August 23: What's on in Durban

MARKETS

Shongweni Farmers & Craft Market: Spend time with family (pets included) and friends outdoors. Traders sell everything from fresh produce and deli food to arts and crafts. Walk the short nature trail or have a zipline adventure. Open rain or shine, and wheelchair accessible from 7am to 1pm. 

Musgrave Market: Head to Berea Park for food, music, arts and crafts. From 9am to 2pm.

Buzz Market: Community market at 38 Pitlochry Road, Westville, 9am to 2pm.

Ballito Farmers Market: More than 150 traders offer fresh farm produce, cut flowers and a nursery, retail, fashion, kids’ entertainment, art, hobbies, crafted goods and lifestyle products. R103 at Umhlali. 7am to 2pm.

Harlequins Flea Market: Every Saturday from 8am to 1pm. New vendors welcome. WhatsApp 083 595 7033 or email harlequinsmarket@gmail.com

Rotary Uvongo Flea Market: Crafts, toys, bead work, wire work, clothing and food every Saturday from 8.30am to 1pm and Sunday 9am to 2pm, opposite Douglas Mitchell Sports Grounds. Call 082 829 0059.

Golden Hours Market: (tomorrow) Family-friendly market at Golden Hours School, 10am to 2pm. Live music and food stalls. Call 083 262 3693.

uMhlanga Farmers Market: Autumn Drive, Prestondale, every Wednesday from 8am to noon. Call Ethel at 060 303 3957.

SHOWS

Rhumbelow Theatre, Durban: (tomorrow) #ROYALLYFKD is written by Jayshree Parasuramen, directed by Zeph Nzama and performed by Thokozani Ngcongo aka TK. Prepare to laugh, gasp, and cheer as this fearless political satire hits the stage. It is a bold, no-holds-barred theatrical event that dives deep into the chaos of South African politics with a healthy dose of rip-roaring laughter. August 24 at 2pm. Tickets R200 at  roland@stansell.co.za or webtickets.

Playhouse Drama: Sophiatown is a vibrant and unforgettable musical drama, revived with a dynamic young cast under the seasoned direction of Aubrey Sekhabi. Known as the “Chicago of South Africa”, Sophiatown was a legendary hub where shebeen queens, gangsters, politicians, and black and white Bohemians mingled in an electric atmosphere charged with music, style, and resistance. August 29 at 7pm, August 30 at 2pm. Tickets R120 from webtickets.

Izulu Theatre, Sibaya: Jailoshini Naidoo’s rip-roaring comedy show Aunty Rumba Rocks Durban is back by public demand. It also features talented singing sensations Lloyd Paul and Jani Punjab. August 29 and 30 at 8pm. Tickets from R150pp at Ticketpro.

KZNSA Gallery: The Dance Movement is touring in Southern Africa with dancer Bouziane Bouteldja creating a choreographic project exploring the history of dances in the service of social and political struggles around the world and those born from encounters between peoples. From flamenco to pantsula, passing through voguing and breakdancing, this conference-dance is a journey through struggles, with the body. Monday, September 1 at 6.30pm. Tickets on Webtickets

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: KickstArt presents a new production of the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show from September 17 until October 12. It is directed by Steven Stead, with set designs by Greg King, costumes by Terrence Bray, with musical direction by Evan Roberts and choreography by Simone Mann. Tshepo Ncokoane plays the iconic cross-dressing mad scientist Frank N Furter, with Bryan Hiles as Brad, Keryn Lynn Scott as Janet, Schoeman Smit as Riff Raff, Belinda Henwood as Magenta, Kaylee McIlroy as Columbia, William Young as Rocky, Lyle Buxton as Eddie/Dr Scott, and Michael Gritten as The Narrator. Tickets R200 from Webtickets.

MUSIC

The Barn at Westown Square: (tomorrow) Catch Sunday Sounds every Sunday from noon to 3pm featuring a line-up of Durban’s finest musicians.

Playhouse Opera: The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra hosts a two-concert Early Spring Season on August 28 and September 4, both at 7pm. The first concert features Cape Town conductor Brandon Phillips withMozart’s Overture The Magic Flute followed by Japanese pianist Keigo Mukawu performing Saint-Saëns’s Fifth Piano Concerto. Borodin’s First Symphony ends the evening. In the second Daniel Boico returns with Mendelssohn’s ‘Fingal's Cave’ followed by Canadian violinist Susanne Hou in Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No 2 and Schubert's Ninth Symphony. Buses are available from Upper Highway, Westville, North Coast and Berea. Book through Quicket. Season tickets and individual bookings through Quicket. For more information call 031 369 9438, email info@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za.

St Thomas Church, Musgrave: The Durban City Orchestra celebrates the talent within its ranks  with a concerto festival. The programme features concerti from Copland; Thais, Mozart, Stamitz, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Anderson, Weber, Rachmaninov, Marcello and Sphor with soloists including Justin Butt; Cara Schafer; Wesley Lewis; Laila Jones; Wayne Swart; Heidi Paul; Roxanne Neff; Erika Dengler; Sifundo Myeza; Luthando Ngcobo; Ntokozo Nsibande and conductor, Charl van der Merwe. Sunday August 31 at 3pm. Also at St Agnes Church in Kloof on Sunday September 7 at 3pm. Tickets R130 Pensioners/students R100 through Quicket.

The Pavilion, Westville: In celebration of Women’s Month, the centre presents two complimentary hour-long concerts by the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday August 31 at 11am and again at 1pm in the Fountain Court on the Cinema Level. Resident conductor Chad Hendricks, returns with a programme of orchestral favourites, light classical pieces, familiar arias, and well-loved show tunes. Performances from UKZN Opera School and the International School of Performing Arts.

FILM

Rhumbelow Theatre Film Club: With cinemas closing or really expensive, and Netflix becoming stay-at-home-predictable, enjoy the notion of an old-fashioned movie night out with friends… with a drink in your hand (an adult beverage – at club prices) and affordable snacks and light meals (other than popcorn). The club opens its doors every Wednesday for a smorgasbord of films from vintage and classics to more modern and interesting films. Membership is R300 for six months, with a WhatsApp group informing you of what’s on and what’s coming. SASSA grant recipients can join for free. Call Roland on 082 499 8636 or email: roland@stansell.co.za

ART

KZNSA: The anticipated RMA Young Artists Project (YAP) opened yesterday. This groundbreaking project, conceived in 2002, serves as an institutional platform to provide emerging artists with financial and curatorial support, as well as the space to realize their first solo projects. There are two solo exhibitions: Seeking by N’lamwai Chithambo and Disgust, Fear and Hell by Zama Cebsile Mwandla. Artist-led exhibition walkabout today from 10am to noon and Panel Discussion with Storm Janse van Rensburg tomorrow from 10am to noon.

OUTDOORS

Amblers Hiking Club: (tomorrow) At 2pm sharp on August 24 hike Stainbank nature reserve, Coedmore road, Woodlands. Hike among the game and along the river in our first visit for some time. R60 entrance. Call David 072 615 0559. 

Recycles Group: Meet at 9am on Tuesdays at the parking area behind Pirates life saving club. For a 20 km ride on the promenade. Open to beginners, sociable, safe and an option for a breakfast at Pirates coffee shop. Call Ian to join on 083 675 2125. 

Retreads walking group: Join for a 3 or 5 km social walk on Tuesdays at 9am on the promenade followed with an option of breakfast at Pirates. Call Michele on 083 779 7443

Mountain Biking Rides: Saturdays at 6am, meet at Dura Cycles, Uvongo. Call 039 315 7359.

EVENTS

St Margaret’s Anglican Church, Durban North: (today) The South African National Society meeting will take place on Saturday August 23 at 9:30am for 10am at 11 Delaware Avenue, Virginia, Durban North. The guest speaker at the Ken Gillings Memorial Lecture is Hugh Bland and his talk is entitled, “Holkrans”.  This battle took place near Vryheid on May 6, 1902.  Members R30, visitors R50.  Refreshments will be served after the presentation.

Gandhi Settlement in Phoenix: (today) The annual Paddy Kearney Memorial Lecture, organised in partnership with Denis Hurley Centre, DUT and the Gandhi Development Trust is at 2pm on Saturday 23 August (just before Paddy’s 83rd birthday). The guest speaker is Deputy Minister of Justice, John Jeffery.

Centre of Creative Arts UKZN: Catch the  JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience - a 13-day explosion of world-class contemporary dance, bringing together dancers and dance-makers from South Africa, Spain, France, Réunion, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Germany, and Luxembourg from August 26 August to September 7. The theme of this year’s festival is “moving border/lands” as JOMBA! sets out to navigate the current unfolding socio- and geo-politics of border/lands. Veteran South African dance-maker Sbonakaliso  Ndaba is the 2025 JOMBA! Legacy Artist. For more information and full programme go to: https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/. Tickets are R85 and R65 (concessions and groups) or R390 for a full festival pass from webtickets.

Howard College Theatre, UKZN: A memorial lecture honouring Fatima Meer (a late patron of the Denis Hurley Centre is on Saturday, August 30 at 2pm. Prof Ashwin Desai and Dr Janine Hicks from the School of Law will speak. 

Send your event details to satevents@inl.co.za by the Tuesday before publication.