The live broadcast will be transmitted in over 180 countries across six continents.

DStv will broadcast the event live to all its customers throughout South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. It will also film the event and provide the live broadcast to the SABC and other international broadcast partners who will aim to extend the reach worldwide.

MTV International will bring the festival to audiences in nearly 180 countries and territories outside the United States, from Australia to Argentina, and beyond.

MTV Base will also debut a two-hour, 'best of' special in the days following the initial broadcast for its audience in South Africa and nearly 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The collective reach of its broadcast partners will aim to deliver the largest reach of any television broadcast of a Global Citizen event to date.

YouTube and Twitter will also bring the festival to a global audience via their channels, presented by Johnson & Johnson.

Beyoncé and JAY-Z, Cassper Nyovest, D'banj, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Femi Kuti, Kasey Musgraves, Pharrell Williams and Chris Martin, Sho Madjozi, Tiwa Savage, Usher, and Wizkid will headline the first Global Citizen Festival to be held in Africa.

Trevor Noah will host the festival with co-hosts Naomi Campbell, Dave Chappelle, Sir Bob Geldof, Gayle King, Bonang Matheba, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tyler Perry and Forest Whitaker.

Oprah Winfrey will deliver a special keynote address at the festival in honour of Nelson Mandela and his legacy. MultiChoice will make the live broadcast available on DStv channel 199 to all its customers across the African continent.

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of general entertainment at MultiChoice, says, "We’re honoured to be the exclusive pay TV broadcast partner in Southern Africa for an event that celebrates Madiba’s legacy and reminds us all of the importance of giving back to our communities."

"We look forward to sharing this with our customers on Sunday, 2 December, and also giving them access to the musical highlights in the days thereafter. Mandela believed that music unites us and uplifts us – and here at MultiChoice, we believe that too," Phahle adds.

"The SABC is proud to partner with the Global Citizen Festival, which will enable the public broadcaster to bring the symbolic Mandela 100 concert to South African audiences. As we celebrate Nelson Mandela’s centenary, we are pleased that this partnership will provide an opportunity for South Africans to reflect on Nelson Mandela‘s life and times, and promote his legacy," says Madoda Mxakwe, SABC’s group chief executive officer.

"Nelson Mandela, the global icon and pride of our nation, was not only an inspiration to people throughout the world, but was also a symbol of hope and freedom," adds Mxakwe.

"He encouraged people to take personal responsibility to solve the challenges of this world. It is in this spirit that we partnered with the Global Citizen Festival, as it promotes the need for all of us, in particular, young people, to play a role of activism in their communities," Mxakwe says. 

"MTV stands with the artists, leaders and passionate citizens who are raising their voices and taking action to effect positive change throughout the world," says Bruce Gillmer, Viacom’s global head of music and talent and co-brand lead for MTV International.

"In the spirit of Nelson Mandela, MTV believes in the power of music to unite and inspire. We’re proud to amplify this incredible night of
music and activism in his honour to fans around the world," adds Gillmer.

Executive producers of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 include Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, Patrice Motsepe, Kweku Mandela, Dave Holmes, Declan Kelly, Liza Henshaw and Hugh Evans.

Leaders set to address the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 include:
  • South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
  • Amina J Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations
  • Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, who both serve as co-chairs of the UN Secretary General’s Advocacy Group for the Sustainable Development Goals
  • President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana
  • Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organisation
  • Alexander De Croo, deputy prime minister of Belgium
  • David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme,
  • Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, board director of The Power of Nutrition, and
  • Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The December event is the culmination of Global Citizen’s 'Mandela 100' campaign in partnership with the House of Mandela; a series of global events honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in his centenary year.

The Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 will be presented and hosted by The Motsepe Foundation, with partners, Johnson & Johnson, Cisco, Nedbank, Vodacom, Coca-Cola South Africa, Big Concerts, Harmony, House of Mandela, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers, Eldridge Industries as well as associate partners HP and Microsoft.

Global Citizen has generated commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over R544-billion ($37.9-billion) that are set to affect the lives of more than 2.25 billion people.

In 2018, Global Citizen has secured 29 commitments totaling over R108.2-billion ($7.6-billion) that are set to affect the lives of more than 501 million people by 2030.

For more information, visit www.globalcitizen.org.za. You can also follow Global Citizen on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram. Join the conversation by using the #BeTheGeneration hashtag.