Ekurhuleni’s LGBTQIA+ community is preparing to come together for this year’s Pride celebration in the Gauteng metro on Saturday 12 September. Organisers are promising a day that combines visibility and celebration with remembrance, solidarity and access to essential services.
According to Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee (EPOC) Director Ntsupe Mohapi, this year’s Ekurhuleni Pride has placed a particular emphasis on bringing the LGBTQIA+ community together with broader sectors of society.
“The LGBTIQ+ community can expect more participation from the broader community,” she said.
Organisers have spent the year engaging with a range of stakeholders, including the women’s sector, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders and healers, the Centre for Gender Equality, the Premier’s Office and community-based organisations.
Remembering victims of hate crimes
The Pride march will begin at 10 am at Mponeng Park on Geluksdal Road, near Tsakane Mall.
Before the march gets underway, activists and community leaders will lead a commemoration and moment of silence in memory of victims of hate crimes.
The march will proceed from Mponeng Park to Rheumanella Street, then to Caledonia Street, before ending at Geluksdal Stadium.
The inclusion of the commemoration reflects the dual role Pride continues to play: creating space for joy and celebration while remembering the struggles and lives lost in the fight for LGBTQIA+ equality and dignity.
Health services, stalls and queer DJs
Once at the stadium, attendees will be able to access a range of activities and services.
Mohapi said the programme will include messages of support from leaders representing different sectors, while mobile clinics will provide access to health services.
There will also be stalls selling rainbow-themed merchandise and food, alongside performances and sets from queer DJs from across Ekurhuleni, including DJ Msaai and DJ Londi.
The combination of community services, entertainment and political and social messaging is intended to make the celebration both meaningful and accessible to the wider community.
“We are stronger when we stand together”
For Mohapi, Pride is ultimately about more than a single day of celebration. It is an opportunity for the community to affirm its existence, visibility and worth.
“To the LGBTQIA+ community of Ekurhuleni, as we approach Pride, I want to remind us that we are stronger when we stand together,” she said.
“Pride is more than a celebration. It is a powerful statement that we are here, we are visible, we are worthy, and our lives and identities matter.”
Mohapi encouraged members of the community to use Pride as an opportunity to celebrate their diversity, resilience and strength, while also remembering those who came before them and those who continue to fight for equality and dignity.
Mohapi also urged Pride-goers to approach the celebration with care and solidarity, encouraging people to respect boundaries, stay connected with friends and loved ones, and make choices that prioritise their health and safety.
“Your safety is part of your Pride,” she said.
As Ekurhuleni prepares for the celebration, organisers are calling on the community to embrace both the differences and common ground that bring people together.
“Let us fill Ekurhuleni with visibility, joy, colour and pride,” Mohapi said. “Let us show that our community is not divided by our differences, but strengthened by them.”
Ekurhuleni Pride 2026 takes place on Saturday 12 September at Geluksdal Stadium, with the march starting at 10am at Mponeng Park on Geluksdal Road, near Tsakane Mall.
