Category Archives: Launches and Events

SA Fashion Week 2022

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Ecological sustainability, women’s empowerment, inter brand collaboration and proudly local production investment are some of the dynamic developments that mark SA Fashion Week’s 25th Spring/Summer Collections.
 
The SAFW’22 Spring Summer Collections will be showcased from 28 – 30 April, Parkade G5, Entrance 24 at Mall of Africa in Johannesburg.

Twenty iconic names including Ephraim Molingoana for Ephymol,  Amanda Laird Cherry and Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho as well as cult Kasi brand, Loxion Kulca, now designed by Olé Ledimo, will launch their 2022 collections to the media, buyers, selected VIPs and a limited edition of public tickets through Quicket, alongside exciting new stars including 2021 New Talent winner Artho Eksteen as well as Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulu and Sipho Mbuto who both participated in the Fashion Bridges collaboration with Milan Fashion Week last year. 
 

Hosted by SA’s favourite social personality, Maps Maponyane, the 24th New Talent Search will again open the event with a line-up of six of the most promising young designers to watch. This year’s contenders are:


·       Thando Ntuli – MUNKUS
·       Nichole Smith – Ipikoko
·       Mikhile du Plessis – MeKay Designs
·       Calvin Lunga Cebekhulu – Czene.24
·       Sanelisiwe Gcabashe – Gjenelo Couture
·       Mimangaliso Ndiko – Sixx6

Other highlights of the first day is the CRUZ COLLECTIVE featuring Sokhulu and Mbuto as well as another new generation notable, Michael Ludwig Studio.

Day two opens with The OPPO COLLECTIONS which brings Artho Eksteen, Ezokhetho, the gender-neutral signature, The BAM Collective, and the much revered, Amanda Laird Cherry, together in a celebration of technology and perfection that will speak to OPPO’s Reno 5 mobile phone as the quintessential tool with which to capture the ethos of contemporary living as “the new spectator sport” which happens where everyone, everywhere engages, interacts, captivates and comments.

“We are excited to go into our second year of partnership with SA Fashion Week. This is an important partnership for OPPO, as it gives us the space to connect with our customers and it shows our commitment to empowering local talent through our technology to curate a line of sustainably resourced fashion that represents both the heartbeat and heritage of our country. We are looking forward to our second collection and what our designers will come up with this year. For us, it is all about the creative collaboration that translates South African culture into design, which is the essence of what the OPPO brand represents both locally and globally.”  says Avashnee Moodley, Head of Marketing at Oppo South Africa.
 
This is followed by the high-profile trio of Cape Town-based Helon Melon who wowed audiences in 2021 with her all-white, sustainable collection, fashion forward Judith Atelier, an ardent supporter of South African mohair and perennial fashion week darling, Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho.

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Disney+ set to launch on 18 May 2022 in South Africa

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I was super excited to learn that Disney+, the streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, has confirmed launch dates for the 42 countries and 11 new territories set to launch this winter.

The streaming service will launch in South Africa on 18 May 2022. South African pricing has also been announced at R119.00 per month, or R1 190.00 for an annual subscription.

With exclusive original content and thousands of episodes and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and general entertainment from Star, Disney+ is the streaming home for some of the world’s most beloved stories.

Subscribers will have access to Star Wars’ “The Book of Boba Fett” and “The Mandalorian” from Executive Producer and Writer Jon Favreau. In addition, the Marvel Studios’ series “Moon Knight” starring Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, which sees a mild-mannered gift-shop employee becoming plagued with blackouts and memories of another life as well as Academy Award®-nominated “Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings” starring Simu Liu and Awkwafina, will also be available at launch. 

MEET THE MADRIGALS – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” introduces the Madrigals, a compelling and complicated extended family who live in a wondrous and charmed place in the mountains of Colombia. © 2022 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Subscribers will also be able to enjoy Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-nominated “Luca”, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning “Encanto”, which tells the tale of an extraordinary family called the Madrigals and Academy Award®-winning “Cruella” starring Emma Stone as the legendary “Cruella de Vil”. 

In general entertainment, subscribers will also be able to watch titles including “The Simpsons”, “Queens” and “The Kardashians”. From National Geographic, fans will have access to both seasons of “The World According To Jeff Goldblum” that sees Jeff take us on an entertaining, insightful and playful ride. In each episode of these 12-part series, he pulls on the thread of a deceptively familiar object to unravel a world of astonishing connections and fascinating science and history.

Disney+ offers access to high-quality viewing up to four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads on up to ten devices, and the ability to set up to seven different profiles, including the ability for parents to set Kids Profiles that have an easy-to-navigate, child-friendly interface to access age-appropriate content.

To keep up to date, visit:

Disneyplus.com

twitter.com/disneyplusza

www.facebook.com/DisneyPlusZA

www.instagram.com/disneyplusza

Hyatt South Africa launches Iftaar and Suhoor offerings for Ramadan

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As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Hyatt South Africa are getting into the spirit of this auspicious month, launching an Iftaar and Suhoor offering for the duration of the fasting period.

I attended the launch last night at Hyatt House in Melrose, Johannesburg and you can view my TikTok video about this event here or below.

The buffet offering will be available to inhouse guests and local patrons at all properties in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Last year, the Hyatt Regency Cape Town, ran with an Iftaar buffet that proved to be a huge success.

“We were encouraged and pleased by the response we had last year and felt that it was necessary to continue with this offering again and build on it,” explained Asif Raza, Cluster General Manager for Hyatt South Africa.

“With two more properties added to the portfolio, we are now pleased to offer guests Suhoor and Iftaar at all three properties and look forward to sharing their Ramadan experience with them.”

Raza promises guests a tantalizing buffet menu.

“Our food and beverage team led by recently appointed specialty chef, Asif Mughal, have curated a delicious yet versatile menu that will include Arabic, Indian, Pakistani and South African dishes in the form of salads, hot and cold starters, main meals, desserts and traditional Ramadan beverages,” said Raza.

Chef Asif Mughal

The Iftaar buffet at Hyatt House Johannesburg Rosebank and Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton will cost R275 per person with children between 6 and 12 years of age paying R150 and children under 6 eating free.

The Iftaar buffet at Hyatt Regency Cape Town will cost R299 per person with children between 6 and 12 years of age paying R150 and children under 6 eating free.

The Suhoor buffet will cost R150 per person at all three properties. For guests staying at the hotel, this cost is included in the room rate.

Guests requesting privacy during the Iftaar buffet or looking for spaces that can accommodate groups can contact the hotels directly with their requests.

“We have wonderful spaces at all three of our hotels that will make for a great private dining experience. At our Sandton property, we have the Treehouse; in Rosebank we have the spectacular rooftop View overlooking Johannesburg and in Cape Town we have the Pool Terrace, Regency Club Lounge and private conferencing venues that can be converted to dining spaces.” concluded Raza.

Guests can visit the following Hyatt hotels to experience the Iftaar and Suhoor offerings:

  • Hyatt Regency Cape Town – 126 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, Tel: +27 21 214 1234
  • Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton – 125 Ann Crescent, Sandton, Tel: +27 10 601 1234
  • Hyatt House Johannesburg Rosebank – 28 Tottenham Avenue, Melrose, Tel: +27 10 476 1234

Follow the Hotels Facebook and Instagram pages for up-to-date information on Accommodation and Food & Beverage promotions.

You can visit the Hyatt House website here.

On site prayer facilities are available at all three properties.

Launch of Africarare – Africa’s First Metaverse Collaboration

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Boity Thulo in the Africarare Metaverse

Africarare, Africa’s first metaverse is set to unlock African creativity and connect Africa to the global digital economy. At an event in Johannesburg on 28 February 2022, plans were announced for commercialisation of the 3D virtual reality experience, that is set in Ubuntuland, a virtual world that marries creativity, cryptocurrency and commerce. 

Firstly, virtual land will soon be available to purchase and develop with MTN, Africa’s largest multinational mobile telecommunications company, joining Africarare with an upcoming 12×12 village (144 plots of real estate) secured in Ubuntuland. Additionally, M&C Saatchi Abel have entered the metaverse as the first South African advertising agency to do so. There will only ever be 204 642 plots of land available, made up of different village sizes in various community hubs. The land is positioned and priced according to a tiered value system.

Landholders will be able to customize their 3-D land spaces, such as hosting shops, producing resources, renting virtual services and developing games or other applications. Designated spaces will serve the community for work, play and wellness purposes, including state of the art meeting rooms, online therapy rooms (with optional anonymity), concert stages, film festival spaces, meditation lounges and other dynamic interactive environments. And, there’s more to come, such as staking, DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) and blockchain play-to-earn gaming.

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Cotton Fest is back this March

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Organisers of the highly anticipated entertainment and lifestyle gathering, announced the return of the 3rd annual Cotton Fest, which is set to take place in March 2022 in Newtown, Johannesburg. The theme for 2021 is “university and campus” and the organisers have created their very own university of COTTON FEST campus through which the festival will offer a multi-layered university campus experience including a concert, merch, cafeteria, sport area and even lockers for you to store your personal belongings. 
 
With the return of the class of COTTON FEST 2019 and the sophomores from 2020, together with the freshers of 2022, it’s almost time for the graduation of the Class of 2022 at The University of COTTON FEST. 
 
Known for merging both established and upcoming South African talent,  COTTON FEST not only showcases the diversities in music while fusing the gaps within the different local current movements. With the best South African artists expected to perform over 3 stages, this action packed two-day festival returns to The Station in Newtown on the 19th & 20th March 2022.
Celebrating all South African talent, Cotton Fest not only showcases the diversities in music at large, but it also celebrates various lifestyle elements within our ‘culture,’ including fashion and sport. 
 
THE CONCERT: The COTTON STAGE will feature headline and legacy artists. The Bettr  STAGE will feature the New Wave of young talent. The Jägermeister STAGE will bring the best nights featuring House and Electronic talent, alongside some of the biggest names on the Amapiano scene right now.

SPORTS AREA: A half-court will be set up for basketball fans, along with a skating ramp for skating enthusiasts.

FASHION: Various merchandise hubs will stock unique pieces, limited branded fashion items and other sought after accessories.

CAFETERIA: Food Court will bring you a huge variety of delectable options and several fully stocked bars positioned around the venue.

MORE: There’ll also be photo booths set up for content creation as well as various chill areas to relax, recharge and reboot.

   
“Following the past 20 months that we have all lived through, we are humbled to be back yet again to make an impact in the entertainment industry. With the huge support and backing from artists from around the country, we are ready to kickstart the road back to normality in a positive way, and get the Creator Economy going again” says founder Riky Rick. “ With the industry currently flipped on its head,  Cotton Fest, together with exciting partners hope to bring together the industry, and celebrate the graduation of the first class from the University of Cotton Fest 2022.”
 
In line with current government regulations,  tickets will be limited to 2000 per day. 
 
To ensure the safety of everyone attending the festival, ALL festival attendees – including all staff, partners and performing artists – will need one of the following to gain access into the venue:
 

  • Provide a personal fully vaccinated certificate (either printed or online)
  • Provide a negative PCR test, if only vaccinated with one dose, done within 48 hours of the festival (either printed or online)
  • Do an on-site Rapid Antigen Covid Test if you have not yet been vaccinated, which is available for R150 at the venue.

 
Tickets are on sale at Webtickets and Pick ‘n Pay outlets nationwide. Options include:

  • R200 Early Bird
  • R250 Day Pass
  • R500 Weekend Pass
  • R600 Merch and day pass package 

 
This year, the University of Cotton Fest 2022 is proud to be in collaboration with Bettr.app – Africa’s first digital banking app for creators, by creators — and supported by lifestyle giant, PUMA, iconic Elixir brand Jägermeister and global digital payments leader, Visa.
 
Synonymous with youth culture in SA, the festival will be powered by none other than the iconic South African youth radio station, YFM.
 
For more information, please follow these social media handles:
 
Instagram: cottonfestjhb
Facebook: CottonFestJHB
Twitter: CottonFestJHB
www.cottonfest.co.za