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WHERE MAGIC COMES TO LIGHT

Welcome to the website of the The Clarens Festival of Lights,  a unique, sustainable, and educational light festival set to illuminate Clarens, Free State, South Africa, from 24-26 September 2026.

Produced by Worldvisuals South Africa in collaboration with partners Trade and Invest SA, Dihlabeng Municipality, Clarens Tourism Board, Clarens Conservancy, Tshepong School, Dihlabeng Christiaan School, Clarens Primary School, Township’s BusinessDistrict of Kgubetswana, Geared2Solve, BusinessNL 

The festival aims to bring together art, community, sustainability, and storytelling in a magical experience for all ages. 

DONATE VIA THUNDAFUND

CLICK HERE

Your contribution to our crowfunding campaign furthers the festival’s social, educational, and environmental goals, from workshops to make lanterns for local school children to workshops on light and how to create art through light, to funding the gathering of recycled materials to create art for the festival and beyond.

WHAT TO EXPECT

From breathtaking light installations and vibrant performances to interactive art experiences and networking events,  there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the Clarens Festival of Lights.

LIGHT INSTALLATIONS

Experience breathtaking displays from local artists, promoting social themes with creative illumination.

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES

Engage in glow-in-the-dark art, light painting, storytelling, forest light tours, and more for all ages.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

Witness captivating shows featuring  a renowned choir, dancers, and talented musicians from the Free State and beyond.

FOOD & DRINKS

Indulge in local delicacies and refreshments throughout the festival grounds all weekend long.

NETWORKING EVENTS

Connect with professionals, artists, and sustainability advocates during dedicated sessions.

JOIN US TODAY AS PARNTER

Showcase your brand at the Clarens Festival of Lights and make a lasting impact through art, community, and sustainability.

Sponsor the Clarens Festival of Lights and align your brand with creativity, innovation, and sustainability. Gain unmatched visibility through a wide array of promotional opportunities, from event naming rights to digital marketing exposure. Whether you are a corporate leader, a local business, or a passionate advocate for community growth, our sponsorship packages are designed to offer you meaningful engagement and recognition.

Explore our Main, Silver, and Community Sponsorship Packages and be part of something extraordinary. Join us in making Clarens shine brighter than ever! A few of the benefits:

Brand Visibility

Your logo and brand message will be prominently displayed across event materials, press releases, and platforms.

Exclusive Networking

Connect with artists, industry leaders & passionate community members during networking events and tours.

Tailored Exposure

Enjoy customized marketing opportunities, including event naming rights and branded installations that fit your brand. 

Long-Term Recognition

Establish your brand as a key partner in an annual festival that continues to grow and attract national attention and create lasting impact. 

WATCH

Get an impression of the Light Festival in and watch our crowdfunding video.

LISTEN

In our podcast, Clarens Festival of Lights Uncovered, you’ll gain a deep insight into the festival—all in just 15 minutes.

GOING LIVE

Flashback at the Clarens Art Festival this May.

On 2 and 3 May 2025, we had the pleasure of participating in the Clarens Arts Festival with our promotional stand—and the experience was nothing short of inspiring. We engaged with hundreds of visitors, from local residents and vendors to curious travelers from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and across the Free State, all eager to learn more about the Clarens Festival of Lights.

One of the standout moments was our immersive festival preview, presented in virtual reality. It captivated audiences of all ages and created a real buzz around what’s to come. We’re also proud to announce new partnerships with several sponsors who are supporting the festival through generous in-kind contributions.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by—your excitement and support are lighting the way forward.

Q & A

Find your answers here to frequently asked questions about the festival.

The Clarens Festival of Lights is a unique, sustainable, and educational light festival held in Clarens, Free State, South Africa, from 24-26 September 2026. It combines art, music, storytelling, and eco-friendly practices to create a magical experience for all ages.

Visitors can enjoy the Lantern Parade, Choir Performance, Interactive Art Installations, Glow-in-the-dark Art, Campfire Stories, Immersive Forest Light Tour, Candle Light Concert, LED Staff Performance, Neon Tribal Dance, Projection Mapping on Titanic Rock, and Silent Disco.

The festival is open to everyone—families, tourists, local residents, corporate groups, and art enthusiasts of all ages.

The festival is a intiative from Dutch Impactproducer an managing director François Pieneman and Managing Director Energy & Sustainability Rogier Bleys and is produced by Worldvisuals SA in collaboration with several vollunteers and partners. We will work together with local business, community and schools to set up the project.

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Want to make this festival happen? You can donate via our Thundafund Crowfunding via this link.

Artists can participate through an Open Art Call, where one artist from each province will be selected to showcase their work. More information will be available once the festival has secured its funding. 

The festival is fee of charge. However for some events we will charge a small fee to cover a part of the costs of the festival.

Tickets will be available next year via www.clarensfestivaloflights.co.za 

It’s the first-of-its-kind light festival in South Africa, featuring eco-friendly installations, promoting social themes, and providing a platform for local talent from all nine South African provinces.

The festival uses solar-powered lights, recycled materials, and integrates the natural beauty of Clarens into its displays to ensure minimal environmental impact. This means no generators are used in case of loadshedding. 

Businesses can support the festival through Main Sponsorship, Silver Sponsorship, or Community Sponsorship packages, each providing various levels of exposure and benefits. We can send you our sponsor brochure of get in contact with you directly.

Our ambitions for the festival are high, but the final scale of the event will depend on available funding. While some attractions are costly, others are more affordable. We are confident that the first edition in 2026 will be a success, providing a strong foundation for the festival to grow and evolve over time.

GET IN CONTACT

Do you like to know more about the festival or receive our sponsor brochure, please contact us here.

Thank you for your message.

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Meet the team

Jacquie Le Roux

Jacquie Le Roux

Architecture and Community Leadership /Board Member

Jacquie Le Roux is an architect and director of JLR Architects a firm based in Clarens. She works on residential and commercial projects of all sizes. Jacquie is also the Chairperson of the Clarens Ratepayers Association which works with all the residents to engage in the decisions and planning at the local government level that affect the lives of residents. Jacquie strives to take part and assist in making the town and all its people that she has grown to love, into a success story

Vickey Ramela

Vickey Ramela

Stakeholder Management / Board Member

Vicky Ramela is a seasoned financial manager with over 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors. She’s worked with profit and nonprofit organizations, focusing on financial management and leadership. As a servant leader, she mentors and develops leaders, sharing her expertise in business leadership. Vicky finds inspiration in the community of Clarens, where she enjoys sharing love and peace.

Verne Botha

Verne Botha

Financial Management / Board Member

Verne’s philosophy is to make the world a better place by being positive, engaging, and adding value to people and situations. A Certified Chartered Secretary, she founded her own company in 2007 to support small businesses lacking compliance expertise. Passionate about helping startups, she uses her cross-industry experience to guide entrepreneurs, ensuring regulatory compliance and handling non-core services like administration, so they can focus on growing their business.

Rogier Bleys

Rogier Bleys

Energy and Sustainability Expertise / Co-founder

Rogier Bleys is the Director of Energy & Sustainability of Compris,  a Dutch advisory company that is specialized in the field of asset management and energy management (building & construction, maintenance, renewable energy projects, technical skills development). Rogier is responsible for the development of Compris South Africa and is a subject matter expert with over 20 years of experience in renewable energy & sustainability.

Francois Pieneman

Francois Pieneman

Artistic Director

François Pieneman’s mission is to empower filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs to turn powerful stories into sustainable projects that create real-world impact. With over 20 years of experience producing acclaimed international documentaries, developing financing strategies, and leading impact campaigns, he guides projects from concept to global reach. As founder of Worldvisuals Film in the Netherlands and co-founder of Worldvisuals South Africa, he combines high-level strategy with hands-on execution, using film as a catalyst for change. Creator of Cinepreneur and Head Lecturer at the Dutch Filmers Academy, François connects creativity, strategy, and education to inspire the next generation of storytellers.

Leana Leonard

Leana Leonard

Coaching and Learning Director

Leana Leonard is an independent consultant, Gallup-certified Strengths Coach, and Chartered HR Professional with over 20 years of experience in human resources, organisational development, and leadership coaching. She is the founder of Geared2Solve, a consultancy that partners with businesses to drive strategic growth, navigate change, and develop people-centred solutions that deliver real impact.

Gertjan Holtzhausen

Gertjan Holtzhausen

Arts & Enterpreneurship Subject Matter Expert

Gertjan Holtzhausen is an entrepreneur, project manager, and specialist theatre-maker with a career spanning education, community development, and the performing arts. He holds a cum laude B-Tech degree in Performing Arts and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and has taught Drama at leading schools while presenting various workshops for teachers. As former Regional Manager at the ATKV, he directed large-scale cultural, language, and community projects, and as former Artistic Director of the LOTTO-funded Vukuzakhe! project, he trained and equipped young performers. With more than fifty productions to his credit as actor, director, playwright, and producer, Gertjan serves as shareholder and Production Manager at Full House Productions, where he combines creative vision with entrepreneurial drive to deliver innovative, large-scale theatre.

Elias Mokoena

Elias Mokoena

Event Manager

Elias Mokoena, also known as Letswai Nameng, is an artisan assistant at Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) and the founder of Letswai Nameng Events in Clarens and the Letswai Nameng fashion label. He is also the co-founder of the I’m HRT Easter Annual Soccer Tournament and has a passion for cooking and hiking.

Nyalleng Moorosi

Nyalleng Moorosi

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Subject Matter Expert

Nyalleng is a machine learning research fellow at The Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research (DAIR) institute. She is also an advocate for Africa’s AI community and is a co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba, the largest machine learning consortium of AI practitioners in Africa.

Julius Nhlapo

Julius Nhlapo

Event Management

Julius Nhlapo is a supervisor at the Protea Hotel in Clarens and the founder of Nhlapo Catering and Hospitality. His company specializes in organizing events in Clarens, from birthdays to weddings, and was proudly involved in the Clarens Festival of Flavours. Deeply committed to his community, Julius is passionate about empowering young people with skills in tourism, helping them find employment, and fostering a strong sense of pride and unity in Clarens.

Ingeborg Putter

Ingeborg Putter

Senior Production Coordinator

Ingeborg studied Public Relations and Information. In her working life she has navigated between non-profit and profit, but she eventually found her creative place as an executive producer at Worldvisuals. Ingeborg played an important role in the distribution and PR of films. Nowadays she is treasurer and secretary of the Worldvisuals Film foundation.

Lucas Areal Coulombe

Lucas Areal Coulombe

Junior Producer

Luki has worked as a filmmaker and in festival teams over the past five years, whilst researching production ethics at Utrecht University. Having these experiences has broadened their industry network and allowed them to pursue producing as a career in order to support and develop new projects. Luki’s international background and language skills helps to deepen and expand possible co-production capabilities. Developing creative production strategies and focusing intentionally on how to maximize the potential benefit a project can have on key communities is where Luki will step in to support the festival

Linette Retief

Linette Retief

Strategic Communication Lead

Linette Retief is a seasoned storyteller with over three decades of experience across South Africa’s private and non-profit sectors. Her career spans Advertising, Agriculture, Communications, Insurance, Property, and Consumer Affairs—each chapter marked by precision, adaptability, and a passion for impactful narratives. As the published author of three books and co-author of one, she brings a journalist’s curiosity, an editor’s eye, and a communicator’s heart to every project. She delivers work that’s not only on brief, on budget, and on time—but also on point. Whether crafting a compelling article or shaping a strategic campaign, she brings clarity, creativity, and commitment.

Saskia Makkink

Saskia Makkink

Program Advisor

Saskia’s mission is to harness entrepreneurship as a driving force for sustainable development and opportunity. With over ten years of experience supporting entrepreneurs and ecosystems across Africa, she has contributed to growth and job creation. As an advisor to the African Union on youth entrepreneurship, she combines strategic insight with practical expertise, while also contributing to educational institutions such as UNESCO-IHE, PAUWES University (Algeria), and Wageningen University. Nominated as one of the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance in the Netherlands, Saskia connects impact, innovation, and leadership to drive lasting change.
Kerry-Ann Poultry

Kerry-Ann Poultry

Community Development and Business Advisor

Kerry-Ann previously worked as a personal assistant to the chairmen of a listed company in Johannesburg and at J. Walter Thompson Advertising. She later co-owned a jewellery manufacturing business, serving both trade and private clients. After spending two years abroad providing care for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s, she settled in Clarens 18 years ago. Since then, she has remained actively involved in community development and spent six years working in real estate sales with Pam Golding Properties.

COUNTDOWN TO THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

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