Introduction
Until 2019, the SICMF had run for a 10-day period in the month of July each year since its inception in 2004. Due to Covid 19, the SICMF had no choice but to cancel both the 2020 and 2021 festivals. In the months preceding the 2022 SICMF, great uncertainty as to the format thereof prevailed with the final lifting of public gathering restrictions ultimately announced just a few days (and taking effect just one day) before the start of the 2022 SICMF. Whist still acutely aware of Covid 19, the 18th SICMF took place from 30 June to 9 July 2023 unaffected by Covid 19 restrictions that had influenced student and public attendance in 2022. The 19th SICMF took place from 5 to 14 July 2024 and the 20th SICMF from 4 to 13 July 2025.
Personnel/Participants
The 2025 SICMF faculty comprised 32 teachers/performers, all of whom enjoy an international profile and some of whom represent more than one nationality through citizenship, domicile (or place of work) or country of birth:
FSO conductor – Antony Hermus (Holland)
FCO conductor – Michael Repper (USA)
Violin: Andrey Baranov (Russia/Switzerland)
Daniel Rowland (Holland/UK)
Nicolas Dautricourt (France)
Siwoo Kim (USA)
Anna Vasileva (Russia/Switzerland)
Suzanne Martens (RSA)
Farida Bacharova (RSA/Russia)
Ian Watson (RSA/UK)
Viola: Dana Zemtsov (Mexico/Holland)
Anna Serova (Italy)
Xandi van Dijk (RSA/Holland/Germany)
Cello: Maja Bogdanović (Serbia/France)
David Cohen (Belgium/UK)Peter Martens (RSA/Belgium)
Bass: Zoran Marković (Slovenia)
Flute: Ekaterina Kornishina (USA)
Oboe: Dwight Parry (USA)
Clarinet: YaoGuang Zhai (USA)
Bassoon: Bram van Sambeek (Holland)
Trumpet: Marco Silva (Portugal/Switzerland)
French horn: José García Gutiérrez (Spain)
Trombone: Mark Hampson (Spain)
Piano: Nina Schumann (RSA)
Emanuil Ivanov (Bulgaria)
Leo Gevisser (RSA/USA)
Pieter Grobler (RSA)
Percussion: Jauvon Gilliam (USA)
Saxophone: Liam Burden (RSA)
The assistant faculty, all from South Africa, comprised:
Conductor: Jacobus de Jager
Stuart Martin
Trombone: James George
Viola: Micaela Arries
The assistant faculty is a category of advanced student participants already respected as young professionals in their fields. They integrated into the student orchestras and ensembles providing support where needed. The assistant faculty members were also assigned coaching duties alongside the ordinary faculty members.
288 students participated in SICMF 2025. These included 13 from the USA, 4 from Holland, 4 from Portugal, 3 from the UK, 9 from Zimbabwe, 3 from Nigeria, 2 from Mozambique, 6 from Namibia and 1 from Canada. The rest of the participants (242) were from South Africa. There were 81 violinists, 13 violists, 33 cellists, 10 double bassists, 19 flautists, 33 clarinettists, 11 oboists, 11 bassoonists, 25 trumpeters, 14 trombonists, 11 French horn players, 4 tuba players, 5 euphonium players, 26 pianists, 19 percussionists, 18 saxophonists and 1 harpist. The number of instrumentalists exceeds the total number of student participants, because some students entered more than one instrument. In 2004, one single participant was from a previously disadvantaged ethnic group. In 2013, 29% of the participants were from previously disadvantaged communities. In 2023, 146 of 257 (57%) participants were from the previously disadvantaged ethnic groups. For the first time in 20 years of existence, the SICMF exceeded the 50% threshold with regard to the participation of previously disadvantaged student participants. In 2025, 154 participants (53,5% of the total) were from the previously disadvantaged ethnic groups. 7 participants elected to withhold their ethnicity from our statistics. The SICMF continues to make a positive contribution to Stellenbosch University’s transformation agenda, and this is being showcased on a most visible public platform.
Bursaries
166 Bursary requests received – 48 rejected – 80 full bursaries granted – 38 partial bursaries granted.
Total value of bursaries granted (in terms of revenue lost through the non-payment of student fees by bursary recipients): R701 100 (R571 400 in 2024)
Activities
- 12 Student Ensemble Concerts (Fismer Hall)
- 7 Public Master Classes (Fismer Hall)
- 7 Invited Student Group Concerts (Fismer Hall)
- 7 Faculty Concerts (Endler Hall)
- 4 Student Orchestral Concerts (3 in the Endler Hall and one at the Kayamandi High School)
- 8 “in Conversation with” lecture/interviews (Jannasch Hall)
- 3 workshops
- 3 Formal receptions (One in the Behrens Foyer, one VIP sponsor’s reception in front of the Fismer Hall and the other in the Fismer Hall)
- 1 foyer concert – SICMF Saxophone Choir (The Saxophone Choir also performed as a curtain raiser at the Kayamandi High School)
92 student ensembles received 3 coaching sessions each from 3 different faculty members, who also gave private lessons and additional master classes at the request of individual students.The concert at the Kayamandi High School was a great success in terms of the opportunity created for the members of the Festival Concert Orchestra as well as for the local community. The SICMF Saxophone choir also performed at this concert. Audience attendance figures were not recorded as there were no tickets (free entry), but attendance was low. This was the second year that the SICMF partnered with the eBosch Heritage Project to present its community concert, and talks which include a much-improved marketing and publicity strategy from eBosch, are already underway for the 2026 SICMF community concert in Ida’s Valley.
The SICMF again engaged the local boutique audio/video tech company DPK to handle the live streaming of all the evening concerts. In addition to a great selection of angles and close-ups on stage, a six-camera setup (four in the Endler Hall and two in the foyer) allowed for foyer interviews with our livestream presenter, John Woodland in the interval.
Concert Attendance
- The ticket prices for the first 6 evening concerts rose from R150/R195 in 2024 to R165/R215 in 2025. The price of tickets for the last 4 evening concerts rose from R150/R205 in 2024 to R175/R230 in 2025.
- In 2025 the total income from WebTickets and box office was R455 2442 (up from R308 566 in 2024).
- In 2024 in addition to the ‘bums on seats’ in the Endler Hall, the live internet streaming saw an organic-generated 7 865 additional views from 86 countries for a total of 1497,4 stream-hours
Since 2006, the third year of the SICMF, its cost centre within the Stellenbosch University financial system enjoyed a 0% levy status with regard to all third-stream income. For amongst other reasons, this exemption could in recent years be justified by the over R3 million in Advertising Value Equivalency that the SICMF generates annually for Stellenbosch University. However, austerity measures that came into effect in 2017/2018 decreed that the SICMF cost centre would lose this status and would be liable for a 17% levy (referred to as ICRR – Indirect Cost Recovery Rate – within Stellenbosch University) as of 2019. The ICRR, now 25% is applicable to sponsorships and earnings (not donations) and amounted to a total of R195 595 this year.
The table above represents our financial contributors only and excludes sponsorship in kind as well as income from concerts and participant fees. Participant fees, and additional fees charged for accommodation and transport brought in an additional R847 000.The SICMF charged R100 per person per trip for participants requiring transport to and from CT International Airport. Transport fees were waived for students affiliated to invited student groups. Exact figures including expenditure and income are available upon request.
Special Projects associated with the 20th SICMF Anniversary
The SICMF Alumni Orchestra
The SICMF Alumni Orchestra performed on Thursday 3 July, the eve of the 2025 SICMF opening night. Past SICMF participants from the last two decades, many of whom are now regarded as some of South Africa’s top professional orchestral players, made up the orchestra. Concertmaster, Ian Watson, is a graduate from
Stellenbosch University and began his SICMF attendance as a student participant in 2004, the first year of the SICMF’s existence. The soloist for this special concert was Leo Gevisser who attended the SICMF as both a. pianist and a violinist from 2013 – 2017 (2016 excluded). Gevisser, a graduate of the Julliard School, is now carving out an illustrious career as a concert pianist, composer and sound artist in New York City.
Conductor, Jacobus de Jager won the 2023 South African Conductors’ Competition and was a semi-finalist of the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductor’s Award in Salzburg. De Jager conducted a number of local orchestras before leaving our shores to pursue his studies abroad during which time he has conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg to name a few. De Jager attended the SICMF, initially as a pianist, but then later also as a conductor, from 2016 to 2019.
The SICMF Alumni Orchestra performed the world premiere of pulsating new work by Matthijs van Dijk, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F and Mahler’s iconic fifth symphony.
Artwork
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, the festival’s Artistic Director, Nina Schumann, commissioned renowned South African pointillist, Gavin Rain, to create a commemorative artwork – a portrait of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the beloved late patron of the SICMF. Whilst based on principals of light and dark, the commissioned work will feature a new technique not seen anywhere else in the world. The work will be made up of 1098 individual circles, each representing a dot in Rain’s signature style. Each circle will be engraved with a message from the SICMF community. The circles will all be mounted at mathematically calculated angles, thus creating the shading needed to reveal the face of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu when viewed from a specific vantage point. The finished work of art will be roughly 3 x 3 meters in length and breadth and will be permanently installed outside at the base of the stairs leading up to the Behrens Foyer.
Whilst the construction of the artwork was to have taken place during the 2025 SICMF with an unveiling on the final day, various logistical constraints coupled with “red tape” delays from various offices required to authorize various stages of the process prevented the timeous completion of the project.
The modification of the framework and final assembly are currently underway and a date for final installation will be established asap.
Juke Box
The juke box was part of a bigger project to collect, order and monetise downloads of all the SICMF recordings. The first 14 years of the SICMF saw CD recordings of all the faculty and orchestral concerts made. Since 2018, livestreaming took over and the SICMF ceased to make CDs. Whilst the juke box in the foyer during the 2025 SICMF was a fun (and free) way to access past recordings, the idea is to now order all audio the tracks in such a way so as to be able to hand the administration thereof to an aggregator who will see to the dissemination thereof on all the paid music streaming platforms, thereby generating income to be paid into the Friends of SICMF Trust in the USA.
Merchandise
To celebrate 20 years of the SICMF, branded, hoodies, pencils, flasks, T-Shirts, stickers and tote bags were produced. Whilst the quality of the products was excellent and prices were competitive, the SICMF did not sell nearly as much stock as expected. Although branded as 20th SICMF products, the remainder of the stock will have to be offered at discounted prices at next year’s SICMF.
Fashion and Dance Extravaganza
Whilst fashion and dance are not new to the SICMF, a couple of special collaborations enhanced the 20th SICMF specifically. This year the preconcert razzmatazz associated with the “Purple Carpet” opening ceremony was extended to the concert hall by involving two fashion designers and a troupe of dancers in the actual opening concert. ERRE Giving women a sense of Power Through the way they dress is a South African womenswear brand established in 2013 by design duo Carina Louw and Natasha Jaume. Roman Handt, who designed the costumes in Cape Town Opera’s recent and critically acclaimed production of Aida, was brought in to enhance the men’s wear with offcuts from the elaborate ERRE dresses worn by the ladies. In addition, the Figure of 8 Dance Theatre, co-founded in 2014 by acclaimed dance artists Grant Van Ster and Shaun Oelf, with company manager Marie Vogts, integrated beautifully and to great critical acclaim, into the opening concert dancing in amongst the performing musicians.
Marketing and Publicity
The 2025 Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival executed a highly successful media campaign that reverberated across traditional and digital platforms, significantly enhancing its visibility with special attention given to diversity across a wide spectrum of target audiences.
Harnessing the potential of the Stellenbosch University’s various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and the far-reaching audiences of the SU Konservatorium and SU Events Calendar Newsletters and emailing lists, the festival generated immense engagement and excitement, expanding its reach far beyond the event’s dates. Simultaneously, through the livestreaming of its events, the festival captured a global audience via YouTube and Facebook, not to mention the livestreaming as a platform for sponsor advertising as well.
To enhance its media presence and effectively engage commercial audiences, the SICMF management team collaborated with seasoned commercial music publicist, Liny Kruger from LK Mediabook, who brought her expertise to bear in navigating the music media landscape. For the first time prior to the festival itself, the SICMF also engaged a dedicated social media officer, Tiffany Schultz (also the SICMF official photographer for two years running). These strategic partnerships not only enriched the festival’s reach but also heightened its appeal to a wider demographic, solidifying its position as a cultural celebration accessible to all. The approach was both comprehensive and inclusive, and included digital media platforms, newspapers and print, radio (both local stations and national), and television and spanning from high-end and niche publications to community newspapers, ensuring that the festival’s message resonated with a broad cross-section of society. Consequently, the 2025 SICMF’s media campaign was a resounding success, fostering inclusivity and capturing the hearts and minds of music enthusiasts across the spectrum.
As in 2024, the 2025 SICMF secured prominent slots on national South African television, on the diverse and popular channels of SABC3 and kykNET, amplifying its presence and influence across the country. Being featured on shows like Expresso Breakfast Show also showed the interest of a younger audience – a demographic the SICMF is excited to consciously nurture in future.
Herewith a summary of the SICMF generated media:
Newspapers and Magazines:
Die Burger – Article on arts page call to participants – 22 December 2024
Die Burger – SICMF Announcement article – 17 May
Die Burger – Article on arts page general feature about SICMF – 5 June
Die Burger – Festival review on arts page – 15 July
Die Burger – Featured article about Xandi van Dijk – 16 July
Weekend Argus – online feature was also published in paper on Sat in May:https://capeargus.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2025-05-13-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival-2025-a-celebration-of- 20-years-of-musical-excellence/
Weekend Argus – online feature was also published in the paper on Sat 14 June: https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/entertainment/2025-06-11-celebrating-20-years-of-music-the-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival/
Weekend Argus – online feature was also published in the paper on Sat 21 June: https://capeargus.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2025-06-17-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival-commissions-artwork-to-honour-desmond-tutu/
Weekend Argus – online feature was also published in paper on Sat 5 July:https://capeargus.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2025-07-02-experience-the-magic-of-the-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival-2025/#google_vignette
Weekend Argus – online feature was also published in paper on Sat 5 July:https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/entertainment/2025-07-17-a-triumphant-finale-highlights-from-the-20th-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival/
Eikestadnuus – online feature also published in the paper Week 3 July: https://eikestadnuus.co.za/event/stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival/
Eikestadnuus – online feature also published in the paper Week 17 July: https://eikestadnuus.co.za/stellenbosch-chamber-music-festival-ends-on-a-high-note/
CapeTowner – week 5 July: https://capetowner.co.za/news/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school
Bolander – week 5 July: https://bolanderlifestyle.co.za/news/2025-07-07-unexpected-gift-for-uct-student-at-stellenbosch-music-festival
Athlone News – week 5 July: https://athlonenews.co.za/entertainment/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school
Southern Mail – week 5 July: https://southernmail.co.za/entertainment/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school
Constantia Bulletin – week 5 July: https://constantiabergbulletin.co.za/entertainment/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school/
Northern News – week 5 July: https://northernnews.co.za/entertainment/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school
Vukani News – week 5 July: https://vukaninews.co.za/entertainment/2025-07-07-grammy-winner-michael-repper-to-perform-at-kayamandi-high-school
Southern Suburbs Tatler – week 5 July: https://southernsuburbstatler.co.za/news/2025-07-07-unexpected-gift-for-uct-student-at-stellenbosch-music-festival/#google_vignette
Tygerburger – Articles published on arts page – editions 2 July and 10 July.
Paarl Post – Article titled ” Kom vier 20 jaar se Kamermusiek” published on arts page edition 22 May.
Paarl Post – Article titled ” SICMF 20 Years” published on arts page edition 3 July.
Heritage Magazine – Beautiful spread post festival. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V_LrwFx8KVXvu6YT0A9VeWmPkYzG45Jm/view
Digital/Web Features:
Netwerk24/ Die Burger: https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/kunste/musiek/jong-musici-kan-nou-aanmeld-vir-gewilde-kamermusiekfees-in-stellenbosch-20241220
Netwerk24/Die Burger: https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/kunste/musiek/ontwerpersklere-verleen-ekstra-glans-aan-musiekfees-20230620
Netwerk24/Die Burger: https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/kunste/musiek/musiek-van-kamerfees-vul-eersdaags-stellenbosch-se-lug-20240604
Maroela Media: https://maroelamedia.co.za/vermaak/musiek/internasionaal-bekende-jazzpianis-voer-debuutwerk-in-sa-op/
Weekend Argus – 11 June: https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/entertainment/2025-06-11-celebrating-20-years-of-music-the-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival/
Weekend Argus 25 June: https://capeargus.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2025-05-27-stellenbosch-international-chamber-music-festival-2025-a-celebration-of-musical-excellence/
WhatsoninCapeTown:
Aspire Lifestyle:
Eat Play Drink Cape Town:
Weekend Special:
Lifebrands:
Litnet:
SA Musiczone:
https://samusiczone.co.za/stellenbosch-internasionale-kamermusiekfees-2025
StellenboschMonitor:
StellenboschMonitor:
Stellenbosch Visio:
NovaNews:
GoodThingsGuy:
Woman and Home Magazine:
Radio Interviews and Special Features:
RSG – Interview with Prof Nina Schumann – Friday 4 July 14h25: https://www.rsg.co.za/rsg/omny/stellenbosch-internasionale-kamermusiekfees-2025
MFM – Interview with Prof Nina Schumann – 27 May at 19h00.
MFM – Interview with Gavin Rain – Date added soon.
FMR – Prof Nina Schumann and Peter Martens did interviews in June as part of the FMR media package.
Kayafm – Kevin Harris interview with Brenda Sisane – 6 July 11h00.
Cape Talk – Michael Repper interview on 5 July 13h00: https://www.primediaplus.com/on-the-couch-us-conductor-michael-repper-returns-to-the-stellenbosch-chamber-music-festival
Gig guides: KFM, Smilefm, Zone Radio, PAARLFM, Radio Helderberg, Heartfm, Radio Tygerberg.
FMR – SICMF bought promo package with interviews that featured Peter Martens and Nina Schumann. This included a 30 sec radio ad aired copious times over a period of 6 weeks, several other interviews, mentions in FMRs Opus magazine, a competition and dedicated CD of the week tag lines.
Television:
Expresso SABC 3:
US Piano Quartet and Figure of 8 Dancers interview and performances – 1 July.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIZ1lZVIvm4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-YX2koqdg8
Expresso – SABC 3:
Kevin Harris guest on show with Lumanyano Mzi- 8 July.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35bQFT2AAHo
Goeiemore GoodMorning VIA Breakfast TV Show: Prof Nina Schumann interview via Teams – 2 July.
Die Groot Ontbyt, kykNET: Prof Nina Schumann interview via Teams – 3 July.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odurGd-vbZQ
Flags and banners:
A prominent visual branding presence was visible leading up to, and during the SICMF in and around Stellenbosch: An advertising banner (8m x 1m) was hung on the Konservatorium building as well as a purple “red” carpet having been laid on the outside staircase leading to the foyer of the Konservatorium building. Two banners (7m high) were hung from the organ in the Endler Hall itself. A set of 30 flags were mounted in and around busy areas of Stellenbosch. 300 posters were printed and displayed on lampposts around Cape Town, Somerset West and Stellenbosch. 750 programmes were printed in which the sponsor’s logo and selected donors’ identities appeared. Selected banners were also displayed in the Behrens foyer during the festival.
Conclusion
Student participant numbers were up by 15 since the previous SICMF in 2024. In 2025, the South African schooland university holidays were still not aligned since the Fees Must Fall protests of 2016, meaning that the SICMFperiod overlapped with school term time. This may well have influenced the number of school-going learnersattending the SICMF. It must also be noted that whereas the SICMF seems to be the festival of choice for many SA music students, MIAGI and the SANYO (neither of which clashed with the 2025 SICMF) also offer courses that may or may not influence the number of SICMF attendees.The Rupert Music Foundation continues to be the single biggest donor to the SICMF with a donation of R1,4 million per year having been pledged for2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively. Standard Bank, the first corporate sponsor of the SICMF, decreased its sponsorship from R250 in 2023 to R100 000 in 2024. Disappointingly, Standard Bank further reduced their sponsorship to R50 000 in 2025. In 2024 the Art Mentor Foundation, Lucerne, came on board again with a significant Euro donation after an absence of seven years. The second and final tranche of this donation was received in 2025. Of great significance was the second 20 000 Euro grant from the Ernst von Siemens Foundation in Switzerland. The Ernst von Siemens Foundation supports new music specifically and their presence as a financial supporter of the SICMF is testimony to the SICMF’s commitment to new South African music. The SICMF would also like to acknowledge the tremendous support of Stellenbosch University, in particular the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, for sponsorship in kind with regard to the use of the world-class facilities of the Department of Music at SU. The other noteworthy new sponsorship-in-kind came from Land Rover Discovery, Stellenbosch, which sponsored the use of two upmarket vehicles for the transport of VIPs for the duration of the 2025 SICMF. This sponsorship was linked to that of the SICMF’s only corporate sponsor, Standard Bank.
The value of SICMF bursaries (in terms of revenue lost through non-payment of participant fees) rose from R571 400 in 2024 to R701 100 in 2025. With no dedicated bursary sponsorship, the SICMF executive decided to award a considerable amount from its ordinary operating budget to bursaries ensuring equal opportunity for previously disadvantaged and financially needy participants.
Following the 10 overseas job shadow scholarships that were awarded in 2013 to commemorate 10 years of SICMF, the SICMF has awarded a single oversees scholarship in each subsequent year since. In celebrating the 20th SICMF, the SICMF executive management decided to offer 5 such scholarships. These are valued at R50 000 (European job shadow) and R55 000 (USA job shadow) and will cover flights, accommodation and subsistence for the 10-day period. This year’s recipients were:
- Ethan Lawson to be hosted by Maja Bogdanović.
- Theresa van der Merwe to be hosted by Brent Reynolds (Arts Management) She will be traveling to Amsterdam to link up with Brent, who works at Concertgebouw, to get an insight into the world of music management on an internanonal stage.
- Andrea Salomo to be hosted by Dwight Parry.
- Stuart Marnn to be hosted by Michael Repper, will also spend nme with Kevin Harris who is on faculty at Berklee College of Music.
- Chad Groepies will be hosted by Marco Silva.
The most significant and valuable award made at the 2025 SICMF was that of a new Fox Bassoon awarded to Ofentse Segale. Ofentse, who is an undergraduate scholarship student at the College of Music in Cape Town, grew up in Soweto. Having complemented talent with hard work, she has laid the foundation for a promising future despite always having had to use a borrowed instrument that no longer serves her at her advanced level. Through a collaboration between principal donor, Alex Andersson of the Adamastor Classical Music Fund, Nina Schuman, Penny Fraser, principal bassoonist of the JPO and a group of international musicians including flautist Ekaterina Kornishina, principal bassoonist of the MET Billy Short and conductor Michael Repper, over 160 donors contributed to a Fox bassoon that was sourced in Texas and transported by Maestro Repper to the SICMF for Ofentse.
Additional non-monetary donations made at/through the 2025 SICMF include:
- Nikolas Dautricourt donated a selection of used strings for needy students.
- Two AllMusic sheet music vouchers valued at R1250 each were awarded to Neo Phokatha and Matthew Draai.
- A cello and bow were anonymously donated to Sifiso Mbatha.
- A donation of four sets of Larsen Strings facilitated by Rory Africa
- Violin Strings awarded to Helen Liu and Kitso Moreeng
- Viola Strings awarded to Nikita Pienaar
- Cello Strings awarded to Conner Vermeulen
- Four sets of Pirastro strings and rosin donated by Pirastro Vienna represented by their Technical Director, Adrian Müller
- Violin Strings awarded to Gilah Kelner and Reuben van Neiuwenhuizen
- Viola strings awarded to Micaela Aries
- Cello Strings awarded to Solange Rojas
