Hey Neighbour ticketholders angered by festival’s silence as they wait for refunds

Ticketholders of Hey Neighbour music festival are fuming with the organiser’s silence as they wait for their refunds.

“Maybe business didn’t go well, just be honest with people and tell them that ‘guys, I used the money to pay Doja Cat’ but don’t be silent and shut down your website,” ticketholder Luthando Maphanga told The Citizen.

@luthandomaphanga6 @HeyNeighbourFest Ngicela imali yam tuuu 😭😭 #luthandomaphanga6 #heyneighbourfest ♬ original sound – Luthando Maphanga

Maphanga is one of many disgruntled ticketholders who’ve been vocal on social media about their disappointment with the festival for stalling with refunds for tickets they bought.

Hey Neighbour is organised by Glen 21 Entertainment, which is owned by Glen Netshipise.

“The best thing Glen can do is to release a statement and tells us that ‘I don’t have money but I’m working on getting it’. That’s the best thing he could do because he is making fools of us,” Maphanga said.

Netshipise is not taking any interviews at this time.

ALSO READ: Hey Neighbour festival cancels 2025 edition as ticket holders await refunds

Hey Neighbour’s slippery slope

The festival has only been held once, in 2023, where it was headlined by Grammy award winners Kendrick Lamar and H.E.R.

It did not take place in 2024 but in December of that year, it was announced that the second edition would be hosted in August 2025.

To lots of excitement, in March the festival jubilantly said that Doja Cat would be one of this year’s performers.

Maphanga decided to get two tickets for the third day after Doja Cat was announced.

“I just thought, let me just get two tickets for one day and we’ll get other tickets before the concert. I bought two tickets which cost me R3 198,” Maphanga said.

Maphanga said he isn’t a Doja Cat fan, but he bought tickets because he wanted to support the festival, as interesting acts had already been announced.

@luthandomaphanga6 @HeyNeighbourFest ♬ original sound – Luthando Maphanga

“I didn’t attend the first Hey Neighbour, most of my friends went and they enjoyed it. I don’t even know Doja Cat’s songs. I told myself that I’d learn her songs along the way. The supporting acts seemed convincing.”

However, two months later, the organisers issued a statement announcing it would no longer be a three-day event; instead it would be cut to only two days.

R&B singer Leon Thomas was added to the performers’ list in May and a few days later, it also announced British rapper Central Cee as another act.

@samelambunge @HeyNeighbourFest ♬ original sound – sam.

However in early July, just weeks before it was expected to take place, Hey Neighbour organisers again rescheduled the festival, this time for December, without providing the actual dates.

“That’s where I was like ‘actually, I don’t want to do this any more’ because if they’re changing dates, I don’t trust them. I applied for a refund,” Maphanga said.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘She’s coming home’ — Doja Cat announced as Hey Neighbour festival headliner

Following instruction but to no avail

The ticketholder said he applied for a refund on the day it changed the dates and he communicated his desire for a refund via email.

Some of the instructions that were provided by the festival included that ticketholders who wanted to be refunded should enter their bank details and not request the refund to be deposited into their festival wallet, which Maphanga did.

“The ticket said ‘refunded’ but I haven’t received the money. I went to Capitec to see what’s happening… I went there and asked if money had been deposited into my account,” he said.

The bank told him that if the money had been deposited and was held on their side they would deposit it into Maphanga’s account.

@cynthiaarnolds @HeyNeighbourFest please explain?? I just want my money. And ALL of it. #fyp #heyneighbourfest #scam #refund ♬ original sound – Cynthia Arnolds

On 30 September Hey Neighbour announced its cancellation. Ironically, this was the day the festival had promised to announce the December date.

This last communication added that ticketholders would be paid by 10 October.

@asemahl3t I want to know, what is your stance since you funded these scammers @Jacaranda FM @Coca-Cola , we want our refunds @HeyNeighbourFest !! Guys, 0️⃣6️⃣0️⃣8️⃣0️⃣8️⃣5️⃣2️⃣5️⃣2️⃣ yi nombolo, email yabo ngu [email protected] … khanifoune ni sende I emails. Babizeni kwi comments!! #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #SAMA28 #trendingvideo #southafricantiktok🇿🇦 #xhosatiktok🇿🇦 ♬ original sound – YT: YourFaveDiscourseDiva 🤍

“Now we’re approaching month-end and we haven’t received our refunds. You see if it was a case of some people getting their money back, I’d think that mine is also on the way. But there’s no one who has received their money,” he said.

ALSO READ: Hey Neighbour Festival postponed as organisers negotiate new dates with artists

Taking the legal route

Maphanga adds that there are some people on social media who claimed to have received refunds, but much earlier in the year.

“They claim this on TikTok. However I don’t trust them. I’m sure if there’s 100 of us who hasn’t received a refund, only five people have been refunded because everyone is complaining, everyone is saying the same thing.”

@mec00lerthanu @HeyNeighbourFest YOU POES THIS IS CRITICAL! I AM LITERALLY A STUDENT WITH EXAM SEASON COMING UP ! PLEASE ABIDE BY THE TERMS YOU SET- IT IS WELL OVER THE 10th OF OCTOBER WE HAVE BEEN WAITING ON YOUR REFUNDS FOR 4 MONTHS‼️ PLEASE JUST GIVE US OUR MONEY!‼️😡 #PAYBACKMAKHE #tiktoksouthafrica #viral #heyneighbourfest #scammers ♬ original sound – mali

On Monday a TikTok user went on the platform to say that she had just come from court to try to force the festival’s hand into paying her refund.

The ticketholder, who hasn’t responded to The Citizen, said the festival owed her at least a R10 000 refund.

@mec00lerthanu @HeyNeighbourFest GIVE US OUR REFUNDS YOU POES‼️😡 #tiktoksouthafrica #viral #fyp #voetsek #heyneighbormustfall ♬ original sound – mali

“I don’t want to waste my time and go to the small claims court, I can’t go there and fight for South Africa,” said Maphanga.

“Someone commented on TikTok and said it’s better to start a complaints group chat where we can update each other about what’s happening. I don’t mind doing that.”

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