​Who we are ...

​We are a national, Cape Town based, 
​non-profit Jazz Organization 
focused on jazz and music education, outreach and empowerment,
​skills and audience development.
​The mission of the South African Association for Jazz Education is: 
  • to assure the growth of jazz in South Africa and the development of jazz and jazz education in urban and rural areas, 
  • to build the jazz arts community by advancing education and research, 
  • to promote skills development and performance, 
  • to develop new audiences,
  • to document, preserve and archive our South African jazz heritage.
The founding conference of SAJE took place at the University of Witwatersrand in 1992 with the then President of IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Professor Dennis Tini in attendance. Subsequently, conferences have been held every two years at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban (1994, 2000, 2006), University of Cape Town (1996, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018), Rhodes University, Grahamstown (1998), Pretoria Technikon (2002) and the University of Witwatersrand in 2016. 
  • Members come from all geographic regions of the country and include professional musicians and student members as well as music teachers from community projects, secondary and tertiary institutions.​
  • As with all large academic societies, much of the value has been the international exchanges and networking that bring fresh perspectives and methods to bear on music education in South Africa. 
  • SAJE Board members and Officers are elected to a two-year term of office, serving until the next conference. Logistics and funding considerations make it too difficult to have an annual national conference, but Board members meet between Conferences and members receive newsletters three to four times a year.​
  • In 2009 we introduced the first SAJE Jazz Festival which was hugely successful and well attended. The SAJE Jazz Festival now occurs every two years – thus alternating with the SAJE Jazz Conference. In 2009, 2011 and 2015 SAJE Jazz Festivals were held at the University of Cape Town, and in 2013 the Festival was held at the Centre for Jazz at UKZN in Durban and at other popular jazz venues like the iconic Rainbow Restaurant in Pinetown with nightly jam sessions at The Jazzy Rainbow. In 2017 we moved the Jazz Festival off-campus because of ongoing student protests - we moved to the fabulous Reeler Theatre at Rondebosch Boys' High School  in Rondebosch. This year 2019, we will again have the Jazz Festival at the Reeler Theatre as well as at Guga S'Thebe in Langa
  • Please visit the SAJE website for more info: www.saje.org.za
We love new projects and challenges!
Since 2008 SAJE has been involved in the following projects ...
  • Outreach workshops and performances in the Western Cape and KZN.
  • Sisters in Sound Mentorship Project
  • Workshops and performances in conjunction with Jazz in the Native Yards (Gugulethu and Langa) and the annual Muizenberg Jazz Festival.
  • International jazz exchange project
  • SAJE has received funding support from the following organisations for these projects: Concerts SA, Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, National Lotteries Commission, National Arts Council (NAC), United States Consulate General Cape Town, Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival and anonymous donations.
It has been great working with Future Afro band TheCITY, and with JITSENIC (Jitsvinger and Arsenic) and The Lana Crowster Band over the past few years. They have done concerts and music workshops for communities on the Cape West Coast and in Cape Town for SAJE and the Concerts SA Schools Circuit
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​​We are thrilled to be working with CONCERTS SA. The project’s focus is urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape, with an emphasis on live music performances at venues and schools in disadvantaged areas.

​Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian live music development project housed under the auspices of the Stakeholder Hub within The SAMRO Foundation. The project receives financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SAMRO and Concerts Norway.  Website: http://www.concertssa.co.za/
International Jazz Exchange Project
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SAJE, South Africa and the Arcevia Jazz Feast, Italy started an international cultural and jazz exchange programme in 2012.
Two jazz students and UCT professor Mike Rossi attend the Arcevia Jazz Feast in Italy in July/August each year.
Two students and one educator from Italy visit Cape Town and attend classes and/or teach at UCT and perform.
Here are some of the students and teachers who have participated in this annual exchange project since 2012.
1. Vuyo Sotashe 2. Sibusiso Matsimela 3. Jarryd West (SA), Thomas Lasca (IT), Federico Zoppi (IT), Evan Froud (SA) Marta Giulioni (IT)
​4. Marco Maritz and Sean Sanby 5. Susanna Stivali 6. Roberto Zechini