The Montreux Jazz Festival will host its first African edition in Franschhoek from March 27-29, 2026. Featuring international and South African performers, the event is expected to draw high-value visitors to the Cape Winelands and boost demand for accommodation, restaurants and transport providers.
According to Kaz Henderson, Spokesperson for Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek, the decision to stage the event in the region was based on infrastructure readiness, accessibility and existing creative networks.
For its first edition, the festival is planning for an aggregate attendance of 15 000 to 20 000 visitors across three days, distributed across the three official stages as well as fringe and hospitality spaces.
The festival’s African debut will highlight local artistic collaboration and cultural exchange, Henderson said. The organisers are working closely with Franschhoek Tourism and community partners including FRANCO and the Uncorked Music Academy to ensure local participation and long-term benefit, she added.
“We expect a strong uplift in accommodation, dining, transport and retail activity over the festival weekend, with long-term gains for the valley’s positioning as a cultural destination,” said Henderson. “The objective is to position Franschhoek as a year-round cultural destination, strengthening its creative economy and global visibility while ensuring local residents, artisans and service providers share directly in the benefits.”
A win for geographic spread
SATSA CEO David Frost said the festival proves the role of major cultural and events tourism in driving geographic spread and high-value travel.
“The arrival of the Montreux Jazz Festival reinforces the importance of events in stimulating regional demand beyond traditional tourism circuits. A global event of this calibre provides renewed visibility from international, regional and domestic markets for Franschhoek and surrounding regions,” Frost said.
Such events drive meaningful community upliftment through job creation, entrepreneurial activity and increased demand across the tourism value chain, he added. This festival will serve as an introduction to the country for first-time visitors, which makes delivery of a seamless, high-quality experience essential, Frost pointed out.
“SATSA members inclusive of inbound operators, DMCs and experience providers are central to this. Their ability to connect trusted suppliers, manage logistics and curate tailored travel experiences around major events is key to encouraging repeat travel and great visitor spend.”
Widespread benefits
FEDHASA Cape Chairperson Lee-Anne Singer said the event reflects confidence in the Western Cape’s capacity to host global-scale experiences.
“Beyond increased occupancy and visitor numbers, we anticipate extended stays and regional spread across the winelands, coastal areas and safari destinations. The knock-on effect for local communities, employment and small suppliers will be significant.”
Singer said FEDHASA Cape, in partnership with the Western Cape government, Wesgro and local tourism bodies, is focusing on operational readiness including infrastructure, staffing, service and safety standards to ensure a consistent, high-quality visitor experience.
