A real men's conference is taking place in South Africa in February 2022

A real men’s conference is taking place in South Africa in February 2022
Image via Thomas Barwick/Getty

No jokes! All the details on the ‘men’s conference’ taking place in SA

From girlfriend allowances to gender-based violence; this year’s real men’s conference hopes to tackle issues relating to South African men…

A real men's conference is taking place in South Africa in February 2022

A real men’s conference is taking place in South Africa in February 2022
Image via Thomas Barwick/Getty

The “men’s conference” has been a running joke in Mzansi…

The fictitious event takes place every Valentine’s Day and serves as a place that men can “escape” to, away from the women in their life.

Tweeps have teased details of tongue-in-cheek topics on discussion, “guests of honour” and even secret locations.

But for the first time, a men’s conference is going to be a real event in South Africa. And the agenda is all about addressing issues pertinent to men’s lifestyle and wellbeing.

MEN’S CONFERENCE DETAILS

The real men’s conference is set to take place between 11 – 13 February at a yet to be confirmed venue

The event will be organised by Cape Town charity organisation Project Uluvo who are committed to educating men about

Project coordinator Eric Kweleta told Drum magazine: “We want to bring it from the imaginary to the real world. We were deliberate about the dates because we wanted to have it around the Valentine’s Day hype that always gets people talking.

“We want to discuss real issues that affect men like GBV. After the conference is over, we want men to have a model of what a real or new man should be like”

On the agenda are topics that affect the everyday life of men.

Kweleta continued: “Men have become monsters and we want to change that. We need to have frank conversations about fatherhood, baby mama drama, finances, parenting, girlfriend allowances and the many different types of relationships.

“We really want to allow men to have a platform where they can ventilate their issues. Men tend to bottle up their issues so now they can have a space where they can talk freely. We also want to address mental health and that abuse does not have to be physical, there is even verbal or emotional abuse.

Two of the guest speakers have already been confirmed as children’s rights campaigner Petros Majola. The second is YouTuber and radio personality Ayabonga Kekana.

ALSO READ: ‘R70k for two hours’: Somizi Mhlongo is accepting Valentine’s Day dates