Let’s Make AfrikaBurn a Little More African

THE ENCOUNTER - UBUNTU!

AfrikaBurn 2024 has just wrapped up, and a bunch of Burners gathered for a beach decompression at Camps Bay. Around 80 of us were soaking up the sun, reflecting on the fabulous and profound experiences we'd just shared in the desert of Quaggafontein.

At some point, a group of law enforcement officers arrived to ensure that the local rules—no alcohol and no glass—were being respected. With such a large crowd to address, one officer climbed onto a big rock and addressed us Burners from around the world, beginning with the very unexpected words:

“I can sense that you are all undergoing a spiritual journey…”

He had our full attention.

“…but we still need to enforce the law. Feel free to enjoy your drinks—but please, no glass containers. We don’t want any accidents leaving shards behind on our beaches… which are also your beaches.”

He then spoke about Ubuntu —a South African philosophy that emphasizes our shared humanity, the interdependence of all people, and the individual’s responsibility toward their broader community.

I happened to be standing right next to that rock… and I was intrigued.

Who is this guy?

CEAZAR - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER & XHOSA SHAMAN

After we had stashed away most of the glass, I struck up a conversation with him. His name is Ceazar, and he’s not a police officer per se, but a Law Enforcement Officer—a role focused on community education and municipal law in Cape Town.

When I asked how he could tell that we were on a spiritual journey, he smiled and explained that he’s also a shaman and herbalist in training for his tribe, the Xhosa —the second-largest ethnic group in South Africa.

I was deeply impressed.

A law enforcement officer and a shaman?

Our conversation quickly turned deep and meaningful. He shared stories about the Xhosa rituals he helps facilitate, and the role of plant medicine as a bridge between the spirit realm and the living world, as well as its power to heal social wounds.

Ceazar, in turn, was fascinated by the sight of so many white foreigners coming to Africa to embark on their own spiritual journeys. I told him about AfrikaBurn—not just a festival, but a platform for transformation, connection, and profound personal growth. So profound, in fact, that we need these decompression moments—like that one on the beach—just to process it all.

He smiled, then asked me:

“But how much Africa is there really in AfrikaBurn?”

I had to laugh… and then pause. Because it was a good question.
The honest answer? Not nearly enough.

And right then and there, I made a decision:

I’m going to bring this incredible soul to AfrikaBurn 2025.

JOIN OUR MISSION: LET'S MAKE AFRIKABURN A LITTLE MORE AFRICAN

Ceazar is eager to bring more “Africa” to AfrikaBurn—by representing his people, sharing their culture, and simply showing up as his true, authentic self. He carries with him the wisdom and spirit of his ancestors. One of the most powerful things he said to me still echoes in my mind:

“If you want to connect with your true self, you must connect with your ancestors.”

Just as Ceazar is curious about the Burn culture and its global community of truth-seekers, he’s just as excited to share the richness of Ubuntu and Xhosa traditions.

Let’s be even more radically inclusive and help him embark on this meaningful journey—one that could ripple far beyond the Burn, into his work as a law enforcement officer and his spiritual service as a shaman.

In gratitude, we plan to invite all donors to a Xhosa ritual facilitated by Ceazar in the fall of 2025.

If you’re heading to AfrikaBurn this year, swing by Pamoja Project—our camp with a strong African representation, dedicated to African hospitality and African(-inspired) music in the dust. A space that’s definitely doing its part in making AfrikaBurn more African.

See you in the desert!

Much love,

Stefan