BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – A whopping E30 000 increase!
Standard Bank has increased its sponsorship of the Choral Music Competition by E30 000. The bank has sponsored the competition to the tune of E330 000. Last year’s sponsorship by the bank was E300 000.
The sponsorship was announced today by Head of Business and Commercial Banking, Mlamuli Hlatshwayo, who was representing the Bank’s Chief Executive Mvuselelo Fakudze at the launch of the music competition, which was held at the bank’s headquarters at the Swazi Plaza.
The competition will be held at Esibayeni Lodge Matsapha on May 26, 2024, starting at 9am.
He said: “We understand the importance of investing in a vibrant and thriving society by financially supporting integral arts and culture initiatives that support youth participation and showcase the immense talent in the country. We are extremely honoured to once again partner with the Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Youth Affairs through the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture and the Executive Committee of the Eswatini Choral Music Association to bring the exhilarating Choral Music Competition 2024.”
Hlatshwayo also congratulated His Majesty’s Correctional Services Choir, the Choral Music Association’s Executive Committee, and all the choirs that participated at the Tshwane Choral Music Festival in Pretoria last December. This is positive proof that the Eswatini choral music fraternity is a regional force to be reckoned with.
He went on to add: “That is why we are increasing our support for the choral music competition to E330 000.00 from E300 000.00 in 2023. This long-standing partnership is just one of the ways we support and choose local arts and artists. We believe in the talent in Eswatini, and we’re intentional about providing platforms for this talent to grow.”
“In our quest to improve the support that we can afford for the competition, we are pleased to announce that we will have tickets sold exclusively via Unayo, which is our innovative digital platform and a catalyst for financial inclusion by combining the security of banking with the simplicity of moving funds electronically using just a cellphone number or e-mail address.”
The Eswatini National Choral Music Association President Sihle Gumbi also took the chance to thank the bank for uplifting the arts with its generous sponsorship. He said: “We are grateful to the bank for its continuous sponsorship of choral music in the country. This partnership we as an association have with the bank started in 1992 with the then Barclays Bank, now Standard Bank, and it is the longest running sponsorship that exists in the country by an institution. To that end, we are very grateful for the continuous support the bank has been showing us over the past 30 years.”
He added: “We greatly appreciate this year’s sponsorship, as it will go a very long way in ensuring that the standard of choral music in the country grows. This is a testament to the Standard Bank: Unayo indzawo yekutfutfuka.”
Mathokoza Sibiya, who was representing Eswatini Arts and Culture, also thanked the bank for the sponsorship.
Tickets will be announced when they are available for purchase, and these will be sold at E120 for general and VIP (these are a limited number) at E350. These will be sold through Unayo via MojaTickets.
