Palesa Kadi appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Festival
Her appointment comes at a time when the country’s iconic festival faces threats of funding cuts from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, placing huge pressure on its knew leadership to explore alternative avenues for funding going forward.
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
There is a new leadership change at the helm of the country’s leading arts festival, the National Arts Festival, which takes place annually in Makhanda, Eastern Cape.
Palesa Kadi, has been appointed to this top arts position. In a media release, the festival seemed to suggest that in Palesa, this arts showpiece, which attracts productions from around the country to showcase artistic talent during the arts feast, which is currently going on, closing on Sunday, July 5, 2026, is in good hands.
She comes into the job with art administration experience, including chairing the Mandela Bay Theatre in Port Elizabeth.
However, the new appointment comes at a time when the festival going forward, needs to have innovative people at the top, to steer it forward, at a time when government funding is shaky and uncertain.
For example, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, which along the Eastern Cape and Standard Bank, have been bankrolling this festival, last year pulled a surprise move on the festival.
It announced that the funding of these established festivals, such as the National Arts Festival and similar iconic festivals in the country, was no longer automatic.
That announcement caused a lot of distress and outcry from arts stakeholders, especially because as these festivals thrive in an environment of health funding.
DSAC however eventually relented and release funding for this year’s leg after a long dance with organisers, worried about the future of NAF.
However, CITYLIFE/ARTs has been reliably informed by someone close to the situation that the funding that came through eventually after this dance, was reduced.
Therefore, the uncertainty around fu8nding of the festival by government, effectively places a huge challenge on the new Chief Executive officer and the board of the festival, to find alternative ways of funding future iterations of this popular festival.
The current board chairman is author and academic Prof. Siphiwo Mahala, a senior lecture at University of Johannesburg.
“We are proud to announce the appointment of Palesa Kadi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Festival. She takes up the position on 1 August 2026.
The announcement comes on the closing weekend of a successful 2026 Festival — a fitting moment to look forward with confidence.
Palesa brings over two decades of experience across the cultural and creative economy, spanning arts administration, broadcasting regulation, heritage, and strategic communications.
She has chaired the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, serves on the SABC board, and has held senior roles at the Film and Publication Board, ICASA and the National Heritage Council. She is a published academic, an Archbishop Tutu Fellow and is completing a PhD on cultural heritage and urban planning in post-apartheid South Africa.
For Palesa, this is a homecoming — she returns to her home province to lead an institution she has long known and believed in.
“The Eastern Cape is rich in talent and culture, and the National Arts Festival is an epicentre where the world can engage with the diversity and texture that our creatives bring. It is a reflection of the soul of our country. I am taking up this position with a commitment to ensuring this legacy continues and grows.” says Kadi.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to outgoing CEO, Monica Newton, whose tenacity and resourcefulness carried the Festival through an extraordinarily difficult period for the creative sector. Her contribution to this institution is immeasurable.
Welcome, Palesa. The next chapter begins,” reads the media statement issued by the festival.