On 8 March 2026, Wat Phra Dhammakaya Cape Town (or Cape Town Meditation Centre) organized a ceremony to celebrate Phramongkolthepmuni statue, the first statue of the Great Master in South Africa as the symbol of Buddhism propagation in this region. Around 100 participants took part in the ceremony and 50 of them were locals, who had continuously made merit with the temple. This shows that differences in races, cultures and languages are not the obstacles to building the faith in Buddhism for the locals in foreign countries.
In the ceremony, Most Venerable Phraratvitheswachiravethee, president of the Union of Thai Dhammaduta in Africa – the Middle East and assistant abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, presided over the ceremony and Mr. Tan Tian Lian was the laypeople chairman. This event was attended by Venerable Phrakhrubhavanakhunvithes, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Johannesburg (or Johannesburg Meditation Centre) and Venerable Phuvich Varadhammo, assistant abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Cape Town, welcomed all participants in the ceremony.
The celebration of Phramongkolthepmuni statue marks a milestone in the history of Buddhism in South Africa and comes from the faith in Buddhism among Buddhists and local residents regardless of their races, cultures and beliefs. This implies that Buddhism is well established in South Africa.
