JOHANNESBURG - On the 15th of March President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act in response to the Coronavirus outbreak that has hit South Africa. This enables the government to
set up emergency, rapid and effective response measures to mitigate the severity of the virus's impact.
One such measure is the prohibition of gatherings of 100 or more people. Another is the ban on the sale of alcohol after 18h00 from Monday to Saturday and 13h00 on Sundays. These measures have proved to have a devastating effect on restaurants, pubs, and clubs.
South Africa has a vibrant nightlife scene and these bans have seen that come to an abrupt halt. Many have bemoaned their inability to attend parties and live events. In a bid to appease fans and encourage them to stay indoors some of South Africa’s finest popular South African DJ, Shimza hosted the “Quarantine Online Party” alongside some of the country’s favourite DJs.
The innovative idea made it possible for users to watch their favorite DJs spinning their favorite tunes via streaming on Facebook Live. On the line-up were the likes of DJ Zinhle, Black Motion and perhaps the country’s most sought after duo, Kabza de Small and Maphorisa.
Users seemed to take a liking to this format, and the viewership reached over 400 000 streams. The success of the event has seen the host, DJ Shimza toying with the idea of hosting another stream, he posted a status on Facebook that read “I think our next #QuarantineOnlineParty should be a pyjama party, what do you say? Working on another tight line up to keep your indoors”
It would seem that party-goers and revelers have had their prayers answered and can now look forward to being able to still see their favorite artists perform from the comfort of their own homes, without risk of exposure. It really is a whole new world out there.
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