Berlin November to celebrate five years

Berlin November Ffounder Luthando Bara, left, with sports, recreation, arts & culture MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa and former MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane at the 5th celebrations of horse racing event’s media launch at the Chairman’s Bistro on the East London beachfront on Thursday night.
Berlin November Ffounder Luthando Bara, left, with sports, recreation, arts & culture MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa and former MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane at the 5th celebrations of horse racing event’s media launch at the Chairman’s Bistro on the East London beachfront on Thursday night.
Image: Michael Pinyana

About 40,000 fun lovers seeking the thrill of traditional horse racing, fashion and music are expected to converge at the small town of Berlin in the Eastern Cape for the fifth annual Berlin November on November 24.

Event organiser Luthando Bara said judging from 2017’s event which attracted 30,000 people, he was confident that an additional 10,000 would grace the spectacle.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch on Thursday evening at the media launch of the extravaganza, Bara said 2018’s event was all about celebrating its five-year anniversary.

Aside from the horse racing itself, Bara said visitors could expect to be dazzled by the music of top artists from the province, including Zahara and Brian Temba. Bara said other famous faces expected included top TV actors Zolisa Xaluva and Mushe Ndiki.

Bara unveiled the sponsors which included the Eastern Cape Gambling Board, the department of sport, recreation, arts & culture (represented by MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa), MTN, Yekani Technologies and Galaxy Bingo.

Bara said eight private companies had registered to put up marquees.

Included among the familiar faces who graced Thursday evening’s red-carpet event, was radio legend Putco Mafani.

Mafani said: “We see Berlin November as a very critical component of the sports tourism endeavours of the Eastern Cape, especially the small town of Berlin. We want to put the Eastern Cape and Buffalo City on the map while celebrating traditional horse racing.”

Bara said he viewed traditional horse racing as a unique socio-cultural product that could be promoted to the world.

Bara said the event had shown tremendous growth in the past five years.

His dream was for Berlin to be transformed into a vibrant town in the longer term.

“We go there and have a new town for a week and pull out and that’s it.”

He wanted to develop a permanent race course with an office and residential area.

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