Letters from our sponsors
CREATIVITY TRANSFORMS
LEON THERON
Senior Vice President: Sales and Marketing Toyota South Africa Motors
Spring is a season of renewal and growth – a powerful reminder of creativity’s ability to inspire, transform, and unite. It is for this reason that we are excited to be a part of the 2025 Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees– an exhilarating celebration of artistic expression.
2025 marks Toyota South Africa’s sixth consecutive sponsorship of the Woordfees and our commitment to participate in activities which cultivate spaces that bring communities together. This year’s festival theme, “Share”, carries a deep and rich meaning that encapsulates the spirit of our rainbow nation. With more than 400 productions showcasing the vibrancy of our language, culture and art, the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees promises to be an intersection of creative energies for both performers and festivalgoers.
As I reflect on this, I am reminded of an old proverb that says, “When you share, you multiply your joy and divide your sorrow”. I believe this is an important proclamation and reminder to all of us as we navigate the current disposition of the world we live in. As we descend into another instalment of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, let us carry with us the profound spirit of unity and camaraderie.
With a vibrant festival programme ahead, we invite you to join us in championing the arts, supporting local talent, and shaping a festival experience that leaves a lasting impact.
We look forward to seeing you at the festival.
YOU WERE MADE TO SHARE
PROF DERESH RAMJUGERNATH
Rector and Vice-chancellor, Stellenbosch University
As the oak trees come into bud, surrounded by the Stellenbosch mountains, Matieland prepares for the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. This year’s festival theme, “Share”, is an invitation to visit, learn and participate.
Come and experience the festival and celebrate all that we share and reflect with compassion and respect on that which divides us. How ever you experience the Woordfees you are part of something bigger – a celebration of our shared humanity, our stories and our voices. As one of our academics recently noted: When we look up from our microscopes, telescopes and test tubes and ponder the philosophy of truth from corner to corner, it is ultimately the word, literature and the arts that give form and substance to our humanity.
SU remains a proud sponsor of the Woordfees and has joined forces with other stalwart partners in recent months to expand the festival and position it for an even better future. We invite you to come and enjoy the Woordfees and our campus. After all, the Matie spirit is made for sharing.
LOOK AND LISTEN CAREFULLY
HENRIËTTE LOUBSER
Editor-in-chief, Netwerk24
The world is weighed down by division. One of the reasons why the theme of this year’s Woordfees is so important. We must break bread together if we are to find the common denominators.
After all, it is the capacity to share that allowed homo sapiens to grow – along with the ability to use words and language to forge communication and exchange knowledge so that we could support each other and future generations.
However, sharing does not always come naturally: In our urge to dominate, we are often selfish and self-righteous. So, let’s listen and closely observe at this Woordfees. The insights we gain through theatre, art, music and discussion can help us to examine and acknowledge our own part in division. Culture is not something you own; it is something in which you participate. At Woordfees we can create and experience together and celebrate the linguistic heritage of which we are all part.
At Netwerk24 we are happy to do our part and support this year’s Woordfees. See you under the oaks!
CULTIVATING CREATIVITY
ANNEBELLE SCHREUDERS
Managing Director Spier Hospitality
Spring arrives in the Cape and brings with it the same promise as the Woordfees – renewal, possibility and stories waiting to be told. As our vines awaken and the farm bursts into life, Spier, a Stellenbosch winery with deep roots in the arts, is proud to support Woordfees.
As one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, we’ve always understood that cultivation takes time. It’s patient work – demanding, deliberate and hands-on. You have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and put in the effort. But if you stay the course, the fruit you reap is always of the highest character and calibre.
Art, like wine, is no different. It grows through care, commitment and boundless curiosity. Spier is proud to be home to one of South Africa’s largest contemporary art collections. Across the farm, artworks live alongside daily life – open to all, woven into everyday spaces, and brought to life through exhibitions and events. Through Growing for Good, our commitment to the arts has taught us that, just as wine is best enjoyed in good company, art finds its fullest expression when shared.
This October, as Stellenbosch becomes a stage for poetry, prose, debate, drama and music, we invite you to share in the spirit of the Woordfees. Share stories, ideas, laughter, and new perspectives. Share a glass of wine, a moment of reflection, a spark of inspiration.