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In commemoration of Africa Day on 25 May, the Department of Arts and Culture has declared this month Africa Month. The Department is encouraging all Africans to celebrate their heritage by wearing something that represents their home country every Friday in May.

“Africa Day is observed around the world to mark the founding of the Organisation of African Unity – what we know today as the African Union – on 25 May 1963,” says spokesperson from the department. “On this day each year, our continent is commemorated by Africans and non-Africans alike, wherever they find themselves in the world.

“Now more than ever in South Africa there is a need to acknowledge and celebrate our African-ness – those things that unite us as Africans, as well as those that differentiate us from each other and thereby contribute to our vibrant continental diversity.”

The Department is calling on all Africans in South Africa to wear something every Friday that commemorates their culture. 

“We are asking Africans to share their pride in their roots by wearing something that says ‘I am African’ every Friday,” says the spokesperson. “It could be a bangle, or a hat, a badge or a hide – even a bagan rega, gele or a fez. Anything that identifies you as an African and; celebrates your African heritage.

Issued by The Department of Arts and Culture