Thando Zide And Surprise Guest Performer Manana Turn Kungawe Into One Of South Africa’s Most Immersive Cultural Experiences
This past weekend, acclaimed singer-songwriter Thando Zide challenged one of the music industry’s oldest conventions by transforming the launch of KuNgawe into a sold-out immersive cultural experience for over 500 attendees. The event served as the latest expression of Stella Artois’ mission to create experiences worth more than consumption by uniting people through creativity and connection.
Instead of simply releasing an album, Zide invited audiences inside her world, bringing the music, emotion and creative vision of Ku Ngawe to life through performance, design, fashion and hospitality. Hosted in the natural surroundings of Muldersdrift, The KuNgawe Experience reflected an evolution in how South African artists are taking music beyond the traditional album launch, transforming listening into a complete cultural experience where audiences could see, feel, and share. For decades, albums have been released. KuNgawe was lived.
At The KuNgawe Experience, she performed the album in full, joined by celebrated artists Manana transforming its themes of vulnerability, presence and connection into moments of collective reflection.
Extending far beyond the stage, the experience itself became part of the storytelling. Inspired by an Afro Riviera aesthetic, the Muldersdrift venue was reimagined through a creative collaboration with renowned South African artist and designer Keneilwe Mothoa, co-founder of Neimil. Keneilwe brought to life the emotional landscape of KuNgawe, creating an immersive physical environment where design became part of the storytelling.
Going beyond traditional venue design, Keneilwe and the Neimil team crafted an experience. Every architectural element, lighting detail and natural texture was carefully considered to encourage guests to slow down, disconnect from constant digital consumption, and reconnect with the music and one another.
The result was an environment where music, creativity and conversation existed as one seamless experience, reflecting a growing movement among South African artists to extend their creative expression beyond sound.
