Umbiyozo Foundation

Social enterprise offering platforms for growth to township-based traditional song-and-dance troupes and their youth members to help them achieve sustainable success. We bridge the gaps in this high-potential arena of youth development: We bridge troupes to (1) performing opportunities for income and forward progression, (2) to one another for skill sharing and solidarity, and (3) to social services for holistic development of youth members. OUR VISION: Umbiyozo strives to become the go-to, "fair trade" African entertainment services provider for South Africa. WHAT UMBIYOZO MEANS: An “umbiyozo” is a “celebration” in IsiXhosa, the language our community speaks. The word perfectly captures our culture and belief system, as we celebrate (1) the age-old custom in South Africa of traditional singing and dancing, and its roles in remembering the past and nourishing the future, and (2) our resilient children that turn to community resources in pursuit of their dreams. KEY SUCCESSES: • The production of The Umbiyozo DVD (2011) • A TEDx talk at University of Cape Town (2014) • A six-month pilot of a Youth Busking Programme at the V&A Waterfront, South Africa’s top tourist destination (2015) • The first annual Umbiyozo Heritage Day Concert on the V&A Amphitheatre (2016) • The first annual Dance-Off, a dance competition in which 17 troupes partook (2017) • A short documentary on SABC2, a national public TV station in SA (2017) BACKSTORY: It started as a project in 2011 when South African-American social entrepreneur Jason Woolf, aka Volofu, filmed a compilation DVD, the Umbiyozo DVD, for 14 independent troupes across the townships. The DVD was pivotal in convening these troupes, and over time we became a community united in the pursuit of youth development and the reduction of the NEET (Not in Employment Education or Training) population in South Africa. Umbiyozo Foundation's role became to bridge the gaps in this arena.