‘WE ARE EGG’ Officially Launches in Johannesburg

Last week, I attended the official launch of the award-winning, next generation, experiential department store called We Are EGG at the Zone in Rosebank, with over 650 esteemed guests.

Boasting a long list of the whose who of the fashion and entertainment world in attendance, including TV royalty Candice Modiselle,  Angel Sithole, Thandy  Matlaila, Cedric Fourie, Jason Willemse and Sipho Eric Ndlovu, media personalities Kim Jayde, Taryn Louch and Luthando ‘Lootz’ Shosha, artists Leanne Dlamini and Gigi Lamayne and many more.

Also in attendance was former Miss SA Shudufhadzo Musida and newly crowned Mrs South Africa Palesa Matjekane. Award winners Yaya Mavunda and Tumi ‘Itumeleng ‘Powerhouse’ Mokwwatlo delivered the fashion. We are EGG brand partners Amanda Du Pont of Lelive and Roxy Burger of The Piercery also attended the official opening. Fashion designers Paledi Segapo, Hangwani Nengovhela, Sello Medupe and Craig Jacobs also showed up to support the opening.  

Guests were welcomed by retail pioneers, We are EGG owners Paul Simon and Arie Fabian who handled formalities, followed by a night of colourful fashion, live entertainment and an endless flow of Patron Paloma cocktails and cold servings of Heineken. The Jagermeister Brass Cartel were a huge highlight of the evening, while various DJs entertained the guests. Guests got a taste of what to expect from Mamasamba, We are EGG’s Restaurant set to open next month, with delicious plates.

Having officially opened last month, the store not only offers the ultimate curated shopping experience under one roof, but really is more of a lifestyle destination, with a coffee shop and soon-to-open restaurant. Featuring some of the freshest fashion brands for men, women and kids, this beautifully curated fashion hub includes over 150 carefully selected brands, 85% of which are South African owned, with a significant percentage being female owned.

The carefully curated, multi-faceted department store operates from Monday – Wednesday 9am-6pm, Thursday to Saturday 9am-7pm and Sunday 9am-5pm.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Makes African Box Office History

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever roared into cinemas across the continent this past weekend (11-13 November, including previews) and, in doing so, lit up the box office. Across all territories, the follow up to Ryan Coogler’s 2018 hit Black Panther proved a draw for cinema-going audiences with just under 300k attendances being reported.

In West Africa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever became the biggest industry opening weekend of all time with a box office tally of ₦240m. In East Africa the film earned Kes 25m, earning the titles of both the biggest opening weekend box office of 2022 and the biggest post-pandemic opening to date. In Southern Africa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brought in R16.5m respectively, becoming the biggest opening weekend box office of 2022.

2018’s Black Panther remains the number 1 film of all time in both East and West Africa, and the number 2 film of all time in Southern Africa.

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Standard Bank Top Women Awards 2022

A few weeks ago, I attended the annual Standard Bank Top Women Virtual Conference which showcased phenomenal women doing amazing work in various fields, from commerce, corporates, NGOs, media and entertainment to small businesses and start-ups.

On the 10th of November 2022, the Standard Bank Top Women Awards 2022 took place at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The awards had over 700 attendees and a combination of over 30 phenomenal women across Africa and organisations advocating for gender equality and women empowerment. The Standard Bank Top Women Awards 2022 is the fastest growing gender-empowered awards platform, with the theme of “Rise Above the Noise, the programme was aimed at uplifting and celebrating companies and women that continue to do great work in their respective fields.

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Sports Highlights On ESPN Africa This Summer

I recently attended the ESPN Sports Fest which showcased what one can look forward to on the Disney owned channel this summer.

The mainly American sports channel, ESPN, also has an African component highlighting some African Sports content.

I got to play some American Football and pretend I was an NBA player by shooting some hoops on the mini basketball court. Others in attendance tried their hand at shadow boxing, at the media event.

Kyle de Klerk, Director of Sports Commercial and Business at The Walt Disney Company, addressed the audience and showcased what locals can look forward to in a short promo video – as can be seen in my TikTok & Instagram video below.

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TCL South Africa Launches New Google TV Range

TCL, one of the dominant players in the global TV industry and a leading consumer electronics brand, launched its latest line of Google LED TVs in a glittering event held at the Galleria Sandton. Adding to an already impressive range of televisions, TCL unveiled the feature packed C835, C735, C635, P735 and P635 products, with the brand quickly making headway into the South African market.

Global Outlook

Globally, TCL is now the No.2 ranked LCD TV brand and holds the top positions in many key markets. It also ranks as the No.1 Android TV brand in the world and its smart TVs rank in the top five in more than 20 countries and regions by sales volume, growing by over 52% YoY in European and over 38% in emerging markets respectively.  It is also the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked LCD TV Brand in the US and France respectively in terms of Sales Volume in 2021.

With the brand growing at rapid pace globally, TCL announced its worldwide partnership with the Brazil football team, revealing their four football brand ambassadors – English midfielder Phil Foden, rising superstar and Spanish international Pedri, Brazilian winger Rodrygo and famed French defender Raphaël Varane to symbolize and reflect their brand motto – Inspire Greatness.

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