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South Africa and Texas: Culturally Closer Than They Seem
Austin may not see itself as a cultural hotbed, as it’s more homespun than a hotspring of global political debate, but this world is ever more connected. As SxSW kicks off this year, the world has watched uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia primarily through the lens of social media innovations that launched themselves out of this very city, eg Twitter.
For nearly 10 days every March, the streets of Austin are paved with visitors from the U.S. and abroad. It’s the latter group, the international visitors, that seem to grow each year and exhibit to Austin residents and the SxSW headquarters that this homegrown conference, which focuses on music, film, and innovations in technology, is a global beacon of hope. If only one sizable business travel investment is going to be made each year, SxSW is the one -- the place where networking, taking in the micro-focused to the pie-in-the-sky panel discussions, and impactful promotions can happen in one fell swoop.
The group of South Africans are much like anyone coming to SxSW this year -- hopeful great connections, potential collaborations and funding promise will come back with them on the plane. But this group also has plenty to add to the dialogue. A stateside favorite for interesting stories of innovation and creation is AfriGadget, authored in part from Kenya. Also giving credit where credit is due - SxSW has made incredible inroads in growing international relationships. Music festival programmer Matt Sonzala visited South Africa in the fall of 2010 and documented his experience here, and the staff continue to pound the pavement leading up to the event, visiting cities to spur excitement.
Follow the South African visitors - their experiences and successes- here and @sxswsa Twitter account, curated by Ivo Vegter, columnist for publications such as The Daily Maverick and ITWeb.
