Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua's inaugural Africa Day a celebration of food, fashion and culture

Alice Guy
By Alice Guy
Reporter, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
27 May, 2018 12:41 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

African Day celebrations at the Linton Park Community Centre on Saturday.

People went away with smiles on their faces and food in their tummies after Rotorua's first Africa Day celebration.

More than 60 people celebrated the food, fashion and culture of Africa yesterday in an event which was all about getting the African community in Rotorua together.

Africa Day is celebrated annually on May 25.

Faustinah Ndlovu (left), Suria Nieuwoudt and Mohabat Khan Malak at African Day celebrations. Photo / Ben Fraser
Faustinah Ndlovu (left), Suria Nieuwoudt and Mohabat Khan Malak at African Day celebrations. Photo / Ben Fraser

The visitors actually came from a range of countries, including the Philippines, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, England, Croatia and Germany.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rotorua Multicultural Council president Dr Margriet Theron said she was pleased to see the range of people who had come.

"We're very happy. It's all been volunteer labour and done at very minimal cost."

Jonah Quezon (left) and Ambryn Gavin during the fashion show for African Day celebrations at the Linton Park Community Centre on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser
Jonah Quezon (left) and Ambryn Gavin during the fashion show for African Day celebrations at the Linton Park Community Centre on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Theron said the food was amazing and it wasn't limited to African treats, as other people brought food from their home countries as well.

Guests had the chance to see a fashion show of traditional African clothing and the multicultural council trialled a new performance, "my story my way".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The concept is giving a performance in your native language and giving the audience the opportunity to guess the meaning.

"You then re-enact the play in English for people to see the meaning," Theron said.

In their performance today, Rotorua's African community performed a poem about a family subsistence farming in Africa, showing how important an education is to the family's future.

Event co-ordinator Faustinah Ndlovu said everybody guessed the performance.

Discover more

ESOL-funded students add value and challenges

07 Jul 10:00 PM

Maxwell wins New Zealand Fashion Week slot

09 Jul 06:00 PM

Rotorua to host knights in shining armour

30 Jul 09:00 PM

Pistang Pilipino to bring culture and community together

08 Oct 12:35 AM

"It doesn't matter what language we speak, somehow we can understand each other."

She said next year they would have to find a bigger venue because she was overwhelmed by the number of people who attended.

"I was so nervous, I didn't think it would be that popular."

Julie Gavin and her family moved to New Zealand from South Africa six months ago and she had been excited about a day to celebrate Africa.

"It's really awesome," she said.

"Being new to the country it's a chance to meet people from a similar background."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Gavin and her family left South Africa to create a better future for her children.

"I'm loving it here, even the climate I am getting used to it and I can't complain.

"I still have a few more layers prepared for the winter though."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Brazen' gang attack: Mongrel Mob members avoid jail

08 Jul 04:31 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

08 Jul 12:05 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Brazen' gang attack: Mongrel Mob members avoid jail

'Brazen' gang attack: Mongrel Mob members avoid jail

08 Jul 04:31 AM

Thirteen Mongrel Mob members attacked a rival gang at a Rotorua roundabout.

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM
21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

08 Jul 12:05 AM
'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP