The seventh and final Maluti Mighty Men Conference takes place from October 9 to 11. Maluti Mighty Men began with a few friends and a vision for men. This is the story of how what started as a small gathering in the Eastern Free State grew into a movement that has touched the lives of men, families and communities.
When men gather beneath the Maluti Mountains from October 9 to 11 it will mark another chapter in a remarkable journey that began eight years ago with a few friends, a vision, and a deep conviction that men can make a difference in their families and communities.
The Maluti Mighty Men Conference (MMMC) will take place at Ionia Cherry Farm, between Fouriesburg and Ficksburg, from Friday October 9 to Sunday October 11.
The event forms part of the wider Mighty Men movement associated with South African evangelist Angus Buchan, but Maluti Mighty Men has developed its own identity and history in the Eastern Free State.
It all began in 2018
The story of Maluti Mighty Men began after the final Karoo Mighty Men Conference in 2017.
A group of friends from the Eastern Free State believed that the calling behind the Mighty Men movement should continue in their own region. After prayer and communication with Shalom Ministries, they received the go-ahead to establish a Mighty Men conference in the Eastern Free State.
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With only about three months to prepare, farmers, businessmen, farm workers, volunteers and members of the organising committee worked together to make the first event possible.
The inaugural Maluti Mighty Men Conference took place from April 13 to 15 2018 at Karmel Farm near Fouriesburg. Werner Maree served as chairman of the organising committee.
It was more than simply another Christian conference. It was an invitation to men to stop, listen, reflect and consider their responsibility as husbands, fathers, sons, leaders and members of their communities.
A message bigger than a weekend
At the heart of Maluti Mighty Men is a simple message: men matter, and the choices men make affect their families and communities.
The conference has consistently encouraged men to strengthen their relationship with God, their marriages and their families. The emphasis was not merely on talking about change, but on men actually taking responsibility and putting their faith into action. The conference has also created an environment where men can speak openly about their struggles, pray together and encourage one another.
For many, that fellowship is an important part of the experience. The message is straightforward: you do not have to face life’s battles alone.
A movement that crosses denominational boundaries
Maluti Mighty Men has historically positioned itself as a non-denominational organisation, seeking to serve people regardless of denomination, race, colour, creed or age.
That broad approach has helped create a gathering where farmers, businessmen, professionals, farm workers, fathers, sons, young men and older men can meet on common ground. The conference has also traditionally welcomed women and children to the Sunday family service. Camping, fellowship, worship, preaching and prayer form an important part of the weekend experience.
The Mighty Men legacy
To understand Maluti Mighty Men, one needs to understand the broader Mighty Men story.
Angus Buchan began the original Mighty Men Conference movement at his farm, Shalom, in KwaZulu-Natal. The conferences grew dramatically over the years and eventually developed into regional Mighty Men conferences around South Africa and beyond.
The Karoo Mighty Men Conference continued the calling in the Southern Cape from 2011 to 2017. Following its final gathering, the Eastern Free State group took up the challenge of establishing Maluti Mighty Men.
Maluti therefore became part of a much larger story — but one firmly rooted in the people and farming communities of the Eastern Free State.
More than preaching
While preaching and worship are central to the conference, the history of Maluti Mighty Men also contains examples of practical community involvement. The relationships formed through the Mighty Men movement have at times resulted in men and farming communities reaching out to others in practical ways, including support for farmers experiencing difficult circumstances.
The underlying principle is that faith should not remain inside a church building or conference tent. It should find expression in the way men treat their wives, raise their children, conduct their businesses, serve their communities and help those around them.
Then came COVID
Like so many other gatherings, Maluti Mighty Men was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The conference was unable to continue for two years, before returning to Karmel Farm in September 2022. The return was welcomed by organisers and attendees alike, with Werner Maree again emphasising the central purpose of the conference: encouraging men to turn back to God.
The years that followed brought new challenges and changes, including the eventual move from Karmel Farm to a new venue.
A new chapter at Ionia Cherry Farm
In 2023, Maluti Mighty Men entered another chapter.
The conference moved to Ionia Cherry Farm between Fouriesburg and Ficksburg. The new venue brought a whole new feel to Maluti Mighty Men and also brought about new momentum that grew with each conference.
The final Maluti Mighty Men
The 2026 gathering carries particular significance as it the last Maluti Mighty Men Conference.
For those who have attended over the years, it will therefore not simply be another weekend on the calendar. It will also be an opportunity to remember the journey.
From the first gathering in 2018, when a small group of people worked against the clock to establish a new conference, through years of prayer, preaching, fellowship and community, through the disruption of a global pandemic, to the gathering at Ionia Cherry Farm in 2026 — the story of Maluti Mighty Men is ultimately a story about people.
People who believed that something could make a difference. People who gave their time. Farmers who opened their land. Volunteers who worked behind the scenes. Speakers who shared their stories and messages. Men who arrived carrying burdens that others could not see. And families who experienced the consequences of men choosing to take their faith and responsibilities seriously.
A legacy measured in lives
Large crowds make for impressive photographs, but the organisers of Maluti Mighty Men have repeatedly stressed that the true measure of the conference is not simply the number of people who attend.
It is what happens afterwards. Does a husband go home and invest in his marriage? Does a father spend more time with his children? Does a man find the courage to ask for help? Does someone who has lost hope discover it again? Does a businessman begin treating people differently? Does a farmer reach out to another farmer? Does a man return to his community determined to make a difference?
Those are the questions that ultimately define a movement such as Maluti Mighty Men. And perhaps that is why, after eight years, the story deserves to be remembered.
One more weekend beneath the mountains
From October 9 to 11, men will once again make their way towards the Maluti Mountains. Some will arrive with friends. Some with their sons. Some will come carrying difficult circumstances that nobody else knows about. Others will simply come looking for fellowship, encouragement and a weekend away from the pressures of everyday life. And on Sunday, families will gather together.
For one final Maluti Mighty Men Conference, the invitation is simple: Come. Listen. Reflect. Pray. And then go home and make a difference. Because the legacy of Maluti Mighty Men will not ultimately be found in a field, a stage or a tent. It will be found in the lives of the men who went home changed — and in the families and communities they changed with them.
Maluti Mighty Men 2026
Date: 9-11 October 2026
Venue: Ionia Cherry Farm, between Fouriesburg and Ficksburg
Friday: 6pm
Sunday: Family service concluding at approximately 1pm
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