By Rorisang Modiba
- The National Youth Development Agency says no public money was used for the Scorpion Kings concert at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
- Young people in the National Youth Services programme worked at the event in roles such as ushers, stage crew and front-of-house assistants.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) says it did not pay for the Scorpion Kings concert at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
The show, headlined by amapiano stars DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, caused anger online after people claimed public money was used to stage it.
The agency said no money went to the concert. It explained that its deal with the Scorpion Kings was a partnership, not funding.
“The National Youth Development Agency has entered a partnership with Scorpion Kings to expand opportunities for young people. The partnership with the Scorpion Kings is a non-financial collaboration aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the creative sector,” the agency said, as reported by TimesLIVE.
Instead, the agency said young people were given work experience at the event. Through the National Youth Service (NYS) programme, they helped with jobs like ushering, stage support and front-of-house duties.
According to the agency, this type of work teaches young people useful skills in event management, stage production and hospitality.
It added that more than 4,000 young people are already involved in community projects through the National Youth Service programme.
Over 330 young artists are also getting help through the Young Creatives Programme, which the agency runs with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
The agency said the arts and entertainment industry is one of the fastest-growing in the country, but it is still hard for young people to get into it. It hopes the Scorpion Kings partnership will give them confidence, exposure and networks to help them grow in the industry.
Pictured above: Scorpion Kings/ DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small.
Image source: @scorpionkingslive
