South African progressive deathcore band Human Nebula have launched a BackaBuddy campaign to help cover the cost of travelling to Germany for the international Wacken Metal Battle final.
The Pretoria band earned its place at Wacken Open Air after winning the 2026 Wacken Metal Battle Africa final at Sognage in Johannesburg. Human Nebula will now represent Africa in Germany, but the practical and financial demands of the trip extend far beyond flights and accommodation.
The campaign outlines several of the main costs involved in getting the band to the festival. These include travel, equipment, documentation and the expenses connected to taking a full band and its team from South Africa to Germany.
Speaking to AFRICA.ROCKS Magazine, vocalist Gareth Reed explained that the time available to raise the money has made the process even more difficult: “The cost of getting there is monumental, to say the least, and we do not have much time to raise it. That is our greatest challenge at the moment. Anyone who would like to contribute can donate through our BackaBuddy campaign. The campaign explains where much of the money is needed and gives people an idea of what must be prepared before we can travel.
“There are also many things it does not mention, including arranging leave from work, finding people to look after our homes, buying pet food, preparing our equipment, adding protection and insurance, planning a daily budget for each person, saying goodbye to loved ones who cannot join us, and working with local and international parties to make sure the documentation and travel arrangements are correct.
“There are deadlines and meetings across multiple groups every day. I could continue, but the list currently feels endless. Our goal is to make the most of this opportunity, so every free second is dedicated to making it work. It is a huge team effort. Lana, Johan, Marty and Sash, together with the band members, have been working incredibly hard to help us reach Germany.”
Human Nebula are also running weekly raffles for people who contribute to the campaign. Winners are announced on Instagram Live on Sundays at 6pm and Thursdays at 7pm.
The prizes include a R5,000 tattoo voucher from Rose and Bud Tattoos, a hand-stitched battle jacket featuring patches from the Wacken Metal Battle Africa finalist bands by No Reason Clothing, and four tickets to July Jol.
Gareth added: “Every donor, regardless of the size of the contribution, will be entered into our weekly raffle. People who donate anonymously will not be entered into the raffle, which is completely fine if they prefer to support us that way. Those unable to donate can still help enormously by sharing the campaign with friends and family. Every contribution and every share helps. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has donated or shared the campaign, as well as our fans, partners and families for all the love and support they have given us over the years. We would not be here without them.”
For the band, the trip also carries a wider responsibility. Human Nebula see the international final as an opportunity to represent South African metal and challenge assumptions about African bands.
“This is bigger than Human Nebula,” Gareth said to AFRICA.ROCKS. “It is about proving that South African heavy music belongs on the global stage. It is about opening doors for future bands and showing the world the passion, talent and resilience within our metal community. We are not asking for a handout or pity. We want to make it clear that, despite the difficulties we face as Africans, we can still arrive at the party with something substantial to offer.”
The BackaBuddy campaign is available at this location: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/wacken-metal-battle-africa-2026
The full interview with Human Nebula will be published in the July issue of the AFRICA.ROCKS digital magazine, out Tuesday, 14 July 2026.
