When police raided the Stonewall Inn, an illegal gay bar, in June 1969, they were not expecting resistance from the queer clientele, much less that it would jumpstart what has now become the Gay Rights Movement. A year later, the first Pride Parades were held in multiple states across the US, and two decades after, the first Pride Parade was held in Johannesburg, South Africa – a country ruled by an apartheid regime that oppressed and silenced anyone who did not fit into their nationalist “Afrikaner” rhetoric.
Prominent gay rights and anti-apartheid activist Simon Nkoli organised South Africa’s first Pride march on 13 October 1990. The march was attended by 800 people of different races and sexual orientations, some with bags over their faces to hide their identities, who walked together for six kilometres to protest both homophobia and racism. This protest was met with disgust and condemnation by many religious groups across the country and many attendees risked persecution from their families, churches, and communities for taking part in it. It was a dangerous, brave, and necessary act of protest and solidarity.
Cut to Pride 2025: 6% of the country’s population now identifies as LGBTQIA+. Gay marriage is legal and queer people are protected from discrimination under the law. Unfortunately, we have yet to achieve true equality as evident by the fact that, according to the IPSOS 2025 Pride Survey, only 56% of South Africans believe that queer individuals should be open about their sexuality.
In today’s era, Pride has grown alongside the LGBTQIA+ community with parades in multiple provinces and cities across the country. These parades have also become sponsored events, with Johannesburg Pride being the largest Pride Event in Africa. Modern Pride, however, does not without criticism. Many have accused it of pushing a certain “glamorised gay” lifestyle, catering to a privileged minority instead of acting as the protest that it was originally meant to be. Pride Parades are often held in affluent neighbourhoods like Sandton, celebrating a version of queerness marked by expensive gay clubs, lavish parties, and trending fashion – something not all queer South Africans can relate to.
This commercialisation is further worsened by the rise of “Corporate Pride”, the sponsorship of Pride events by major brands and corporations. This partnership can lead to the organisers planning the events to cater to the whims of their investors who often want to avoid the controversy that stems from bringing up injustices against the queer community. The main criticism of Corporate Pride is the fact that it pumps money into making Pride Parades bigger, louder, and flashier while stripping it of the power it has to demand societal and political change. After all, a company is not going to back a political movement that risks alienating its conservative clients, but it will back a rainbow-themed party.
It can also be argued that sponsorship is necessary and helpful in making Pride what it is. PDBY reached out to Evan Tsouroulis, the Marketing, Sponsorship, and Parade Co-ordinator of Cape Town Pride. He commented on the importance of sponsors, saying, “Putting on a world-class event such as Cape Town Pride costs hundreds of thousands [of] rands, and we could not do it without support from [the] City of Cape Town, diplomatic missions, and corporate sponsors.” He emphasised how they “do not allow sponsors to dictate how [they] organise [their] event”. Despite being hosted in more affluent neighbourhoods with expensive decorations and entertainment, sponsorships allow many Pride events to take place without entry fees, and sometimes, they even form partnerships with transportation companies to give attendees free transport to and from the events. This helps the organisers of Pride to connect with a wider audience and host larger events, which furthers one of the main goals of Pride: giving marginalised people a sense of community and acceptance.
In a poll on PDBY’s Instagram page asking UP students whether they thought Pride has become too commercialised, a whopping 79% indicated yes, echoing the sentiments of many queer South Africans. Corporate involvement and the commercialisation of Pride have allowed it to grow, become more accepted, and provide a sense of community to those who need it, but many argue that this is at the cost of Pride’s potential to drive political and societal change.
Pride has always been more than just a parade. It is a way for the LGBTQIA+ community to make their voices heard and feel a sense of community and confidence that they have historically been denied. It is a great feat that by 2025, Pride has grown from a mere 800 people in Johannesburg to a nationwide event. But as Pride grows louder and more visible, so does the challenge of ensuring that it is still meaningful and impactful in the community it is meant to serve. May Pride continue to grow and provide a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community, regardless of its sponsors and corporate partnerships.
