Joyous Celebration promises thrilling performance
Staff Writer | Monday September 22, 2025 10:07
Joyous Celebration will headline the Nna Le Bantlo Yame Life Changing Concert, and in a press conference held at the UCCSA Trinity Congregational Church in Gaborone on Monday, Dr Mkhize said Batswana should prepare for a stellar performance.
Dr Mkhize said a “top notch production and Hollywood level performance” could be expected from Joyous Celebration, adding that they were pleased that the UCCSA-organised concert was being done in partnership with Brave Heart as a production partner.
Adding that they have experience working with Brave Heart in Botswana, Dr Mkhize said people could expect world class musical experience. He further said they were enticed to become a part of the show since Joyous Celebration shares the values of the UCCSA of bringing Christian mission and touching the lives of the community.
Dr Mkhize encouraged people to buy tickets, stating that with each purchase, someone’s life will be touched.
UCCSA Nna Le Bantlo Yame Project Convener, Rev Pono Gakekgonwe said the upcoming show would be the third edition. In addition to top South African acts, Joyous Celebration and Teboho Moloi the festival will also include local acts including
He said the UCCSA unites communities with God by proclaiming the Biblical gospel and continuously donating to the needy, in order to transform the lives of the community. People could anticipate a night of music and worship on October 11.
Rev Gakekgonwe said amongst the beneficiaries of the proceeds of the concert would be the Kgodisong Centre, a non-profitable organisation that looks after orphans in Kanye; and the Lephoi Centre for the Visually Impaired in Francistown.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brave Heart, Joe Manuel, said as technical partners of the Nna Le Bantlo Yame Life Changing festival they could assure music lovers and worshipers top notch music, sound, lightning as well a good security and orderly parking, ushering access and exit.
About Nna Le Bantlo Yame Life festival
Nna Le Bantlo Yame Festival is operated by the UCCSA annually as part of its fundraising and promotion of charity functions. Previous editions had featured stars such as Benjamin Dube and Spirit of Praise.
The 2025 edition, the third annual festival, is scheduled for Saturday, October 11.
This year’s concert is headlined by the award winning Joyous Celebration at the UB Indoor Sports Arena, accompanied by Teboho Moloi from South Africa, as well local gospel artists Johnson Pheto, UCCSA Mass Choir, Tshego Mhex amongst others.
The festival starts at 6pm and ends at 5am the following morning. Tickets are on sale at the UCCSA Synod of Botswana office near the Main Mall, Webtickets outlets (Spar and Choppies), and UCCSA local churches.
Tickets sell for P400 (General), P600 (Golden) P800 (Platinum) and P1,000 (VIP) with each category having its benefits but all attendees assured of a quality concert.
Proceeds from the festival assist with church missional and charitable work.
About the UCCSA
The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), is a Christian reformed body officially launched in 1967 as a union of Southern African mission churches of the London Missionary Society (LMS), the American Board and Congregational Union of South Africa.
UCCSA local churches in the region trace back their origin to the 1799 establishment of Southern African Christian missionary work by the LMS, and the denomination further traces its global origins to the Congregationalists of the English Reformation of the 1500s and the American Puritan Pilgrims of the 1620s New England.
The UCCSA is spread across seven Southern African states with synods in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Malawi. The UCCSA preaches Bible-based message of Christian salvation, guided by Protestant Reformed doctrine.
Through its early LMS origins, the UCCSA is Botswana’s oldest Christian denomination tracing its local roots to the 1800s, the work of Robert Moffat in translating the Bible into Setswana, David Livingstone establishing the Kolobeng Mission and John MacKenzie’s work amongst Khama III’s people at Shoshong.
In Botswana, the UCCSA has pioneered mission schools such as Moeding College, Maun Secondary, the Scottish Livingstone Hospital (originally a church mission hospital later handed to government) and mobile vaccination work of Dr Alfred Merriweather; introduction of the early print press, including Pula Press and the Botswana Book Centre and church-run community empowerment through the Lephoi Centre in Kanye and Kgodisong Centre for the Visually Impaired in Francistown.
A missional church, the UCCSA has local churches spread across the urban and rural hinterlands of Botswana serving the community spiritually and assisting to meet social need.