Doja Cat performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Last week in Pretoria was one of those moments that you know will be talked about long after the lights dim. global citizen brought its Move Africa Tour to South Africa for the first time, and with doja cat Titled, It Was Never Going to Be a Quiet Arrival.
The night had a certain weight to it. For doja catThis marked his first Display on the South African stage, but this was not his first association with the country. “A place I've never been, it feels like I've been here before,” she told the crowd before heading into the set, which featured “paint the town red” “Woman,” And “kiss me more” It was a full-circle moment in many ways, but the story here goes beyond the music.
Doja Cat performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Move Africa, now in its third year, in partnership with PGlang, is being positioned as a long-term effort to create a proper touring circuit for international artists across the continent. kendrick lamar. The idea is simple but ambitious: invest in infrastructure, create jobs, support local talent and open up more opportunities in the live events sector. By 2023, the tour has created over 3,000 job opportunities in Kigali, Lagos and Pretoria.
In Pretoria, that approach was visible from the ground up. Working with local partner Big Concerts, the entire production was delivered using 100 percent local crew and equipment. This was a clear demonstration of what is already possible in South Africa's live events industry when the right investment and belief is in place. Local vendor Mushroom Productions also played a key role in bringing the show together.
The focus was on local capacity and expanded to youth wanting to enter the industry. Through the Youth Technical Production Pathway, launched in partnership with Gearhouse South Africa Group and Gearhouse Kentse Maphalwa Academy, ten young people aged 18 to 26 from Johannesburg and Pretoria received practical training in lighting, audio-visual systems and stage rigging. He was also a part of the production of Doja Cat's show, giving him first-hand experience of what it takes to deliver a production on that scale. The program is designed as a route to accredited training and long-term careers in live event production.
From Pretoria the story moves to Kigali, where the same vision is taking shape in a different context. Move Africa: Kigali, distributed with Done & Dusted and Rwanda Events Group, has steadily increased the use of local crew, increasing from 75 percent in 2023 to almost full localization in 2026. A small group of international experts supported the production, providing training and technical guidance along the way.
The scale of what has been built in Kigali this year speaks volumes for the progress that has been made. The entire stage was constructed locally, including 880 LED panels, making it one of the most ambitious productions ever held in Rwanda. The audio and lighting fixtures were 98 percent provided locally, while the rigging was 95 percent provided locally, installed with UK partners Unusual Rigging. Local employees worked closely with teams from PRG and Done+Dusted in various areas of production.
Special attention was also given to safety and operations. Local private security teams received additional training through a collaboration between Crowd Minders and the Global Citizen Safety & Security Training Team, with Cohort Security Group providing a tailored program to over 112 personnel. The training included pit management, backstage safety protocols and scene management, all in line with international standards.
Beyond the technical side, the tour is opening doors to opportunities in the field of hospitality and mass events. Through its partnership with the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Move Africa has trained over 120 youth in Rwanda since 2023, giving them experience in event production, hospitality and creative industries. This year, some participants moved into paid roles through collaborations with local businesses, including female-led enterprise The Financial Boutique, which appointed five Youth Ambassadors to operational positions.
In Pretoria, the stage also made room for homegrown talent, with performances from Moonchild Saneli and The Joy adding another layer to the night. It is part of a broader approach that places African artists alongside international acts rather than an afterthought.
For too long, Africa has sat on the fringes of the global tourism map, often excluded from major circuits. Move Africa is attempting to change this by building structures that make large-scale touring possible, while also providing the live shows audiences expect.
As the music spread across Pretoria, it became clear that something bigger was taking shape. The displays may draw crowds, but it's the systems behind them that will decide what happens next — and right now, those systems are being built in real time.
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Fans attend Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Moonchild Saneli performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
The Joy performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Doja Cat performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Doja Cat performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Fans attend Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Fans attend Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
A view of the audience during Doja Cat's performance during Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Doja Cat performs during the Global Citizen Move Africa: Pretoria on March 20, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jamel Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen)