Vryheid has been named a regional finalist in the popular kykNET programme Kwêla’s Dorp van die Jaar (Town of the Year) competition for the KwaZulu-Natal region, and residents are now being urged to cast their votes.

How to vote

The feature on Vryheid aired on television on Sunday evening, giving the community an opportunity to make a difference by supporting their town. Residents can vote by SMSing “VRYHEID” to 33157. Each SMS costs R1.50, with a maximum of 30 votes per number. Voting lines close on May 1 at 12:00.

Competition structure explained

The competition is open to towns in South Africa and Namibia with fewer than 500,000 residents, provided they have not been named regional winners in the past two years. From each region, the three towns with the most nominations advance to the semi-final rounds, after which the public has one week to vote for their favourite.

Road to the national finals

The town with the most votes in each region is declared a finalist and progresses to the national finals. At this stage, the Kwêla team visits each of the nine finalists to film inserts that are later broadcast on television.

Final voting dates announced

Once all nine towns have been featured, the public will be able to vote for the overall winner from July 12 at 19:00 until July 17 at 12:00. The winner of the competition is expected to be announced on August 2.

Prizes up for grabs

The winning town will receive a marketing prize worth R1 million from kykNET. In addition, a professional 45-second television advertisement showcasing the town will be produced and aired on the channel. A celebratory event featuring music, food and entertainment will also be hosted in the winning town and filmed for broadcast.

Additional funding boost

Lottoland will further contribute a cash prize of R1 million, which must be reinvested into the town. Finalists are required to submit a business plan outlining how these funds will be used.

Community support key

With the spotlight now firmly on Vryheid, the power lies in the hands of the community to vote their town into the next round and possibly all the way to the national title.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.