By Marcus Moloko
In South African politics, fundraising gala dinners have become more than just glitzy affairs, they’re strategic power plays.
The latest party to enter the gala dinner high-stakes arena is the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, which has stirred debate with its upcoming Fundraising Gala Dinner, offering a seat at the table with leader Floyd Shivambu for R2 million.
Yes, you read that right. R2 million. For one evening. With Shivambu.
Scheduled for 28 November 2025 at the Mhulu Luxury Boutique Hotel in Midrand, Gauteng, the event is tabled as a meeting of business leaders, philanthropic partners, professionals, and activists.
The goal?
To raise funds for the movement’s First National Convention in December, a landmark gathering at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus aimed at shaping a unified African ideological framework and strategy for “total freedom and emancipation.”
But it’s the dinner pricing that’s turning heads and raising eyebrows.
The gala’s table packages are tiered, with the top-tier Mayibuye Diamond package costing R500,000 per seat, or R2 million per table, your ticket to dine with Shivambu himself.
That’s R800,000 more than the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) charged in 2023 for a seat next to Julius Malema, which went for R1.2 million and was reportedly snapped up by an anonymous buyer.
Each package includes a three-course meal and live entertainment, but the real draw is the proximity to power.
Fundraising dinners are not new to South African politics. The ANC, DA, and EFF have all hosted similar events, often with hefty price tags attached to access party leaders.
Mayibuye’s leadership insists the dinner is about more than money.
In its press statement, the movement emphasized its commitment to “dignity, accountability, economic justice, and ethical leadership.”
Proceeds will fund the December convention, which aims to bring together youth, students, workers, traditional leaders, and international allies to refine the movement’s foundational documents and chart a path forward.
The question remains: would you, the reader, pay R2 million to dine with Floyd Shivambu?
For some, it’s a chance to support a rising political force and engage directly with its leadership. For others, it’s a symbol of how politics can become inaccessible to the average citizen.
Either way, the gala is a bold statement from Mayibuye, a movement positioning itself not just as a political alternative, but as a serious contender in shaping South Africa’s future.
Whether you see it as visionary or extravagant, one thing’s clear: the price of political dinner has never been higher.
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