Says Serame Taukobong, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN SA: “Music has always played an integral role in our sponsorship properties, and it is our objective to support and promote as wide a variety of local music genres as possible. With our roots firmly in this country and as the longest standing mobile operator in South Africa, it is important to us to promote and celebrate all things South African – Joyous Celebration is one such unique example.

“We enjoyed a wonderful partnership with the Joyous Celebration brand from 2004 to 2007, and we are delighted that this successful relationship has been reunited. Our three-year sponsorship agreement as headline sponsor for the 2011–2013 seasons, will enable us to grow the MTN brand among a new fan base, while promoting the Joyous Celebration sound to our customers.”

MTN sponsors a variety of local music platforms and genres, including the SAMAs, Afrikaans, kwaito, jazz and now gospel – and is as involved with the development of talent as it is in making the music accessible to its thousands of customers via the MTN Play platform.

“There are a few things better than music when it comes to bringing people together. Every smile and every tear is expressed in a song, and it is for these reasons that we ensure that the latest music is made available for download through MTN Play. But, music always sounds better live, which is why MTN takes great pleasure in supporting various music festivals during the year. Our partnership with Joyous Celebration is an extension of this and we are looking forward to celebrating with the gospel choir and their thousands of fans during their tours over the next three years,” states Taukobong.

Founding member of Joyous Celebration, Jabu Hlongwane is delighted to have MTN back on board as the group’s headline sponsor. “We enjoyed the support of MTN for three years from 2004 to 2007, and it is wonderful to have the company back with us as an integral part of the Joyous Celebration family.

“We will engage MTN’s expertise in connecting with communities and make use of the company’s innovative technology and interactive platforms to spread our joyous message far and wide. We are excited about the possibilities that this partnership holds for us as we celebrate 15 years of Joyous Celebration this year.

“MTN is a proud supporter of local music and the development of local talent. Since our first concert, the inspiration behind the Joyous Celebration concept was to discover and develop new talent - the fact that we are celebrating our 15th anniversary this year, is a tribute to the abundant talent in South Africa and our ability to harness and promote it. We look forward to doing even bigger and better things with MTN at our side,” comments Hlongwane.

The MTN Joyous Celebration tour for 2011, entitled 'My Gift to You', takes to the stage of The South African State Theatre in Pretoria for six concerts from 21 to 24 April. Thereafter, the gospel music ensemble tours the country with shows in East London on 3 June, Port Elizabeth on 4 June, Cape Town (2 July), Durban on 30 July and the final public show for this year is in Bloemfontein in August.