A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2013. / uMkhosi Womhlanga is a traditional ceremony that is celebrated annually. This event attracts event tourists and generates revenue for the host communities of KwaNongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, and South Africa as a whole. It is assumed that the event has a massive tourism potential and platform to yield socio-economic benefits for the local community. Comprehensive planning and management are essential tools for hosting successful events. Event organizers or managers require extensive knowledge, skills, good intuition and an eye for beauty in the planning and management of special events. These are essential factors in this booming events sector of the tourism industry. The premises of this study involve understanding the meaning and objectives of celebrating uMkhosi Womhlanga as a traditional ceremonial event and ascertaining the extent to which uMkhosi Womhlanga is planned and managed in order to realize its full potential as a tourism enterprise. The study also highlights the policy framework that governs the event, the benefits, practices, participation levels and perceptions of all stakeholders linked to this ceremonial event. The research study area is KwaZulu- Natal. This paper has the following objectives: a) To find out whether stakeholders involved understand the origins and meaning of celebrating uMkhosi Womhlanga as a traditional and ceremonial event. b) To find out whether there are policies and procedures in place that govern the planning and management of the event. c) To indicate the extent to which the uMkhosi Womhlanga event is perceived as a tourist attraction in the study area. d) To establish the extent to which stakeholders participate in the uMkhosi Womhlanga event.