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Matrics from all over the South Africa have started arriving in Plettenberg Bay for one of the biggest student festivals in the country.
The 14th annual Plett Rage - a 10-day party for matrics celebrating the end of their school careers - starts on Friday and will run until December 7.
This year's event is set to attract more than 10 000 school-leavers and include a jam-packed programme featuring some of South Africa's most popular artists.
Not only has the festival become an institution among matrics, but it has also become the biggest annual event on the town's tourism calendar and injects millions into the local economy every year.
"Direct and indirect benefit to Plett is estimated at between R30- and R40-million per year. This includes spend in town on entertainment, food and beverages, accommodation, transport, healthcare and so on, and indirectly the marketing benefit the town as a whole gets through media coverage," Plett Tourism chairman Peter Wallington said.
Bitou municipal spokesman Kholiswa Masiza added the festival also increased short-term job opportunities and nowhere is that more evident than in the coastal holiday town's restaurants where most establishments increase staff numbers to accommodate the students.
One of the town's busiest restaurants Moby Dick's on Central Beach, where most of the daytime activities are set to be hosted, is one of the establishments that has to call on temporary staff to cater for the scores of youngsters in and out their doors over the 10 days.
"We are completely packed throughout the festival," the seafood grill manager Gail Compton said.
Other businesses also thrive over this period and most accommodation establishments are fully booked months ahead of the festival - some even directly after Rage.
Wallington said the festival is also well organised, especially when it came to the safety of the young visitors.
"Plett Rage is extremely well organised. The primary consideration is safety of children and planning starts a year in advance," Wallington said.
According to organisers this year's lineup is bigger than ever with some of the country's biggest artists including Cape Town electronica and dance group Goldfish, electronic rap duo PH Fat, Afrikaans alternative rockers Fokofpolisiekar, electronic duo Pascal and Pearce and Afrikaans rapper Jack Parow, set to perform.
For a full programme and more information about the event visit www.plettrage.co.za
