resilience through diversified livelihoods, indigenous food processing, and sustainable agricultural practices, themes that connect directly to the practical realities facing communities living on the edges of protected areas.While this year’s edition remains a single-day event, Pikhela confirmed that organisers are already planning a significant expansion.“The 2027 edition will revert to four days, two full festival days and two travelling days,” he said.This signals confidence in the festival’s growth trajectory and its ambition to become a fixture on Zimbabwe’s cultural and conservation calendar