South Korea’s cultural wave has been everywhere this year. Squid Game’s finale broke streaming records. KPop Demon Hunters turned an animated soundtrack into a global chart-topper. BLACKPINK filled stadiums on every continent.
Call it Hallyu, call it the Korean Wave. Either way, it’s no longer a trend, it’s the engine of global pop culture.
Now, the wave is rolling into South Africa. And it’s not arriving quietly.
On 6 September 2025, Pretoria’s SunBet Arena hosts UBUNTU with KOREAN CULTURE, a one-day festival marking the country’s first-ever G20 Summit. Think of it as part cultural exchange, part history-making stage show.
Ailee headlines a global lineup
The headliner? K-pop powerhouse Ailee. Known for her vocals that can blow the roof off an arena, she’ll be making her South African debut.
Organisers say her set is meant to be the emotional high point of the night, celebrating the pull of Korean culture while spotlighting South Africa’s own creative strength.
She won’t be alone. Sharing the stage is the Ndlovu Youth Choir, the group that turned America’s Got Talent into their international launch pad.
Their mix of joy, harmony, and resilience makes them a natural fit for an event about collaboration and shared humanity.
Martial arts, music, and fashion
The K-Tigers, a taekwondo performance group, will bring the kind of spectacle you don’t expect from martial arts.
Their choreography comes from the creative mind behind KPop Demon Hunters, blending discipline, dance, and stagecraft in ways that feel closer to a stadium concert than a dojo.
Fashion also gets a spotlight. A Hanbok show will reinterpret Korea’s traditional attire through South African aesthetics, bringing two design languages together in one bold statement about identity and cultural pride.
And then there’s the music mashup: K-pop meets Amapiano. A genre-bending collaboration between two of the world’s fastest-moving sounds, set to close the night in full-blown rhythm and dance.
More than a concert
Doors open with a cultural experience zone offering food, interactive showcases, and traditional Korean activities.
By 4:30 pm, South African K-pop dance crews will heat up the stage before the headliners take over.
The best part? Tickets are free. Booking is still required through Ticketmaster, and if the first waves of reservations are anything to go by, early reservations are a must. Both initial release rounds sold out in days.
‘Ubuntu with Korean Culture’ is more than just a gig tacked onto the G20. It’s a statement about shared stories, cultural exchange, and connection.
It’s a reminder that music, fashion, and art carry as much weight as policy when nations meet.
