Mzansi Life & Style showcases the best that South Africa has to offer in terms of entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, culture, cuisine, travel, beauty and celebrity news. Subscribe to my website by adding your email address in the "follow" button below.
It’s been two years…two very long years…of lockdown, social distancing and disconnection from family and friends. Most of us have been altered in one way or another by COVID-19 protocols and lockdowns. Whether we have become more family-orientated, more anxious or more of a homebody, we have all been affected.
A survey conducted by Specsavers assessed what people have missed most during the lockdown period. Turns out, it’s the little things that matter the most. Of the respondents, 83% noted the freedoms of day-to-day life were most missed. However, the overriding theme was that people are longing for those everyday connections.
Connecting with people outside of our immediate family, extended family and work colleagues after two years of disconnection can be somewhat daunting. Many may feel a sense of anxiety when it comes to being around people again, even with COVID-19 protocols in place.
However, Society Cappuccinos is encouraging South Africans to take the plunge and initiate connecting with friends and loved ones again, whether in person, or over a phone call or video call, based on the fundamental belief that we really are better together. To bring people together, Society has launched a new Mochaccino which unites two things people love – coffee and chocolate.
Can you believe that it’s been almost 2 years to the day that I started working from home on 18 March 2020. We thought it would be just for 2 weeks, which became 2 months and now 2 years!
As more people start the transition back to working from an office or at least a hybrid of working from home and working from the office, so too has our borders opened to vaccinated travellers who wish to explore our beautiful South Africa.
South African Tourism have announced their new advertising campaign to entice tourists to “Mzansi” (a colloquial and informal term for South Africa) and hence the name of this website – Mzansi Life and Style 😊
Here’s some more information about SA Tourism’s new campaign and some insight from the advertising agency that conceptualized the concept called Joe Public United.
Joe Public United is thrilled to join forces with South African Tourism (SAT) on a new global campaign called “Live Again” which is set to reposition South Africa firmly in the hearts and minds of international travellers.
With its diverse landscapes, cultures and creative assets, South Africa offers global business and leisure travellers a host of experiences, as well as a strong science-based approach to managing COVID-19. In line with this, the campaign captures and highlights the South African spirit of endurance, resilience and “ubuntu” as it showcases bucket-list destinations, adventures and experiences.
“As we collectively begin to live again, after two years of the pandemic, South Africa is open for business to leisure and business travellers. This is what we wanted to bring to the fore,” says Xolisa Deyshana, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public United.
Speaking at the launch, SA Tourism Acting Chief Executive Officer Mzilikazi Themba Khumalo echoed these sentiments saying, “The Live Again campaign captures the country’s brand promise to inspire new ways, as travellers enjoy unique leisure, cultural, business and events travel experiences that will re-energize body, mind and spirit.”
“This campaign sums up South Africa’s offer to international travellers to take the opportunity to be inspired by our beautiful country and recharged by our people and everything else that is uniquely South African. It taps into this country’s renowned optimism and resilience that has stood this nation in good stead at every turn. Through it all, we have never lost our spirit to overcome, and we are inviting the world to experience our country and recover from the COVID-19 situation in the same way. We are saying it’s time to ‘Live Again’.”
In challenging travellers to live again, the advertisement captures the spirit of a captivatingly beautiful landscape, dynamic culture and people, vibrant nightlife and exquisite cuisine. Its production also served as a ‘proof of the pudding’ sampling of the country’s tourism products, with over 170 crew staying for various periods in over 1000 rooms across the country.
“This campaign is special to Joe Public United because it has as its core message that South Africa is open is for business, the tourism sector is open for business and we are ready to welcome the world. The campaign resonates with our commitment to the growth of our clients and of our country. It is time for South Africa to reclaim its place in the international tourism space. It is time for our people and our country to shine, while we inspire the world,” says Mpume Ngobese, Co-Managing Director at Joe Public United.
“We are also honoured to have been part of producing South African Tourism’s first ever global audio-visual marketing campaign in five years and look forward to it inspiring travellers to visit South Africa,“ concludes Deyshana.
South Africa is open for business and looks forward to welcoming travellers and to witness the growth and transformation of the tourism sector.
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 Abelhave 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.
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:
5FM’s Afternoon drive show host Nick Hamman is off to Antarctica! The 5Drive presenter (Weekdays, 15:00 – 18:00) is thrilled to be heading off to the Southern-most tip of the world as part of the Matrics in Antarctica campaign with explorer Riaan Manser. The campaign was open to all Matric students, offering 5 lucky entrants the grand opportunity to head on an educational trip. The students had to write essays as an entry mechanism and the winners were selected earlier this month. Nick will be joining youngsters Anika le Roux (Paarl Girls High School), Keaton Stansfeld (Jeppe High School), Kgosatsana Mabalane (St Michael’s School for Girls), Mattheus Hendrikus (Kol) Wessels (Grey College) and Tsoaledi Mosa Hlakudi (Brainline) on the epic journey. He’s what Nick had to say about taking the trip of a lifetime.
So, on a scale of 1 to un-freakin-believable, how do you feel about your trip?
“Haha! It truly is un-freakin-believable! This is a once in a life-time opportunity that I get to share with young South Africans, where we travel to the edge of the earth at such a pivotal moment in their lives, leaving high school and entering into the world that lies beyond. It’s quite possibly the most exciting thing I’ve ever done.”
Tell us a little bit about how 5FM became involved in the project?
“Over the years I’ve always been passionate about the power of travel. Journeying to different parts of the world has been an exceptional way of sharing stories that can inspire and excite people. 5FM has given me that platform because as a station, they also believe in cutting edge content that can’t be found anywhere else. Riaan Manser is someone who shares this passion and we have come to know each other well over the years. When the idea to take young South Africans to Antarctica to share stories about this exceptional continent came about, it was a no-brainer that we would be the station to do it.”
What are you most looking forward to?
“Meeting the Matrics who were chosen to come on this trip. They were carefully picked by a rigorous months-long process of trying to find the students who most displayed qualities that meant they would be able to return to their families and communities and share stories that would make a positive impact. I get really excited by people like this and I can’t wait to be inspired by incredible young minds.”
When do you leave and what are you doing to prepare?
“I leave for Antarctica on 10 February and fly over the ocean in a 6-hour flight in a cargo plane. I am preparing to be freezing cold and to have my life changed by experiences that couldn’t be further removed from the sunny South Africa I am leaving behind.”
What can listeners expect from 5Drive while you’re on the trip?
“Expect to tune into the radio and find out first-hand what it is like to be in Antarctica. Just like I have brought shows live from across the country and continent I am going to be using theatre of the mind to transport anyone listening on a journey to the edge of the earth.”
Be sure to tune into 5FM’s 5Drive and keep an eye on the station’s social media platforms for content on Nick’s journey.
Visit 5FM online at http://www.5fm.co.za or on the following social media platforms:
Mzansi Life & Style by Mishkah Roman-Cassiem 