The 2025 Summer Initiation Season will start on 1 November 2025 and run until 31 January 2026, marking the beginning of a significant cultural period for initiates, their families, and communities.
In preparation for the season, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) has strengthened the capacity of cultural practitioners by equipping them with the necessary skills and resources to ensure a safe and dignified rite of passage.
A total of 680 cultural practitioners, including traditional surgeons, traditional carers and administrators have undergone capacity-building training in key areas such as fire and environmental management, health and hygiene, specialised training for traditional surgeons, and organisational development.
In collaboration with the Initiation Forums, DCAS has also revised the Initiation Minimum Standards to reinforce safety and accountability. These standards now require Initiation Forums to be registered under relevant legislation as responsible community organisations, ensuring both the safety of initiates and compliance by cultural practitioners.
DCAS is also actively distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fire equipment, and Jojo water tanks to initiation schools across the province.
From this summer season, a digital initiation management system approved by the Western Cape Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (WCPICC), will be utilised. This innovative system is designed to improve the efficiency of initiation applications and represents a significant step forward in enhancing the protection and wellbeing of initiates.
Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie said, “The Western Cape Government is committed to supporting initiations in our province to ensure that all initiates can safely undergo this important and sacred practice. We wish all initiates well for the upcoming season and we will continue working closely with all stakeholders to protect the welfare and dignity of all initiates.”
Head of Department, Guy Redman, said “Ensuring a safe and meaningful rite of passage requires strong collaboration from all role players involved from initiates, their families, and cultural practitioners to health care practitioners, Initiation Forums, Traditional Leaders, Municipalities and the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee. Each of them plays a crucial role, and by working together, we can uphold this tradition with the utmost care and respect for all.”
The Chairperson of the WCPICC Nkosi Ntsika Minenkulu Joyi said, “Working hard as a collective with all stakeholders is bearing fruit in ensuring compliance with the Customary Initiation Act (Act 2 of 2021) across the province. We wish all initiates well as they undertake this important journey, and we will continue providing support to ensure that initiations are practiced safely in the Western Cape.”
Enquiries:
Head of Communications
Tania Colyn
Cell: 076 093 4913
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