The growing wave of xenophobic tensions in South Africa is no longer affecting only migrants and cross-border trade, but is now disrupting Southern Africa's entertainment industry, with music festivals being postponed, artists withdrawing from international performances, and organisers increasingly citing security concerns over cultural celebrations.
The latest casualty is the 2026 Gungano Reggae Festival, which had been scheduled for July in Tembisa, South Africa.
Gungano Festival organisers announced the event's postponement, saying the prevailing political and social climate had made it unsafe to proceed.
Festival management said the decision followed consultations with artists, security advisers, sponsors, and partners after growing concern over anti-foreigner tensions and demonstrations in parts of South Africa.
Management said the security situation also led to two surprise international headline acts—one from Zimbabwe and another from Jamaica—pulling out of the festival.
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"While this has had a significant financial impact on the event, the safety and wellbeing of our artists, fans, volunteers, staff and partners remains our highest priority," Gungano Reggae Festival management said.
The organisers said all valid tickets would be refunded and expressed hope that the festival would return in 2027 under more favourable conditions.
The postponement comes days after South African Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo withdrew from the Buddie Beatz Concert in Victoria Falls after organisers and sponsors cited security concerns and public backlash linked to renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.
The two incidents have highlighted a growing challenge for the region's creative sector, where festivals that rely on cross-border artists and audiences are increasingly being affected by political and social tensions beyond the stage.
The postponement of the Gungano Reggae Festival and the withdrawal of Mafikizolo from the Buddie Beatz Concert suggest that the ongoing xenophobic tensions in South Africa are no longer affecting only foreign nationals.
They are increasingly spilling over into the region's arts and entertainment industry, disrupting festivals, forcing organisers to rethink line-ups, affecting tourism and cross-border cultural exchange, and raising concerns that, if the situation remains unresolved, more regional events and collaborations could face similar setbacks.
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