Massive Johannesburg Pride Rocks the City of Gold

Despite calls for a boycott, LGBTQIA+ South Africans and their allies turned out in their thousands for what may have been the largest Pride event in the country’s history.

On Saturday, 25 October, organisers closed off a large stretch of Katherine Street in Sandton, transforming it into a vibrant Pride Village lined with dozens of community and flea market stalls, bars, food vendors, and three separate entertainment stages.

Johannesburg Pride was a remarkable feat of organisation, and according to Pride Chairperson Kaye Ally, more than 55,000 people attended the celebration.

Political and Civic Leaders Show Support

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Steve Letsike, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, all of whom came out to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Speaking before the march began, Letsike warned that to combat rising anti-rights and anti-gender movements, LGBTQIA+ communities must stand together in solidarity across Africa and the world. “We must stand with queer people everywhere,” she declared.

She stressed that attempts to erase queer people from society would not succeed. “You belong everywhere. You belong in the churches, you belong in the schools, you belong in universities, you belong in your communities. Every corner of South Africa should be safe for every queer person.”

Mayor Morero told the crowd, “You are most welcome, this is your city.” He added: “Let’s demonstrate to the whole world, especially the African continent, that we have rights and we must be allowed to celebrate ourselves. No one has the right to discriminate against anyone.”

Marching with Pride and Purpose

The speeches concluded with drag performer and DJ Adam Benefeld leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of the national anthem, moving some to tears.

The march set off at around 14:30, led by a contingent of activists advocating for Palestinian rights and protesting the corporatisation of Pride. They carried signs reading “Lesbians for Palestine,” “Corporate Shame, Queer Pride,” and “No Pride in Genocide.”

Their presence followed an open letter by several organisations under the banner NoGoBurg Pride, calling for a boycott of Johannesburg Pride over the corporate “rainbow-washing” of the event.

The Amazon Controversy

Much of their criticism centred on concerns that Amazon — accused of supporting the Israeli government and rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes in the United States to appease the Trump administration — was a Pride sponsor. (Johannesburg Pride later clarified that while negotiations had taken place, Amazon was ultimately not a sponsor in 2025.)

The procession paused at one point for protesters to reiterate their message that “Pride is not a party, it is a protest.”

They held a poignant moment of silence for “our trans siblings who have died at the hands of hatred, our non-heterosexual siblings who have been harmed by hate, our intersex siblings who continue to seek recognition, the Indigenous peoples of all colonised lands, LGBTQIA+ communities in Uganda and other countries that outlaw them, and the people of Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, and Congo.”

Love and Visibility on Display

Also leading the procession were Simon Seun Nhlapo and Crosby Jodwana, a same-sex couple whose traditional wedding in September made national headlines after sparking a homophobic backlash from former radio host Ngizwe Mchunu.

Holding hands and wearing elements of traditional African attire, the pair made a powerful statement against attempts to police queer love and cultural expression.

A Parallel Celebration at Zoo Lake

Meanwhile, a few kilometres away, Bev Ditsie — one of the founders of the first Johannesburg Pride and a supporter of the NoGoBurg Pride open letter — hosted a “Nostalgia Pride Picnic” at Zoo Lake. The gathering reflected Ditsie’s belief that Pride has lost its way as a platform for progressive political expression. 

A Powerful Day for Queer Visibility

After returning to the Pride Village, marchers joined thousands of others to celebrate into the late afternoon and evening. The crowd reflected the diversity of South Africa — LGBTQIA+ people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities came together, many with their partners, children, and parents in a cross-generational display of pride.

Despite the controversy and the divisions leading up to the event, Johannesburg Pride proved to be a powerful and memorable celebration of queer visibility and expression — one that reaffirmed the community’s strength, resilience, and right to exist freely and proudly in South Africa’s largest city.