AfrikaBurn, the regional version of Burning Man in South Africa, should be something you experience at least once in your life. This year, AfrikaBurn 2020 will take place on 27 April – 03 May 2020, and this event takes a bit more preparation in comparison to your average music festival!

Since its beginnings in 2007, with just a mere 1000 attendees, AfrikaBurn has since grown to over 13 000 and is the largest regional Burning Man event.

If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket and heading to Tankwa Town for your first time, we’ve put together a number of crucial tips that will help you survive in the grueling Karoo desert for the week.

Take a lot of water

Don’t underestimate how much water you need. Since you’ll be pretty active, and hopefully showering, you’ll need at least 3 litres per day to drink. Signs of dehydration, including feeling dizzy, weak, or hyperthermic, decreased urination and increased heart rate.

Eat the right nutrients

AfrikaBurn is more than a week and you’re facing various harsh elements – keep your immune system strong. Eat meals that are relatively easy to make but give you the right kind of nutrients. Cook in groups for convenience.

Some things to pack include spinach, tuna cans, quinoa, chickpeas, green onions, walnuts, dried fruit, honey, energy bars. Funnily enough, pickles and drinking the pickle juice is pretty good for you too.

Superfood shakes provide a combination of nutrient-dense superfoods (like Raw Cacao, Chia, Hemp, Maca root, Mesquite, etc) from around the world. Meal replacements packs plant-based protein and all the vitamins and nutrients you need in the desert.

Take your own cutlery

Plastic cutlery for the entire week results in a ton of waste. Pack proper cutlery and look after them. Imagine how many pieces of plastic cutlery we would save on if all 13 000 people did the same for a week?

Get a bicycle

Purchase a second-hand mountain bike. While AfrikaBurn is somewhat walkable in comparison to Burning Man, a bicycle is still a massive convenience. If you don’t need your bike after, it will be donated to charity.

Wear loose-fitting clothing

Don’t wear tight clothing that’s uncomfortable. After a few days the sand and dust that gathers in your underwear will chafe and become a nightmare.

Take a scarf or sarong

Take a scarf or sarong with. Whenever you leave your campsite, wet it, so that it’s cold and you’ll get less dust in your mouth when walking or travelling.

Pack a basic first aid kit.

While the medical team at AfrikaBurn will be able to assist with serious (and small) injuries, it’s always better to keep a basic first kit aid that can be purchased just about anywhere. Take the usual like:

Plasters

Sports tape

Ace bandage (sprains)

Panado

Rehydrate (for hangovers)

Melatonin (for sleep)

Magnesium pills (for cramps)

Inhalers (if you’re asthmatic)

Eye drops (to combat the dust)

Saline nasal spray

Waterless shampoo or apple cider vinegar

Take waterless shampoo to keep your hair clean of the dust without using water, or for a natural alternative rinse a bit of apple cider vinegar in your hair

Wear comfortable shoes

You might be used to not wearing shoes at a festival for a day, but the constant walking, biking and dancing for a week in the desert will take its toll on your feet. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes rather.

Dance safe

While AfrikaBurn isn’t a music festival at all, there’s a ton of dancing taking place over the week and it’s important to be smart. Make sure you’re always nourished, get a good amount of sleep, replenish your electrolytes and always have someone looking out for you.

AfrikaBurn FAQ

Where does AfrikaBurn take place? AfrikaBurn takes place in the Tankwa Karoo, an arid semi-desert area located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The name of site is Stonehenge Private Reserve, NOT Tankwa Karoo National Park. How far is AfrikaBurn from Cape Town? The driving distance between Cape Town and Stonehenge Private Reserve, the site of AfrikaBurn, is just over 300km. For a long duration you will be on a dirt road. Don’t rush, it will take you roughly 4 hours to get there. How many people go to AfrikaBurn? The last edition had more than 13 000 people from around the world. Is AfrikaBurn the same as Burning Man? AfrikaBurn is a regional version of Burning Man. It is the largest regional event in the world. Are there toilets at AfrikaBurn? There are loos available at AfrikaBurn. Is there water available at AfrikaBurn? There is NO water at AfrikaBurn. Please make sure you take enough for the duration of the event (to drink, wash, etc).

Photos by Jonx Pillemer