Afropolitan 56

www.afropolitan.co.za | 2018 | Edition 56

ISSN 1993-9655 • RSA R30.00 incl VAT (Namibia R26.50 excl VAT)

18056

9 771993 965003 Home of the Afropolitan

CONTENTS

MANAGING EDITOR Angie Snyman CONTRIBUTORS Margot Bertelsmann Cara Bouwer Gaye Crossley Danica Helfrich Vus Ngxande Tamara Oberholster Dylan Rogers Tshegofatso Senne James Sey Dominique Wolf PUBLISHING HOUSE Contact Media & Communications 348 Republic Road, Darrenwood Block A Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za CEO & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Sean Press MANAGING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Donna Verrydt FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Lesley Fox SALES MANAGER Quincy Matonhodze SALES Kate Bowden Melanie Scheepers Kyle Wentzel Dominique Wolf DESIGN & LAYOUT Quinten Tolken SUB-EDITOR Margot Bertelsmann PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Gwen Sebogodi IT AND WEB MANAGER Carmen Petre REPRO & PRINTING Kadimah Print

12 CONTENTS ART

CULTURE

FASHION

FASHION

6

THE REDEFINITION OF MAN

10 MODERN WITH A TWIST

OF VINTAGE

BUSINESS DISTRIBUTION Gwen Sebogodi & distributed by:

FOR ANY DISTRIBUTION QUERIES CONTACT: 011 401 5870 Copyright © 2019 Contact Media & Communications.

The Afropolitan is published by Contact Media & Communications. All material is strictly copyright with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express written permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, the publisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in The Afropolitan are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Kaya FM or contributors.

4

52 COLLECTING THEN AND NOW 57 FASHION WITHOUT BORDERS 60 THE STYLE SPIN CYCLE

18 ONE MAN’S BIG DREAMS 20 BACK TO THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS 26 SAFE HAVENS IN CHOPPY WATERS

BEAUTY & GROOMING

67

69

71

OUT & ABOUT

AFRICAN WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE (AWE)

28 MEET DR NOLULAMO GWAGWA

& DR PHETHIWE MATUTU

PROPERTY

32 EVOLUTION OF THE

SANDTON SKYLINE 37 WATERFALL’S CROWNING GLORY

TRAVEL

43 YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! 46 CHANGING DESTINATIONS

AROUND THE WORLD

64 RAW BEAUTY

MELROSE ARCH AL FRESCO FASHION & DINING NIGHTS CELEBRATING LIFE WITH LOYISO BALA & EMPERORS PALACE BOAT TRIPS AND GAME DRIVES THE AFROPOLITAN TEAM IS SPOILT BY BITC

MOTORING 72 ALL-WHEEL EXTRAVAGANCE

LAST WORD

76 THABILE WONCI

COVER STORY

THE REDEFINITION OF MAN

IMAGE Shutterstock

IT'S DIFFICULT TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT MANY OF THE ILLS THAT WE FACE IN OUR SOCIETY HAVE MEN AT THEIR CENTRE. HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT? AND HOW CAN WE CHANGE COURSE?

BY VUS NGXANDE

6

COVER STORY

H

ow different are today’s men from their fathers? How are men today navigating life compared to their predecessors? What have men today evolved from and what are they evolving into? These are important questions to ask since we are at a point in history where the role, image, and process of being a man in society become a hugely contentious issue.

The reality is that our understanding of what it is to be a man is one that has been handed down from generation to generation. In order to understand how we arrived at this point, it is important to interrogate how some of these beliefs manifested in the first place.

MAN AS THE HEAD

A brief look at history reveals that early homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers.

Families’ movements were determined by men, by virtue of the simple fact they had the physical strength and endurance needed to hunt, but not necessarily a higher cognitive capacity. This era served as the origin of the concept of “man as provider”.

The advent of agriculture changed the direction of human life on earth. Captive livestock and the surplus created by farming meant that communities did not need to move around constantly.

However, the authority that men had garnered during the hunting and gathering era meant that it was men who still determined the direction of life in their communities. The components of what constituted community life were determined by men. This gave birth to the concept “man” not as a collection of physical traits but as a “superior” state of being. This is evidenced in the number of cultures in which much of the customs and beliefs centre around the man.

HOW IS THIS CHANGING?

A 2016 study by Statistics SA revealed that around 64% of households in the country were fatherless. What this translates into is that while the notion of a man being the

head of the home may have been deemed noble, it is not a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In fact, the insistence in our society that men, or fathers, be the head of the house and the realities of the fact many men have abandoned their families has created a toxic void, more so in the lives of young boys who grow up to be men, and fathers, themselves.

Then there are those who are breaking this mould and redefining what it means to be a family man. Nsika Nxumalo is a selfemployed father of two boys and also a stayat-home dad. Though his father was present in his life, Nsika felt that fathers like his overly prioritised the societal aesthetic of the role of fatherhood rather than spending time and forging bonds that can sustain meaningful parent/child relationships.

“I had a vision of what I wanted my family to look like,” he says. “Having two working professionals was not the sort of family that I wanted to start.” He goes on to explain that the main difference between his home and the one that he grew up is the level of fairness in terms of the equitable distribution of duties. This, however, does not imply that his home is one devoid of gender roles but rather, one that does not have rigid societal constructs of what those roles are. “It’s not just the mother who wakes up at night when the child cries,” he explains. For him, his approach to fatherhood hinges on the ethos of raising well-rounded and self-assured children.

This is done through presence and making sure that the process of providing for a family is not a hindrance to the bonds within it. Most importantly for Nsika, fatherhood should never be a tool for the self-aggrandisement of an individual.

HOUSE OF POWER

Many of our fathers speak with unfettered pride about how they are the “head of the house”. By this, they meant that the physical house that the family lived in was theirs and everyone in it was essentially an indentured resident. This was said in order to point out hierarchy by way of economic superiority.

THE INSISTENCE IN OUR SOCIETY THAT MEN, OR FATHERS, BE THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE AND THE REALITIES OF THE FACT MANY MEN HAVE ABANDONED THEIR FAMILIES HAS CREATED A TOXIC VOID This belief also relies on a good dose of selective memory. In the 1900s many men left their rural homesteads to look for work in burgeoning cities such as Joburg.

Most of them left their families behind, leaving the women to raise the children and look after the home. The laws that prevailed throughout most of that time were prohibitive of women, especially black women, owning land or property.

Women were also relegated to the lowestpaying jobs. This led women to experience a financial disadvantage that necessitated marriage for the sake of economic survival.

Thus, a woman didn’t necessarily stay with a man, and abide by his rules, as a result of a man’s inherent superiority but simply because it was generally the only feasible fiscal solution, save for staying at her family home and therefore burdening already strained parents. Many of our forebears took this economic advantage as a birthright; a testament to their manhood.

HOW IS THIS CHANGING?

While men had the financial wherewithal, their disconnection from their families meant that much of their money was apportioned into simplistic compartments

7

COVER STORY

THE TRAITS THAT WERE DEEMED MANLY WERE ACTUALLY THE MANIFESTATIONS OF A COLLECTIVE, GENERATIONAL POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER of “providing for the family”, by sending money home, and self-care. The former was handed over to women. Many women gained the financial acumen to use money prudently since it was the woman who had to make sure that the little money the man brought home covered the family’s entire needs.

It was no surprise, then, when First National Bank released a report in 2016 showing that more single women than any other group were buying property in Gauteng. The years of financial disadvantage and the disempowerment that it brought influenced how many women handled their finances. The report also signified a shift, however minute, in the paradigm of male dominance being associated with property ownership and the financial security that it represents.

The recent resurgence of the feminist movement that advocates for women’s rights also signals that these changes are here to stay.

STERN AND DISTANT

Some of the hallmarks of the previous generation of men were the facade of a stern disciplinarian, cold and distant.

These, it was implied, were how a “real man” carried himself, how a

8

man maintained order in the home and achieved being treated with regal honour and astute reverence.

Peel back a few layers and you find that these “manly” characteristics are, in fact, coping mechanisms. Those who came before us found themselves being raised by fathers broken by a system of oppression that stripped them of their dignity and left their bodies emasculated and their spirit emaciated. The “sternness” was, in fact, an attempt to piece together some semblance of strength, however misguided and extremist. The aim was to exercise authority to compensate for the indignity of being treated like a child by work superiors who were old enough to be the man’s own child. The sternness was a mask.

The “distant” mood was, in reality, a complete disconnect. After several generations of men leaving their families for extended periods of time, a culture of men who were incapable of connecting with their children was born. Many men, in their distance from their families and children, found solace in alcoholism and rampant philandering to deal with their internal conflicts. The traits that were deemed manly were actually the manifestations of a collective, generational post-traumatic stress disorder. When Men’s Foundation of South Africa released statistics that showed 450 men commit suicide every month in the country, it became clear that the trauma was still pervasive in our society and the facades are no longer holding up.

HOW IS THIS CHANGING?

Thaabe Ramabina, a 32-year-old Kimberleyborn, Abu Dabi-based architect and father of two views the traditional definition of a father as inherently flawed. “The word father means ‘provider’, it means just being there,” he says. “Whereas the word ‘dad’ is something that we all aspire to be because we went to white schools and we saw how the fathers of white kids were there for them. They (the fathers) were there at the rugby matches and all those things.”

He describes his process of being a father being marked by constantly learning on

Thaabe Ramabina

the fly and predicated on the idea of being fully present. “When I became a father to my wife’s son from a previous relationship I didn’t know what was expected of me but I did know that what he (my son) was looking for was a beacon, someone that he can talk to, someone that he can talk about difficult things with.” When the men of old left their families behind to go look for better work opportunities, modern men like Thaabe take their families with them.

“The times were very different for our fathers because they could not and should not have taken their family to the big cities such as Joburg because they did not know what to expect.”

There is a lot of work that men today need to put in, in order to change our society for the better. Our archaic beliefs about manhood pin us into a corner out of which we have to come swinging. For our own sake and for the sake of those we care about.

FASHION

MODERN WITH A TWIST OF VINTAGE

CLASSIC CLOTHING WITH MODERN ARCHITECTURAL LINES COMBINED WITH BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED TIMEPIECES CREATE A LOOK YOU'LL WANT TO WEAR THIS SEASON...

PHOTOS: GARETH JACOBS STYLING: DOMINIQUE WOLF

AQUA CUSTOM-FIT PIQUÉ POLO SHIRT R699 LONGINES SKIN DIVER R33 000 10

FASHION

JENYO: WHITE CUT-AND-SEW PANEL T-SHIRT R499 CUSTOM-FIT CHECKED BLAZER R2 999 WASHED DENIM JEANS R1 199 NAVY PIN-PUNCHED SHOES R899 LONGINES RECORD R39 000

TESSY: EVA KNITTED COLLARED DRESS R1 199 MILA JELLY FLIP FLOPS R199 LONGINES HERITAGE MILITARY R27 000 11

FASHION

JENYO: CHECKED CUSTOM-FIT SHIRT R1 199 GREY STRAIGHT-LEG CHINOS R599 LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST R20 000 12

TESSY: PINK CHARLIE STRETCH GOLFER R699 INDIGO SLIM-FIT JEANS R999 CHELSEA SHOPPER R1 695 LONGINES RECORD R43 000

FASHION

PONY STRETCH T-SHIRT R349 ASHLEY FLARED DENIM SKIRT R1 099 PRINTED SCARF R699 AMBER PATENT BLOCK HEELS R899 LONGINES LA GRANDE CLASSIQUE R15 000 13

FASHION

BERKLEY TOTE BAG R1 895 LONGINES LA GRANDE CLASSIQUE R15 000 BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

CUSTOM-FIT SIGNATURE SS SHIRT R899 PANAMA HAT R749 MILANO STRETCH CHINO SHORTS R799 LONGINES RECORD R39 000

14

HAIR AND MAKE-UP Rene, Ultimate Glamour MODELS Jenyo and Tessy – ICE Models LOCATION Shot on location at Sandton City & Sandton Square STOCKISTS POLO contact 011 258 7600/7775

LONGINES SA contact 011 911 1255

ADVERTORIAL

MEET THE CEOS UNDER

3SIXTY FSG

OVERVIEW OF 3SIXTY FSG

OVERVIEW OF 3SIXTY LIFE

3Sixty Financial Services Group (3Sixty FSG) is a subsidiary of NUMSA Investment Company (NIC). The 3Sixty FSG story began with the acquisition of Doves Group in 2006 by NIC through Brevity Trade 12 (rebranded 3Sixty FSG).

3Sixty Life is a registered life insurance company that is accredited by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), to underwrite life insurance and assistance policies for groups, companies, organisations and individuals. 3Sixty Life was formally known as Union Life but rebranded in 2018. This was done to reposition the company into servicing a wider range of consumers and to align with its partner company 3Sixty Financial Services Group.

3Sixty FSG has since grown immensely and diversified its offering through the acquisitions of 3Sixty Life, Sechaba Medical Solutions, the establishment of NUMSA Financial Services and the 10X Retirement Joint Venture. These acquisitions have made 3Sixty FSG a diversified and integrated financial services group.

3SIXTY FSG CEO KHANDANI MSIBI

NTD (MECHANICAL) | BTECH (BUSINESS ADMIN) MBL | MAP | MDP Khandani Msibi is the Chairman of 3Sixty Financial Services Group. He has over 20 years’ experience in manufacturing and sales in the steel and FMCG industries; five years in operations and sales in the facilities, catering and cleaning industries and over 10 years as Executive Director.

WEBSITE www.3sixtyfsg.co.za PHYSICAL ADDRESS 91 Central Street Houghton Johannesburg TELEPHONE +27 (0)11 783 3578

16

SERVICES:

• Funeral cover • Life insurance • Group schemes3SIXTY

LIFE

CEO

TREASURE MABUNDA BSC (HONS)

Prior to joining 3Sixty Life, Treasure Mabunda was an executive at Bophelo Insurance Group for two years, and he worked at AVBOB for over a year as the Head of Risk. He was at Munich RE as the Head of Risk for seven years. He was in Compliance and Legal for three years as an Actuarial Consultant at Deloitte. He has over 13 years of experience in the long-term and short-term insurance industry.

WEBSITE www.3sixtylife.co.za PHYSICAL ADDRESS 91 Central Street Houghton Johannesburg TELEPHONE +27 (0)11 483 1188

ADVERTORIAL

OVERVIEW OF DOVES Doves Group was established in 1883 as a funeral-directing organisation in Durban, initially named Doves Funeral Services.

Doves Group emerged in 1959 when Homes Trust Funeral Services, and through a series of acquisitions, acquired industryrespected funeral-directing companies such as Goodall & Williams, Doves, Doves & Adlam Reid and Jones & Rice. During the 70s, Saffas (South African Federation of Funeral Assurance Societies) also became part of Homes Trust Funeral Services

SERVICES:

• Burial services • Funeral insurance • Memorials • Repatriation • Cremations and handling of ashes • Embalming • Caring for the deceased • Home funeral arrangements

OVERVIEW OF SECHABA MEDICAL SOLUTIONS Sechaba Medical Services (SMS) was established in 1978 by 38 black medical doctors under the leadership of the legendary Dr Nthato Motlana. There was one white doctor (Dr P B Loots) who braved the system to join the black doctors in the days of apartheid and together they started the first black medical aid scheme, Sizwe Medical Fund (Sizwe) and, later on, the first black healthcare administrator, Sechaba Medical Solutions.

SERVICES

•Administration • Managed care • HIV/AIDS management • IT services • Clients services

DOVES CEO

SECHABA MEDICAL SOLUTIONS CEO

BSC (DIETETICS) | POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA (DIETETICS BTECH (BUSINESS)

MBBCh | MBA | MSc

MINKI RASENYALO

DR OSBORN MAHANJANA

Minki Rasenyalo is the first black woman to be appointed CEO of Doves Group. Since taking over the position of CEO in 2010, Minki has led the company’s growth and refocused Doves Group into financial services.

Osborn Mahanjana holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Witwatersrand which he completed in 2000. He enrolled for his MBA with Wits Business School in 2005, and halfway through his course, he was employed

by Eli Lilly and Company SA.

WEBSITE www.doves.co.za PHYSICAL ADDRESS 19 Oxford Street Durbanville, Cape Town TELEPHONE +27 (0)21 975 1010

WEBSITE www.sechabamedical.co.za PHYSICAL ADDRESS 5 West Street Houghton Johannesburg TELEPHONE +27 (0)11 353 0000

17

BUSINESS

BEHIND THE BUSINESS:

ONE MAN’S BIG DREAMS KEITH BOTHONGO, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF BOTHONGO GROUP, SAYS HIS STORY IS PROOF THAT DREAMING BIG PAYS OFF. FROM SELLING SWEETS AT SCHOOL IN SOWETO TO HEADING AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EMPIRE HE’S BUILT FROM SCRATCH, BOTHONGO IS A BORN ENTREPRENEUR. HE HAS VISION… AND THE GUTS AND ENERGY TO PURSUE IT. BY TAMARA OBERHOLSTER

eith Bothongo, Esquire, has a string of achievements that could fill this magazine. He has striven for excellence from a young age. When he was 11 years old, he joined Bafenyi boxing club in Gaborone, Botswana, and became a formidable competitor, representing Botswana in boxing tournaments throughout the SADC region.

He says that his boxing years helped him to become bold and fearless – characteristics which would later prove priceless in the business environment.

K

Bothongo’s broad range of interests and his passion for learning have seen him achieve in every sphere, including academics. He has a Bachelor’s degree in economics and statistics from the University of Botswana and an MBA and a Master’s degree in international management from the University of St Thomas, Minnesota, USA. In 2011, he decided to study law too and now holds an LLB (Honours) as well as an LLM in commercial and international law from the University of Buckingham. He was also awarded the Morayo Atoki Prize for best overall LLM student.

Bothongo was the first black property valuer in South Africa. He has grown the Bothongo Group from the first commercial building he purchased in Johannesburg in 1998 to include businesses in South Africa, the UK and Canada spanning real estate, law, biotechnology, agriculture, hospitality and other sectors. In 2018, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP).

PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS

Keith Bothongo has grown his company, Bothongo Group, from the single commercial property he bought in the 1990s to a multinational business spanning a range of sectors.

18

Bothongo is a true Afropolitan and cosmopolitan.

Born in Soweto, he was schooled in Botswana, attended university in the USA, relocated back to South Africa where he started and developed his business, and now lives in the UK, travelling to South Africa regularly to oversee his company’s various entities.

BUSINESS

Annica's is one of the latest brands to join the Bothongo Group stable, with the first flagship designer patisserie now open in Dainfern Square.

MY MOM AND DAD TAUGHT ME TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT, TO DREAM BEYOND THE SKY AND TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF

Bothongo Group, running an events and décor business, aptly called Olga’s. Bothongo says one of his dreams is that all his children will one day join the family business.

“I’d like to encourage everyone reading to follow their dreams.

It’s not always easy – you will stumble. You will fall, but you need to get up, dust yourself off and keep going. Keep trying.

Eventually you will get there. Be focused, be determined and persevere. Forget about what other people say or think. Take fear of failure out of the equation,” he concludes.

“My advice to other entrepreneurs is to follow your heart; follow your passion,” he says. “Believe in yourself. Seek challenges and don’t settle for complacency.” It’s certainly worked for Bothongo, who has followed his passion for entrepreneurship since childhood. From his school days in Zone 8, Meadowlands, where his parents settled after being forcibly removed from Sophiatown in 1959, he always had a side hustle. In university, he stepped it up a notch, selling handbags instead of sweets and fruits, and then getting a loan with the help of his father, a police detective, to buy two tipper trucks to start a more formal business.

“My parents and my grandmother are my mentors who have influenced me most in my life,” he says. “They first taught me to fear God, because all blessings come from God. They taught me to be tenacious and to be able to survive through adversity. My mom and dad taught me to treat everyone with respect, to dream beyond the sky and to believe in myself.”

LIFE LESSONS WORTH SHARING

It was while he was studying in the USA that his interest in real estate was sparked, and it proved to be a lifelong passion. In fact, Bothongo says his best career decision was to follow that passion so rigorously.

His biggest business lesson has been learning patience and perseverance. “It took me more than two years before my first property’s funding was approved, and three out of the four banks rejected my proposal,” he says. “Now, banks come to me to offer me funding, and I set the terms.”

IMAGE David Clode

Bothongo attributes his success to daring to be a visionary, perseverance in chasing his dreams and to understanding that any venture needs to be built on a foundation of honesty and integrity.

“I would like to leave a great legacy of selflessness and humility,” he says. He’s a family man, with nine children from his two marriages. His second wife, Olga Bothongo, also works in the

Bothongo Group owns The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve – 1 200 hectares of private game reserve within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, which allows Keith Bothongo to indulge his passion for wildlife breeding and management.

FORGET ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY OR THINK. TAKE FEAR OF FAILURE OUT OF THE EQUATION 19

BUSINESS

BACK TO THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS

THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE MEANS WE NEED TO LOOK AT NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS. HOW ARE THE FOUNDATIONS FOR NEW MODELS LAID AND HOW DO NON-TRADITIONAL COMPANIES LEARN FROM THE PAST? BY VUS NGXANDE 20

BUSINESS

T

here’s hype around entrepreneurship again. A sense of newness is often associated with the gleam of new technology and exciting catchphrases such as “disruption” and “innovation”. These concepts have managed to usher in unheard-of markets, products and new ways of doing business. But the two questions that remain are: is the new totally devoid of the old, and can the old become new?

Ritevac Media and Legends Barbershop are two businesses that at first glance seem on the extreme ends of the spectrum, between the old and the new, yet prove that operating in non-traditional ways will always include an element of the old.

RITEVAC MEDIA

When the author Seth Godin coined the phrase “connection economy” he recognised the immense potential that online social networks had in reshaping entire industries. Ritevac Media was founded by managing director Themba Ndala. It forms part of a group of new businesses that tap into the power of online networking in order to create content and position clients in engaging and relevant ways. The advantage these usually small companies have is their nimbleness and ability to quickly adapt to changing environments. Among some of Ritevac’s prestigious clients are Standard Bank Joy of Jazz and the globally iconic SAbased choir Joyous Celebration.

As Ritevac prepares to launch its own commercial streaming service, Ritevac TV, Themba reflects on the far less glamorous origins of the company. He started out studying IT at Cape Technikon in the early 2000s. He had arrived in Cape Town from Tzaneen, Limpopo, to study, with nothing but an acceptance letter in his hands. To make ends meet, he designed websites for small companies for R2 500, which, he points out jokingly, “was a lot of money for a student”. Themba was also an avid drummer and on weekends he played with jazz bands.

I MADE SURE THAT I DID IT BETTER THAN THOSE WHO HAD STUDIED IT FORMALLY. I WAS UNAVOIDABLE. – THEMBA NDALA

For Themba, the road to owning a successful new media company included being financially excluded from varsity, struggling to make rent while juggling being a new father, moving back home, starting a networking site only to have to shut it down due to a lack of finances, living in a Formula 1 hotel with his family, and one day seeing his daughter trembling from hunger. Throughout this period he refused formal employment. After turning down a job paying R7 000 a month, he said that “somewhere in the back of my mind I believed that I could make it on my own and that taking this job would kill me”.

Besides his web design skills, his only other asset was his network of musician friends and acquaintances he had built up as a drummer. He began creating websites for well-known artists such as Lebo Mashile. His reputation grew until his name was pitched to Joyous Celebration. In 2012, the choir hired him as head of its digital marketing services, on a freelance basis. Instead of being paid a salary, he requested that the choir buy him camera equipment instead. This was so that he could expand on his product offering while retaining a level of autonomy. “Slowly I started to understand the business that I was in was no longer about web development but about content creation,” he explains.

Themba Ndala

That is the premise on which Ritevac was founded in 2014. Its first office was in Hyde Park. Themba concedes that he never had the educational background that would have been required should he have entered the industry through the front door. There was a lot of learning still to be done and mistakes to be made. “What attracted clients to my business,” he says, “was that I was good at what I did and I made sure that I did it better than those who had studied it formally. I was unavoidable.”

21

BUSINESS

LEGENDS BARBERSHOP

Cutting hair as a form of grooming is one of the oldest professions around. As a business, it is as traditional as it gets. Legends Barbershop has found itself at a point when its signature fresh, razor-sharp fade dominated local pop culture so intensely that it is as though no other barbershop exists in the country.

The company, which operates out of five branches across different provinces, with a sixth opening in Cape Town soon, was founded

by Sheldon Tatchell in 2012. Before that, Sheldon worked at a bank and was also once a professional boxer.

Sheldon started cutting hair at 14 years old, when his father bought him his first pair of hair clippers, and it was a fascination with cutting hair that saw him discover his purpose. He credits a natural entrepreneurial knack and the discipline he gained through boxing as having given him staying power. In 2011 Sheldon was cutting hair in front of supermarkets in his home town of Eldorado Park. In 2012 he moved into his first rented premises. That’s when the idea of an actual barbershop business occurred to him.

But things didn’t go smoothly in the beginning. After a fall-out with a business partner, Legends Barbershop closed down in the year it opened. But did Sheldon stop cutting hair? Not a chance.

He got himself a scooter and started going to the homes of his clients, some of whom were accomplished businessmen. Sheldon thought that he could tap into that resource when the time came to raise the business from the ground again. But that wasn’t to be.

A HAIRCUT IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. – SHELDON TATCHELL “When I relaunched the business in 2014 I literally went knocking on people’s doors. I went back to the customers whose hair I used to cut.” All of them refused. After the rejection and initial anger, he realised that “if they had given me money at that time then my business would have failed”.

With no funding, and through sheer hard work, the business was relaunched, focused on making a difference in the lives of clients, through quality work, and the lives of employees, who all go through one of the five training centres the company runs.

Sheldon Tatchell

The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz team saw Themba’s work. Meetings with large companies and agencies followed, and he was able to familiarise himself with how the industry functioned at that level.

Through his work with the organisation, he helped introduce the “Discover Stage” at Joy of Jazz Festival, which aimed to expose up-and-coming artists to larger audiences. The stage has been running for four years now. Through that project, he built up a company that focuses on premium content creation and online campaigns for artists and music events. While Ritevac may be a new age company, the basis of its very existence relies on the ageold premise of connecting people.

22

It was the advent of social media, and Instagram in particular, that gave the business its most potent shot in the arm. A multibillion-dollar pop music culture had taken over in urban areas, music artists from America had popularised fresh haircuts and proliferated the imagery on social media. Local artists and fans alike wanted in on the action and by all accounts, it seemed as though only one barbershop could offer the goods. The gamechanger was when Legends Barbershop launched its mobile service. A bus was decked out to exude the brands’ premium personas and was kitted out with the latest technologies and amenities such as cold bottles of bubbly. Yet the most valuable asset the business has, as Sheldon puts it, is relationships.

“A haircut is not as important as good relationships.”

ADVERTORIAL

WHAT TYPE OF A HENNESSY MAN ARE YOU? LOOKING FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT TO SUIT THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE PERFECTLY? HENNESSY – THE NUMBER-ONE LOVED COGNAC IN THE WORLD – HAS GOT A VARIANT ESPECIALLY FOR YOU.

THE VS MAN

THE VSOP MAN

THE X.O MAN

After a hard day of the hustle and grind, you’re going to want to put your kicks up and relax to some tunes while sipping on VS, just the way you like it. You love your cognac with a dash of tonic or ginger ale – sharing the pleasure with friends out at night or simply a social gathering at home. When the ladies come over for a preparty drink, you're guaranteed to impress with one of your cocktail specialities. The VS man is a skilled blender who gets the party started at home and keeps it going out on the town. The double glass VS Gift Pack is perfect for this man who needs to stock up on beautiful glassware for home entertainment.

When you fancy some time out to savour a cognac and catch up with your favourite people, there's nothing better for you than Hennessy VSOP and its soft spice and candied fruit aromas to make your relaxation feels kick in. The premium, harmoniously balanced VSOP is your downtime luxury.

Sometimes you love your after-work VSOP straight up on the rocks and other times you're prone to a longer, more luxurious drink, pairing your VSOP with a mixer. The understated magic of simply mixing Hennessy VSOP with tonic and topping it off with a wedge of lime, bring dinner parties, evenings out on the town and chill-out sessions alive!

You're loyal to a fault and never compromise on exceptional taste and having exactly the cognac-drinking experience you've grown to love. The X.O man appreciates the history and sophistication of his cognac and enjoys it equally, neat or on ice. This Hennessy X.O connoisseur loves the modern approach of drinking it poured over a single large ice cube – or up to three blocks – where the gradual melt creates a full-bodied experience; or poured over several ice cubes with a dash of cold water. For this ambitious and sophisticated businessman, there's no better way to seal a deal or celebrate success with his partners, close family and friends at his personal bar or a high-end hotel lounge. The beautiful Hennessy X.O & Ice Gift Pack for Christmas doubles up as an ice bucket complete with tongs and of course an exquisite bottle of Hennessy X.O.

R449.00

R649.95

R2299.95

No matter which Hennessy man you are, you all live by the same mantra… NEVER STOP. NEVER SETTLE. Hennessy VS Gift Pack, Hennessy VSOP Gift Pack, and Hennessy X.O & Ice Gift Pack are all available at most premium liquor stores.

23

BUSINESS

IMAGES Shutterstock

SAFE H AV E N S I N CHOPPY WAT E R S

26

BUSINESS

SOUTH AFRICA IS IN RECESSION AND NOW GLOBAL GROWTH IS COOLING. SO HOW DO YOU SAFEGUARD YOUR WEALTH IN THIS ENVIRONMENT? BY CARA BOUWER

T

raditionally, during times of economic slowdown, crises or recessions, the world’s wealthy have run towards gold.

Fuelled by fear, the belief in bullion’s power of resilience saw the precious metal spike in value during the 1970s, 1980s and, more recently, the 2008 recession. But in a world of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and mobile money, the battle lines seem less clear as investors seek a safe haven for their wealth. Or are they?

THE CRYPTOCURRENCY BUZZ

Cryptocurrency fans are quick to point out that when the Turkish lira lost 35% of its value this year, demand for Bitcoin spiked in the country. According to pro-digital currency news website Coindesk, Bitcoin was up 31% against the Turkish lira in August.

Does this suggest a new trend, a new digital safe haven, is emerging?

Unlikely, says Izak Odendaal, an investment strategist at Old Mutual Multi-Managers. “Cryptocurrencies have not been around long enough for us to know how they will behave in a global market crash,” he explains, noting that as technology evolves new investment products “pop up all the time”.

The likes of Bitcoin and fellow cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum certainly hold appeal for those with a high-risk appetite. For others, however, lower-risk socially responsible investing through the likes of Fedgroup’s new Impact Farming app or global option Newday is an increasingly attractive option.

But for many, a combination of tried and trusted methods – such as diversification and solid portfolio management – linked with a future-focused approach offers the greatest peace of mind.

Odendaal’s advice is: “If you cannot explain it to your grandmother, then avoid it. And even if it looks very attractive, do not throw out the time-tested principles of diversification.”

DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, DIVERSITY

Odendaal believes investing across asset classes – or diversifying your portfolio – remains a solid bet: “Diversification is the best defence against an uncertain future… The key is to understand, as best as possible, how the underlying assets work and how it is correlated with other assets.”

He notes, however, that any investment plan should incorporate strategies for dealing with tough times. “It’s easy to say that you’ll keep a cool head when times are good. It’s better to commit to keeping a cool head upfront so that when tough times hit, which will invariably happen, you know how to respond. In tough conditions investors are often their own worst enemies, compounding market declines by selling and switching at the wrong time.”

“IF YOU CANNOT EXPLAIN IT TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER, THEN AVOID IT.”

– IZAK ODENDAAL, INVESTMENT STRATEGIST AT OLD MUTUAL MULTI-MANAGERS

“WE INCLUDE COMPANIES THAT ARE MORE DEFENSIVE IN A TOUGH ENVIRONMENT – THAT ARE ALMOST A LITTLE IMMUNE TO THE RECESSION.” – MAARTEN ACKERMAN, CHIEF ECONOMIST AND ADVISORY PARTNER: CITADEL

ADD RECESSION-PROOF STOCKS

Maarten Ackerman, chief economist and advisory partner of wealth management firm Citadel, explains that their approach is certainly to position portfolios today to weatherguard clients in the future. “We’ll adjust our portfolios by adding more alternatives, more shock absorbers,” he says.

Citadel makes use of a multi-asset combination of hedge fund exposure, listed property and low-beta equity portfolios (“meaning that we include companies that are more defensive in a tough environment – that are almost a little immune to the recession,” says Ackerman).

Two examples are Shoprite in South Africa and O’Reilly in the United States. Why? “Because people still need to eat,” says Ackerman of a Shoprite. Similarly, a motor vehicle parts company such as O’Reilly benefits as consumers choose not to replace their vehicles, but rather maintain them. “As soon as that demand shifts, and more people are buying auto parts, then some of these companies are doing quite well and they break away from the market.”

INVEST IN THE FUTURE

Citadel also keeps faith with new, dynamic companies such as Chinese gaming giant Tencent, says Nishlen Govender, a portfolio manager for Citadel. He explains: “Tencent can be considered a combination of Apple, Google, Facebook, PayPal, Electronic Arts [a US video game company] as well as Steam, a popular platform through which to purchase games.” Citadel holds Tencent as part of its Naspers holding due to the Chinese company’s “market share, economies of scale, barriers to entry, brand loyalty, elasticity of demand and the competitive landscape in which it operates”.

Tencent, alongside the likes of Amazon (for its robotics drive); Airbus (for its 3D printing innovations); Google (for its autonomous vehicle investments); and Cisco (internet of things infrastructure), is effectively a diversified investment in the future. They feed an investor’s need for innovation and exposure to dynamic companies, but with less risk than buying up Bitcoin.

Ultimately the key to riding out the recession storm, says Ackerman, lies in sticking to your investment plan and avoiding reactive decision-making at a time when emotions are running high. “We all get quite emotional about our own personal wealth,” he says, so start by separating the real market-moving events from the rhetoric, and keep a clear head.

27

AFRICAN WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE (AWE)

MEET

DR NOLULAMO GWAGWA & DR PHETHIWE MATUTU NAME: DR NOLULAMO GWAGWA AGE: 59 YEARS OLD SECTOR: FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PRIVATE EQUITY POSITION: CEO NAME: AGE: SECTOR: POSITION:

28

DR PHETHIWE MATUTU 52 YEARS OLD GOVERNMENT AGENCY GROUP EXECUTIVE OF STRATEGY, PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS

AFRICAN WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE (AWE)

PROFESSIONS IN SCIENTIFIC FIELDS, SUCH AS TOWN PLANNING AND MATHEMATICS, STILL HAVE MANY MORE MALE PRACTITIONERS THAN FEMALE. WE PROFILE TWO WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD STELLAR CAREERS IN PRECISELY THESE FIELDS. BY TSHEGOFATSO SENNE

DR NOLULAMO GWAGWA

Dr Nolulamo (Lulu) Nobambiswano Gwagwa is an impressive individual. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Fort Hare, then her Master's in town and regional planning at the University of Natal’s Planning School. She then gained qualifications from the London School of Economics and Political Science (an MSc), and a doctorate from University College London. On top of it all, she is currently studying philosophy.

Those interested in investing should begin by doing their research, Dr Gwagwa notes. “It’s best to first understand the investment landscape, identify areas of focus depending on one’s risk appetite and an ability to fund the investment,” she says.

“A lot of young people invest in not so wellthought out investments which promise overnight high returns. Consequently, their hard-earned cash disappears, and they have no claim against anyone.”

This is pretty impressive for someone who, as a young child, had no idea of what she might like to be one day – it didn’t occur to her to think she could become, for example, a doctor (although this isn’t where she would end up at all). “I had no idea what kind of person I thought I would become. Growing up in a rural area with no exposure limits one’s imagination of what’s possible. So, what I thought I would be was not as clear when I was growing up.”

Dr Gwagwa is one of many women who has lived through the demands of balancing their professional and private lives, having to make choices that men are rarely faced with. She mentors a group of young women through Girl’s Lunches hosted five times a year. “It started with my lunches with my own daughter, Nana, then it spread.

Right now, we have more than 40 young women involved,” she declares. “I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of seeing young people gaining confidence to chase their dreams.”

She has since had an expansive career.

Being a woman in some of the most male-dominated industries, including the financial sector, Dr Gwagwa understands the importance of the centrality of women in development. “This is not just political speak. It is based on scientific research that I and many other scholars and practitioners have conducted.”

Dr Gwagwa spent the early years of her career in spatial planning in NGOs, as a lecturer, and then as deputy director general in the Department of Public Works as well as a five-year stint at the Independent Development Trust (IDT), where she worked in the fields of community and infrastructure development.

Her philanthropic work extends beyond young women. Dr Gwagwa also founded

the Mhakazi Trust two decades ago in order to empower the young people of Umzimkhulu. “I founded the trust in honour of my parents who taught me the value of supporting others. I am where I am today because of many women and men who scaffolded me in many ways. So I am simply ploughing back and paying it forward.”

What has set Dr Gwagwa apart? How does one become such an experienced and influential person? She answers with humility that would catch many off guard.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s anything specific that sets me apart from a whole lot of accomplished women in this country and continent. When given an opportunity, I simply do my very best, and I invest in continuous self-improvement. I am very clear about my capabilities and limitations.

I have also come to realise the importance of seeking advice and support – which I have not always done in the past.”

Her parting words for young people? Words we’ve heard multiple times but ring true each time, “There are no shortcuts in life.”

I GET A LOT OF PERSONAL SATISFACTION OUT OF SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE GAINING CONFIDENCE TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS

At some stage the investment bug bit.

As the chief executive officer of Lereko Investments, a black-owned investment company, and one of the principals in the Lereko Metier Capital Growth Fund, Dr Gwagwa entered the industry of investments as a result of serendipitous coincidence. It was neither planned, nor did she have any particular interest in it – which only makes the stellar work she has done and continues to do all the more striking.

Dr Nolulamo Gwagwa

29

H FE RA ILCT AHN W O M E N O F E X C E L L E N C E ( A W E ) A

where she is currently. She speaks on her experiences as chapters of growth, “...the only difference now is that I’m at a systematic level that allows me to make changes through policy, funding and guidelines that lead to transformation.”

Dr Matutu inspires change, and in that, highlights self-certainty as a black woman, “My boldness and confidence in what I do pays off. I was in my second year of university when I told my lecturer that I was going to do my doctorate in mathematics and become a mathematician.”

Even with an extensive career path that screams “goals!”, Dr Matutu understands and places importance on finding your way gradually and not being too hard on yourself as you do. “Initially, I threw my life into work and developing my career to establish myself – attaining goals and achieving at a rapid rate. But right now, I have more meaning in all areas of my life, a balance which I really appreciate.”

It’s difficult finding balance while chasing your dreams but it has developed in time and Dr Matutu prides herself on remaining true to herself throughout the process and in all she does.

Dr Phethiwe Matutu

DR PHETHIWE MATUTU

As the group executive of strategic planning and partnerships at the National Research Foundation, Dr Phethiwe Matutu is truly an accomplished professional.

With a PhD in mathematics from UCT, Dr Matutu has worked at the Department of Science and Technology for nine years as chief director of human capital and science promotion. Prior to that she spent 16 years as an academic. She served in numerous committees including being a member of the Department of Higher Education and Training Ministerial Task Team responsible for drafting the Implementation Plan of the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training.

Dr Matutu’s interest in mathematics began at home, working in a shop where she had to calculate the patrons’ change. Now she’s at the point where she can use her skills for the betterment of the research field in South Africa. Passionate about transformation in her industry, Dr Matutu focuses on where knowledge begins.

“When you realise that thousands of learners in rural areas cannot read, especially in English, it’s systematic. Of those I went to school with in the former Transkei, those surviving are from

30

educated families. Consequentially, we’ve gone far in life. The divide is inequality and it keeps replicating itself.”

How did Dr Matutu get to the place she is now, that includes doing work that will impact the future of young people deeply? She’s profoundly aware of the privileges she was afforded and how she made the best of the circumstances she grew up in. “I’ve never been one of those who believe in being ‘special’. I don’t believe I’m a high achiever. I believe it’s an issue of opportunity – it’s those that avail themselves according to your position in society and the environment you’re in that enable growth in your life.”

“The home I grew up in, the husband I married, the homestead I then created and the institutions I found myself in – these along with the qualities I have, determined my path. I’m a relatively focused person, confident, hardworking and I do not give up. And I think highly of people. These factors are real and play themselves out, they impact who gets ahead and who doesn’t.”

Humble to the core, Dr Matutu is cognisant of every part of her life leading her to

“It’s important to me to be on the ground in terms of the way I interact with people, whether it’s the employees at work or family. There’s a certain expectation of how a scientist or an executive looks and behaves and that’s not me. I chat to people like I’m in my kitchen. That humility, that accessibility and being true to my core – grounds me. I’m just a human being.”

...THE ONLY DIFFERENCE NOW IS THAT I’M AT A SYSTEMATIC LEVEL THAT ALLOWS ME TO MAKE CHANGES THROUGH POLICY, FUNDING AND GUIDELINES THAT LEAD TO TRANSFORMATION

PROPERTY

E V O LU T I O N O F THE SANDTON SKYLINE NOTHING'S THE SAME FOR LONG IN JOZI. THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT.

BY MARGOT BERTELSMANN

Norton Rose exterior by Paragon

Lonehill, for example, boasts the remains of an Iron Age iron smelter, and Setswana and Sesotho groups lived in the area before the Voortrekkers took it to farm in the 1800s. The Rivonia Trial refers to the site Lilliesleaf (in Rivonia), where some of the famous triallists were captured in 1963.

By the 1980s, though, suburban Sandton was shedding its “mink and manure” coat and starting to emerge as a built-up hub

with the construction of Sandton City (in 1974), a shopping centre that retains the quintessential Sandton identity to this day.

Almost everything else has changed in Sandton since the 1980s. Just about the entire CBD of Johannesburg packed up and headed north, en masse, in the late 1990s, most significantly the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2000. Today, this nine-storey building has pride of place on the corner of Maude Street and Gwen Lane.

The Sandton skyline is ever-evolving, and, in the competitive spirit of the area, there was excitement when the Leonardo skyscraper (designed by Co-Arc architects) “surpassed the Michaelangelo Towers (140m) and then the Sandton City spire

THE LEONARDO SKYSCRAPER SURPASSED THE MICHAELANGELO TOWERS (140M) AND THEN THE SANDTON CITY SPIRE (141M) TO BECOME THE TALLEST BUILDING IN SANDTON 32

(141m) to become the tallest building in Sandton,” according to James Ball of The Heritage Portal (www.theheritageportal. co.za). And it’s still going. Originally planned for 150m, the online forum Skyscrapercity’s enthusiasts estimate the luxurious mixed-use building’s expected height at 227m, though owners Legacy are virtually silent on the matter. It may exceed the Carlton Centre’s 223m and attain the trophy of being the highest building in Africa.

“Sandton is a highly regulated space – it’s highly regulated by capital!” quips Thireshen Govender, architect, urbanist, and UJ lecturer of the design studio Urban Works. “People fight in Sandton for control of their image, space, and their corporate identity. The skyline has become a commodity – with competition to be the highest, tallest, flashiest. In this battle of showmanship, we can forget that buildings need to serve people. In Sandton, powerful players feel the need to demonstrate corporate strength and architecture plays an important role in displaying that confidence.”

Boogertman architects describe their creation, the Discovery building, accurately: “Like a spaceship set to sail, the

IMAGES Andrew Bell

S

andton, GP may be the embodiment of all things new and glitzy, but its history predates its current status as Africa’s richest square mile in the country’s wealthiest province, and the nerve centre of South African financial affairs.

PROPERTY

THE SKYLINE HAS BECOME A COMMODITY – WITH COMPETITION TO BE THE HIGHEST, TALLEST, FLASHIEST FOOT TRAFFIC

In 2015 Sandton hosted an EcoMobility Festival, which looked at whether Sandton could become a car-free zone, and last year Mayor Herman Mashaba launched a Sandton transport project aimed at prioritising public transport, bicycles and foot traffic.

Norton Rose interior by Paragon

IMAGES Andrew Bell

building’s sensual shape and form create a monumental statement that gives the building a unique visual signature.”

The World Green Building Council says green buildings preserve natural resources by using energy, water and other resources efficiently; use renewable energy such as solar power; reduce waste and pollution and promote recycling; and, use non-toxic and sustainable building materials. The R3-billion Discovery building and Sasol’s new R2-billion home “are two of the largest green buildings developments in Africa,” says Elaine Jack, the city improvement district manager of the Sandton Central Management District (SandtonCentral. co.za). “They add to Sandton’s ever-growing list of landmark green buildings.”Paragon Group Architects designed the iconic Norton Rose Towers and the Sasol building (and many others). Of the glass and aluminium towers of Norton Rose, the company’s media manager Hugh Fraser says, “The project employed cutting-edge glass technology that had not been used in South Africa before. The north and south facades are wrapped in … seemingly random planes of clear, dark grey and translucent glass. The east and west facades eliminate direct sunlight with sculptural

hand-formed aluminium boxes. ”Sasol in Katherine Street is as outré. Fraser says Paragon pushed boundaries in this design as well as in its environmental efforts. The building has a 5-star green star rating. “The Sasol corporate office incorporates high-performance glazing; extensive landscaping and park-scapes; a vast atrium with large skylights to allow for natural lighting; water recycling measures; and extensive insulation.” “Sasol is very committed to supporting birdlife in South Africa and we have incorporated a miniecosystem that will encourage birdlife, butterflies and frogs,” explains architect Tershia Habbitts.

“You cannot build more roads, you must look at alternatives to cars,” agrees Elaine Jack. “There are 100 000 cars a day moving in and out of Sandton, and numbers are growing. We need better walkways, a bridge from Alex for safe walking, we need dedicated cycle lanes, with a critical mass of cyclists so people own the lanes.”

Govender says there is an orientation towards market forces and less to human experiences in Sandton: “For instance, the lobby is traditionally the grand front door that welcomes the visitor. In Sandton, my ‘lobby’ is my access boom gate – I am isolated and mechanised. The lobby is redundant. Nobody walks off the street into a lobby in Sandton. In that sense, Sandton suffers from its own success: in single-owner, single-use buildings, when the office closes and the workers go home, there is no other function for that building.”

Alexander Forbes exterior by Paragon

33

PROPERTY

7 spots to view the Sandton skyline From suggestions

by James Ball at The Heritage Portal: St Stithians School (above the dam) Bryanston Shopping Centre Innisfree Park Delta Park Kallenbach Drive Katy’s Palace Bar in Kramerview

From one of the high-rise buildings in Sandton itself

Sasol Place by Paragon

Brendan Copestake of Parts & Labour, a studio that works in specialised art project management, says more can be done for Sandton to become friendly to pedestrians and residents. “In many European cities, the ground floor is reserved for retail space, with residential and commercial use higher up,” he says. “But many buildings in Sandton are still a private space, where any existing retail space is ‘for employees’, and not open to the passing foot traffic.”

IMAGES Sasol Place - Tristan McClaren • Synapse II - Nico van Loggerenberg • Clourway - Dharmaratna Saraswati

While many Sandton buildings are so flashy they qualify as works of art in and of themselves (the Marc building’s golden oval looks like it would fit on a perfume shelf at the duty-free shop), in other parts of the CBD, there are separately commissioned pieces of art.

Parts & Labour was commissioned by property developer Abland for work in the Alice Lane precinct. Lorenzo Nassimbeni created the staircase mural Colourway, constructed from tiles applied to the risers of the stairs. Marco Cianfanelli installed the Synapse II sculpture. “Gateway sculptures are often intended to create urban markers that help people navigate public spaces – as in, ‘Meet me at the big sculpture’,” says Copestake. The most unusual feature of the Sandton skyline? A giant, anchored, 120m hot air balloon in Mushroom Farm park, which really was once a mushroom farm owned by Dr Charles Kark, according to The Heritage Portal.

Welcome to our unique Jozi, the cowboy town we love, and love to hate, where monuments to achievement co-exist with beautification efforts, creative energy, attempts at regulation, good intentions and a measure of self-satisfaction. Out of this hodge-podge, will order emerge? Or is order itself overrated? You decide.

34

GATEWAY SCULPTURES ARE OFTEN INTENDED TO CREATE URBAN MARKERS THAT HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE PUBLIC SPACES – AS IN, ‘MEET ME AT THE BIG SCULPTURE’ Colourway, the Alice Lane steps, by Lorenzo Nassimbeni

Synapse II sculpture by Marco Cianfanelli

ADVERTORIAL

35

PROPERTY

EXCLUSIVE ELLIPSE

WATERFALL’S CR OWNING GLORY THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED LUXURY, HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN WATERFALL CITY, ELLIPSE WATERFALL, WILL OFFER A TOTAL OF 590 APARTMENTS SET IN FOUR TOWERS IN THE HEART OF GAUTENG’S NEWEST BUSINESS NODE. WITH EXQUISITE ARCHITECTURE, A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS ARRAY OF LIFESTYLE FEATURES AND ACCESS TO THE ULTIMATE CONVENIENCE THAT LIFE IN WATERFALL CITY OFFERS, THESE APARTMENTS ARE SELLING FAST. BY BY TAMARA OBERHOLSTER

W

aterfall is more than the next new mixed-use development in Gauteng – it is a planned city in its own right, offering everything its residents and businesspeople will need, from homes to schools, offices, a hospital, and a plethora of entertainment and retail options. Meticulously planned as a multipurpose hub, Waterfall is ideally located between the business centres of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and thus in one of the most significant development corridors in the country. Set to be the first luxury, high-rise residential apartments in the node, Ellipse Waterfall offers ultramodern living for the discerning resident or investor.

Ellipse Waterfall is a joint venture between JSE listed Attacq Limited (Attacq) and

Tricolt. It will comprise four towers, each named after a renowned astronomer: Newton, Kepler, Da Vinci and Galileo. Phase one is scheduled for completion in 2020.

Each tower will feature striking apartments with ultra-indulgent modern finishes, eco-friendly features, high ceilings and expansive windows that bestow unparalleled vistas of the Gauteng skyline.

development’s launch to Ellipse Waterfall’s unique value proposition. “Its strategic location, pristine surroundings and worldclass amenities, make Ellipse Waterfall a no-brainer for discerning investors,” he says.

Sales and marketing agent, Kent Gush, director at Kent Gush Properties, agrees, noting that the quick market uptake on Tim Kloeck, chief executive officer of Tricolt, Ellipse sales speaks to the strength of the Waterfall Precinct. “Waterfall has basically explains that the vision behind Ellipse is been designed on a blank canvas,” he says. to create an iconic high-rise residential “Unlike other cities, this means that every development that surpasses any other in touchpoint is triple-A rated because it’s South Africa, in terms of luxury living, been conceptualised that way. It’s been architectural beauty and environmental meticulously thought out – every aspect – advancements in the heart of Waterfall City, the fastest-growing mixed-use precinct and that means that everything works as it’s meant to. There’s no litter; when a traffic in Africa. He attributes the high sales light stops working it gets repaired almost figures even within the first week of the

37

PROPERTY

ITS STRATEGIC LOCATION, PRISTINE SURROUNDINGS AND WORLD-CLASS AMENITIES, MAKE ELLIPSE WATERFALL A NO-BRAINER FOR DISCERNING INVESTORS immediately; it’s a short and safe stroll to the biggest retail centre in Africa. The sales show us that people see the value in that.

People also see investing in Ellipse as an opportunity for capital growth as the node continues to develop.”

Designed around six key value drivers – locality, amenities, infrastructure, safety, sustainability and vitality – Waterfall is a place created for people and their work/life requirements, today and well into the future.

DESIGNED WITH INTENT

Waterfall offers a regional retail hub – Mall of Africa, a Netcare hospital, private schools (Curro and Reddam House), Gautrain routes, running and cycling tracks and a variety of restaurants. There’s also a Waterfall Parkrun, Virgin Active and the Waterfall Lifestyle Centre development, and the precinct boasts state-of-the-art security. It also offers easy access to key arterial routes, such as the N1 and N3 highways.

“Unlike other mixed-use developments that are fast running out of space or building on top of decaying infrastructure, Waterfall City is essentially brand new. Its buildings, roads and infrastructure are built to the highest quality and its strategic location at the crossroad of the province’s major transport routes makes investing here a smart long-term decision,” says Giles Pendleton, head of development at Attacq.

38

ELLIPSE – THE PINNACLE OF LUXURY LIVING IN WATERFALL

Ellipse Waterfall offers all the benefits of life in Waterfall City, plus a rich added layer of opulence and access to exclusive facilities, such as The Luna Club. This exclusive destination for Ellipse residents of all ages will centre around premium health and wellness comforts. These will include a wellness centre (with an indoor gym, steam showers, sauna and boutique spa), a business centre with boardrooms and every modern business facility, and a library. There will also be cigar and whisky lounges, a children’s entertainment area, private dining options, a temperaturecontrolled leisure pool and a lap pool, as well as outdoor gas braais, firepits and a

PROPERTY

39

PROPERTY

40

PROPERTY

boma, a coffee bar and a wine room and residential cellar. Plus, residents will be able to pop across to Mall of Africa for easy access to the region’s premier shopping destination.

Ellipse amenities will include concierge services, 24-hour security, CCTV and security control room, a fitness track and outdoor gym, bicycle racks, landscaped piazza, back-up generator power, back-up water utilities, secure basement parking and electric car bays. Apartments will be built on green-building principles and equipped for high-speed fibre and offer app-driven amenities. There will also be storage facilities and a car wash service.

Ellipse is in close proximity to schools, shopping, fine dining and the business district, thus offering unparalleled premium living that is second to none.

Step inside the showroom unit and you get a taste of the quality of finishings that Ellipse will include. Dhk Architects has designed two colour schemes unique to Ellipse, so buyers can choose from the classic interior and a platinum interior.

The apartments are defined by clean lines, a timeless palette and stunning detailing through the depth of pattern and colour.

High-end materials, craftmanship and appliances are featured in every space, including imported tiles, Hansgrohe fittings, high-gloss kitchens with Caesarstone tops and fully integrated Smeg appliances.

MEETING A GROWING NEED

Melt Hamman, chief executive officer of Attacq, believes that the demand for apartment living in Waterfall will be

supported by the ongoing commercial expansion of the node. “With various blue-chip firms taking up residency within Waterfall City, such as PwC, Accenture and Deloitte, there is a growing need for us to expand our residential offering. Ellipse Waterfall is the first step towards meeting that demand,” he says.

There are various apartment sizes and layouts on offer, catering to a broad market, from first-time property buyers to affluent investors. Ellipse Waterfall will offer apartments ranging from the executive one-bedroom (starting at 45m2) to flagship three-bedroom duplexes (with up to 375m2 of living space) with prices starting at R 1 590 000 up to R 22 000 000.

At the high end of the scale, apartments will offer luxury options of private rooftop gardens, heated swimming pools and some of the best views in the province. Based on current progress, construction for phase one of Ellipse is estimated to commence early 2019.

UNLIKE OTHER MIXEDUSE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE FAST RUNNING OUT OF SPACE OR BUILDING ON TOP OF DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE, WATERFALL CITY IS ESSENTIALLY BRAND NEW For more information, visit the Ellipse Waterfall sales office at Mall of Africa, Parkade G Level 5, off Town Square, or the website – www.ellipsewaterfall.co.za.

41

ADVERTORIAL

EYE-STOPPING DESIGN

FREE FROM CONVENTION

WITH MIELE’S STATE-OF-THE-ART RANGE OF BUILTIN APPLIANCES, CUSTOMERS ARE NOW ABLE TO DESIGN KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION – OFFERING SEAMLESS INTEGRATION, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND CONVENIENCE, AND A TIMELESS AESTHETIC.

W

here kitchens and living rooms merge, a clear design statement is required – preferably one that is puristic in inspiration, ensuring that the design elements of the kitchen merge elegantly and seamlessly with those inherent in the rest of the living space. Leading appliance manufacturer, Miele, is catering for this trend with its state-of-the-art range of integrated appliances.

HANDLE-LESS DESIGN

“Miele’s entire ArtLine collection dispenses with handles, blends in seamlessly with flush furniture fronts, and interprets the concept of full appliance integration in a whole new way,” explains Miele’s Liam Gawne. Full, flush glass fronts and integrated appliance displays characterise Miele’s ArtLine design, which encompasses a variety of products and therefore allows entire kitchens to be designed without a single handle. Says Liam: “The function of the handle on a conventional model has been replaced by a sensor that is integrated into the fascia, called Touch2Open technology. Gently touching this sensor opens the motor-assisted door, damping its action as it reaches the fully open position.”

INTEGRATION AND CUSTOMISATION

“With Miele, kitchen cabinetry and appliances are able to enter a truly symbiotic relationship – retiring and elegant at one and the same time. If we also consider the fact that Miele’s appliances are available in an option of Graphite Grey, Clean Steel, Brilliant White or Obsidian Black, Miele customers have ample

opportunities to design their kitchens around their own personal preferences. Miele always offers the perfect integration with every style of kitchen,” notes Liam.

The element of integration is also clearly evident in Miele’s appliances, including its newly launched SmartLine range of hobs, as is the focus on customisation and state-of-the-art technology. Says Liam: “Uncompromisingly elegant, versatile and multifaceted – this is how the new SmartLine units from Miele present themselves to connoisseurs of fine cuisine. Customers can customise their hob ensemble and choose freely from an induction hob, teppanyaki, gas ring, induction wok and countertop extractor. Together, they form a cooking centre with a puristic appeal that breaks down the boundaries between kitchen and living space.”

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY AND EFFICIENCY

Today, any kitchen of distinction should boast appliances that test the limits of innovation – appliances that not only offer designconscious aesthetics and solid functionality, but that also offer cutting-edge technology. One such example is Miele’s MTouch technology, which allows you to operate your Miele appliances in the same way that you operate your smartphone or tablet. Says Liam: “MTouch comprises a high-resolution TFT display, and the menu is browsed by swiping or scrolling with the tip of a finger.”

To shop online or to find a stockist closest to you, visit www.miele.co.za

42

TRAVEL

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! E

ver hear the one about the pop star who demanded she have a mannequin in her dressing room with “puffy pink pubic hair”?

Or the singer who insisted that none of the crew working on her show was to be called “Justin”, due to a recent break-up?

Or the entertainer who required someone to disinfect the doorknobs of any backstage venue or hotel he was due to be in every two hours?

The so-called “celebrity rider” is legendary – that’s the piece of paper that lists the demands of the big-name entertainer in question before they’ll actually turn up to perform.

Well, the celebs out there aren’t alone, and it appears that you don’t have to have your name in lights or be a rock star with 10-million Twitter followers to stretch the bounds of possibility with outrageous requests that defy all reason and logic.

Instead, the common denominator is money. Moola. Tin. The extremely wealthy seem to be in a race to “out bid” those who have come before as they attempt to shock the poor service provider taking their requests. Because they expect to be fawned on, it’s no surprise that this practice is prevalent in the hospitality space, with hotel, airline and restaurant staff often on the receiving end of the most ridiculous requests.

THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IS MONEY. MOOLA. TIN. THE EXTREMELY WEALTHY SEEM TO BE IN A RACE TO “OUTBID” THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE...

43

IMAGES Shutterstock

THE RICH AND FAMOUS HAVE NO SCRUPLES WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING OUTRAGEOUS REQUESTS. HERE ARE SOME OF THE RIDICULOUS DEMANDS THAT SOME SERVICE PROVIDERS HAD TO "JUST MAKE HAPPEN”.

BY DYLAN ROGERS

TRAVEL

WE HAD THE AIRCRAFT INTERIOR SEATS RE-COVERED WITH PINK FABRIC, WE SERVED PINK FOOD – INCLUDING PRAWNS AND MACAROONS – PINK CHAMPAGNE, PINK FLOYD WAS PLAYING...

Take, for instance, this high flyer who is (also) obsessed with the colour pink. “We had the aircraft interior seats re-covered with pink fabric, we served pink food – including prawns and macaroons – pink champagne, Pink Floyd was playing, and even the pilot wore a pink shirt. As he was hosting VIP guests on board, we welcomed them to the aircraft on a pink carpet!”

That’s according to global private jet charter broker company PrivateFly. This same company also had a healthconscious passenger who wasn’t sure where he wanted to fly, but that it had to be home to the highest grade of organic coconuts. “We sourced a farm in Fiji and arranged the flights,” says PrivateFly. At the request of a certain family, private aviation company Magnus Aviation has to play the theme music for Mamma Mia! just after take-off. And private aviation company Jetsmarter once transported a couple who “took a flight to nowhere”.

that the group has been exposed to some interesting requests. But when the Table Bay Hotel’s head concierge Ryan van Zyl was asked for an elephant, he assumed the guest wanted a curio version or a stuffed toy for his children. Not so. The American guest ran a wildlife conservancy in Texas and was looking to purchase the real thing. What followed was a lot of jumping through hoops and red tape, including establishing regulatory requirements and limitations.

“I also had to undertake research into climactic, vegetation and other conditions in Texas that would be important for the survival of an elephant,” says Van Zyl. You’ll be happy to know the elephant was eventually transported safely to the States and is apparently happy in his new environment.

The same can’t be said for the poor waitress who told Reddit that she once had a table asking for the chicken noodle soup… without the chicken. “My manager actually sat there and picked out every last slither of chicken in that man’s soup. I then jokingly told the guest how much of a hassle this was, then asked him how it was.

He simply replied, ‘Eh.’” Some requests are just from average Joes, guys who are clearly bored hotel guests looking to spice things up and make their trips more interesting.

It’s perhaps not the best idea to have a “special requests” section on the check-in form, don’t you think? That’s just asking for trouble. This anonymous hotel guest proves it: “Every time my girlfriend and I go on

a vacation, I ask for a picture of a horse saying ‘Hello!’ next to the bed.” The hotel duly obliged.

Other obliging hotels include the property hosting a man who asked for a framed picture of the actor Nicholas Cage in the movie Con Air, and the hotel that happily placed three individual red M&Ms on the counter and a framed picture of bacon on the bed, for a particularly bored guest!

Pillow forts are apparently a common request, so some hotels don’t even blink when this comes up, while towels folded into the shape of an elephant are in a similar category.

Perhaps the cake, though, goes to the client of Drew Kluska, MD of high-end travel company The Tailor. This customer demanded that Kluska fly in $8 000 (R115 000) worth of tropical blooms for the final night of his year-long, worldwide fishing trip. “We had a super yacht for him, and another one for all his guides to sleep on, and by the end of the trip he’d broken 17 world records!” says Kluska.

THEY PAID NEARLY SEVEN FIGURES FOR A SIX-HOUR TRIP WHICH ENDED IN THE SAME PLACE THAT THEY STARTED

IMAGES Shutterstock

“They paid nearly seven figures for a six-hour trip which ended in the same place that they started. They had a very expensive bottle of wine, mid-air spa treatments, expert skin care, and a manicure/pedicure. They brought a worldclass chef on board, and hired one of the world’s most well-known opera singers to sing to them for an hour.”

But the “out there” requests aren’t just the preserve of the private aviation space.

Hoteliers around the world are well versed in the ridiculous, the downright silly, and the seemingly impossible.

South African gaming and hospitality company Sun International has a portfolio of luxury properties, so it’s no surprise

45

TRAVEL

10 CHANGING DESTINATIONS

ARO UND THE WORL D

The fairytale pink-hued buildings of Jaipur give the city its nickname of “the rose city.”

1

46

O

n a summer’s morning in 79AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the Roman settlement of Pompeii under layers of volcanic debris. The city remained frozen in time until a group of explorers rediscovered it in 1748.

This famous site is just one of many that curious travellers can visit today, while other parts of the world are either undergoing significant changes or slowly disappearing from view. Delve into the street art, food, fashion, trends and architecture of these fascinating destinations.

India’s “Pink City”, Jaipur was once home to the Maharaja and his royal family who lived in the blushhued City Palace, hence the nickname. Today, it is a heady mix of old and new and is renowned for its textiles, which visitors can purchase at markets or modern boutiques.

“The clothing in India is insanely beautiful and, for around R300, you can have a beautiful cotton shirt made and delivered to your hotel four hours later,” says Loryn Holmes, regional sales manager for Pentravel KwaZulu Natal, who visited in August. “On our Trafalgar itinerary, we were taken to a local specialist where we could buy ready-made garments or get them tailored. The hardest part was deciding which fabric to choose.” She insists: “Go with an empty suitcase.”

IMAGES pixabay.com

THESE CITIES HAVE EITHER BEEN LOST IN TIME OR ARE NOTHING LIKE YOU REMEMBER THEM. WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT 10 HISTORICAL CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN FROZEN OR SHAPED BY TIME. BY JENNA BERNDT, CONTENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, BIG AMBITIONS TRAVEL MARKETING AGENCY

JAIPUR

TRAVEL

2

HAVANA

Famous for its crumbling Spanish baroque architecture and pastelcoloured vintage American cars, this Cuban city was practically frozen in time in 1959, thanks to nearly six decades of travel restrictions and embargoes.

In 2006, US President Barack Obama loosened travel restrictions, and Cuba is now on many international travel companies’ tour line-ups.

“Havana is a photography, music and art-lovers’ paradise,” says Tarryn Liddell, an Insight Vacations tour director and a keen photographer (and Instagrammer at @tarrynliddell).

IMAGES pixabay.com

“There is magnificent street art and music played on every corner, and it’s a country where you can really hear and see the culture on the streets,” she says. “Now is a very interesting time to visit Cuba, to see how it is being dragged into modern times... [It] is like stepping back into a whole different world, and you can see the new and old worlds colliding.”

3

REYKJAVIK

Arrivals have ballooned 450 percent since 2010 and Iceland now features on almost any travel watchlist.

“The surreal landscapes of hot pots, glaciers, the Blue Lagoon and the ultratrendy Reykjavik, with its hipster cafés, are travel bucket list dreams,” says Nicky Potgieter, leisure marketing leader for Flight Centre in South Africa.

4

PETRA, JORDAN

Lost to time and sand, the ancient city of Petra was only rediscovered in the late 1800s. Today, it is Jordan’s top tourist attraction and one of the most revered of Unesco’s World Heritage sites.

The city’s origins date back to the first century, possibly as early as 300BC. Temples and tombs are carved into the region’s steep sandstone cliffs, tinted a soft pink, which give the city its nickname, “The Rose City”. The most famous building is perhaps the Treasury, a 43-metre high tomb carved into the rock.

”HAVANA IS A PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSIC AND ART-LOVERS' PARADISE… [IT] IS LIKE STEPPING BACK INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD, AND YOU CAN SEE THE NEW AND OLD WORLDS COLLIDING.“ – TARRYN LIDDELL, INSIGHT VACATIONS TOUR DIRECTOR

Vintage cars are a common sight on the streets of Havana, Cuba.

47

TRAVEL

”… IRELAND IS CHANGING ITS REPUTATION TO ONE OF A GLOBAL FOODIE CITY” – ANGIE MARTIN

Designer Dali Gaga with Derek Hanekom at the Soweto Wine Festival.

5

6

JOHANNESBURG

It’s no longer just Cape Town and the Kruger National Park that feature on international itineraries to South Africa.

Johannesburg is famous for its reimagined inner-city neighbourhoods and townships, and thriving art, food and wine scene.

The Soweto Wine and Lifestyle festival, now in its 12th year, is the epitome of innovation in tourism, transcending stereotypes, according to National Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom. Catch next year’s event from 5 - 7 September 2019.

Wander past the Orlando Towers in Soweto and Maboneng, Newtown and Jeppe, home to world-class street art such as Freddy Sam’s The Shadow Boxer and the Yvonne Chaka Chaka tribute.

BRATISLAVA

The capital of Slovakia is quickly shaking off its grey, communist era persona with quirky art installations.

“Visiting Bratislava was like walking into a time warp with the old-world buildings and cobbled streets,” says Nikki Deponselle, who visited on a Contiki guided holiday.

“Keep an eye out for the life-size statues dotted on random streets in the Old Town. There’s The Watcher peeking out of a utility hole, a photo-taking statue and also a Napoleon soldier resting on a bench.”

7

DUBLIN

Ireland’s capital city is more than rain and potatoes, with culture, beautiful castles and a budding hipster food scene.

The Ireland Tourism Board is carefully crafting the city’s culinary revolution, having calculated that the culinary traveller could boost tourism revenue by up to 400-million euros between 2018 and 2023.

“From modernised pub fare to food trucks and delicious plant-based fare, Ireland is changing its reputation to one of a global foodie city,” says South African expat Angie Martin, a recent vegan convert who claims to have enjoyed “some of the best food of her life” in Dublin.

IMAGES pixabay.com and Marcos Dengo of Event Pics, Soweto Wine Festival.

The Irish culinary revolution looks beyond the traditional pub.

49

TRAVEL

8 NAIROBI

This year, TripAdvisor named Nairobi its top tourist destination in Africa and the third-best city in the world. It was called the fastest-changing city in Africa in the City Momentum Index.

“This dynamic city has shaken off its ‘Nairobbery’ reputation, becoming a food and fashion hotspot,” says Wilson Chifike, an overland tour guide in East and southern Africa.

The most recent edition of Nairobi Fashion Week showcased more than 100 emerging and established designers, and food tourism is growing. “With hipster cafés serving avocado on toast, to the Organic Farmer’s Market in Karen and Nyama Mama, which serves cocktails and re-imagined modern Kenyan cuisine, right up to hip nightspots such as The Alchemist, Nairobi is changing in front of our eyes,” says Chifike.

9

VENICE

Not only is the city sinking in the literal sense, but Venice is slowly being submerged under the weight of mass tourism and, today, more than 20 million tourists cross its bridges and canals each year.

The centre of Nairobi, voted the fastest-changing city in the world.

“Venice is one of the most interesting, unique and romantic cities in the world,” says Teresa Richardson, managing director of The Travel Corporation in South Africa, which owns popular guided holiday travel brands Insight Vacations and Trafalgar and the luxury river cruise brand Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.

“Consider visiting during off-peak months,” Richardson suggests. “If you can, make sure to visit hidden treasures and local specialists, as well as being a responsible traveller in this amazing city.”

The old sits next to the new in Seoul. Gyeongbokgung Palace is surrounded by modern skyscrapers and bustling city streets.

“VENICE IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING, UNIQUE AND ROMANTIC CITIES IN THE WORLD“ – TERESA RICHARDSON, THE TRAVEL CORPORATION SOUTH AFRICA MD

10 SEOUL

South Korea was rebuilt after the Korean war and is now unmistakably first world.

IMAGES pixabay.com

Home to companies such as Samsung and LG, Seoul is the country’s crown jewel and the fourth-largest city in the world.

It is an intriguing metropolis of old and new and is also the birthplace of the K-Pop and K-Beauty trends we see today.

The story of ill-fated Pompeii serves as a reminder of another fact of life: change is inevitable. Although the then and now might look different, travel will always reveal the most exciting aspects of life and the places we visit.

51

CULTURE

Moshekwa Langa, Mmatśie, sold for R318 304 in 2017

CO L L E CT IN G THE N A N D N OW WHO ARE SOUTH AFRICA'S TOP FOUR ARTISTS BY SELLING PRICE AT AUCTION? HOW HAS THE GLOBAL ART MARKET GROWN YEAR ON YEAR? BY JAMES SEY, ASPIRE ART AUCTIONS 52

CULTURE

C

ollecting tastes change with time. Art auction houses refer to “segments” into which different types of art fall. These are usually defined by reference to a time period – so, “historical” work, in the South African market, usually dates to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries.

“Modern” refers to twentieth-century art from the 1920s through to the 1970s, and “contemporary” from the 1980s to the present.

The categories are not completely accurate, and are in fact much more fluid than these definitions suggest, but they do reflect different tastes in collecting.

Strangely enough, South Africa’s most prominent and collectable artists, the only four to feature on the list of the Global 500 of successful artists at auction, are evenly split between the categories: one historical artist, one modern artist and two contemporary artists. Bottom of the list at number 329 is modern artist Irma Stern, whose work, mostly still lifes, had $5m of turnover at auction in 2017, and reached a top price of just over $1m.

Next up is historical landscape painter JH Pierneef, whose most famous works were painted between the late 1920s and

mid-1930s. His work reached $5.3m in turnover in 2017, from 117 works traded.

The contemporary artists are higher up the list – next highest is Joburg-based William Kentridge at number 279, whose turnover of $6.2m comes from 144 lots.

Dutch-based SA artist Marlene Dumas is top of the South African artists collectors most want to buy, at number 121, with $16m in turnover for her work last year, and a highest price at auction of $4.1m. She has lived most of her life in Europe, and has a big international collector base. Both of these contemporary artists will see their reputations and prices grow in years to come as the contemporary market grows.

Collecting the work of Pierneef and Stern back when they were exhibiting artists would therefore have stood you, and your family, in very good stead now, with their markets having grown strongly through the late twentieth century.

But the difficult thing for any art collector is spotting which work to collect before it becomes an expensive investment, in order to maximise returns. Going with your passion and collecting work you love is the key, but knowledge about the artist, where they exhibit and how their career

is progressing will help make an educated guess. This is why smart investment in art now is looking at the contemporary art field, the one in which Kentridge and Dumas stand out.

The year from June 2017 to June 2018 was one of significant growth for the South African contemporary market as a whole. Artprice puts the SA market at a very respectable 13th in its listing of the top 20 countries by turnover value in the segment, ahead of countries like India,

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ARTIST, WHERE THEY EXHIBIT AND HOW THEIR CAREER IS PROGRESSING WILL HELP MAKE AN EDUCATED GUESS.

William Kentridge, Stereoscope (1999)

53

CULTURE Switzerland and Denmark. South Africa’s total revenue in the year was just more than $6m, or approximately R88m, for 1 494 sold lots in total. This represents total market growth of 25%.

In global terms the market has grown 19% year on year, reaching a turnover value of $1.9 billion. Volumes of lots grew by 17% and their price index overall also grew, by 18.5%. As Artprice analyses, the 66 850 transactions recorded over the 12-month period around the world reflect an unprecedented level of activity on the global contemporary market. The number of auction transactions has increased fiveand-a-half times since 2000/2001 while the segment’s total auction turnover has risen from $103 million to $1.9 billion. The average price of a successfully auctioned contemporary artwork has risen from $8 400 at the turn of the 21st century to $28 000 today, after peaking at $38 800 in 2013/2014. The number of transactions represents 14% of the total number of fine art auction transactions around the world, generating 12% of the world’s fine art auction turnover. Its share is now larger than both the Old Masters and the 19th century art segments, both in terms of turnover and transactions.

Since January 2000, the price index for contemporary art as a whole has increased cumulatively by 88%, compared with 85% for the S&P 500 US stock market index.

Over 18 years, the two indices have posted roughly equivalent gains of 3.5% per year, on average, making contemporary art a very respectable investment asset class.

In the local market, Aspire Art Auctions has seen significant gains in its own dealings in the contemporary segment. With both local and international work the auction house has established a reputation as the go-to destination for ensuring the best prices are achieved for contemporary art.

In terms of international work sold at auction locally, Aspire sold a work by renowned Serbian performance artist ´ Golden Mask (2009), Marina Abramovic, for R1 477 840 in July last year. While not a record for the artist, the return is significant and demonstrates the contention that South African collectors are beginning to develop an outwardlooking attitude. In a similar vein, Aspire achieved a local auction record of R130 944 for a work by well-travelled Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou at the same auction, Das Kapital (1995), indicating the extent to which art from the rest of the African continent is growing in popularity worldwide.

In terms of South African contemporary art, collectors are increasingly looking

Marina Abramović, Golden Mask (2009)

IN GLOBAL TERMS THE MARKET HAS GROWN 19% YEAR ON YEAR, REACHING A TURNOVER VALUE OF $1.9 BILLION. for work by black South African artists which was unavailable in the apartheid era, and whose value has not yet been fully developed in the auction market.

Aspire is the market leader for returns in this segment. A very important museumquality work by Dumile Feni, Children Under Apartheid (1987), which had been repatriated from New York, sold in July last year for a world record amount of R1 200 320. Respected contemporary artist Moshekwa Langa saw his Mmatšie I sell for another South African record of R311 920 at the same auction. Having already sold a work by Athi-Patra Ruga, Convention…Procession…Elevation (2013), for a South African auction record of R477 456 in October 2016, Aspire followed up with the sale of a photograph by the artist, Night of the Long Knives III (2014) in March this year for R295 568. Ruga is currently enjoying his first major solo exhibition in the UK, at Somerset House

in London, which was timed to open with the prestigious 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.

To bring the collecting wheel for contemporary art full circle, Aspire has just achieved the world auction record for a work by the aforementioned William Kentridge. Drawing from Stereoscope (Double page, Soho in two rooms) (1999) sold for R6 600 400 in October.

These sales successes are not significant only for the auction house itself. They indicate the extent to which the South African auction market is maturing, and the ways in which collecting tastes are changing. There will always be a collecting market for established artists with a track record, but more and more younger collectors are looking at contemporary art for something they might invest in that will bring them substantial returns.

55

FASHION

56

FASHION

FASHION WITHOUT

BORDERS

MEET THE FASHION AND LIFESTYLE MOVEMENT THAT STARTED IN SOUTH AFRICA AND IS NOW TRAVELLING ACROSS THE AFRICAN CONTINENT TO SHOWCASE AND UPLIFT AFRICA’S EMERGING FASHION DESIGNERS AND UPCOMING MODELS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

T

he fourth annual Fashion Without Borders (FWB) Designers Roadshow was recently held in Sandton. It delivered an exciting and unique fashion-filled week with dialogue, a fashion exhibition and a fashion show, which captured the attention of fashion lovers in Johannesburg, South Africa and Africa at large.

Fashion Without Borders is the brainchild of Serge Kabisoso and Tebo Bakwena, the founders of Efigy Productions, which concentrates on mentorship programmes, training and grooming for models and designers. Both former models, they have been firmly entrenched in the fashion world for most of their working lives. Serge and Tebo’s brainchild has now been in the Vaal for three years, Johannesburg for two years, and even Botswana.

This year, Fashion Without Borders showed how current fashion trends are predicted by the moods, behaviour and buying habits of a consumer at a particular time. The designers displayed their interpretation of fashion design in Johannesburg and the rest of Africa, in an effort to raise awareness about local fashion consumption.

57

FASHION

The event brought together 15 designers, all showcasing creativity, ingenuity and self-expression, ranging from new talent to emerging and established names such as Thula Sindi, Antherline Couture and Mocha Chic Couture who displayed some of their latest collections. The stage was also graced by international headliner Kabaso Nkandu of the Zambian brand Nkanda Yatu.

The Fashion Without Borders movement also illustrates how designers are coping with changing technologies, markets and how consumers are rapidly evolving from following traditional, static and demographic-based criteria towards more dynamic, modern, lifestyle and psychographic influences.

This fashion and lifestyle movement, in partnership with Park Inn Hotel Sandton and Vodacom NXT LVL, included a display of fashion stalls, exhibitions and runway shows that were enjoyed by the public, with an opportunity to interact with local designers and designers from Southern Africa. Fashionistas spent a beautiful week at Park Inn, a magnificent arty space with great ambience flanked by beautifully revamped fashionable spaces.

58

FORMALLY FESTIVE

ADVERTORIAL

DINOSAUR CUFFLINKS Add characterful detail to cuffs with a pair of dinosaur cufflinks – an essential finishing piece.

Designed to be worn with double-cuffed shirts, the swivel fitting keeps them firmly in place.

From R699.99

EVENING DRESS SHIRT LIBERTY FABRIC TIE This tie is made from Tana Lawn cotton which behaves like silk and will suit a variety of knots, with or without a jacket. Pair it with the matching pocket square for a put-together finish.

Ideal for black tie affairs, the classic collar is ideal for wearing it with an adjustable bow tie.

T.M. Lewis and Edgars have extensive collection of evening wear accessories, from dress studs to co-ordinating bow ties and cummerbunds.

R1 099.99

BEETLE CUFFLINKS Thanks to the secure swivel fitting, these charming cufflinks are easy to fasten singlehanded. An ideal gift, these cufflinks are presented in a smart presentation box.

From R899.99

From R699.99

LIBERTY FABRIC POCKET SQUARE This pocket square is an elegant way to add a touch of personality to business wear or accessorise a weekend waistcoat. Complete the look with the matching tie or a charming bow tie in a co-ordinating shade.

From R699.00

SUIT BELT With its top-stitched leather, light nubuck lined strap and polished silver buckle this belt is perfect with black or grey formal trousers, or even casual trousers or jeans if you choose.

from R799.99

BEETLE LAPEL PIN A 7cm pin holds the beetle securely in place and works just as well with boardroom ensembles as it does for weekend weddings. Team this pin with the matching cufflinks.

From R399.99

All items are available in both TM Lewin stores and participating Edgars stores.

SATIN READY-TIED BOW TIE

DRESS SHIRT STUDS

Featuring the perfect knot for black tie occasions, the adjustable neck band fits sizes 13.5” to 20”.

Best worn with a classic collar evening shirt to conceal the adjuster, T.M. Lewin bow ties are made from the finest woven silk and are all hand-finished.

Replace traditional buttons as decorative fasteners on evening dress shirts. A set of five allows you to wear the fifth stud instead of a cummerbund with your black-tie outfit.

R599.99

R399.99 (for a set of 5)

T.M. LEWIN STORES Rosebank, Menlyn, Bay West, Westville EDGARS STORES Eastgate, Sandton City, Menlyn Mall, Mall of Africa, Tyger Valley, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Clearwater Mall, Canal Walk, Fourways Mall, Midlands Mall, Centurion Centre, V&A Waterfront, East Rand Mall, Claremont, Woodlands Blvd, Walmer Park

59

FASHION

THE STYLE

SPIN CYCLE

IS IT A STYLE RUT OR ARE WE MERELY CELEBRATING THE CLASSIC, IMMORTAL STYLES FROM BYGONE ERAS? BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

T

here is no doubt that the fashion in the first half of the 1900s was instrumental in shaping what we still see on the catwalks today. Style history repeats itself in some shape or form. Granted, some interpretations of styles from bygone eras can never be translated realistically into everyday wear, but if you look carefully, how much has really changed in the 21st century? Trends for this summer include fringing and feathers (1950s), puffed sleeves and bright colours (1980s) and couture sportswear (1990s). Nothing really new, just fresh, reimagined and re-engineered interpretations

of the wealth of good (and bad) things that decades of fashion has had to offer. The key to unlocking a style that really suits your individual personality is discernment and the good sense not to get caught up in the mayhem and clutter of a season’s multiple trends, but to remain true to the era that speaks to you. African Fashion International’s (AFI) Spring/Summer fashion shows saw designers drawing inspiration from literally every single decade since the 1940s with fascinating modern, unexpected twists. Here’s our take on the style cycle and how it just keeps on spinning.

The Tuelo Nguyuza Collectiv brand embraces new and classic perspectives on everyday elegance with a subtle edge.

Their idea of women’s fashion is one that blends old practices with a high-end appeal. The A-line skirts, collared necklines and tulle, reminiscent of the 50s, combined with the bright oranges, pinks and grass green trending this season, deliver a perfectly synced, pretty yet sassy summer collection.

Gavin Rajah’s combination of the edgy studded leather biker jacket was offset beautifully by the bright, textured, beautifully crafted floral mini dress. A gorgeous mix of Grease and feminine florals.

60

FASHION

Providing proof that the polka-dot will never die, Orapeleng Modutle Style Avenue’s one-sleeved, peplum and tulle skirt creation is perfect for a modern day at the races but also resonates with the structured lines of the 1940s and 50s. Many of his designs are inspired by female icons from the past that left a legacy in the fashion world, such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich.

Khosi Nkosi’s multi-award-winning clothing brand came out firing, with sweetheart necklines and layered mermaidstyle dresses that took one back to the 80s, while traditional headscarves and African prints on the fabrics put a whole new and modern, chic twist on these styles.

61

FASHION

The youthful Eric Raisina is one of those designers with the ability to transport you immediately into his own private universe - or into another era completely. His use of textures, colours and patterns and fabrics such as silk, raffia, linen and sisal, all merge beautifully in his skillfully crafted looks. This particular outfit screams the 70s with the colour combinations, high waist and tailored jacket worn over the shoulders.

62

Let’s not forget the disco diva! Creative collaboration is at the heart of the Ruff Tung brand, inspiring a collection that empowers the contemporary woman by using a combination of simple silhouettes, colour blocking and bold prints. The Ruff Tung collection embodies the celebration of bold statement colours, prints and magnificent sparkle.

FASHION

This dress, part of The Botswana Collections ’18, screams The Great Gatsby with its fringing and low waist. If we are talking about the roaring 20s or the ultimate jazz age, this design has it nailed. This is one of the designs shown in a collection sponsored by the Government of Botswana.

Junior designers mentored by David Tlale showcased their new collections and celebrated coming into their own with a collection called Café by David Tlale. This whimsical lavender-infused outfit smacks of the 50s with its soft floral design, headscarf and cats-eye sunglasses. The texture on the extra-length skirt is a brilliant example of how to modernise a classic, sophisticated look without taking away from the essence of the era.

63

BEAUTY & GROOMING

RAW BEAUTY

ANCIENT AFRICAN BEAUTY RITUALS REIMAGINED FOR TODAY

NORTH AFRICA THE HAMMAM RITUAL

WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA THE AFRICAN BLACK SOAP RITUAL

EGYPT MILK, HONEY AND SALT

The Turkish steam bath known as a hammam was used by women to purify their bodies and bond with their female friends and family.

Argan oil, treasured for its deeply nourishing properties, was the key ingredient in this regime. Today, argan oil, which is full of nutrients, antioxidants and natural healing properties, is a key ingredient in many hair products and is a wonder for nourishing damaged ends and adding super-high gloss.

Shea butter originates from the karité nut tree in West and Central Africa. Not only is it a natural UV-protector and moisturiser, but it has been long proven to be beneficial for healthy skin and also has a history of medicinal use, including wound care and even as a treatment for leprosy.

Shea butter is a key ingredient in African black soap, which is made by drying and roasting the leaves of sweet potato plants and cocoa pods and crushing them into a fine ash. Added to this are a few drops of shea butter, coconut oil and palm oil to create a soap with powerful exfoliating properties.

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra is renowned for apparently having milk and honey baths. Some of the enzymes in milk help skin regenerate fresh skin cells. Ancient Egyptian women also applied honey to their skin, along with oils, as part of their bathing rituals. Honey works to give the skin a beautiful glow and plump up fine lines. Cleopatra also recognised the benefits of adding dead sea salt into her bath, which is known to combat stress and ageing.

Morroccanoil, with argan oil, is an ultra-light formula which is absorbed instantly by the hair, giving it a natural silky finish and brilliant shine. It restores overprocessed hair that has been damaged by chemical procedures and revives, hydrates and detangles hair, wigs and hair extensions. The product range includes shampoos and conditioners, scalp treatments, hair treatments and styling products.

From R230 for 25ml Oil Treatment to R1 880 for the Moroccanoil Smoothing Bundle at Sorbet stores.

64

The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter make it incredibly nourishing for the skin, boosting its natural collagen production, which results in firmer, plumper, more youthful skin. For super-smooth and moisturised skin, try Nivea’s Irresistibly Smooth Body Cream with Shea Butter.

Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Emulsion features black bee propolis specially fermented for three days with seven days of maturation.

This emulsion thoroughly penetrates the skin to maintain the oil-moisture balance.

R53 at Clicks and Dis-Chem.

R500 for 160ml at takealot.com

IMAGES Shutterstock & Marco Schmidt

WOMEN OF ANCIENT AFRICA HAD ACCESS TO NATURAL BOTANICAL INGREDIENTS THAT ARE WIDELY USED IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND SKINCARE REGIMES TO THIS DAY. SKINCARE RITUALS FROM ACROSS THE CONTINENT REMAIN A BEAUTIFUL TRADITION IN MOST COUNTRIES. SURE, PRODUCTS HAVE EVOLVED AND INGREDIENTS ARE COMBINED AND ENHANCED TO MAKE SKINCARE MORE SOPHISTICATED AND CONSUMER FRIENDLY, BUT HERE IS A LOOK AT THE RAW, NATURAL EXTRACTS THAT CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR SKIN AND HAIR IN PERFECT CONDITION. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

IMAGES Shutterstock

BEAUTY & GROOMING

SOUTH AFRICA ROOIBOS TEA

MADAGASCAR MARULA OIL

AFRICA LEMONS

Known as African red tea, rooibos is a plant found exclusively in South Africa. The plant, which is known for its potent anti-allergenic properties, has been used by the Khoi and San people of South Africa for skincare for decades. Rooibos can treat skin conditions such as inflammation, rashes, acne, eczema and dermatitis. It is also a great cosmetic aid because it has a high concentration of antioxidants, which can protect the skin from free radicals and toxins, making it look young and supple. Rooibos also contains high levels of zinc and vitamin D2, which are important for healthy skin.

Marula oil is harvested from the exotic fruit’s seed kernels. Marula trees are indigenous to Southern Africa and Madagascar. Marula oil has been part of numerous rituals for centuries to protect skin and hair from harsh and dry weather conditions. The oil contains powerful antioxidants, high concentrations of nutrients and essential fatty acids that boost cellular activity, hydrate deep into the skin’s layers and repair the skin.

Lemons were used by ancient Africans for all sorts of beauty treatments. To begin with, they extracted lemon juice and used it as a skinlightening remedy on dark patches of their skin, mainly the elbows and knees. Additionally, lemon juice was used to whiten teeth and to give hair natural highlights. Due to their antibacterial properties, lemons were also used for facial cleansing and toning as well as to eliminate blackheads.

African Extracts Advantage Rejuvenating Eye Cream contains antioxidant-rich bio-active rooibos, sea fennel and buckwheat seed extracts, skin smoothing allantoin and light deflectors for a bright, youthful look. It diminishes the appearance of fine lines, reduces the visible appearance of dark circles and minimises under-eye puffiness.

Lulu & Marula Nourishing Treatment Oil is richly packed with essential fatty acids and vitamins that deeply hydrate and repair dry, mature, sensitive and damaged skin types. This nourishing treatment oil softens and smoothes the skin and protects against ageing.

Garnier Even and Matte Ideal Complexion Daily Creams are specially developed for all different skin types to give you the best results.

R173 at Clicks and Dis-Chem.

R449 at faithful-to-nature.co.za

R35 at Clicks.

65

OUT AND ABOUT

S PRIN G SH OPPI NG FEV ER AT T HE EXCLUS I VE

MELROSE ARCH AL FRESCO FASHION & DINING NIGHTS

Executive lounge by Jaguar Land Rover

Dominique Wolf and Thabang Sekaja and his team from Phillip Morris International

S

pring was in the air when The Afropolitan Magazine teamed up with top luxury shopping precinct Melrose Arch in a unique event filled with open-air dining, new spring fashion launches, celebrity shoulder-rubbing and exclusive guest offers. The glittering shopping experience took place over two nights at the Upper Galleria of Melrose Arch between Elegance Jewellers and Fabiani all the way to Churchills and Forever New. One of the highlights of the evening was a spectacular fashion show, put on by fashion designer icon Serge Kabisoso of Fashion Without Borders (FWB). Serge is an ambassador for Vodacom Red, one of the sponsors of the Al Fresco event.

Premium fine fragrance company Bacher and Co. showcased their top fragrances, including Dunhill and Creed, in a fabulous experience of pairing fruits with the notes of the fragrances. On arrival guests were invited by Jaguar Land Rover into their VIP Lounge where the latest Range Rover Evoque Convertible was on show.

The first evening was ‘by-invite-only’ where Melrose Arch and The Afropolitan’s most influential associates were in attendance, with an exclusive first look at all the incredible fashion deals on offer.

The second evening welcomed the public for the same incredible experience. The Culinary Co provided elegant eats, and beverages were served out of Churchills Bar, with Stella Artois and Scottish Cousin by Van Loveren Wines putting in an appearance.

Pairing station by Bacher and Co. SPONSORED B Y

The inaugural Melrose Arch Al Fresco Fashion & Dining Nights brought to you by The Afropolitan proved to be a definite date to mark on the luxury fashion and lifestyle calendar for September 2019.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

67

OUT AND ABOUT

CE L E B RATI N G L I F E W I TH

LOYIS O BALA & E M P E R O R S PA L ACE

BY MBALI NDHLOVU

Loyiso Bala with Kabelo, friends and family

IMAGES Yolanda van der Stoep

3

7-year-old family man, academic and award-winning singer, Loyiso Bala, and some of his closest friends and family celebrated his life at the lavish Aurelia restaurant in the heart of the East Rand of Johannesburg as Emperors Palace also celebrated its 20-year anniversary.

“I feel like I’m on my way,” Loyiso said. "I ask, if I was my 16-yearold self looking at my 37-year-old self, would I be proud? Deciding to go back to study to make sure that I have some academic achievements by the time I’m 40 was probably the best move.

It’s helped so much with my growth.” The father of two has also dedicated himself to the ministry and learning about God.

“Just having grown in these two areas, in terms of physical knowledge and also my spiritual knowledge has really put me in a place where I’m so comfortable with myself and where I am right now.”

Guests included members of the legendary TKZee, as well as Loyiso's wife, 41-year-old Jennifer Bala, who had the following birthday message: “Happy birthday, baby. It’s fun to watch you almost at the point where you’re going to join the 40s club.

You're still a spring chicken and that’s why I love you. It’s been a blessing to be by your side and watch you grow and discover who you are and become the person that you are today.”

69

OUT AND ABOUT

BOAT T RIPS AN D GAM E D R I V E S

THE AFR O P OL I TA N T E A M I S SPO ILT BY B I TC

A boat cruise on the Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Kasane.

Afropolitan's Quincy Matonhodze and Dominique Wolf at the Masa Hotel in Gaborone

Guided walk on Impalila Island, a historic village in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, between Botswana and Zambia.

F

ollowing an impactful and exciting week at the Global Expo Botswana, The Afropolitan team was treated by the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) to a trip to the Chobe National Park in Kasane.

Joined by journalists from around the world, we were hosted at the Chobe Marina Lodge on the banks of the mighty Chobe River. Late afternoon boat cruises and early morning game drives afforded us the opportunity to intimately encounter the wildlife in its

natural habitat. The herds of majestic elephants that roam freely on the streets of Kasane are a massive tourist attraction.

A highlight of the weekend was a boat cruise across the river to Namibia, where we took a guided walk on Impalila Island, a historic village in the Caprivi Strip. It was such a privilege to be able to interact with the local villagers who embraced us and welcomed our presence. All thanks go to BITC – the Chobe National Park in Kasane is a magnificent destination which we will never forget!

71

MOTORING

A LL-W H EEL

EXTRAVAG AN CE

Maserati Levante

LUXURY SUVS STARTED OUTSELLING SEDANS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2016, AND THAT TREND HAS CONTINUED. MASERATI, ASTON MARTIN, LAMBORGHINI AND BENTLEY HAVE ENTERED THE MARKET IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND EVEN ROLLS ROYCE IS SET TO INTRODUCE AN SUV. WE REVIEW TWO RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE FLEET. BY TAMARA OBERHOLSTER

72

he trend towards luxury SUVs makes sense. These vehicles are as opulent as the best luxury sedans and cabriolets, but have the added benefits of better ride height and off-road capabilities. They also tend to have more passenger room, making them a viable option for high-end buyers with families.

T

MOTORING

MASERATI LEVANTE

The Levante is Maserati’s first SUV, although it has since launched the Trofeo (not yet available in South Africa), and it has quickly become the Italian brand’s top-selling model. Despite retaining some traditional Maserati elements (such as the three air vents on each side of the car and the analogue clock on the dashboard), make no mistake – this vehicle is packed with the latest technology.

Billed as the Gran Turismo of SUVs, the Levante was launched in 2016. The 2018 model has been enhanced, and in line with Maserati’s new strategy (introduced with the Quattroporte in 2017), introduces two distinct new trim options (luxury-focused GranLusso or sports-orientated GranSport) alongside the three existing powertrain versions.

All the Levante models are built around Maserati 3.0-litre V6 engines, including two twin-turbo petrol engine options (Levante and Levante S) and the turbodiesel (Levante Diesel).

PUT THE CAR INTO SPORT MODE AND YOU’LL HEAR AN IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE IN SOUND WHEN YOU ACCELERATE – NOW IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE DRIVING A MASERATI!

The V6 petrol engines come with the latest gasoline direct injection (GDI) and twin-turbo technologies. The maximum power outputs are 430hp for the Levante S (top speed of 264km; 0 to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds) and 350hp for the Levante (max speed 251km/h; 0 to 100km/h in 6.0 seconds).

The Levante Diesel option comes with a common-rail, directinjection V6 turbodiesel, capable of 275hp, a top speed of 230km/h and 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds. All this, Maserati says, while keeping the fuel economy as low as 7.2 litres/100km.

All the Levante models use an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with four driving modes: normal, ICE (eco mode), sport and off-road. Put the car into sport mode and you’ll hear an immediate difference in sound when you accelerate – now it really sounds like you’re driving a Maserati!

Maserati Levante interior

While you may not initially want to take a Maserati bundubashing, the vehicle’s all-wheel drive mode might just tempt you to. Maserati says the Levante has been engineered to deliver luxurious comfort on rough roads and great handling on low-grip surfaces, with Q4, its intelligent all-wheel drive system and torque vectoring system.

The Levante’s technology features include a state-of-the-art infotainment system with 8.4” touchscreen display, adaptive cruise control with stop & go, forward collision warning plus (FCW plus), advanced brake assist (ABA), lane departure warning system and surround view camera (which even gives you an impression of the car from above).

The classy interior offers various customisation options, beyond opting for the GanLusso (with its exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna silk upholstery, Radica open-pore dashboard wood, leather steering wheel and Harman Kardon sound system) or GranSport trim (with its sport seats with integrated anti-whiplash headrests and the power-adjustable sport steering wheel with standard gearshift paddles). My personal favourite extras are the remote start feature, which never fails to draw a reaction, and the electrically lockable glovebox.

Pricing on the Levante starts at R1 650 000 (Levante Diesel) and R1 950 000 (Levante S).

73

MOTORING

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO

The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo is the flagship model in the Cayenne model line-up, now in its third generation. The Cayenne has proved a bestseller, with more than 770 000 sold since it first launched in 2002.

Porsche says the car has been redeveloped and is even closer to its roots as a Porsche sports car than its predecessor, with a four-litre V8 biturbo engine that delivers 550hp. It accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds (3.9 seconds with the Sport Chrono package) and reaches a top speed of 286km/h. All the new Cayenne models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

The new Cayenne Turbo also offers improved driving dynamics thanks to a combination of innovative technologies, including active aerodynamics (including the adaptive roof spoiler – the first SUV to have one), self-levelling three-chamber air suspension, wider rear tyres and new high-performance brakes (Porsche surface coated brakes, aka PSCB, which come standard on the Turbo model).

One of the aspects of the new Cayenne range that’s been catching buyers’ interest is the fact that the vehicle comes fully networked and connected as standard. Features and services include Amazon Music, the smart home app Nest and Radio Plus, which offers a combination of conventional reception and online streaming, online navigation (including real-time traffic information) and an LTE telephone module with integrated SIM card, plus a WI-FI hotspot, four USB ports, and new Porsche Connect services. Drivers can access a wide variety of digital features and services via the Porsche Connect App.

The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo sells for R2 158 000, with the three-year/100 000km Porsche drive plan included.

Interestingly, the car has differing tyre sizes at the front (285/40) and rear (315/35), which Porsche says is an idea borrowed from sports car construction that translates into better longitudinal and lateral power delivery. The car has an active chassis with three-chamber air suspension that ensures the Turbo can perform exceptionally in every environment.

On a design front, the new Cayenne Turbo is easily recognisable by its twin tailpipes and at night by its double-row front-light modules. A completely new interior offers both improved sportiness and comfort.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo interior

75

LAST WORD

THABILE WONCI, BMF

BEST MAN FOR… THE JOB

IT’S BEEN A YEAR SINCE THABILE WONCI (35) WAS APPOINTED MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE THOUGHTLEADERSHIP ORGANISATION, BLACK MANAGEMENT FORUM (BMF). WE GET TO KNOW THABILE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AND HEAR WHAT HE’S BEEN UP TO BETWEEN THEN AND NOW…. BY ANGIE SNYMAN What does being the MD of such a vital organisation mean to you?

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is…

It’s a great platform for me to serve my people and my country – this job has afforded me this, and so much more... In fact, this is not even a job but a calling! A solid foundation which allows me to deliver great results has been laid since the beginning of the year, and I have ticked many boxes both strategically and operationally.

Take a few minutes of quiet time which always works best to help me dig deep into my emotional and spiritual senses.

It’s the perfect way to recharge and gear my mind for the day ahead.

What were you like as a child, and who had the biggest influence on your life?

What do you do to relax?

I was that child who was loved by all the teachers... I was well behaved and loved school! I had no choice because the school principal was my uncle’s friend!

I collect books and music. Sitting at home with a great book in hand with beautiful jazz sounds playing in the background just swallows up my heart and soul. My ultimate relaxation time!

My late grandmother was my biggest influence, she was my source of inspiration and I lived to make sure that I didn’t disappoint her. I think I turned out well, though…

Unfortunately, she never lived to see me graduate and witness the fruits of her prayers.

Your Twitter bio says: “Life: Jazz, Cycling & Rugby”. Please tell us more…

Jazz chose me! I grew up in a home of jazz lovers and they used to make us dance to jazz songs – so cruel!!

Was fairness and equality always a priority for you?

Professional cycling and rugby are what I would do in my next life. I could sit at home the whole day and watch Tour de France or a rugby game – both great sports if you ask me!

Oh yes! Born and having lived in this unjust society, I've grown to appreciate Mathew’s Golden Rule, “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

How and where will you be spending Christmas this year?

Were you always a natural leader?

I’ve never thought about it actually.

Looking back, I’ve always gravitated towards leadership positions, both at varsity and in the corporate space. Part of God’s plan for my life!

We see your interests include economics, history and politics, in what way does your interest in these areas benefit you in your role?

They help balance reasoning whilst strengthening my argument in my advocacy role to see black professionals and black business play a pivotal role in our economy.

76

Thabile Wonci

You were formerly an investment bank professional and you are a writer, which implies you are both logical and creative. How does your position allow for creativity?

Most definitely; this comes out a lot in my review of how we are positioned as an organisation and how do we remain the epicentre for managerial leadership development and a voice for black professionals.

I’ll be out in the villages with my family, far away from the buzz of the City of Gold. It’s important to recharge for the task that’s lying ahead – there are great possibilities to discover in the New Year!

The Black Management Forum (BMF) stands for the development and empowerment of managerial leadership, primarily amongst black people, and the creation of managerial structures and processes that reflect the demographics, and values of the wider society. www.bmfonline.co.za