By Staff Reporter
JOHANNESBURG – The Afrika Mayibuye Movement is drawing national attention with its upcoming fundraising gala dinner, where an exclusive seat at the table with party president Floyd Shivambu carries a price tag of R2 million.
The event, scheduled for 28 November 2025 at the Mhulu Luxury Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, has quickly become a subject of debate as the movement prepares for its First National Convention.
The gala’s premium offering, the Mayibuye Diamond package, costs R2 000 000 per table and includes a private dinner with Shivambu.
Other leadership-access packages range from R1.5 million for dinner with the deputy president to R1 million with the chairperson, R500 000 with the secretary-general, and between R300 000 and R100 000 for dinners with other senior officials. Supporters can also purchase individual seats at R10 000. Each option includes a three-course meal and live entertainment. Critics argue that the high pricing clashes with the movement’s pro-poor messaging.
According to the movement, the gala is essential for funding the First National Convention, set for 5–7 December 2025 at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus.
The gathering will bring together delegates from across the country, representing youth, women, workers, academics, community leaders and religious sectors. MAYIBUYE says the convention will finalise its political programme and strengthen its organisational direction.
Soweto was intentionally chosen as the host site, with the movement describing it as a symbol of resistance, cultural expression and political imagination. Hosting the convention there, it says, situates the event within a community that carries the historic and modern struggles of ordinary South Africans.
The movement insists that the gala is not simply an extravagant dinner but a strategic investment in building a credible alternative political force.
Funds will go toward strengthening organisational governance, growing service programmes, developing women and youth leadership structures and expanding national organising capacity. MAYIBUYE adds that it has recently consolidated its provincial structures, launched new organisational wings and grown its community programmes.
Despite the controversy around the R2 million price tag, the movement appears confident in its approach. It describes the gala as an opportunity for those who believe in South Africa’s potential to support a people-centred, principled leadership project.
As debate continues, one certainty remains: the Afrika Mayibuye Movement has firmly captured public attention ahead of a crucial moment in its political evolution.
