On 3 October, the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield Campus came alive with colour, rhythm, and cultural pride as students, staff, and guests gathered to celebrate International Day 2025 under the theme “World Voices in Unison”. The annual event brought together students from around the world to honour their heritages and share their traditions with the UP community.
The day began with rows of vibrant stalls representing countries from every continent, including Eswatini, Vietnam, Mexico, India, Palestine, Portugal, and many others. Each stall offered a glimpse into the cultural richness of its country through food, traditional clothing, and artistic displays. The Indian stall drew a crowd with students lining up for henna tattoos, snacks, and saree trials. “We chose to highlight the traditional Indian attire, food, and artifacts as they are things which instantly connected the people visiting the stall to the real essence of India,” said Yaseen Muqeemuddin Syed, a final-year Zoology student. “We wanted to give everyone a small but authentic glimpse of what India really is through our stall.”
The crowd’s excitement showed that the effort paid off. “The response from the students has been wonderful,” Syed said. “Many waited for 15 to 20 minutes for the henna tattoo and saree trials. They all enjoyed the snacks, clothes, and traditions we displayed.” For him, the event was deeply personal. “As international students, we are all away from home, but occasions like this allow us to bring a small piece of our homeland with us. Sharing each other’s culture builds mutual respect and understanding.”
Following the stalls, the highly-anticipated flag parade swept through, filling the air with cheers and waving flags from different countries. After the parade, the crowd gathered for the Fashion Show. “It shows that we’re more than just students,” said Sheldon Naidu, a third-year student from India. “There is a history to us, a very rich and deep history. That is what the stall and performances were about – proving that there is unity irrespective of your caste, creed, race, or religion.” Naidu said that the dancing, fashion show, and poetry allowed him to blend creativity with heritage. “My outfit was inspired [by] both north and south India, a fusion that shows there is unity. It has made me realise how vast my heritage is.”
The poetry segment brought emotional depth to the afternoon. Participants from several countries performed powerful poems about home, belonging, and identity. The crowd clapped and cheered along, especially during a moving song by the Palestinian participants that left many in the audience visibly emotional. Naidu recalled the supportive energy that filled the event. “The audience was absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “There was not a moment where they were not screaming or shouting. During the fashion show, people were cheering so loudly, it was such a blast. Everyone was so supportive.”
The celebrations continued with cultural dances featuring performances from across Africa and beyond. South African students joined in with Xhosa and Pedi traditional dances, showing that the day was not just for international students but for everyone at UP. “International Students’ Day helps them celebrate their home culture because a lot of them are far from home,” said Lilian-Lee Mumba, Chairperson of the International Students Society and a first-year BPolSci International Studies student from Zambia. “It gives them the space to celebrate who they are and for South African students to learn more about what’s outside the borders of South Africa.”
Mumba explained that organising the event took months of co-ordination and teamwork. “It was a lot of planning with rehearsals, making sure people had their flags, [contacting] their embassies, and [ensuring that everyone had what] they needed to thrive on this day,” she said. Despite challenges with participation and marketing, Mumba said that the outcome was worth it. “Approaching embassies can be hard, but we had departmental help from the Department of Internationalisation, Institutional Advancement, and the Executive. They really helped us make this a success.”
Students took part in interactive quizzes about UP and international students, and audience members won various prizes sponsored by Momentum Health, City Property, The Fields, Red Bull, Black Tax, Intercape, Qatar Airways, and CompCare.
Looking ahead, Mumba said that the society aims to build on this year’s success. “We really want to embrace integration of international students into the local culture,” she said. “We’re [a] home away from home for international students, and we want everyone to integrate like a big happy family.”
By the end of the day, International Day 2025 had achieved just that – a joyful and united celebration of global culture where students from every corner of the world came together to share, learn, and connect in true UP spirit.
