On 20 July, 2020 a collection of industry associations, companies and individuals representing the interests of the technical production and live events industry announced the launch of a national campaign to highlight the plight of the industry under current lockdown regulations in South Africa.

The LightSAred movement represents a collective of individuals, company owners and professionals who have suffered extreme financial loss over the past five months of lockdown, under the representation of SACIA.

Sharif Baker, the chair of the TPSA, is the official spokesperson for the #LightSAred movement.  In his opening address during the launch of the campaign on 20 July, he made it very clear that #LightSAred is not affiliated to any political party or social movement. “The #LightSared campaign has one primary objective, to engage Government in a constructive and collaborative process to engineer solutions for the live events and technical production industry to address the immediate crisis and to lay the way for a long-term plan for the survival of the industry.”

Baker speaks for all of the parties involved in highlighting that #LightSAred is an apolitical industry initiative, that is devoted to the cause of saving the events industry from imminent and complete collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both over the short and long term.

#LightSAred has not called for funds to be raised as an organisation and is not supportive of any protest action that is in contravention of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.

“We distance ourselves from any political party, civil society organisation or individual that claims to speak on behalf of the #LightSAred movement, but who is not affiliated with official organisers and our goals and objectives as set out in our MISSION STATEMENT.” Baker points out, “We welcome all the support that we can get and encourage anybody who would like to pledge there support or get involved in whatever constructive way that they wish, to contact us through our official social media platforms or via email info@lightSAred.org.za.