Opulent Living Magazine no 13

T H E C O F F E E -TAB L E MAGAZ I N E F O R T H E F I N E R T H I NG S I N L I F E

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Opulent Living Welcome

“The only thing that is constant is change.” – Heraclitus

Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast, founders and owners of Opulent Living

PHOTOGRAPH: FIONA MACPHERSON

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he completion of another edition of Opulent Living always brings with it a moment of reflection, where we think back on where we have come from, and where we still plan to go. It’s not always easy to find time for proper reflection in our busy world; but we believe it’s an important part of any enterprise that is growing and changing as the world around it changes.

As Edition 13 goes to print, we’re reflecting back on a particularly busy year. Our heads have been spinning since Easter – and yet, as we discovered when we took a moment to reflect on all our achievements, there are still plenty of things we haven’t done, even though

we have wanted to do them since at least this time last year.

Does this sound familiar? It’s sometimes good to hear that you’re not alone, that it’s quite normal not to have ticked off everything on your list. Did you keep up with what needed to be done? I’m sure you did as much as you could, just as we did, and knew what the important things were to prioritise.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s good not to get too weighed down by plans.

Sometimes you have to allow yourself to get into a mindspace of “let it flow” where you let the momentum take you and allow change to happen. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but the results can be wonderfully positive.

In 500BC, Greek philosopher Heraclitus propounded that the only constant in life is change. Yet, despite knowing this, we are all set in our ways to some extent. It’s human nature to develop routines and get locked into a certain way of doing things.

And it can be quite annoying if anyone dares to suggest a different approach! It seems to become more prevalent as we get older – hence the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Our comfort zones seem to get bigger, and because of that we leave them less often – and cut ourselves off from experiencing new things.

That is something swimmer Ryk Neethling worked hard to avoid. We so enjoyed getting to know this humble, hardworking man during our interview with him for this edition, and were impressed by the changes he has instituted to keep his career moving forward. He had a good

sense of when he needed to leave his successful swimming career behind and move on to new ventures while he was still young enough to make the most of them. The result is a well-rounded athlete and businessman.

Opulent Living is also changing as we find new ways to deliver on what we believe is the “promise of our brand”.

A significant change is that we added a second division to Opulent Living Travel, our bespoke travel business. Having had the privilege of doing two cruises in the past two years, and seeing how popular this form of travel has become, it seemed the right time to establish Opulent Living Cruises. It’s proved a positive step, and we look forward to helping you book this ultimate travel experience sometime soon. Allow our brand promise to find you the ship and itinerary that fulfils your dreams – so you can create more unforgettable moments with us.

While some parts of our business constantly evolve – Opulent Living Experiences, for example, is always developing exciting new event ideas – one thing that we plan never to change is the quality of our publication – and we hope you enjoy this edition as much as ever. We hope it inspires you to attend what guests have labelled our “out of the ordinary” experiences, and to become a patron of our travel divisions, which always aim to fulfil your every wish – on land and water.

Carpe diem and opulent regards, Barbara & Florian

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Imprint

Sharing their passion and expertise…

Tracy Melass cut her journalism teeth on newspapers in South Africa and London before moving into women’s magazines. After working as Editor on two local titles, she took the leap into freelancing. On any given day, she will be dabbling in gardening, mining, sport, women’s empowerment and pretty much anything in between, including finding out more about local hero Ryk Neethling.

After a long career as an Editor and Content Director across a wide variety of media, Vanessa Raphaely is currently on an extended sabbatical. While she plans her next move, she is half way through writing her first novel and is also loving having the time to travel and the ability to tick dreams off her bucket list. Seeing the migration at Angama Mara in Kenya was high on that list.

Although he spends plenty of time at 35 000 feet, Cape Town is where travel writer Richard Holmes calls home. When he’s not jetting off on assignment, he’s unearthing a new foodie find in the ‘Mother City’, or waxing up his surfboard for a session at his local break. He’s travelled to the four corners of Scotland, but it’s the peated smoky whiskies of Islay that inspired him to write our whisky features.

Andrea Vinassa specialises in writing about arts and culture, décor and architecture, design and real estate so getting to know sculptor Jean Doyle and delving into bodypainting were just up her alley. When not huddled over a hot laptop, she loves taking old things and making them new – repurposing furniture, renovating apartments, refurbishing homes. She lives in Hout Bay, surrounded by mountains and sea.

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Publisher: Barbara Lenhard barbara@opulentliving.co.za Editorial & Creative Director: Florian Gast florian@opulentliving.co.za Managing Editor: Anne Duncan Designer: Deborah Poswell Contributors: Sebastian Bartlett, Vivienne Becker, Justin Fox, Keri Harvey, Kit Heathcock, Richard Holmes, Raymond Jane, Tracy Melass, Scott Ramsay, Vanessa Raphaely, Andrea Vinassa, Sophia Watershed

Newspace Publishing CC Cape Town, South Africa Edition no. 13: published November 2015 Edition no. 14: to be published in May 2016 For advertising and sales please contact sales@opulentliving.co.za Distribution: throughout South Africa and internationally via preferred partners and five-star hotels · in first and business class on selected airlines · in exclusive lounges, showrooms and boutique stores · nationwide via direct mail · internationally via selected distributors Nominal charge: R180 Printed in South Africa by Tandym, Cape Town www.opulentliving.co.za www.facebook.com/opulentliving @liveopulent www.youtube.com/opulentliving

Opulent Living magazine is published by Newspace Publishing CC. Copyright Newspace Publishing CC. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from Newspace Publishing or the authors. The publishers are not responsible for any unsolicited material. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Newspace Publishing or the editors. Opulent Living is a registered trademark of Newspace Publishing CC.

With us from the beginning, Harry the hippo.

COVER IMAGES: ANGAMA MARA, AUDEMARS PIGUET / PICOT & MOSS, FREGATE PRIVATE ISLAND, VINCENT WULVERYCK ©CARTIER, ROLLS-ROYCE

Contributors

Linkwasha Camp · Alone with the kings of Hwange

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Fancourt · Fairway to heaven

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RYK NEETHLING · PASSIONATE RENAISSANCE MAN

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Fregate Island Private · Island luxury redefined

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Angama Mara · Postcards from the edge

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Wolwedans Private Camp · In harmony with nature

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Miarestate Hotel & Spa · Wild and secluded

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Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa · Oasis of pure romance and unfettered luxury

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Contents

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Opulent Living Style

Diamond in the rough · Why the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is an off-road legend

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The king of all that sparkles · Laurence Graff has a natural affinity for gemstones

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A dram of Caledonian heritage · Taste the tradition in Scottish single malt

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Spoilt for choice · Inspiration is everywhere for Bespoke at Rolls-Royce

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Inspiring young chefs · The inaugural ‘Chefs who share’ Young Chef Award

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Castings of character · Sculptor Jean Doyle’s voluptuous bronzes

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SUVs we love to drive · A round-up of luxury off-roaders

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Diamonds we love to flaunt · Brilliant pieces from top jewellers

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Scotch we love to savour · A selection of Scotland’s finest whiskies

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TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE VALLÉE DE JOUX. FOR MILLENNIA A HARSH, UNYIELDING ENVIRONMENT; AND SINCE 1875 THE HOME OF AUDEMARS PIGUET, IN THE VILLAGE OF LE B R A S S U S . T H E E A R LY WAT C H M A K E R S W E R E SHAPED HERE, IN AWE OF THE FORCE OF NATURE YET DRIVEN TO MASTER ITS MYSTERIES THROUGH THE COMPLEX MECHANICS OF THEIR CRAFT. STILL TODAY THIS PIONEERING SPIRIT INSPIRES US TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS OF FINE WATCHMAKING.

ROYAL OAK PERPETUAL CALENDAR IN STAINLESS STEEL.

Contents

Camp Jabulani · A close encounter with lowveld giants

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Tintswalo Atlantic · Risen from the ashes

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Opulent Events · Stylesetters and newsmakers

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Opulent Living Photo Feature Art of illusion · The award-winning bodypaintings of Johannes Stötter

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Linkwasha Camp · Zimbabwe

Alone with the kings of Hwange

Zimbabwe’s wildlife and scenery is legendary, and the locals are famously friendly – which is why travellers in search of authentic safaris are rediscovering the country’s iconic wild places. The new Linkwasha Camp in Hwange National Park ticks all the boxes. Here, in an exclusive concession far from hordes of tourists, you’ll find the densest concentrations of wildlife in the country’s largest protected area – and the personal attention that only a small, luxury lodge can offer.

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Elephants are a common sight in Hwange National Park, and in winter they congregate in enormous numbers around the waterholes.

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here’s a pride of 26 lions in the east of Hwange National Park, and Linkwasha Camp is in the middle of their territory. They are everything lions are supposed to be. Big, bold and strong, this cohort of cats is unstoppable, confronting buffalo herds numbering over a thousand, and even bringing down adult elephants occasionally.

Hwange’s newest private camp lies in front of a waterhole on the edge of open grasslands. Managed by Wilderness Safaris on behalf of the national park, this 523-square-kilometre concession in Zimbabwe’s largest protected area is ideal for large herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra, blue wildebeest and impala. There’s more meat here than anywhere else in Hwange, and the lions know it.

Large prides of lions are rare in Africa today. Over the past 60 years, lion numbers across the continent have dropped by 90 percent to less than 23 000. But Hwange’s lion population of around 450 is currently thriving, and if the timing is right, Linkwasha Camp offers a front-row seat to their antics.

There are no fences around camp, so the locals have right of way (are you really going to argue with a lion?). Sometimes the predators walk straight past, or if their bellies are full from a recent kill, they may plop themselves down within metres of the viewing deck.

The camp – completed in June 2015 – is a fitting tribute to the king of the beasts.

There are just nine tents, sleeping 18 people, so it’s exclusive and personal.

Each tent is really a luxurious wildlifeviewing hide of canvas and glass, with combined bedroom, lounge, en-suite shower and toilet.

Raised slightly off the earth, the rooms offer wide panoramas of the surrounding savannah. The showers look out through a glass door – open it and you’re at one with the skies and stars. If an elephant sees you, don’t be shy. You’ll get used to it – there are more than 40 000 in Hwange, one of the largest concentrations in Africa.

The tents are linked via boardwalks to the central dining and lounge area. Multi-level viewing decks, with pool and couches,

make wildlife viewing incredulously comfortable. Guests can sit in the pool and sip a cold glass of sauvignon blanc as herds of elephant trundle past within touching distance, seemingly posing for photographs as they go.

Although great sightings are possible from camp itself, a guided game drive on an open-topped Land Rover is the raison d’etre for visiting this special part of Hwange. Off-road driving to sightings is not allowed in the park, but there’s so much wildlife that your guide won’t need to veer off the sandy jeep tracks.

Lewis Mangaba and Sam Mushandu have guided across Southern and East Africa, but Hwange is their home turf. Their stringent Zimbabwe guiding certification automatically makes them among the best interpreters of the bush, but they also infuse guests with their own soulful enthusiasm for all things wild.

Ask them a question about an animal, a tree or an insect, and they’ll know the answer.

They’ll even answer questions you don’t know need asking. Part conservationists, part philosophers, they are evangelical in their quest to educate and inspire guests.

“Every living creature and plant is in relationship, and everything depends on everything else for survival,” Lewis says, after explaining how termites are critical to Africa’s savannah and woodland ecology, and without them, all the big animals would ultimately disappear. “And yes, the human race’s survival ultimately relies on termites and elephants, and everything in between.”

You may arrive only wanting to see the Big 5, and understandably so. But guided

by Lewis or Sam, it may not matter if you don’t see lions (although you’re guaranteed to see elephants). In no time, you’ll be a lover of bugs and bushes and little brown birds. You may even go home to your friends preaching the ecological virtues of elephant dung.

After game drives or guided bush walks, meals and snacks are served outside, overlooking the waterhole. The food is delicious without being pretentious, and the comprehensive wine list will satisfy most palettes.

Eight en-suite luxury tents and one family tent look out over the waterhole, their fresh, open and airy design complemented by eclectic, contemporary interiors.

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The main lodge – including various multi-level decks, a pool area and a winter lounge complete with library – has uninterrupted wildlife views.

Linkwasha Camp

Hwange National Park, ZIMBABWE Telephone: +27 (0)11 807 1800 Email: enquiry@wilderness.co.za Website: www.wilderness-safaris.com

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At first sight, Linkwasha is all about you, and that’s how it should be at such a high-end offering. There’s little else you could need from a luxurious bush camp. But when you step into a place like Hwange, you are entering a gigantic wild jigsaw puzzle. With a little time, as the puzzle comes together, there’s no end to wonderment. There’s a focus shift to a bigger perspective and soon you’ve forgotten yourself. That’s the invaluable gift of Linkwasha’s authentic wilderness experience. n Scott Ramsay

PHOTOGRAPHS: WILDERNESS SAFARIS

While the camp and its undoubtedly luxurious amenities are all about keeping guests comfortable, Wilderness Safaris – through its network of 50 camps – has an impressive legacy of conservation work in Africa. Since 1996, the company has directly funded ecological research projects, anti-poaching patrols and construction of schools in local villages.

It also pumps water to several of the pans in the park. Which means that if you stay at Linkwasha, you are automatically contributing to the bigger picture.

One of 50 lodges owned and operated

by Wilderness Safaris across Africa, and one of four in Hwange National Park, Linkwasha is located in the southeastern corner of the park, on a private concession. It is about a four-hour drive, or a half-hour plane trip, from Victoria Falls International Airport, which is serviced by daily scheduled flights from Johannesburg.

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Fancourt · South Africa

Fairway to heaven Fancourt is a paradise for golfers, with The Links consistently rated as the best course in South Africa. And now the estate’s historical manor is also drawing kudos for its superb boutique hotel offering.

Intimate and intensely stylish, The Manor House is a romantic haven in tranquil, green surrounds framed by the dramatic Outeniquas.

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fternoon tea in The Manor House garden lounge has a sense of occasion that doesn’t so much take you back to a bygone age, as create a new era of gracious living. Gorgeous brocades and velvets on button-back chairs, gilded mirrors, deep rugs on the original wood floors and tall arched French windows giving out onto the garden, combine classic and contemporary influences to evoke an atmosphere of serene wellbeing, not to mention the feelgood factor of the tempting array of scones with clotted

cream, finger sandwiches, pastries and decadent gâteaux served to any guests who look in at tea time.

Built in 1859, The Manor House was once the home of Henry Fancourt White, the engineer who supervised the construction of the Montagu Pass linking George with Oudtshoorn, on the other side of the Outeniqua mountains that frame the estate. The elegant property – listed as a South African National Monument – was named Africa’s Best Romantic Boutique Hotel by the World Boutique Hotel Awards in 2015, and is the perfect

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A meticulous remodelling of historical Blanco House, The Manor House at Fancourt combines contemporary elegance with classic charm.

base from which to enjoy Fancourt’s world-renowned greens, or to explore the highlights of the famed Garden Route.

If it’s quiet relaxation over a book with a good whisky that you’re looking for after an energetic day on the golf course, The Manor House library, with its understated décor, leather sofas and comfortable wingback armchairs in front of the original Victorian fireplace is the ideal refuge.

Linger long enough and a touch of evening glamour warms the scene in the Montagu Bar as the sun sets and canapés and sparkling wine are offered by smiling staff as a prelude to dinner.

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Each of the 18 suites has its own private lounge, too, so if you prefer your tea or pre-dinner drinks in privacy, all you have to do is drop a word to your butler, who is there for any request day or night. Or help yourself from the crystal decanters of premium whisky, brandy, vodka, gin and sherry, which are The Manor House’s lavish interpretation of the complimentary mini-bar, with an in-room espresso machine also part of the furniture.

With all this and more as standard in the 13 Homewood suites, it’s hard to know how to go one better, but the four Oakland suites manage it with even more

space, a separate living room and walkin dressing area, while the sophisticated Master Bedroom, upstairs in the original manor, offers two en-suite bedrooms and its own dining room and lounge – all with sweeping views over the grounds.

Candlelit fine dining finishes off the day in perfect style at Henry White’s, the elegant in-house restaurant where Chef Petrus de Kock creates innovative dishes based on the finest of local ingredients and regularly hosts pairing evenings for discerning foodies. If you’re in the mood for more casual fare, stroll round to La Cantina at the Fancourt Hotel. This lively

The Fancourt Estate includes three championship golf courses, natural wetlands, lakes, woodland and beautiful gardens against a spectacular backdrop of the Outeniqua mountains.

Italian eatery recently won awards for its excellent pizzas and pastas. To explore further afield, just ask your butler for recommendations of restaurants in George and you’ll be chauffeured there in style.

Tempting as it is to hole up in the sumptuous cocoon of comfort that is The Manor House, the estate’s 613 hectares of outdoor natural paradise beckon, in particular the world-renowned Links championship golf course, a design that Gary Player is deservedly proud of and which hosted the 2003 President’s Cup and the 2005 SA Open. A triumph of landscaping, he and his team transformed

what was once a flat airfield into a rolling series of hills, dunes and valleys reminiscent of a traditional Scottish links, resulting in a course that is both challenging and stimulating.

A private members club, there are a selection of tee times reserved for hotel guests, but even so guests are recommended to book well ahead as these are much coveted by dedicated golfers.

The Links has been ranked among the world’s top 50 courses, as well as the best in South Africa, and Fancourt’s other two private courses, Montagu and Outeniqua, also make South Africa’s top 20, so there

is plenty of choice to keep the most ardent of golfers happy for days.

But you don’t have to be passionate about golf to fall in love with Fancourt, and you don’t have to be a golf widow to find consolation in the fabulous spa, luxuriating in the Roman bath area while soaking in the panoramic mountain views, or unwinding with its holistic body treatments. Mountain biking, hiking, running the extensive network of trails, swimming, playing tennis or working out at the gym fill in any gaps in the schedule – and that’s before even leaving the grounds to explore the Garden Route.

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Fancourt

Blanco, George, SA Telephone: +27 (0)44 804 0000 Email: reservations@fancourt.co.za Website: www.fancourt.co.za

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within walking distance of the luxurious club house and all its amenities, and with a coveted Links family membership included. If moving to Fancourt full-time isn’t practical, a part-share in this golfing paradise comes with one of the fractional ownership offerings of convenient lockup-and-go villas and lodges.

Whether visiting Fancourt for the worldclass golf or simply a romantic weekend in the Garden Route, it’s no surprise that The Manor House draws guests to return again and again for another taste of its warm hospitality and charm. n Kit Heathcock

PHOTOGRAPHS: FANCOURT

There’s good news for guests that come here and never want to leave: Fancourt has a select offering of residential real estate enjoying the same idyllic setting and a lifestyle second to none, with Fancourt family membership included in the purchase price. There’s a wide choice of architectural styles, from Cape Dutch to contemporary slate roofed, and various private settings with views of one of the golf courses and the Outeniqua mountains.

But perhaps the most desirable residences for serious golfers are those on exclusive Links Avenue overlooking the course,

A member of Leading Hotels of the World, Fancourt is just 7km from George Airport. The resort has two accommodation offerings: five-star Fancourt Hotel with 115 rooms, and The Manor House, a five-star boutique hotel with 18 suites offering personalised, butler-style service.

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PASSIONATE RENAISSANCE MAN He powered into the imaginations of South Africans as an Olympic swimming gold medallist. But tall, chiselled Ryk Neethling has since reinvented himself as a respected multifaceted businessman, with a clear, holistic vision of his future.

by Tracy Melass

Winelands, the former Olympian is a substantial shareholder in the Val de Vie Estate, bottles his own wine, owns four swim academies and acts as agent to top-flight local swimmers.

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For someone who has lived much of his life in the public eye — and who is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s best-loved icons, sporting and otherwise — it jars a little to know that it was one of Ryk Neethling’s dearest wishes that people recognised the depth beneath the one-dimensional media persona of the goodlooking sportsman turned socialite turned businessman. It weighed on him that no one knew the ‘real’ person: a serious man; humble, kind and ultimately unassuming. Neethling has since grown into his own skin. If you look past the PR veneer, you’ll find a measured, thoughtful, driven man, who, very simply, wants to work hard, love, learn and give back.

The rest is just brand building.

Driven by passion in all its guises – for work, country and, indeed, every endeavour he tackles — Neethling reveals himself as someone who constantly wants to prove, and improve, himself. While he may have put his swimming career behind him, it has shaped him in more ways than anyone could ever guess. Now, at 37, he has met Sahar Biniaz, the woman he will marry (she sits by his side and chips in during the interview), and intends to spread the net of

his business interests even wider. But all the while, the determination and tenacity that got him out of bed before dawn for decades and propelled him through the water, lurks beneath the surface.

Too far out It all started with a near drowning. Raised by a lawyer father and school-teacher mother in Bloemfontein, and the only son among three children, Ryk was five years old when he swam too far into the deep end of a neighbour’s pool and almost got into serious trouble. “My mother decided I needed to learn to swim. One thing led to the next, and I remember being very competitive, even at such a young age,” recalls Neethling. “I asked around, figured out who the best swimmer was, looked at him and thought, ‘Okay, I have to beat you’.”

While he took to water like the proverbial duck, Neethling also shone in other sporting disciplines. He played a mean game of rugby and was a good all-round sportsman. But when he was around 13, he realised he had a talent for swimming. He was strategic, too, a quality that still shines through strongly in his

PHOTOGRAPH: FIONA MACPHERSON FOR OPULENT LIVING

Now based in the Cape

Neethling competed in four successive Olympic games, taking gold for the 4x100m freestyle relay in Athens in 2004. He holds a number of SA records for freestyle and until recently held the world record for the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Passion is very important, and

“ „ my passion is here. I can’t be the kind of guy who has one

foot in South Africa and one

on the other side. I don’t want to go anywhere.

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business choices and personal development.

“I really wanted to go and study in America and see the world, and I knew I could do it on a swimming scholarship.”

So he didn‘t just compete. He competed well enough to get him that swimming scholarship. Even at age six, he would note down all his times and ensure he improved on them. Within just months of learning to swim, he was competing. “I was not the best swimmer there was; there were probably faster swimmers, but they were lazy,” says Neethling. “At that age when you come up against an obstacle, you can choose to let it stop you or go through it. I had a fierce determination. I knew I wanted to go to the Olympic games, even though I didn’t really understand what they were. That’s where my dream started. I got to my first Olympics when I was 18 in Atlanta, and I ended up going to four,” he says matter of factly.

This is a remarkable feat for any sportsman, but Neethling strikes a philosophical tone.

“It’s a game of success and failure,” he says.

“But no one ever mentions the failure. You don’t win all your races; you know there are times when you want to quit, where you do quit. There were times when I stopped swimming… But you come back and you look at your dreams that are too strong to give up, and you get back in the pool and train. I was very lucky to reach my dream of not only going to the Olympics but to win an Olympic gold medal.’

Out of the nest Hard work and resilience paid off for the young Grey College lad. He earned a place in the South African swimming team for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (where he came fifth in the 1 500m freestyle) and then immediately enrolled at the University of Arizona, where he further cemented his swimming reputation, earning numerous awards and accolades, including being the nine times NCAA National Champion, Arizona Athlete of the Year and PAC-10 Athlete of the Year for four consecutive years, 1999 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, and the University of Arizona Athlete of the Century award.

“It opened up a whole new world — and challenges,” he recalls. “I had been schooled in Afrikaans but now had to switch to English, I trained four hours a day, I had to get around on a bike because I had no car and I had to queue with illegal immigrants for a social security number.” When he got sick, there was no family to provide support.

“It was pre Skype days, so I spoke to my parents on the phone only for a few minutes once a week,” he adds.

“It wasn’t always easy but I wouldn’t change it,” he says. “Living in a university town was great. After I got my degree (a BA in psychology and business), I also undertook some work experience. I made some great friends and had some incredible coaches, mentors and professors who I still keep in touch with, people that really had a big impact on my life. The age of 18 to 25 is an important time in any young man’s life — it’s the time you become a man.”

Digging deep Swimming also played a pivotal role in Neethling’s early family life, not only as driver to succeed and see the world, but also as a salve for hardship. His sister Elsje was diagnosed with cancer as a young teenager.

For a confused young boy, swimming provided a way of escape, a form of solace at a difficult time.

His sister’s diagnosis coincided with the period in which he really began to excel in swimming. It seems this was no accident. He didn’t want to be at home — “where there was crying and drama” — and took out his frustrations in the pool.

“One day my sister was fine and the next they said she has 10 days to live, that they can’t do anything for her”. The young man threw himself into his sport, even taking responsibility for getting himself up in the morning, getting himself fed and off to training. “It taught me a lot about selfsufficiency and discipline,” he acknowledges.

In spite of the bleak prognosis, Elsje survived and she and Neethling remain close. Because of the many operations she’s undergone, however, she is in a wheelchair much of the time, he says. Neethling’s younger sister, Jean-Marie, herself a successful top-level swimmer, has just finished her legal studies, and lives in Ireland with her club rugbyplaying husband.

HERE YOU CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT

PHOTOGRAPH: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Putting down roots Despite his 12 years in the US, Neethling is adamant he has no plans to live anywhere else but South Africa. He let his Green Card lapse and never pursued citizenship.

It’s about passion, he says. “Passion is very important, and my passion is here. I can’t be the kind of guy who has one foot in South Africa and one on the other side. I don’t want to go anywhere.”

For Neethling, this meant putting his mouth where the money could have been. In 2005, he was offered a substantial amount to swim for Qatar. He turned it down. It was more important for him to swim for his country.

National pride trumped the dollar.

“It was a big thing and I think I made the right decision. But to get that much money… At one time, it would have really set me up. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be here now. I would probably be living in the US somewhere and be a swim coach. That’s not really the kind of life that I envisioned for myself.”

This passion and patriotism comes through strongly in much of Neethling’s sentiments.

He speaks warmly of his homeland after his US stint. “I was so happy to be back. You know, this place is really a special country and people are so friendly. The interactions that you have are just so real… Everyone can make a difference in somebody’s life here, whereas in America, you can’t really make as big an impact. I enjoyed the aspect of being able to come back and make a difference.

Even just by showing up at a children’s home, being able to raise money, doing all these things… It’s an important part for me, to be able to give back.”

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I am ready for the next

“ „ chapter. I did the sports thing, then I established myself,

travelled all over the world

on my own, ticked all those

boxes. I don’t have any kind of fear of missing out.

A chance invite to visit Val de Vie for a magazine article has seen Neethling establish strong ties with the upmarket polo lifestyle estate, and he now lives on the estate and works as its Marketing Director.

In the valley A chance trip to Cape Town in 2008 was the catalyst for Neethling’s shift into the world of real estate and business. While still living in Johannesburg, he was invited to fly down to the upmarket Val de Vie residential estate outside Paarl for a magazine article. “I had no idea what it was for, but, hey, it was a free flight to Cape Town… There were only about 20 houses [on the estate] at the time but I got the feeling immediately that I was going to do something there one day.”

Neethling had just opened a swim school in Johannesburg and suggested to the developers that he do something similar for them. And so he did, which meant regular visits to the estate to check on his project.

“It was during this time that I completed a winemaking course at Stellenbosch University, got involved with developing my own wine label, and began spending more time at Val de Vie,” he recalls. He and some friends built five houses on the estate to rent out. “One thing led to another … and in January 2010 I suggested that I join the Val de Vie team.

There was no job for me, so we created the marketing position.”

He was not a complete real-estate novice.

He had completed a real-estate qualification while in Arizona and learnt a huge amount on the job. Neethling went on to become a director and major shareholder at Val de Vie, which is now an internationally renowned polo lifestyle estate.

Neethling is also bottling his own wine under the Val de Vie label and last year clinched a major export deal to China. He also owns four swim academies (with another set to open soon), as well as acting as agent and commercial manager to a couple of top flight swimmers, including Olympic gold medallist Cameron van der Burgh.

Just the two of us He’s a busy man but acutely aware of his new status, too, as a newly engaged man.

Neethling says he is ready to settle down.

Always fiercely private about his love life but a frequent subject of celebrity magazines targeting him as “SA’s sexiest man”, he and fiancée Sahar Biniaz, a Canadian actress and model, are clearly a hot media item. But they’re living a low-key life at Val de Vie.

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Well, not completely low key. Sahar’s a top Bollywood actress and is used to the glitz and glamour of Oscar parties and top social events. ”She is used to going to these things so I have to show her the best that we have,” says Neethling, laughing. “She can’t sit in the winelands all the time you know — a girl does need to dress up!” Sahar also has an apartment in Cape Town so the pair will occasionally go to town for a “city vibe”.

“I am ready for the next chapter,” says a clearly smitten and contented Neethling. “I did the sports thing, then I established myself, travelled all over the world on my own, ticked all those boxes. I don’t have any kind of fear of missing out.”

Sahar is something of an international citizen herself. Her parents are Iranian (formerly Persia), she was born in India and holds Canadian citizenship. The couple shares strong family values and they spend as much quality time together as they can, despite busy schedules. They exercise together after work — “now that I’m engaged I leave the office at 5pm sharp!” — play tennis, go to the gym for an hour or so and then relax at home.

Looking into the future, Neethling believes he has laid the groundwork for the life he wants.

He believes he has put himself in the position to maximise business opportunities, and build on his profile. He cites former sports icons like Morné du Plessis and Francois Pienaar as role models he would like to emulate: elder statesmen of sport who have “made some money, but transcended their games and put back into society. I want to do good and be kind of a person that people look up to, and in my personal life obviously to be the best partner that I can be.”

This Renaissance man is on the right track.

RYK AT A GLANCE I am passionate about wines. I make all the decisions relating to the Val de Vie wines. I do all the tastings; I’m the one that sells it…

That‘s why I took a winetasting course at the University of Stellenbosch. As for my own wine, I don’t want to just put a label on it; I really want to understand it, work with the winemaker, and talk about it with confidence and passion.

I would never travel without my phone.

I also need to do some form of exercise,

PHOTOGRAPHS: FIONA MACPHERSON, SUPPLIED

so I would take my running shoes and a swimming costume.

The best gift I have ever received would be more of a gesture or effort from someone.

Sahar always makes fun of me — telling me I sound like a politician — but I’m really not big on material things. I value experiences or gestures instead.

There are a number of people who have influenced me in my life and career. My father is one of them. He kept things together, his family and his legal practice, after being told my sister had 10 days to live. Then there’s my coach in America, Frank Busch, who is one of the biggest names in world swimming. He is like my second father — he really taught me a lot. I also respect Bob Davis, who’s on the business side of things at Val de Vie. He shared so much of his knowledge with me about real estate.

If I had to pick a person from history that I would most like to invite to dinner, it would be Nelson Mandela. I once shared a two-seater couch with him. He poured me tea, gave me sandwiches and I was like, wow, this man is amazing! I felt I should be thanking him, but he thanked me — for achieving for the country. He taught me that

it doesn’t matter who you are, there is no reason to ever be arrogant.

I am a fan of Jan Smuts. I’m a bit of a history nerd and read a lot of history books.

Smuts was one of the founders of the United Nations; he was very forward thinking you know, one of the world’s best leaders. So, I would have him for dinner, too.

My advice to children competing in sport would be to enjoy yourself, to really find your passion, to place less emphasis on winning and breaking records than making it about breaking your own records and setting your own goals. Life is a long road, there will be many ups and downs and you learn from all of those things. You have to learn to just enjoy yourself.

A real treat for me is to be out in nature, in the sun, by the sea, and to do something active: to run, hike, to swim in the ocean…

We were in the Seychelles recently and that, really, is my ideal.

For me, luxury means freedom. It is having the freedom to enjoy the things that you do.

It also means being comfortable, being able to do what you like. It’s spending time with your family, having the freedom to travel… it’s about experiences.

I WANT TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE

Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast met with Ryk Neethling in Cape Town for the interview and photoshoot.

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Fregate Island Private ¡ Seychelles

Island luxury redefined Cast away in the shimmering Indian Ocean, Fregate Island Private gives new meaning to the notion of an exclusive getaway. A forested haven surrounded by pristine coral reefs, its opulent private residences offer a secluded, world-class escape in an otherworldly paradise‌

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hat price can you put on exclusivity? How do you quantify the intoxicating freedom of privacy; that long exhale that comes with soaking up your own slice of island paradise. It is that space to slow down and reconnect – with yourself, with nature, with loved ones – that is perhaps the true joy of Fregate Island Private.

That journey to freedom begins as your helicopter skims low over the azure waters of the Indian Ocean, a pod of bottlenose

dolphins breaking the surface in greeting.

An easy 15-minute flight from the Seychellois capital of Mahé, Fregate Island Private emerges from the blue waters like a vision of delight. Forest-clad Mont Signal, the highest point on the island, soars into clear blue skies as the rotors wind down and you step out into paradise.

The Seychelles’ rich heritage as a French colony is celebrated in the gentle colonial style of Fregate House. It’s here you’ll find the expansive library that will beguile in

the early evening, and the well-stocked wine cellar that will tempt you to taste your way through the world’s finest estates come dinnertime.

But there will be plenty of time for that during your stay. First settle into your luxurious residence, one of just 17 dotted across the island to guarantee perfect privacy and idyllic seclusion.

When Fregate Island Private joined the acclaimed Oetker Collection, the new management immediately set about

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Set on a hilltop on a secluded peninsula, Banyan Hill Estate comprises three sleeping villas, each with a private veranda, and a stunning main living area and dining space that leads out to a private infinity pool with far-reaching views.

Fregate Island Private is a haven for a wide variety of colourful birds, including the Seychelles blue pigeon (below).

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revamping the resort to ensure it met the high standards of other Oetker properties worldwide; prestigious destinations that include Le Bristol Paris and the Côte d’Azur’s Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The most striking upgrades are evident in the refurbished residences, where luxurious linens add to the inimitable charm, and state-of-the-art entertainment and Wi-Fi technology provide every modern convenience.

Each of the 16 Private Pool Residences is hidden in the indigenous coastal vegetation, discreetly tucked apart from the next; ensuring nature provides all the privacy you could ask for. Yet with that privacy comes a liberating feeling of space. The residences range from 400 to 700 square metres in size; each boasting spacious bedrooms, the décor a gentle Seychellois style reflecting the island paradise beyond the picture windows.

Living areas lead out onto large private terraces where a Jacuzzi and infinity

plunge pool offer a welcome respite from the tropical heat. Of course, the scintillating Indian Ocean is but a few steps away, and many residences offer private access to one of the seven beaches strung out around the island like a necklace of precious white pearls.

From each residence, panoramic views of the island and sparkling seas add to the glamour of the private dining pavilion, where romantic dinners à deux are the perfect way to celebrate old memories, or create new ones.

If it’s complete seclusion you’re after, then the Banyan Hill Estate combines a high level of luxury with unparalleled privacy.

Comprising three separate sleeping villas for a total of six guests, this selfcontained getaway is an idyllic option for families and groups looking to recharge and reconnect without any interruptions from the outside world. The romantic villas lead onto a lavish living and dining area boasting unbeatable sea views, and

during your stay a dedicated personal chef, private butler and housekeeper are on hand to attend to your every need.

Both Banyan Hill Estate and each of the Private Pool Residences come with a personal island buggy that allows guests to explore the island at their leisure. The luxurious residences may well encourage you to enjoy much-needed me-time on their terraces, but when you’ve recharged your batteries, Fregate Island Private is waiting to be explored.

This remarkable island has become a shining light for the marriage between tourism and conservation in the Indian Ocean, and is now home to the world’s second-largest population of endangered Aldabra giant tortoises. Just 25 years ago there were only a handful left on the island; today, after dedicated conservation efforts, over 2 200 of these ancient animals call the island home.

The gentle giants thrive in the unique flora of the island, which has been

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Private Pool Residences give guests the luxury of privacy in a pristine natural setting. Spacious rooms lead onto a large terrace with an infinity pool, Jacuzzi, daybeds and dining pavilion that overlooks the lush jungle and deep-blue sea.

The island is one of few breeding grounds for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle and the endangered green turtle, and the conservation team carefully protects nests until hatchlings emerge to begin their life at sea.

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painstakingly restored after decades of intensive farming during the colonial era.

Today, near-extinct species have been replanted, the landscape rejuvenated and the island restored to its former glory.

For instance, the Fregate Island Private’s conservation team has been integral in conserving the iconic Seychelles magpie robin: near-extinct 30 years ago, numbers continue to rebound. During nesting season from October to January, the team also carefully monitors and protects nests of the endangered hawksbill and green turtle. From laying to hatching, it’s a remarkable natural phenomenon that guests are invited to share in.

Daily walks across the island with the resident conservationists are the best way to delve deeper into this remarkable ecosystem. Discover the mighty takamaka tree – a national icon of the Seychelles – as well as the rare and beautifully fragranced Wright’s gardenia. If you’re feeling adventurous, the island’s trails

can also be explored by mountain bike.

From the summit of Mont Signal the turquoise seas surrounding the island will no doubt beckon. Happily, there are a myriad ways to unearth the secrets of this watery wonderland.

The pristine coral reefs are a paradise for scuba divers, and highly trained instructors are able to offer accredited scuba courses for those new to the world beneath the waves. If you’d rather just glimpse the reefs from above, snorkelling excursions can easily be arranged.

Above the water the island also delights.

Sailing, surfing and kayaking are all on offer, while water skiing on the open ocean will surely get the adrenaline flowing.

There’s plenty of adrenaline to be had in the deep blue too. These waters are renowned for offering some of the finest game fishing on the planet, while an excursion with local Seychellois fishermen will offer an insight into the local traditions that have sustained these islands since

PHOTOGRAPHS: OETKER COLLECTION

time immemorial. However you choose to enjoy the oceans, the friendly staff at the recently revamped Yacht Club will assist in making aquatic dreams come true.

Happily, on Fregate Island Private there are culinary adventures to match the exotic island pursuits.

Much of the fresh produce that ends up in the island’s kitchens comes from the estate’s organic vegetable gardens and hydroponic hothouse, allowing Head Chef Alan Larch and his team of skilled chefs the luxury of crafting fine food from the freshest local ingredients. That includes the superb seafood on offer, with fresh fish and seafood delights landed daily at the island’s small private harbour.

Offering a blend of Creole and international flavours, the culinary adventure on your plate is matched by the array of exotic dining experiences on offer.

Dinner may begin with a wine tasting in the cellar of Fregate House, or perhaps a cocktail enjoyed on the summit of Mont

Signal. Perhaps a seaside sundowner at the Anse Bambous Beach Bar or the Pirate’s Bar: both have recently been renovated to offer true island luxury.

Where to for dinner? On Fregate Island Private, you get to decide: perhaps a romantic experience on your private terrace, or a feet-in-the-sand beach barbecue? You certainly won’t want to miss out on the Treehouse, your table cradled in the boughs of one of the oldest and largest banyan trees on the island.

However you choose to while away your days, you’ll find an unending adventure of luxury. Enjoy a much-needed pamper in the serene Rock Spa, where products to relax and revitalise are created using healing ingredients grown on the island.

Or simply revel in the space and solitude of your magnificent sea-facing residence.

Exclusivity, privacy and peace will define your stay at Fregate Island Private, a forested jewel shimmering in the vast blue of the Indian Ocean. n Sebastian Bartlett

Fregate Island Private

Telephone: +49 (0)7221 900 9922 Email: welcome@fregate.com Website: www.fregate.com Fregate Island Private is accessible by a 15-minute flight or a 1.5-hour boat trip from the airport on Mahé.

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The new SUVs from Mercedes-Benz.

Make the best of every terrain.

Visit www.everyterrain.co.za

Vehicle specifications may vary for the South African market.

A Daimler Brand

Angama Mara ¡ Kenya

Postcards from the edge Boasting front row seats in the most dramatic wildlife theatre on the planet, Angama Mara perches on the edge of the Great Rift Valley above the game-dense Mara Triangle. Comprising two camps of just 15 tents each, the glamorous, whimsical lodge offers a luxurious oasis of calm where views over the incredible landscape always takes centrestage.

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The private picnic option allows guests the opportunity to recreate the classic Robert Redford-Meryl Streep pose in the exact location where 80s movie Out of Africa was filmed.

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B The Masai Mara offers one of the world’s quintessential game viewing experiences, and the skill of the Angama Mara guides guarantees a front row seat and a high definition view.

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efore Steve and Nicky Fitzgerald upgraded Angama Mara’s private airstrip, a mere two minutes’ away from their beautiful new lodge, there was only one way to reach it. Guests would take the 45-minute flight from Nairobi’s Wilson airport and land at the Kichwa Tembo strip in the plains below. The transfer up to the lodge in a safari vehicle could take anything up to and over an hour, depending on traffic.

But Angama Mara traffic is not traffic as most of us know it. Elephants, buffalo, zebra, warthogs, giraffe and antelope roamed the plains of the Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara and the Oloololo Escarpment in their hundreds of thousands long before any lodges were built. And safari vehicles still give animals the right of way as they travel the road up to the isolated kopjes on which Angama Mara – the name “angama” means “suspended in air” – is perched.

The long and winding mountain road snakes its way up out of the vast plains below, to ascend to the site made famous as the location of Denys Finch Hatton’s grave in the Meryl Streep and Robert Redford classic 80s film, Out of Africa.

Steve says Angama Mara’s site is

“probably the best in Africa” – and he’s probably right. From its lofty location it presides over a sweeping canvas of the endless plains of the Mara Triangle, a vast area that stretches further than the eye can see. During the day, the towering clouds add drama to the landscape; at night the stars add romance.

In the mornings, the sun rises over the horizon as predators call, returning from a night’s hunting. Guests, awake and ready to set off for the day, are treated to the sight of the hot-air balloons of Governors Balloon Safaris, floating far below. “The view has been known to bring tears to guests’ eyes,” says Nicky.

To build a lodge on such a special site, so beautiful, but also, once so isolated and unreachable, requires a unique vision, bravery and a concept that equals the majesty of its location. There are almost certainly few better people to attempt this than the Fitzgeralds.

The couple have long been icons of the world hospitality and high-end safari industry, thanks to their many successful years managing the highly respected travel company, &Beyond. Under their watch, &Beyond had grown into an industry titan, with 50 lodges on two continents. But the

couple had been happily retired and were living in Johannesburg when they heard that, after many years of neglect and ruin, the “best site in Africa,” Olkurruk, as it was known then, had become available.

Having long coveted it from the grounds of &Beyond’s Kichwa Tembo, Steve “sat under trees” negotiating with Masai elders for over 15 years in repeated attempts to secure the site, but had never succeeded.

In 2013, completely unexpectedly, he received a call telling him that if they still wanted it, it was theirs.

He signed a 25-year lease only days after the tragic shootings in Nairobi’s Westgate Mall. It takes a bold couple (some would say a crazy couple) to embark on such an endeavour in the face of a US and UK travel advisory against travel to Kenya.

Steve and Nicky are, however, not easily discouraged. Together with 15 other

investors, they have spent two years building a “super luxury” lodge unlike, Nicky believes, any other in the Mara.

The buildings of Angama Mara’s two identical camps certainly bear little resemblance to more traditional safari offerings. Ignoring every safari cliché, the bar, restaurant, lounge and Pavilion (which houses the fitness room, safari shop and pool) were built from one fantastical drawing – scribbled on a piece of paper by South African architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, who were responsible for the mould-breaking Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania and North Island in the Seychelles.

Built of brick, concrete and steel, the main buildings are glamorous and quirky.

Irregular in shape, they are whimsical and original. Enchanting follies, rising out of ponds filled with water lilies, they are

Designed by South African architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, the main buildings are a glamorous mix of brick, concrete and steel – with plenty of glass to ensure the view remains omnipresent.

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The tented suites perch on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, offering far-reaching views over the Mara Triangle, where hot-air balloons float above the game-dense plains.

more than a match for the beautiful view.

The view is the hero of every building: whether guests are gathered around the fire-pit at the end of a day, reading on one of the strategically placed armchairs, running on a treadmill in the gym or swimming laps in the crisp, turquoise pool, the backdrop remains the landscape.

The most unique, and romantic, perhaps of all the views on the site is one enjoyed by guests who choose to take advantage of the private picnic option, and the opportunity to recreate the original Out of Africa poster shot of Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, in the exact spot it was taken. So beautiful and unchanged is

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the location that the film was shot here and not in the Ngong Hills, where Karen Blixen’s book was actually set.

The most dramatic and surprising design re-imagination at Angama Mara are those in the guests’ tents. From the back, the tents are fairly traditional green canvas, but open the door and all you see is the vista out of the 30-foot glass windows, which transform the tents from ordinary into rooms with the best view on the planet.

Designed by well-known décor editor and stylist, Annemarie Meintjes, the interiors are both pared back and playful, yet still ultra high-end and luxurious. Baths

inspired by Spanish design legend Patricia Urquiola and beds, screens and recliners

by SA master furniture maker John Vogel are the star pieces, while each room sports a superb pair of binoculars and a copy of Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa to anchor visitors in this very special place.

Most special of all, of course, is the wildlife. The Mara Triangle takes up one third of the Masai Mara National Park and occupies an area of 510 square kilometres.

Its vast plains teem with game, making it an immensely popular destination all year long. But there is no better time to experience one of nature’s new seven wonders than during the annual migration, which occurs from July to October.

The Great Migration is the largest mass movement of animals on the planet and a bucket-list experience for any wildlife lover. To see 1.7-million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of other large game animals move into the Mara from the Ngorongoro and Serengeti in Tanzania is to experience the privilege of a lifetime – but to experience it the Angama Mara way is to experience privilege at an entirely different level.

At most lodges, a game drive is a threehour excursion in the morning and

its most raw. The cycle of life, and death, the struggle between hunted and hunter, is nature’s greatest drama played out, here, in one of its most beautiful theatres.

As Angama Mara’s vehicles wind their way back up to the lodge among the dawdling elephants, zebra and gazelles, you can almost feel all their passengers exhale. To be able to return to the hospitable, welcoming oasis of luxury at the end of that mountain road, must be one of the greatest privileges available to a traveller, anywhere. n Vanessa Raphaely

Angama Mara

Narok, Masai Mara, KENYA Telephone: +27 (0)10 020 0699 Email: info@angama.com Website: www.angama.com Angama Mara borders the Mara Triangle, with 1.2km of Rift Valley frontage, and comprises two separate camps of just 15 tents each. It is best accessed by plane from Nairobi, and there are several scheduled daily flights that land at the lodge’s private airfield, a few minutes’ away. Nairobi is well serviced by major international airlines, including South African Airways, KLM, Lufthansa and British Airways.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANGAMA MARA

another in the late afternoon. At Angama Mara, travellers can customise their own safari. It’s not unknown for guests to set out with both breakfast and lunch packed for drives of up to nine hours in duration, all the better to track the enormous herds and the predators across the plains. There is never a clock ticking at Angama Mara – the wildlife decides the schedules. And with regard to sheer numbers of game, and the potential to see it in action, a safari in the Mara can spoil a guest for any other safari experience. This is nature at

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Get the best of Opulent Living Magazine in our inspiring coffee-table books – the perfect gift Volume 1 and Volume 2 – each 296 pages in full colour with a hard cover and beautiful dust jacket – showcase the best lodges, hotels and resorts Southern Africa has to offer. Together with exceptional interviews and stories, these books are a must-have for any avid traveller or connoisseur of the finer things in life.

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From the story of Laurence Graff and the brilliant creations of top jewellery houses to luxury vehicles and the finest Scotch, this section aims to provide

PHOTOGRAPH: TANIA & VINCENT ©CARTIER

dazzling insight into the best brands.

Opulent Living Style

Diamond in the rough The distinctive G-Class combines superb off-road handling with an interior that is full of hightech features and hand-crafted Mercedes-Benz comfort.

When you get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, it’s soon clear why it’s become such an off-road legend.

by Raymond Jane

R

evolutionary, ground breaking: the car is without doubt one of the most significant icons of the modern world. On one hand, a purely mechanical device that heeds the call for travel and exploration; on the other an expression of identity, power and status.

The most memorable cars, the ones that win over public sentiment and capture that indefinable cult status, secure their immortality by delivering both in equal measure, seemingly with little effort.

And then there are those cars that rise one step higher, delivering the very best of both. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of these. Through its singleminded pursuit of off-road excellence, high performance (in G 63 AMG guise), technology, style and comfort, the G-Class has everyone from Hollywood A-listers to world-renowned explorers clamouring to be seen in one.

Icons like these are destined to be much copied. And yet, ironically, the G-Class itself is something of a copy.

The Geländewagen or G-Wagen, as it was more popularly known in its early days, was Mercedes-Benz’s iteration of a military-based, civilian-converted off-

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roader – like the Toyota Land Cruiser, American Jeep and British Land Rover.

Unlike these vehicles, which earned their stripes in World War II, the Geländewagen didn’t make its debut in the 1940s – Germany’s demilitarisation after the war wouldn’t have made that possible. The G-Wagen was a latecomer to the off-road stage, appearing only in 1979, but it soon more than made up for lost time.

Although technically not converted from defence force use like the other rugged off-road performers, it was in fact conceived as a military vehicle – on the suggestion of the Shah of Iran (at the time a significant Mercedes-Benz shareholder) – before a civilian version was launched to the general public.

From those early, strictly utilitarian days, the off-roader underwent many facelifts, with refinements slowly but surely being added to the basic package.

First came the most elementary of comfort features, like air conditioning and heating, a wood-trim interior and more comfortable front seats. Key mechanical improvements followed: the option of an automatic transmission

Diamond in the rough

THE BEAST OF BEASTS There are extreme cars and then there’s the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6. Based on a 410kW/780Nm four-wheel G 63 AMG, the massive, hand-built six-wheeler is officially the heaviest (weighing in at 4 105kg) and most expensive street-legal production car to wear the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star. Yes, it is actually more expensive than an SLS AMG Electric Drive, the all-electric supercar that broke the bank in research and development for Mercedes-Benz. The beast, when it first went on sale in 2013, wore a sticker price of 450 000 Euros. Thing is, Mercedes-Benz only produced around 100 units of the 6x6 and to pry one from the hands of a desert-roaming sheik today, you’ll most likely have to double that figure. And its cult status was only enhanced when it played a starring role alongside Michael Douglas in the Mojave Desert, in the 2014 Hollywood adventure thriller Beyond the Reach.

Thankfully, in response to the unprecedented popularity of the 6x6 among hard men of the desert, Mercedes-Benz is currently developing a “more affordable” G 63 AMG 4x4 – the same concept of Unimog meets monster G-Class but without the third axle.

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and more efficient engines featuring fuel injection.

But what diehard G-Wagen fans really desired was more off-road capability.

And so came the introduction of locking differentials and permanent four-wheel drive – and the fitment of wider tyres and black fender flares, which instantly gave it an utterly dependable, squared-off stance; a foundation so solid you could mortgage your house on it.

As the 1990s took the G-Wagen into its second decade (and saw it discontinued in South Africa just before the turn of the millennium), it kept pace with the rest of Mercedes-Benz’s passenger cars and came fitted with hi-tech safety and comfort features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and optional cruise control. And a stainless-steel spare-wheel cover and running boards

added the first semblance of bling to the going-places teenager.

Fast forward to 2011 and the relaunch of the newly titled G-Class in South Africa. The reason for its return after more than a decade? Selvin Govender, Divisional Manager, Product & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz South Africa said: “It’s simple, for years now not one solitary month has gone by without a customer calling, asking about the G-Wagen’s return to SA.” On reputation alone, it was clear Mercedes-Benz would have no problem shifting the limited amount of right-hand-drive G-Classes it could ship to South Africa.

At that point Mercedes-Benz offered the G-Class in a basic workhorse 300CDI Professional model, a more SUV-orientated 350 BlueTEC diesel and the top-dog G 55 AMG with a supercharged V8 engine.

Built by hand in Graz and put through its paces in the Austrian mountains, the G-Class knows few limits when it

The relaunch was a triumphant success.

What was available was snapped up almost instantly – and G-Class fanatics have been clamouring for more ever since.

And Mercedes-Benz has delivered. The latest models keep pace with advancements across the brand, offering a renewed emphasis on luxury and improved power with greater efficiency, through the latest generation of Euro 6-compliant V6 diesel and V8 petrol engines.

In broad strokes, the two models now offered in South Africa – the G 350d and G 63 AMG – enjoy a 16 percent increase in power and fuel economy.

The G 350d jumps to 180kW/600Nm over its predecessor’s 155kW/540Nm, giving a fuel consumption of 9.9l/100km.

Likewise, the top-spec G 63 AMG now boasts 420kW/760Nm from its 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8, ensuring an impressive acceleration figure of 0 to 100kph in 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 250kph. High on the satisfaction index as well is the retuned suspension and latest Electronic Stability Program (ESP) for greater stability at high speed.

Visually, all G-Class models have moved away from the previous Professional’s utilitarian look and feel, getting modified bumpers that were once only the reserve of AMG models. Restyled bumpers and flared wheel arches, this time in the vehicle colour, combine with alloy wheels sized from 18 all the way to 21 inches, for maximum red-carpet credentials. On the inside, a new two-tone instrument panel mirrors the two-tone seats fashioned from high-quality leather with contrasting stitching, while the eye-

comes to off-road capability.

catching instrument cluster features an 11.4-centimetre multifunction display.

However, the more things change on the surface, the more they stay exactly the same for Mercedes-Benz’s classic offroader. The G-Class retains the familiar, sturdy, body-on-frame ladder chassis – the only series production car wearing the three-pointed star today to do so – and that ensures its most important USP remains intact: its unrivalled off-road ability.

Visiting the Magna Steyr production facility in Austria where each vehicle is built by hand, it’s clear why the G-Class is an exception to the advanced MercedesBenz production norm in more ways than mind-set. For 36 years it’s been made at

the same facility in Graz, where it’s a way of life for all employees. There are no robots: the G-Class is birthed through 6 400 manual welds to its steel ladder chassis and all leather and upholstery work is done onsite by a close-knit team of seamstresses.

At full capacity Magna Steyr can produce 68 cars per day and that means – thanks to an unprecedented 20 percent increase in demand in 2015 – their production run is spoken-for well into 2016.

Speaking to the Head of G-Class Production, Dr Guthenke, at the facility, he says: “The recipe for G-Class is proudly and deliberately unchanged. We dare not mess with an icon. There are

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many unitary construction SUVs in our line-up if you think Mercedes-Benz GLA, GLC, GLE and (soon to called) GLS, but the name and even the business model for the iconic G-Class is the exception to the rule. And we like to keep it like that.”

It’s an icon that is regularly asked to prove its credentials on Schöckl, a 1 445-metre-high massif north of Graz.

The 4.5-kilometre track has gradients of

up to 60 percent and allows a roll angle of up to 40 percent. A 3.1-kilometre stretch is “rough terrain” – a euphemism for rocks projecting half a metre from the track, tree roots snaking across the surface, deep ruts, stones, loose scree, earth banks and deep mud holes.

Before you get to this rough stuff, though, there’s a few hundred kilometres of smooth bitumen to cover, from the

On road the car impresses with its comfort and poise, and its seven-speed gearbox makes for versatile urban cruising.

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urban edges of Graz through lush, rolling countryside and sleepy Austrian villages.

Within this serene setting, the impression one gets of the G-Class’s capability is utterly immense. The level of engineering that has clearly gone into this vehicle is hard to ignore and plain to feel, and yet it’s the comfort and on-road poise that

impresses. Hailing from the previous AMG variant, the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission in the G 350d makes urban cruising a doddle. Distronic cruise control paces you with the car ahead and lane warning assist means this modernised tank is a steady pleasure to drive with its thrumming V6 diesel engine and lashings of long-legged torque to help you get past anything idling in your way.

Then it’s time to take on Schöckl where the durability and toughness of the G-Class’s solid axles with torsion bar stabilisers is tested to the max. Here permanent all-wheel drive, a low-range gearbox and three differential locks that can be engaged/disengaged on the move are an absolute necessity. Slack steering and 2.6 tonnes of weight makes for a lot of directional deflection over the staccato-like undulations; however, the vertical ricocheting of the G-Class structure is remarkably well-contained and the wheel-travel is excellent.

It’s soon clear that it’s in the department of rock crawling where the G-Class delivers its keynote address, courtesy of its 30-degree-plus approach and departure angles and 213mm ground clearance. The route which looks all but impassable at spots holds no challenge for the legendary off-roader. The multiterrain tyres deform and reform again, taking the kind of punishment no tyre should ever have to.

Back at the factory, Dr Guthenke says he’s confident the G-Class is “the most limitless off-road-capable vehicle ever made”. On the evidence of first-hand experience, there’s no reason to doubt him.

PHOTOGRAPHS: MERCEDES-BENZ

Diamond in the rough

THE KING OF ALL THAT SPARKLES With his singular passion for gemstones and a unique genius for business, Laurence Graff has journeyed from London’s East End to a place alongside cultural icons on the world stage.

Laurence Graff has built up one of the finest art collections in the world. Here he is pictured in front of Picasso’s

L’Aubade (1967).

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“I believe you get a second chance, that things come around again,” says Laurence Graff , as he shows me Francis Bacon’s portrait of Pope Pius VII, one of Bacon’s famous Pope series, hanging in the comfortable, effortlessly elegant library of his home in Switzerland.

He had, he explains, turned down the painting some years earlier, thinking it “too dark”. He realised he’d made a serious error of judgement, but with his uncanny knack of attracting – and seizing – opportunities and treasures, masterpieces of both art and gemstones, the painting came around on to the market again, and after some characteristically shrewd negotiation, he was able to add it to his stellar art collection.

“Things, and sometimes people, come back to me,” he muses. “Better to be lucky than unlucky. But maybe I make my luck.”

Laurence Graff, jeweller, diamantaire, billionaire business magnate and worldrenowned art collector, makes more luck than errors of judgement, and very few golden opportunities slip through his fingers. His story, as he tells it – totally devoid of introspection or self-importance – is punctuated with anecdotes, some modest

and moving, as in the vivid memories of his childhood, others monumental in their significance to the diamond industry.

All are revealing, however, of Graff’s astonishing audacity and tenacity and of his extraordinary, unwavering, single-minded determination, quite simply, to be the best.

His story of metamorphosis is very similar, it seems to me, to that of a diamond, transformed from raw, rough carbon into a precious, ravishingly refined gem. The House of Graff may polish the world’s finest diamonds, but it’s the diamond that has polished Laurence Graff himself, from humble, working-class East End boy into suave and sophisticated captain of industry, a man of exceptional means, honours and achievements, and with refined and exquisite taste. Laurence Graff seems to possess the diamond’s invincibility, too, a fortitude based on unshakeable self-belief. This characteristic, like other remarkable traits, comes, he firmly believes, from his upbringing in the closeknit Jewish community of London’s East End in the 1940s. His father was a tailor, but was conscripted into the army soon after the outbreak of war in 1939, so that Laurence

PHOTOGRAPH: GRAFF IMAGES

by Vivienne Becker

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PHOTOGRAPHS: MANTIS GROUP

didn’t get to know him properly until he was seven years old. In the meantime, he was passed between his mother and his Russian paternal grandmother, Katie Graff – the business brain of the family, whom everyone in the community went to for advice, and who had given his father a newsagent-cumsweetshop to start him off in business.

Looking back, and happily immersed in his crystal-clear early memories, Laurence Graff stresses what a powerful influence his grandmother exerted on him, how he absorbed, by osmosis, her shrewd business sense, her drive and determination. Together with Laurence Graff’s grandfather, Samuel Graff, she ran a successful kosher butcher’s shop. They were a deeply pious, observant couple, well known and respected in the community. “They were extraordinarily religious,” he recalls. “When I lived there with them, I could hear the sound of the praying – musical, rhythmic. I can still hear it in my ear today.” Admiringly, Laurence Graff tells how much later, aged 70 and as shrewd and energetic as ever, Katie started up a new business buying and selling chickens. Perhaps, then, she remains a role model today, since Graff’s own extraordinary drive and curiosity about the world remain undimmed.

His maternal grandparents were emigrants from Bucharest in Romania, and to

I came through those war years

“ „ and it hardened me I suppose,

gave me nerves of steel. But it

also gave me huge confidence,

because I knew I had to rely on myself, look after myself. I’m

not afraid of anything. Those

early years taught me survival

and security.

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Laurence’s young eyes seemed somehow more “distinguished”. His mother’s father was a bootmaker. “I would go with him to the wholesaler in Shoreditch where he bought his shoes, and take them back to his shop in Brick Lane,” he recalls. Today Brick Lane, like Shoreditch, could not be more fashionable, “but it was really a slum at the time”. Still, Laurence took everything in, and “saw how you dressed the shoes nicely in the shop. It was all ingrained in me.”

He went to school at St-George-in-the-East in nearby Shadwell – where he became head boy – but arguably learned as much from the trading, hurly-burly and bustle on Hessel Street, in Whitechapel, where he helped his mother to run the sweetshop. It’s tempting to imagine that the jars of glistening sweets, with their glints of light and colour, resembled the gemstones he was later to accumulate.

Hessel Street today looks very different from the busy street of Graff’s recollection. Its Jewish community has long-since dispersed to leafier suburbs, and it is now home to a more recent wave of immigrants. But back then, every day except the Sabbath, Hessel Street would burst into life with its famous market, heaving with crowds of shoppers, crammed with stalls selling everything from fish and live poultry to pots and pans, the traders loudly shouting their wares. Graff remembers the larger-than-life personalities, the “big businessmen”, as he thought they were at the time. Everywhere around him he saw buying and selling, money changing hands, money being counted, people putting elastic bands around wads of notes. It all made a deep and lasting impression on the young boy. “I was brought up in this market, where people were just making a living, and it made me street-smart, alert,” he says. “I had ears that listened. Eyes that saw.”

He also saw poverty, hardship and the devastating impact of war. He recalls the bombs that destroyed half the road, the terrifying buzz of a V1 flying rocket – and diving under the sweetshop counter when it exploded. On most evenings at his Romanian grandparents’ house on Brick Lane, while they roasted corn-on-the-cob and chestnuts on the fire, the young Laurence would listen to the BBC news on the radio, terrified he would hear that his father – still serving

overseas – had been either shot or captured.

“So much has gone into me from that East End experience,” says Graff today. He remembers his mother’s continual admonishments to be honest in his dealings with other people, to be correct. She continued to check up on him, he says, until she died aged 98 in 2008, and her values have shaped his own attitude and ethos: “I’ve always paid my bills, always kept my word.

“I came through those war years,” he continues, “and it hardened me I suppose, gave me nerves of steel. But it also gave me huge confidence, because I knew I had to rely on myself, look after myself. I’m not afraid of anything. Those early years taught me survival and security. I didn’t know what rich was, but I had shoes, I had food, and I had comics: The Beano and The Dandy.” It was these comics, he thinks, which first brought out his collector’s instinct. He accumulated them, together with glass marbles and cigarette cards, and traded them in shelters during air raids.

The combination of the terror and the uncertainty of war, the enveloping warmth and security of an extended matriarchal Jewish family with strong values and traditions, and his immersion in market trading forged not only Laurence Graff’s drive and business sense, but also his fearless risk-taking. For the boy who once bought and sold marbles and copies of The Beano would eventually pay headline-grabbing record prices, for both gems and art, in the auction rooms.

The same remarkable boldness enabled him to buy and then repolish some of the world’s most valuable stones, including the Wittelsbach-Graff, an historic blue diamond acquired in 2008. Cutting a diamond intimately linked with European royalty and a story that reaches back to the 17th century requires total self-belief, but for Graff, it was justified. He likens this transformation to one of those revelatory moments when a woman who has always been pretty suddenly becomes utterly beautiful.

As a child, Laurence Graff knew very little of jewellery, except that his mother possessed a diamond engagement ring, most probably purchased in the tiny jewellery quarter that filled Whitechapel’s now vanished Black Lion

Yard. And it was there where, at the age of 12 or 13, Laurence first noticed the “sparklers” in the windows, thus beginning his lifelong connection with gemstones.

His path into the jewellery business was anything but smooth, though. When his mother took him, aged 15, to his first job as an apprentice to a jeweller in Hatton Garden – then, as now, a street of diamond traders – she had asked the owner, a Mr Schindler, “How far can he go?” The answer, prophetic, came back, “The sky’s the limit.” Yet, after three months of scrubbing floors, fetching sandwiches for the staff, whitewashing walls, and occasionally levelling a piece of metal, young Graff was told he’d “never make the grade”, and lost his job.

As he recounts this story today, he revels in its irony, but you can still sense the impact of the rebuff. It spurred his pride and fuelled his determination. Graff got a job at another Hatton Garden jeweller’s, learning his craft both on the job and at the Sir John Cass College of Arts, and later at Central School (now the world-famous style and design hub that is Central St Martins).

By the age of 17, Graff considered himself a jeweller, and when once again he lost his job – when the business he worked for was declared bankrupt – he went into partnership with an older, more experienced jeweller.

Gaining an understanding of Victorian jewellery from repairing it, Laurence and his partner then began making pieces which fed the vogue for Victoriana. They enjoyed some success, but his partner lost his nerve when the business accumulated debts of some £3 000 with their gold caster and their stone dealer – a substantial sum at the time. Graff, however, remained confident, and a contract was drawn up agreeing that he would take over the entire debt. He persuaded his suppliers to continue trading with him, and repaid the debt in just six months. He was still only 22 years old.

“I felt protected,” he says, trying to explain his chutzpah, adding without vanity that he always knew he was “special” in some way. “I had complete confidence and I felt at home doing whatever I did, wherever I found myself. I adapt easily. And I always seemed to get to the very top of what I did.”

There then began the incremental but

sometimes rapid steps which turned the young but ambitious jeweller into the worldrenowned diamantaire he is today. He recalls buying 33 diamonds on credit for £60 from a diamond dealer, Mr Rabinowitz, who seemed at the time, he says, “like a god to me”. Rather than do the obvious, and make several pieces using the stones, Graff instead created a single ring with “a big flash of diamonds” – which he sold for £100 to a jeweller in a British seaside town, who promptly ordered another. “I thought it was the most beautiful ring in the world,” he recalls of that first creation, although his definition of “a big flash of diamonds” was set to change over the years.

“Bigger and better” became his watchwords.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, “everything was clicking into a business”, and Graff’s ambitions grew with each passing year. Graff Diamonds was launched in 1960, and his first shops opened in London just two years later.

Then in 1966, still aged just 28, the young jeweller won the highly prestigious Diamond International Award with a large and impactful diamond and amethyst bracelet.

An even bigger flash of diamonds was revealed to the world in 1970 with the presentation of the iconic – and jawdropping – Hair and Jewel Coiffure, in which a model’s curled hair was embellished and embedded with a panoply of diamond jewels valued at $1-million. Inspired by the fantastical, towering assemblages so fashionable in the 18th century, it was a brilliant piece of PR, capturing the attention of newspapers and magazines around the world. When in 2013 the Hair and Jewel was recreated to celebrate Laurence Graff’s 60th anniversary of working in the jewellery industry, this time the extremely rare and unique jewels were worth an extraordinary $500-million. In 2014 Graff would unveil perhaps the House’s most colourful flash of diamonds ever, the Hallucination watch, awash with exquisite multicoloured gems.

But for all the headlines these big “reveals” have generated, often Graff’s moments of showmanship – and salesmanship – have been more intimate.

In the 1980s, for example, he set the entire first Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender from the new Argyle mine in Australia into a luscious

MAYBE I HAVE MADE MY OWN LUCK flower brooch, and then sold it – out of his pocket and hot off the workbench – to the Sultan of Brunei.

Self-taught both as a gemologist and as a connoisseur of art – an avid reader and clearly a quick learner – Graff puts a great part of his success down to his ardent curiosity and insatiable appetite for learning. “I didn’t even know that I was hungry for knowledge, but as it came, I wanted to know a little bit more,” he observes. And at each stage of his climb towards spectacular success, Laurence Graff has had his eye on the next opportunity. Or as he puts it, “I have crept up the ladder very slowly, bit by bit, seeking out something that other people didn’t know about.” Making his own luck.

From the mid-1960s onwards, Laurence Graff’s extensive travels took him back and forth to Asia and the Middle East, to the palaces of Brunei and Kuwait and the jungles of Borneo, to the Philippines and the South Pacific. He cultivated relationships with kings and sultans, princes and potentates, “And with each trip I learned something new.”

It all began one grey London day when, frustrated at the narrowness of the British

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jewellery market, he’d bought a ticket to Australia on impulse. Again on a whim, he decided to stop over in Singapore, where his father had been during the war. Having wandered into Robinson’s, a luxury department store, he ran into an acquaintance from the UK who, it transpired, was in the process of opening up a jewellery department for the emporium. Graff collaborated with him to organise regular exhibitions, which ultimately led to his first shop abroad, and the foundation of much of Graff’s global success. There is a thread of superstition, you sense, as he recalls this initial piece of good fortune, woven through Graff’s drive and ambition.

The jeweller continued travelling back and forth to Asia, always with his bag of samples, exploring new markets, learning local customs and cultures, building relationships. One of these was with Imelda Marcos, then First Lady of the Philippines, and an extravagantly enthusiastic client who bought, among other treasures, the Idol’s Eye diamond, Graff’s first important historic stone. After accepting

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an invitation to meet her on her yacht one evening, Graff found himself setting sail – “kidnapped”, in his words – for her private Bamboo Island, where he was temporarily marooned, but provided with a full wardrobe of clothes, for a week.

With each trip, with each visit to a palace or to a private yacht, he was aware of how far he’d come. “For an East End boy, to dine with kings and princes was quite something,” he reflects. As ever though, he adapted with ease. “Nothing was beyond me. Sitting on the floor on velvet cushions in luxurious palaces eating with sheikhs – I took it all in my stride. I remember an occasion when I had my very first aircraft, a Learjet, around 1985, and I flew to meet a client, who was a sheikh. My pilot spoke to his pilot, and we landed somewhere. I got down on to the runway and handed over a diamond necklace. It was very exciting.”

And then Hollywood royalty came calling: Frank Sinatra, who shared his interest in art; and Elizabeth Taylor, whose passion for jewels bordered on obsession. She became a friend, and when she dined at his home in the South of France, he seated her directly beneath an Andy Warhol painting of her, Red Liz. But at the heart of his ability to nurture bonds with people who esteem extraordinary jewellery is his own remarkable natural affinity with diamonds. Laurence Graff has an innate ability to see into the heart of a stone and to connect with its possibilities – a rapport that enables him to understand the individual character of a diamond, to see the subtlest nuances of light, fire and colour. Perhaps he taps into the energy of a gemstone; or perhaps it is some sixth sense of his.

Laurence Graff doesn’t analyse this, for his is a visceral, instinctive response, almost childlike in its simple joy. “I’m drawn to stones. I just want to touch the gems all the time and feel them and look at them. I get a thrill every morning when I open a package and look at a diamond, or at a piece of rough that gleams, that has life, that we’re going to cut to give birth to a stone. I clean them, I treasure them, I cherish them. From the start, I always respected the fact that they were valuable, that they sparkled and that they lived. I loved it. You can enjoy them, make them more brilliant and combine them.

It’s fun – a lot of our designs come from playing with diamonds and laying them out in special ways until you see a shape coming, until you see an idea. When I’ve got a stone in my hand, I’ve already got things going through my mind: how it’s going to be set and the stones that are going to go with it, and what we should be doing with it. It opens up the imagination immediately.”

Early on Laurence realised that the supply of diamonds of the right quality – Graff quality – was crucial to growth, and that he needed to be in control of that supply as much as he possibly could. As he sees it, “If you want diamonds, you have to get as close to them as you can.” Today, Graff Diamonds is totally independent. The company’s assets range from a share in a mine in Lesotho through to Safdico, the state-of-the-art cutting and polishing facility, to Graff’s Londonbased headquarters, with its design studio and workshops, and the stores around the world in which Graff’s fabulous wares are displayed. The House, therefore, is vertically integrated, meaning that to a remarkable degree it can control quality and production throughout the many stages required to produce outstanding jewellery. In other words, Graff controls its own destiny.

In a sense, Laurence Graff has simply applied the same determined approach to buying the building blocks of his business as he has to buying the best stones. In 1998 he acquired a controlling stake in the South African Diamond Corporation (Safdico), a powerful player in the industry with privileged access to De Beers’ rough diamonds. Laurence Graff sometimes refers to himself as a “Lone Ranger” (a throwback to his boyhood collection of comics, perhaps), when he talks of the pioneering steps he’s taken to reach this point of self sufficiency. For in initiating the mine-to-market model; in paying worldrecord prices; in demonstrating the value and rarity of fine diamonds; in building a worldleading diamond house; and in modernising diamond-cutting, he has changed and reshaped the world’s deeply conventionbound diamond industry and taken it on to a new, 21st-century model.

Perhaps this is down to his rare combination of skills and qualities: an artistic sensibility mixed with a dealer’s talent for tough

negotiating and a retailer’s entrepreneurial instincts. This, he admits, sets him apart, makes him “a special animal”. Singlehandedly, he has, as it were, joined the dots, tracing a line from the source of the stones, the mines, all the way through the supply chain to the marketing and advertising of jewels, retail and connecting with clients.

He explains that he had this concept of centralisation in mind when he set up the sophisticated Diamond Technology Park in 2009 in Botswana, a project that was initiated through Safdico. The Technology Park brings together every facet of the diamond industry, from mining companies, traders, cutters and polishers, to services including couriers, consultants, brokers, banks and a world-renowned gem laboratory, and has made a significant contribution to Botswana’s economy. And, like every Graff venture, the initiative is underpinned by his own relentless pursuit of perfection and professionalism. Graff states simply, “I can’t rest unless it becomes the best.”

Talk of the diamond industry leads to memories of industry icons, such as Harry Oppenheimer, son of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, architect of the mighty De Beers Group, and a titan of the diamond world.

Graff describes being summoned to Lucerne to meet Oppenheimer, who told him, “Laurence, I wanted to meet you, thank you for coming. I’ve been watching your career progress.” Graff explained in his usual direct manner that it was his dream to join the small, exclusive club of “sightholders”, granted direct access to a supply of rough diamonds, usually handed down from father to son. Oppenheimer offered him a tip: find the right father-and-son business, and buy his way in. Which, of course, he did, eventually becoming one of the biggest and most important of De Beers’ sightholders.

Today, he has edged even closer to the source of his industry as the largest shareholder in Gem Diamonds, owner of the highest mine in the world, the Letšeng mine in Lesotho, which sits at an elevation of 3 100 metres above sea level. Four of the five largest white gem-quality diamonds ever recorded have come from Letšeng. And Graff has been responsible for cutting, polishing and promoting each of these magnificent,

historically important diamonds: the colossal 603-carat Lesotho Promise, the 550-carat Letseng Star, the 493-carat Letseng Legacy and the 478-carat Light of Letseng.

His story about Harry Oppenheimer has not concluded, however. “I became Oppenheimer’s personal jeweller,” Graff says.

When the De Beers chairman turned 80, he came to see Laurence Graff in his London store. He wanted to buy his wife a gift of diamonds set in gold. “It was quite a thrill for me,” he recollects.

This story unlocks other riveting and revealing tales of Graff’s dealings with De Beers. As a leading sightholder, he was often rewarded with “specials” – important, more rarefied rough diamonds at advantageous prices. On one occasion, having finalised a lengthy deal for a “special” in South Africa, the next morning Graff called De Beers’ CEO, saying, “I’ve got a funny feeling that you left something in the safe. I can’t explain it, but I’ve just got this feeling that right at the back of the safe somewhere you’ve left a special diamond.” The CEO replied, laughing, “I have to tell you Laurence, you are an uncanny guy.” There was indeed one more stone in the safe: a Vivid Pink rough diamond that De Beers had owned for some 60 years.

The next day Graff and his Safdico colleagues went to see the stone, wrapped in the traditional “brifka” or folded envelope, which, in customary fashion, was marked with the price: $200 000. Now, reliving the moment, Graff shows me how he barely unfolded the package to glance inside for a nanosecond, before saying, “I’ll have it.

Invoice me.” When the invoice arrived, however, it revealed that the price was in fact $200 000 per carat – and since the rough was some 10 carats, Graff discovered he had spent more than $2-million in the blink of an eye. He laughs as he recalls the moment. “It didn’t matter, because the stone was so amazing. From the rough we polished the most beautiful five-carat Vivid Pink cushion – an absolute beauty.”

So many Graff stories revolve around his famous “sixth sense”: the uncanny coincidences and strokes of good fortune that have helped him on his way through life; the stones, paintings or people who have come back to him almost as if he knew

they must. But there are also the momentous split-second decisions, often taken in the pressurised environment of the auction room, to pay astronomical, unprecedented prices. Take, for example, the Graff Ruby – the finest ruby of his career, he believes – which is an 8.62-carat gem of exceptional “pigeon-blood” hue extracted from Burma’s historic Mogok mine, 200 kilometres north of Mandalay. He bought it at auction for a world-record price. “I still believe it’s inexpensive,” he says.

A further example of his nerveless audacity also involves De Beers, and another summons, this time to survey a room lined with tables on which were laid out before him numerous piles of rough diamonds, all carefully categorised. In the centre of these piles was a glass-topped box containing the prized De Beers collection of coloured diamonds.

Completely taken aback by this hoard of treasure, but as always adapting to the situation, Graff quickly assessed the coloured diamonds, and having asked their price, made an audacious offer on the spot. After some negotiation, and all the while keeping his eye very firmly on the glistening mounds of rough material surrounding him, he clinched the deal. Graff was then asked to assess the endless piles of diamond rough – a task, he

I’m drawn to stones. I just want

“ „ to touch the gems all the time

and feel them and look at them.

I get a thrill every morning

when I open a package and look at a diamond, or at a piece of

rough that gleams, that has life, that we’re going to cut to give birth to a stone.

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When I’ve got a stone in my

“ „ hand, I’ve already got things

going through my mind: how

it’s going to be set and the stones

that are going to go with it, and what we should be doing with it. It opens up the

imagination immediately.

estimated, that would take months to do properly. Yet he also quickly appreciated that this was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seizing the extraordinary moment, he made a courageous, off -the-cuff offer for the entire room full of diamonds. He wanted to give them “the shock treatment”, he explains, adding that it was the biggest deal of his career, worth tens of millions of dollars. The rough material took some two years to polish – a period during which diamonds soared in value. The end result was a typical Graff triumph, both creatively and commercially.

Along with his masterful brand-building, Laurence Graff is immensely proud of his art collection – one of the finest of its kind in the world – and of his stature in the international art world. Art gives Graff a huge amount of pleasure and also, he says, relaxation and intellectual stimulation. He sits on various boards of five museums and on the European advisory board of a leading auction house, while curators beat a path to his door to see the collection and to ask for loans. He is an astute art dealer, and hosts regular, sparkling dinners for auction houses, museum directors and curators at his exquisite art-filled home in Switzerland.

Graff first started looking seriously at art in the early 1970s, usually when he went to auctions. Initially he was seduced by the Impressionists. Later, as his tastes evolved, he moved on to modern and contemporary art, focusing on the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

His superlative collection now comprises

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important works by Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Jeff Koons and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

In his Swiss home a powerful work by Basquiat takes up an entire wall. Warhol’s Elvis gazes down on the staircase, and Alexander Calder mobiles quiver from the ceilings. Graff points out Roy Lichtenstein’s Woman with Flowered Hat, inspired by Picasso’s portraits of Dora Maar. “Even great artists are influenced by the old, which is taken forward to the new, just as Bacon was inspired by Velázquez,” he observes admiringly. He likes everything about the 1960s, including the furniture that he also collects. He appreciates the iconoclastic attitude of this era of cultural and social change. It was an important period too, of course, of his own lifetime.

“I lived through it,” he says. “I even met Warhol, who I used to see delivering copies of Interview magazine on Madison Avenue.

I didn’t know who he was, just that he was a character.” He also encountered Bacon through a penchant for Dixieland jazz which lured him into Soho when he was in his late teens. “Because of my upbringing though, I was terrified of anything improper – drugs, even smoking.” He did, however, go to the French House, a pub presided over by the extravagantly moustachioed landlord Gaston Berlemont, and frequented by Bacon, Lucian Freud and the photographer John Deacon.

“Bacon was scary – well-spoken, but a tough character, with a very dark streak,” he recalls.

Graff has built his collection with the same passion that drives his buying of gemstones.

“My ambitions have taken me into real estate, into art, into all sorts of precious things, but always on my own judgement.”

As he talks about his choices, there’s that inimitable sparkle of shrewdness and daring backed by expertise, taste, and a superbly honed eye. “I chase the best. I have to be the best. That passion and drive means I never let something I want off the hook.”

That self-same zeal is also evident in his restoration of the splendid Delaire Graff Estate, which is now one of the finest wineries in South Africa and an admired resort hotel.

Yet his continuing involvement with Africa, from the Estate to the mines and the workshops, means that he has also seen at

first-hand widespread poverty, disease and hardship. He has been particularly affected by the suffering of African children, and as a consequence has striven to give something back to the continent which has played such a significant role in the achievements of the company.

“When I first went to Lesotho, I looked around the countryside and went to meet the people, and I knew they needed help,” he says. In 2008 he set up the FACET foundation to distribute funds to charities involved in health, education and the training of young people. A Graff Leadership Centre was opened in Leribe in Lesotho, improving literacy, employment and leadership skills, which also included a hostel for 50 young girls. It was followed by a Graff Leadership Centre in Botswana, providing innovative educational and psychological support programmes for vulnerable youths aged 12 to 18. “The idea was to team up with local charities with good personnel to run them efficiently,” he explains. Most recently, he says, FACET has embarked on a new initiative to equip vans with computers, desks and libraries which travel around the Stellenbosch winelands, helping children (and sometimes their parents) to learn. “We’re doing things for these kids – feeding them and clothing them,” he continues. “They’re now beginning to graduate with a good education. They’ll get a good chance in life.”

That he is now in a position to influence the lives of so many young Africans speaks volumes for his belief in opportunity – the same opportunity which, albeit having arisen in very different circumstances, allowed his own unique blend of talents to flourish so emphatically. Graff, always impatient for progress, may feel that the growth of his business has taken a lifetime. But in truth it’s astonishing that the House of Graff has gone from a humble one-man band to a world-renowned, industry-leading empire in one generation.

Such has been its resonance in global terms that in 1973 Graff was presented with a prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade, an award that the company was to receive again and again, in 1977, 1994, 2006 and 2014. Similar landmarks in the evolution of the House are almost too numerous

to mention, but standouts have been the opening of the Knightsbridge flagship store in 1974, and a momentous move to impressive premises on Bond Street, in 1993.

Then, explains Laurence’s son Francois Graff, the company’s CEO, there was a huge and ambitious programme of expansion which began in 1998, masterminded by father and son. “We both sat down together and came up with a plan for moving forward,” recalls Francois. “The opportunity to acquire Safdico went hand-in-hand with the decision we had arrived at to expand our retail operation dramatically. We realised it was going to get harder and harder to stock the business with the right diamonds, and while Safdico supported us in that way, at the same time an expanded retail network would support Safdico. A roll-out, we realised, would also strengthen brand awareness of Graff as a purveyor of treasure.”

The first boutique outside London opened in 2000 in Monte Carlo, followed by a flagship store on New York’s Madison Avenue a year later. The company has since grown at a phenomenal pace and today there are more than 50 stores around the world, with expansion continuing at a pace. Each one of these – from the flagship location on Bond Street to Hong Kong’s Central store and the boutique on Paris’s hallowed Place Vendôme – exudes the strong Graff identity, with a sleek yet opulent design and the now globally recognised Icon pattern. Needless to say, all of these are elements of the brand that Laurence Graff has nurtured through the years, alongside those showstopping moments, and a series of provocative and compelling advertising campaigns which marked another departure from the traditional jewellery industry.

“I could never have dreamt that one day I’d have shops all around the world,” Laurence Graff says, thinking of his early life, perhaps, and of his parents’ sweetshop. And yet the limit of his ambition is far from being realised.

“We’re still a young brand, just beginning,” he continues. “I have no fear in growing further.

There is something within me that makes me feel I can fly, soar even higher.”

Unsurprisingly, given the sense of family and community that Laurence Graff grew up with, the House of Graff is very much

a family business. Laurence’s brother, Raymond, has long been in charge of jewellery manufacturing – expanding, modernising and continually improving the London workshops which are now housed within the Graff headquarters. And Laurence brought his son, Francois, into the business when he was in his early twenties, ensuring he learned every aspect of the diamond industry from the ground up: qualifying as a gemologist at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York even before he went to university, spending time in the Graff cutting and polishing facility, and accompanying his father to auctions.

“There were just a handful of people running the business when I started,” Francois recalls.

“I think there were maybe eight or ten people, running the whole business. So of course we did a bit of everything. It was fantastic training. But I’ve seen it grow into the completely different animal that it is today.”

Francois shares his father’s engaging style of storytelling, and it’s soon clear that he has imbibed the Graff ethos that everything is possible. “My father lived and breathed the business, and he brought his work home with him,” he says. “Whether we wanted it or not, we got a good education in the world of diamonds and jewellery. He was always jetting off somewhere and of course there were wonderful stories about exotic places and interesting people. It was never mundane – more like a fantasy. So I became absorbed in the diamond business early on.

I didn’t even think about it. It drew me in.”

After his studies at the GIA he spent time in Hatton Garden – where his father’s career had begun, and where the Graff workshops were at the time – working alongside his uncle Raymond. “But I wanted to get out into the world,” he says. Taking him at his word, Laurence Graff threw his son in at the deep end. His father, he says, believed in him, which in turn gave him confidence.

“I was just 24, and had only been in the business for three or four months,” he recollects. “We had a call from the Gulf asking us about jewellery for a big wedding – for the forthcoming marriage of a ruler’s son. My father sent me to speak with them.

I was fortunate to do a deal worth millions of dollars, a huge transaction at the time,

which really caught my imagination. There was no turning back.”

His fondest memories, he says, are of travelling around the world with his father on business trips. Most of all he remembers being impressed by his father’s swift and astute negotiating skills. In the ruby mines of Thailand, for example, he was able to sift through hundreds of stones, put together a package, negotiate with “tricky people”, and always come back with exactly what they wanted.

Francois now spends much of his working day communicating with the network of Graff stores scattered across the globe: Asia in the morning, Europe throughout the day and America in the evening. “My father taught me that when you get out in the world, the opportunities are endless,” he says appreciatively.

Raymond’s son Elliott – who works closely with Laurence – was also mentored by his uncle after joining the company in 1994. Like Francois he has worked in every department of the business, but today, alongside

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Laurence Graff, is in charge of purchasing the majority of the House’s major diamonds, merchandising and production. It began when his father Raymond gently suggested he try a jewellery-making course at London’s Sir John Cass College, where Laurence had begun to learn his craft decades earlier.

It was when he began to study gemology, however, that he found his true vocation.

“I got very technical,” Elliott recalls. “I was fascinated by gem identification, totally immersed in coloured stones. I loved it.”

So much so that like Francois, he went to study at the GIA in New York, learning how to grade diamonds. It proved an essential skill on his return to London to work in his father’s workshops sorting diamonds, especially since, he says, his father Raymond is as exceptionally strict about diamond quality as his uncle is.

“It was amazing training, but I wanted to learn about every aspect of the company,” says Elliott. “I rang my uncle and said I wanted to work in the shop on Saturdays.”

Every weekend Laurence Graff spent at least an hour with his nephew, explaining

Extract taken from ‘Beginnings’ by Vivienne Becker, which features in the new GRAFF coffee-table book, published by Rizzoli.

Priced at R1350, with all proceeds donated to Graff’s charitable foundation, FACET. Available to buy online, in good bookshops and at graffdiamonds.com

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the business. “I was 22, and it changed the way I looked at things,” he says. The budding diamantaire had the opportunity to watch his uncle in action. “Above all he is an incredible salesman, whether he’s selling stones, jewellery or his own personality,” he continues. “But I learned from him not only about business, but about life – how to be. I learned about integrity, manner, and most of all how to think. He has a naturally strategic mind. He listens, thinks, remembers.”

Elliott marvels at the way in which his uncle makes space to explore a diamond.

“He has an extraordinary ability to give an important stone the time and attention it needs. Watching him, you can often see him falling in love with a stone,” he explains.

Elliott witnessed this first-hand with the acquisition of the famous WittelsbachGraff diamond. Initially Elliott had been unconvinced by the stone. But without ever saying he was wrong, Laurence slowly persuaded him of the personality and the possibilities of this great historic gem.

His mentor also impressed the younger Graff with his genius for thinking on his feet and making rapid calculations – a talent that proves especially valuable in the heat of the moment at important auctions, when bids can suddenly start rising rapidly. “You have to think very, very quickly,” Elliott explains.

“He’s a mathematical genius.”

Listening to the Graffs talking about their dreams and plans and their passion for what they do, it is hard not to wonder whether we might be witnessing the establishment of a great jewellery dynasty. One that will remain as synonymous with the world’s finest diamonds in 100 or 200 years’ time as the name Graff is today.

“I didn’t know what ‘brand’ was at the beginning, but all of a sudden it is all about ‘brand, brand, brand’, and a brand, I realised, is a name,” observes the inimitable Mr Graff , who, in 2013, was awarded a highly prestigious OBE in recognition of a lifetime of dedication and commitment to the jewellery industry. “It’s my name... I think it’s nice for names to carry on.” Thus, he is allowing the younger generations an increasingly free rein. “More and more I’m in the background, because I want to project others to the front,” he says. “I want them to go forward.”

YOU SEE HIM FALL IN LOVE WITH A STONE Yet he still keeps a close eye on every aspect of his business, either from his home in Switzerland or wherever else in the world he happens to be, and twice a month flies to London to see the shipments that come in from the cutting and polishing facilities.

“I’m sure my great-grandchildren will be intrigued by these stories, but theirs will be a different world, and they’ll have a different way of doing things,” Laurence Graff reflects.

It’s clear, however, that his mind is still very much on the here and now. “My ambition is to improve the brand all the time, to make it secure, to bring in more expertise where we can, and carry on dealing with the most fabulous jewels in the world.” As he speaks, he glances time and again at Bacon’s darkly glimmering Pope on the library wall, and I ask him for his appraisal of the painting.

“What do I see? I see a powerful figure coming out of the darkness, a man of great power,” he answers. Does he think that the imposing, enigmatic figure looks rather like him? “People tell me that, yes, that the image resembles me,” he muses. “Maybe it does.”

A DRAM OF CALEDONIAN HERITAGE Whether you prefer the fragrant malts of the scenic Highlands, or the smoky drams from the dramatic Western Isles, it’s with good reason that Scotch whisky is revered worldwide.

PHOTOGRAPHS: BRUICHLADDICH

by Richard Holmes

Uisge beatha. “The water of life.” Is there a finer phrase to describe the amber magic found in each and every dram of fine Scotch whisky? For as the wind whips in off the North Sea, shaking the tops of the ancient pine forests along the River Spey, there are few better ways to warm the heart than a dram of fine Speyside single malt. Here the steam rises slowly from the distillery chimneys, curling above the glens carpeted in wild heather where rocky streams tumble down to salmon-rich rivers rushing onwards towards the sea.

So too out on the windswept islands of Orkney, or the far-flung Western Isles where the wild Atlantic rips at shores that stand sturdy beneath the quayside distilleries of Islay, the island dubbed the “Queen of the Hebrides”. Here, as across Scotland, master distillers honour the time-proven techniques, passing on their knowledge through the generations; an unbroken echo of the rich heritage of Scotch whisky that carries through to the present-day. It’s an age-old ritual, honoured each and every time they heat

the burnished pot stills, transforming a humble mash of malted barley into the clear and potent spirit the Romans dubbed Aqua Vitae.

The fact that whisky is colourless when it emerges from the still surprises most visitors to the distilleries of Scotland.

As clear as water when it gushes into the padlocked spirit safe, it is the long years spent in barrel that impart each whisky its unique colour and flavour; the wood imbuing the spirit with the tales of a former life. That could be the gentle amber shades and vanilla notes of a toasted bourbon cask shipped in from Kentucky, or perhaps the sweetness and golden tinge of an Oloroso sherry butt.

The choice of barrel; just another aspect of the distiller’s art.

Once the whisky is in oak, all that’s needed is time. Over the years – rarely less than a decade for quality single malt – the whisky and wood unite in a gentle marriage of flavour and colour.

Of course the ‘angels’ take their share too: each year up to two percent of the liquid evaporates from the barrel, further

Scotland’s Master Distillers walk the fine line between art and science.

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Age-old techniques and vintage machinery play a key role in crafting Scotland’s most memorable single malts, like this iconic 42-year-old Ledaig from Tobermory.

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Island innovation There are perhaps few distilleries that embody the spirit and tradition of Scotch single malt more than Bruichladdich. Set on the shores of Loch Indaal, the seawater inlet that dominates the island of Islay, Bruichladdich has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Dating back to 1881, it struggled through wars, prohibition and plain old bad luck before the gates were locked in the early 1990s.

Saved at the turn of the century by a London wine merchant, today it is perhaps the most innovative distillery on Islay, with a wide range of adventurous malts that deliver a true taste of Islay terroir. Head Distiller Adam Hannett learnt his craft from Jim McEwan, a living legend in the Scottish whisky industry whose style is evident across the range of Bruichladdich single malts. The Classic Bruichladdich unpeated malts are a nod to the earliest style crafted at the distillery, while the Port Charlotte range is a tribute to the acclaimed, but longshuttered, distillery on the banks of Loch Indaal, which was famous for its heavily peated single malts.

These are thoroughly modern malts and

yet they are borne from a decidedly old-fashioned distillery: saddle-leather belts drive the antique Boby mill; the traditional open-top mash tun extracts maximum flavour and sugar from the barley; while towering wooden washbacks made of Douglas fir ensure a long, slow fermentation before distillation in the signature copper stills which are among the oldest in Scotland. Victorian technology and age-old techniques collide in a distillery where the iconic stills refuse to be cooled.

A taste of ancient peat While Islay draws many malt-loving travellers, few remember to look to the far north and the island of Orkney.

Here, on the farthest fringes of Scottish territory, the distillery of Highland Park quietly nurtures the age-old techniques of distilling Scotch whisky.

Highland Park dates back to 1798 and, on the face of it, little has changed. It remains one of the few distilleries to malt its own barley; the craft of carefully hand-turning the grain as it transforms on the fragrant malting floor is passed down through generations of artisans.

The peat, burnt to halt the malting process and imbue the barley with Highland Park’s trademark smoky aroma, is also key to the distillery’s unique single malt.

Cut from the nearby Hobbister Moor, the 4 000-year-old peat imparts a sweet smokiness, the layers of age and density contributing the breadth of aromas redolent in the final malt.

These pillars of the distiller’s craft have ensured over 200 years of unbroken whisky tradition at Highland Park, so it is perhaps no surprise that this is a distillery where patience is rewarded. While the limited release ‘expressions’ honouring the rich Viking heritage of the Orkney Islands are superb, it’s the 18-, 21- and 25-year-old malts that truly excel.

Centuries of safe haven In the same year that the smuggler Magnus Eunson established Highland Park, one John Sinclair, a seaweed merchant on the Isle of Mull, had similar

PHOTOGRAPHS: BRUICHLADDICH, LEDAIG

SPIRIT AND WOOD UNITE OVER TIME

intensifying the single malt as it matures slowly in an embrace of wood.

In the quayside storehouses of Islay the relentless salty winds lay a gentle mist of sea spray over the silent barrels. Is the salt absorbed through the wood, or does the maritime tang of Islay whiskies come from the peat-tinged loch water used in the distillery? Well, that’s an argument to be enjoyed over a dram of Laphroaig or Bunnahabhain.

And there are certainly plenty of tales to be uncovered in the boutique whisky distilleries of Scotland. For while there’s no shortage of popular brands and bigname distilleries dotted along the whisky trails of Scotland, a true traveller would rather turn off the beaten track. Leave the blends and brand names behind, and discover the heart and soul of single malt Scotch. And when you do, raise a glass and toast the finest whiskies in the world, here in the home of uisge beatha.

ideas. On a stretch of land overlooking the bay of Ledaig, meaning “safe haven” in Gaelic, the first and only distillery on Mull was born.

Back then it was known as Ledaig, but the modern-day Tobermory still ranks as one of the oldest commercial distillers in Scotland. The original name is celebrated

Bruichladdich was revived in 2000 to become the most innovative distillery on Islay.

Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies crafted the sterling silver packaging for Highland Park’s 50-year-old single malt.

in Tobermory’s ‘Ledaig’ range of peated single malts, a fine counterpoint to the fragrant unpeated malts the distillery is perhaps most famous for.

Both ranges draw heavily on the two centuries of whisky-making tradition, and Master Distiller Ian MacMillan is a traditionalist at heart.

The whisky is made from pure spring water, as it has been since 1798, and the barley is still malted by hand on authentic malting floors. Traditional mash tuns, wooden washbacks and the distinctive S-shaped lyne arm of the pot still work in concert to produce one of the more elegant, charming malts of Scotland’s Western Isles.

Time-honoured family traditions If it’s tradition you’re after, turn to Springbank of Campbeltown, the oldest independent family-owned distillery in Scotland. Established in 1828, today the fifth generation of the Mitchell family conserves the time-honoured traditions

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of whisky distilling on the Kintyre Peninsula in western Scotland.

Key to that tradition is that the entire process – from barley to barrel – is carried out at this scenic distillery on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Floor-malted barley is dried in traditional kilns before it’s crushed in a Porteous mill dating back to the 1940s. The century-old mash tun uses spring water from the hills above Campbeltown before fermentation in towering washbacks made of larch. The magical process of distillation takes place in high-necked copper stills, with live flame powering the crucial wash still, before the barrels are hand-filled and stored in cool, damp whisky storehouses.

The end result? A remarkable range of malts ranging from the heavily peated Longrow to the fragrant Hazelburn and classic Springbank.

Six generations of character While Springbank embraces its seaside location in crafting distinctly maritime whiskies, the distilleries of Speyside offer an altogether different character, and Glenfarclas offers a classic taste of this iconic whisky-producing corner of the Scottish Highlands.

Another family-owned distillery, handed down through six generations of the Grant clan, the malts of Glenfarclas offer a sweeter, richer whisky experience.

There’s spice and honey from the barrels, and a delicate smokiness from the lightly peated barley. While the spring water and bespoke malts play their part, key to the unique flavour profile of Glenfarclas is the copper pot stills, the largest in all of Speyside.

With a bulbous boil-ball tapering to a thin neck, the Glenfarclas stills are still heated the traditional way, with a fire from beneath. Heritage plays a role in selecting the barrels too: Glenfarclas is only matured in Spanish casks that have held Oloroso or Fino sherry; the fragrant sweetness marrying with the single malt for up to 50 years. It’s a remarkable lineage of family and whisky celebrated in the Family Casks, a collection of single cask bottlings stretching back to 1952.

TM

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XPERIENCES

PHOTOGRAPHS: BRUICHLADDICH, HIGHLAND PARK, ABERLOUR

A rich Celtic heritage There’s another long history to be explored at Aberlour, further downstream on the River Spey. Translated as “the mouth of the chattering burn” in Gaelic, Aberlour boasts a rich Celtic heritage and these ancient folk were perhaps the first to use the water from the nearby burn or stream.

For James Fleming the soft spring water from the granite slopes of Ben Rinnes was an opportunity to establish a distillery, which he did in 1879. His family motto?

“Let the deed show”.

It’s a philosophy taken to heart by the team of master distillers, who use the finest unpeated malted barley to create Aberlour’s trademark whiskies, which are double cask-matured for at least 12 years in handpicked Oloroso sherry butts and first-fill Bourbon casks. In the glass, they deliver rich, complex single malts that evolve through layers of flavour: expect notes of spice, sweetness, vanilla, oak and honey.

The finest expression of this iconic distillery is a malt that raises a glass to the man who first fired up the stills here.

A’bunadh – “the original” in Gaelic – is a homage to Fleming, and made using only traditional methods. It’s a lingering creamy malt with a nose of allspice and spice orange, marrying perfectly with a palate of dark chocolate and richness from the sherry casks.

It is surely one of the finest single malts to flow from the pot stills of Scotland, and a fitting tribute to one of the pioneers of Scotch. For when it comes to world-class malt whisky, the heatherclad hills of Scotland are most certainly “the original”.

Aberlour’s rich, complex single malts offer an iconic taste of Speyside.

From scenic Speyside to the gentle Lowlands, the Western Isles to the historic distilleries of northern Caithness, there’s a soul in Scotch whisky that’s simply not found elsewhere in the world. It’s a rare distiller that will invoke the French term “terroir”, but that’s precisely what shines through in each and every dram of single malt from Scotland.

It’s the perfume of heather flowering in the clear Scottish sunshine, and the rushing of spring water as it flows through the rocky burns. There’s the scent of sea air and salt redolent in the quayside distilleries that guard the coast of Scotland; the earthy fragrance of the forests that still clad corners of what was once known as Caledonia, the land of the Celts.

As you uncork a bottle of single malt, close your eyes and savour that first sip, as it transports you to the rolling glens of the Highlands and the rocky shores of Islay. If life is measured in experiences, perhaps Scottish single malt truly is the “water of life”.

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Spoilt for choice The Phantom Serenity features silk panels that were handembroidered with delicate, Chinoiserie blossoms.

When it comes to bespoke cars based on a production series, nothing compares to the vehicles hand-crafted in Goodwood – the home of legendary British marque, Rolls-Royce.

by Florian Gast

H

ow many choices of fabric do you have at your favourite tailor in Savile Row? What leathers can you select to get the perfect pair of bespoke shoes by John Lobb?

When it comes to choosing the colour of your Rolls-Royce, you can pick any shade imaginable – the manufacturer of the world’s finest cars offers a choice of 44 000 tones!

Some customers might simply make a selection from the ‘normal’ range of colours the legendary British marque has to offer, others bring a sample of their preferred tone of red, green, blue, black, gray, silver, white – or just a flacon of their wife’s favourite nail polish. What might sound like a tall order to some is just run of the mill for the team headed

by Lars Klawitter, Head of Bespoke at Rolls-Royce.

For this team of specialists, a specific colour is one of the easiest requests to fulfil, and only the start of the journey to deliver an absolutely unique vehicle to a customer anywhere in the world.

While still based on a regular model in the Rolls-Royce range, a car coming out

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of Goodwood with the ‘bespoke plaque’ delivers a very rare experience in a world of mainstream products.

But taking delivery of a completely once-off car is just one side of the coin.

The other is the inspiration, the design and, above all, the craftsmanship that goes into manufacturing one of these luxurious vehicles.

“A customer who wants a bespoke Rolls-Royce has already got an idea or a specific theme in his head,” explains Klawitter. Using this idea or theme as their starting point, the bespoke design team develops ideas and suggestions for the customer.

Weeks – sometime months – go into finding and finalising the perfect details to comply with a customer’s requests.

Some wishes are easy to grant, such as a picnic basket with crystal glasses and Wedgwood fine china that can be securely stowed in the boot, or a falconry cage to house the owner’s precious bird.

Others, like the details crafted for the Phantom Serenity, created for the Geneva International Motor Show, take the meaning of bespoke to a whole new level.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ – the ornament that adorns the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce – the marque commissioned British photographer Rankin to shoot a series of women that embody that spirit.

A customer can specify every detail in a Bespoke Rolls-Royce, from the leather and stitching used for the upholstery to the fine marquetry used to embellish the wooden door panels.

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The genesis of Serenity and its beautiful blossom motif began with a blank piece of paper. It also began with a bolt of the finest hand-woven silk.

To create that bolt, the Bespoke at Rolls-Royce team looked to Suzhou, the Chinese city famous for its imperial silks. The city’s finest craftspeople were chosen to hand-dye the unspun thread using techniques handed down through countless generations. The thread was then transported to one of Britain’s oldest mills, based in Essex, to be hand-woven into just 10 metres of fabric – enough to clothe the interior of Serenity. In a painstaking process, different colours of thread were blended into the highestquality warp – featuring 140 threads per centimetre – to produce a lustrous Smoke Green silk.

This plain silk then made its way to London to be embroidered with a blossom motif created by textile designers Cherica Haye and Michelle Lusby. A modern take on centuriesold Chinoiserie, it saw copper-coloured branches and white petals spread across the fabric, hand-embroidered by the best British and Chinese craftspeople. The final touch was the detailed, petal by petal hand-painting of crimson blossoms directly onto the silk. When the Serenity interior was finally fitted with its silk panels, a total of 600 hours of work had gone into each unique panel.

But work on Serenity’s bespoke interior – the most opulent of any luxury car to date – didn’t end with this gorgeous silk. Taking its cue from the world of modern furniture design, the rear seats

were elevated with valances made from rare smoked cherrywood, while the front seats were clothed in the finest leather in a shade of cool Arctic White.

To continue the Oriental theme, the smoked cherrywood was used throughout the cabin, applied to the Serenity’s door cappings, the dash fascia and the rear centre console. This was further embellished by another beautiful Asian wood, with the highly skilled application of bamboo cross-banding.

In addition, the blossom motif in the silk was recreated in mother-of-pearl marquetry on the rear door cappings.

Each piece of the smooth, shining iridescent material, sourced from mollusc shells, was laser-cut and handapplied, petal by petal, into the wood.

Continuing the theme of ultimate luxury, the luggage compartment was lined in more white leather, matched by a white carpet. As a final touch, two parasols featuring the Serenity motif were added, held by bespoke leather loops incorporated into the boot lid.

Whatever the wish of a customer, “as long as it is technically possible and is within the safety regulations, we will make it happen”, says Brett Soso, Regional Director Middle East, Africa, Central Asia & South America. “A lot of people think only of colour and maybe leather for the interior, but a bespoke design process at Rolls-Royce includes way more – and this is why we are not comparable with any other car manufacturer,” he adds.

First off, a customer needs to choose the model on which his individual

Spoilt for choice

The Wraith Drophead Coupé plans to take the luxury brand to a younger, sportier

masterpiece should be based. A classic Phantom? A more modern Ghost II? Or the sporty Wraith coupé? Does madam want a normal wheel base, or would she prefer the long wheel base? The latter makes a huge difference to the space available to passengers, which is why it’s extremely popular in the Far East, where a chauffeur is practically obligatory for the owner of a Rolls-Royce.

The model chosen, the customer then needs to look to the interior. The upholstery needs to be selected from the array of fine leather available, and lining and stitching - one colour or bicolour – needs to be considered. And that’s before you can even think of how and where you’re going to embroider the family crest, company logo or a favourite emblem into the fabric of this precious luxury vehicle.

Of course, Klawitter and his team consult with all clients and give advice wherever necessary but, at the end of the day, the customer is king – often quite literally!

The options are just as broad when it comes to the side and dashboard panels.

Do you want a classic design featuring the finest wood sourced in the most remote areas of the world, or is it a Formula 1-inspired carbon-fibre look you’re after? Would you like to match the panels with the Steinway piano you inherited from your grandfather, or would you prefer to have them covered in Chinese lacquer inlaid with glittering mother-of-pearl?

All of these options – imaginable or otherwise – require the skills of master craftsmen and the dedication of a team

that strives relentlessly for absolute perfection. Traditional methods used for hundreds of years combine with modern computer-aided techniques to give you options you may never have dreamed possible. It is these countless hours of skilled manual labour that go into the build of each bespoke Rolls-Royce that gives it its soul – and makes it impossible to replicate.

Passing on skills and nurturing the next generation of craftspeople is an essential part of the process in the Goodwood workshops, too. The hand-picked team who puts together a bespoke Rolls-Royce needs outstanding talent, years of on-thejob training, patience and an attitude that only perfection is good enough, not to

market, while the Phantom Serenity sets new standards in authentic, bespoke design.

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Spoilt for choice

For the Bespoke at Rolls-Royce team based at Goodwood in Sussex, anything is possible –

mention a healthy respect for the heritage and values of the long-standing brand.

A bespoke Rolls-Royce emerges after a long, detailed journey walked by both customer and craftspeople. It’s a path not all customers may want to take, which is why Rolls-Royce also releases various special editions, which allows buyers to acquire something out of the ordinary without being faced with a barrage of endless choices.

In mid 2015, Rolls-Royce presented a

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trilogy of special-edition Wraiths, the new coupé model released in 2013 for the younger and sportier uber-luxurious market. Wraith inspired by Music, Wraith inspired by Film and Wraith inspired

by Fashion feature special colour combinations as well as unique new details and materials – such as a neverbefore-used silk lining in the doors of the Wraith inspired by Fashion and an exclusive audio system in the Wraith inspired by Music. With details that

confer a status of individuality, the builtto-order vehicles are a popular choice for the super wealthy across the globe.

Another 2015 release was a Wraith inspired by the history of rugby and designed to celebrate Britain hosting the Rugby World Cup. The once-off model was sold almost immediately to an unnamed Rolls-Royce collector.

In the words of Rolls-Royce, in the bid to create a truly unique car: inspiration is everywhere!

PHOTOGRAPHS: ROLLS-ROYCE

and inspiration is everywhere.

LIVE. LIKE NO ONE ELSE. BeoLink Multiroom unites your Bang & Olufsen products into one liberating wireless system. Play diferent music in diferent rooms or let one tune low throughout your home. Just touch your Bang & Olufsen product to instantly join the music stream, or control the experience from your mobile phone.

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Inspiring young chefs An annual gala dinner that draws together South Africa’s top chefs, sommeliers and artists in the spirit of charity, ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ has raised over R6-million for youth development in three years.

The inaugural ‘Chefs who share’ Young Chef Award saw seven aspiring chefs work with their culinary heroes in preparing the gourmet four-course dinner at the annual charity gala.

by Kit Heathcock

T

here’s a grand sense of occasion in the busy tented kitchen set up behind Cape Town City Hall – an atmosphere of camaraderie and fun as well as intense concentration, as preparations for a prestigious gala dinner near completion. The event is the ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ annual black-tie fundraising gala in aid of youth development, the chefs in question 14 illustrious icons whose names are a who’s who of South African culinary heroes, the likes of Marthinus Ferreira, Bertus Basson, Rudi Liebenberg, Malika van Reenen and more. Feeling slightly awe-struck but rising magnificently to the occasion in this hall of fame are seven promising young chefs, each joining one of seven teams to prepare a fabulous meal worthy of the glittering gourmet evening.

For the young chefs this is the culmination of a challenging three-day programme to choose the winner of the inaugural Young Chef Award, a new opportunity for today’s rising culinary stars to make a name for themselves and develop their skills. For the past three days they have worked in teams to prepare everything from sophisticated

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cuisine to simple and nutritious meals for underprivileged children.

Their journey began when 75 prominent restaurants, hotels and lodges were invited by ‘Chefs who share’ to put forward young members of their teams who showed outstanding promise. Each candidate then spent weeks dreaming up an original and enticing canapé, the recipe for which could get them a place as a finalist. Only the best would do, as the top seven canapés would be prepared and served at the prestigious ‘Chefs who share’ gourmet evening itself.

There was tough competition but eventually seven recipes were selected by a panel of judges – which included Editor of Food24 Tessa Purdon, Carianne Wilkinson of Silwood School of Cookery, TV chef Lentswe Bhengu and other eminent foodies – for their creativity and suitability for one of the top food events of the year.

So the talented seven came to Cape Town as guests of ‘Chefs who share’ and prepared to prove their worth. Standing beside them and acting both as judges and mentors were two celebrities of the food world. Reto Mathis, chef patron of several celebrated restaurants in the Alps above

St Moritz, and brand ambassador for Swiss International Air Lines, served as International Patron of the Award, which he described as a “unique opportunity” for aspiring chefs. Alongside him was South Africa’s own internationally known chef and TV personality Lentswe Bhengu, himself a testament to what is possible to achieve as a young chef with big dreams.

As an Ambassador of the Young Chef Award, Lentswe aims to inspire all young South Africans who have a passion for food. “My role was to motivate and stand as a beacon of hope using my career as an example. If you put your head down and focus on your goals you too can achieve success in the food industry.”

The finalists’ first task was to bring their winning canapés to life for a high-profile media event at The Reserve at Taj Cape Town, the official hospitality partner of the ‘Chefs who share’ event. “I was very excited,” said Ludwig van Biljon, from Delaire Graff Estate. “A little bit nervous because I was walking into unknown territory, but I forgot all about that once I got to the kitchen at the Taj hotel and started getting my canapés ready.”

The next morning the chefs’ creativity and skills were challenged in a different environment. They went to the Amy Biehl Foundation’s community kitchen to work with the staff of three Masiphumelele organisations to cook nutritious meals for children from their township near Kommetjie, as part of the Veggie Box Initiative, an ongoing project linked to ‘Chefs who share’ that provides healthy meals for kids in underprivileged communities. Working in teams, the

aspiring chefs not only needed to prepare a meal from the contents of a Veggie Box, but also needed to produce a recipe to go with it – to be published on a health charity’s website to give inspiration to others working with children.

“Working in the Foundation kitchen was definitely memorable,” said finalist JamieLee Saunders. “I loved showing people how to work with and use healthy veggies.”

From there, each young chef joined one of the seven ‘Chefs who share’ teams, made up of two of South Africa’s top chefs and a dedicated sommelier. Each team was tasked with creating a memorable and unique four-course menu serving 36 guests at the charity gala.

Jamie-Lee was assigned to work with Scot Kirton of La Colombe and Chantel Dartnall of Mosaic at the The Orient Boutique Hotel. “It was the most amazing feeling, working with the chefs at the gala dinner. They are all so talented and unique in their own ways when it comes to their dishes. I learnt so much.”

There were two days of hard work preparing for the grand dinner, and then all 14 top chefs, the seven finalists and teams came together in the customdesigned mobile kitchen behind Cape Town City Hall for the final preparations.

The finalists were on their mettle as this was the last stage in the competition for them to prove themselves and, as well as working with their teams, they would be serving their canapés once more.

At the end of the gala dinner the winner was announced: Jamie-Lee Saunders, a 22-year-old commis chef from Grootbos Private Nature Reserve near Hermanus.

Seven Young Chef Award finalists were chosen for their innovative canapé recipes.

These included ‘Pink peppercorn macaroons with duck liver pâté and candied apples’ by JamieLee Saunders of Grootbos; ‘Beef in the vines under Africa skies’

by Germaine Esau of Makaron at Majeka House; and ‘Motion of the Ocean’ by Etienne Wessels of Bosman’s at Grande Roche.

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Jamie-Lee Saunders was announced as the winner by judges and mentors Lentswe Bhengu and Reto Mathis.

In addition to raising money for youth development in South Africa, ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving‘ has given rise to the unique Veggie Box Initiative, which raises money to provide nutritious meals for children in townships around Cape Town.

In cooperation with existing organisations, the Veggie Box Initiative visits feeding projects and provides funds to buy food. It brings in chefs to educate staff and children about good

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the Young Chef Award such a valuable experience for her, it was the whole process of working with and learning from the inspiring food heroes at ‘Chefs who share’, giving her and the six other finalists a whole new set of skills to take back to their own kitchens. “Winning was a big highlight,” she recalls, “but my most memorable moment was when I went to thank the organisers for everything they had done for me!”

And she has a fabulous prize to look forward to, one to stretch her culinary horizons even further. She’ll be flown to Europe by Swiss International Air Lines, spend several days working in a Michelinstar restaurant in Germany and enjoy two days in France on a VIP visit to Moët & Chandon in Epernay – a fitting experience for a young chef who has proved herself in the company of South Africa’s best.

nutrition and healthy eating, and supports the establishment of sustainable vegetable gardens.

The initiative is also a platform for chefs to get involved in communities and share their expertise. Since it was launched at the first ‘Chefs who share’ gala, various participating chefs have cooked at different township projects.

Veggie Boxes can be bought throughout the year on www.chefswhoshare.com. Each costs R1 000, with proceeds going to a charity supporting children in need. The more boxes that are purchased, the more healthy meals will be provided to South Africa’s poorest children.

PHOTOGRAPHS: CHEFS WHO SHARE

She came to the Grootbos kitchens two years ago, with no formal chef’s training but with a passion for food. For the past six months she had been mentored by the lodge’s pastry chef Christien Schreker, and her love of this art showed in her canapé – a pink peppercorn macaroon with duck liver pâté and candied apples, combining sweet and savoury in an intriguing way and looking beautiful, too.

But it was more than creativity and cooking skills that the judges took into consideration: “We were looking for a creative dish that suited the event, a passionate chef who could work well with others and a spoonful of skill,” explained Lentswe. Jamie-Lee’s professional manner and vivacious personality were the extra ingredients that won her the title.

It was an incredibly exciting moment, but, it wasn’t just the winning that made

Castings of character Besides monumental public works, Jean is best known for her bronzes of women in the style of voluptuous Renaissance nudes, such as the uninhibited ‘Washer Woman’ (below).

Influenced by the Renaissance painters Botticelli, Rubens and Titian, sculptor Jean Doyle’s figures are substantial and bold, their ample bodies adorned with the trappings of their culture.

by Andrea Vinassa

A

big black Great Dane greets you at the gate of sculptor Jean Doyle’s period home in Wynberg, which doubles up as a studio and hosts a sculpture garden and art museum where she has on display a selection of her bronze figures produced over the past 30 years.

The boisterous black dog whose legs are too long and ears too large gives clues to unlocking the work of this prolific artist, who describes her work as “hyperbolic”. Her first public commission was of the famous dog Just Nuisance, now immortalised in bronze on Jubilee Square, Simons Town. Commissioned to produce the piece after she won a competition, she used one of her own Great Danes as inspiration.

From these modest beginnings the artist has gone on to win several international commissions, including a nine-metretall bronze of an Angolan general in full military kit, celebrating Angola’s freedom from colonialism, entitled ‘Monument to the Battle of Kifangondo’. Believed to be the largest bronze sculpture on the African continent, the 2003 piece weighs

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eight tons and took a year to complete.

Perhaps her most famous work, though, is the ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ statue in honour of Nelson Mandela, commissioned by businessman Tokyo Sexwale, who himself spent 13 years on Robben Island.

When he commissioned the bronze, Sexwale was already the owner of a fivemetre-high Jean Doyle elephant.

The three-metre-high bronze of Mandela was unveiled outside the gates of Victor Verster Prison, subsequently renamed Drakenstein Correctional Centre, and commemorates his release on 11 February 1990. It shows him striding confidently, beaming from ear to ear, his fist raised in the well-known gesture of defiance.

Jean modelled the piece after studying numerous photographs and videos of Mandela, ensuring that she captured not just the physical features, but the inner essence of the man. Such was the appeal of her piece that a copy was unveiled outside the entrance to the South African embassy in Washington DC in 2013.

Jean’s works are not mere likenesses of the hero or heroine in question; they strive to reveal something deeper. She

Castings of character From African women such as ‘Himba Dancer’ to circus performers such as ‘Horizontal Gravity’ and ‘Girl in Space I’, Jean’s figures display a confident grace and strength.

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Jean has produced a prodigious body of work over more than

says “they are a physical interpretation of a spiritual quality; a harmony between the material and the ethereal.”

Growing up in a home where creativity was part of everyday life, Jean was exposed to art-making, pottery and carpentry from an early age. Her father was a painter and craftsman, so the choice of art as a career did not seem strange to her. She started as a painter, but then found sculpture, and bronze, to be a more expressive form for her talents.

In 1983 she opened her own bronze foundry, one of the first of its kind in Cape Town, and was elected a member of the SA Institute of Foundrymen, something that raised a few eyebrows in the maledominated world of metalwork. Once established, she enlisted both her husband Michael and her son Anton into what has grown into a substantial enterprise.

She’s one of few women working in bronze in South Africa and has an impressive list of commemorative monuments to her name: Professor Harold Pearson, the first director of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; Jimmy Steele, founder of the Hout Bay Museum; President Agostinho Neto of Angola; President Hastings Banda of Malawi; and Labotsibeni Mdluli, who served as Queen Regent of Swaziland in the 1890s.

These public works are produced concurrently with a more personal body of work – bronzes of bold, voluptuous women that are avidly collected by art lovers all over the world. In these works she explores the female form as a metaphor for celebrating women’s strength and heroic achievements – and

to deliver a sometimes satirical message about consumerism.

She says her sculptures of women are inspired by a woman she once saw at a swimming pool: she wore an arsenal of jewellery and a tiny bikini, her pillarlike thighs supporting voluminous hips.

This monumental woman, who carried herself with such exquisite grace and with so much confidence, became Jean’s avatar, reproduced in her uninhibited, sensuous bronzes.

All her women are of regal bearing, even her latest ‘Dotcom’ series, which shows confident women engaged to distraction with laptops, coffee cups and cellphones. A satirical view of the influence of technology on women, they are both humorous and a tribute to the modern woman’s ability to multi-task.

30 years, working from her studio and foundry in Wynberg, Cape Town.

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Castings of character

The ‘Ultimate Act’, a series of sensuous and bold circus

Her ‘Spirit of Women’ series also depicts ordinary women engaged in ordinary pursuits – from the Hypershopper and her bags displaying hyperconsumerism to the Non-Domestic Goddess clutching her cellphone and designer accessories.

Yet all reveal an extraordinary spirit, a strength and exuberance.

Commenting on Jean’s iconic ‘African Women’ series, former First Lady of South Africa Zanele Mbeki says: “Her veneration of the fuller female figure has become a trademark of her work as well as a tool for social commentary. Her work is an investigation into the character of woman. The woman is presented as bold, capable and confident. Her body is

as bounteous as her beauty. She exudes resilience, strength and warmth.”

Another much-loved series is ‘Ultimate Act’, which depicts women performing circus-like feats, all a metaphor for female achievement. Jean says they are engaged in activities she would pursue if she had the courage. “I would love to career down the main street on my bicycle, stark naked, blasting a reveille on my trumpet, but I’ve never had the balls,” she comments.

Hedonistic, seemingly defying gravity, her works gleam and dazzle on their podiums, transcending the material from which they are hewn. “I have no profound reason to sculpt,” Jean says. “I do it for the sheer pleasure of it.”

performers in bronze, includes ‘Girl on a Swing’ and ‘Unicyclist’.

AFRICAN WOMEN CELEBRATED The ‘African Women’ series, nearly 40 different sculptures of women from various African tribes, was inspired by renowned African sanusi, Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa.

After reading his book Indaba, My Children in the early 1990s, Jean felt compelled to add her voice to Mutwa’s.

The series preserves and animates the history of many different African cultures Mutwa revealed in his collection of African folk tales that chart the story of African tribal life since the time of the Phoenicians. They are the result of extensive research into the attire and jewellery of each tribe and pay tribute to the courage and revolutionary spirit of the continent’s women.

Each sculpture is produced in a series of nine, each signed and numbered.

Some of the sculptures depict real people, such as legendary singer Miriam Makeba and Nzinga Mbandi, the 17th-century warrior queen of the Ndongo who fled Portuguese invaders to establish her own kingdom. Most regent, but this sculpture depicts her with spear and shield in hand, hips defiantly thrust

‘Girl in Transit’, a compelling study of

Another powerful sculpture is Black Madonna,

movement and strength,

which draws on the mythology of various

captures a circus performer

nations to produce a cross-cultural rendering

lost in happy concentration

of the timeless mother and child image.

during her routine.

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forward as she leads her refugee army.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW SWARTS, SUPPLIED

illustrations of Nzinga show her as a demure

SUVs we love to drive BMW X5 n This mid-sized luxury SUV offers superb handling with a turbocharged engine

and eight-speed transmission. The styling, too, is stand-out: on the outside it has an imposing athletic presence – with optimised aerodynamic features to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – while inside, the focus is squarely on comfort.

Upholstery is in top-quality leather, the elevated seating position enhances the driver’s view, while an optional third-row seat offers welcome flexibility. www.bmw.co.za

Infiniti QX70 n A snazzy standout on the road, Infiniti’s QX70 luxury crossover vehicle flaunts a

bold athletic stance and a boisterous exhaust note thanks to a brawny 3.7-litre V6 engine, mated to a seven-speed transmission. An Intelligent All Wheel Drive system adjusts for better traction when you need it and more dynamic handling when you don’t. Inside you’ll find welcome lighting and climate-controlled seats, as well as high-tech features to improve driving control and safety. www.infiniti.co.za

Audi Q7 n Audi’s seven-seater has been given a complete overhaul and is now

lighter and more efficient with a host of technological advancements. Using new-generation materials, it’s trimmed kilograms from its body structure, suspension, and even its transmission, while Audi’s advanced MMI Navigation controls infotainment at the touch of a screen or button, and allows the driver to electronically adjust the engine, transmission and steering to adapt to road conditions, with up to seven driving modes. www.audi.co.za

Range Rover Sport n Land Rover’s top-of-the-range offering

combines sharp sports-car handling with class-leading off-road capabilities, making it equally at home in the city or the back of beyond. The base engine is a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with an eightspeed gearbox that drives all four wheels.

It offers a comfortable ride too, with a stylish mix of leather and shiny wood in the cabin, a driver-focussed cockpit with ergonomic controls and standard air suspension that lifts or lowers the vehicle at the push of a button. www.landrover.co.za

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Lexus RX 350 EX n The new RX delivers a plush ride thanks to a smooth 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, paired with a six-speed transmission, and plenty of luxury interior features designed to keep you relaxed and entertained, even on the longest of journeys. The driver’s seat offers extensive electric adjustments while, for ease of entry, it also slides back 50mm and the steering wheel retracts. Rear seats slide, tilt or fold too. Exquisitely stitched leather seating is standard, with quality overseen by ‘Takumi’ master craftspeople. www.lexus.co.za

Opulent Living essence

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT ■ This SUV delivers sports-car levels of

grip and roaring muscle from a 6.4-litre V8 engine mated to an eight-speed gearbox and five-mode all-wheel-drive system. Couple that with a Selec-Track system that gives the driver the ability to precisely adjust driving settings to maximise handling and you’ve got an all-season performance powerhouse.

There’s oodles of luxury, too, with fine leather seats and active noise cancellation to ensure a comfy ride. www.jeep.co.za

Compiled by Florian Gast Words by Anne Duncan

Porsche Macan Turbo ■ Sports car fans who want to head off the beaten track can certainly blaze a

trail in Porsche’s new compact crossover. It’s superfast thanks to a 400hp, twinturbo V6 engine, which is coupled with a seven-speed gearbox and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. There’s a sporty cockpit-style interior with finishes from leather to brushed aluminium – all fully customisable. The multifunction three-spoke steering wheel, inspired by the 918 Spyder, has two gearshift paddles and there are some hightech communication and audio features. www.porsche.co.za

Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé ■ Mixing the sporty styling of a coupé with the muscular characteristics of the SUV,

the GLE Coupé promises an exhilarating ride on 21-inch alloy wheels. The athletic V6 engine is paired with a nine-speed gearbox and Mercedes-Benz’s Dynamic Select is standard, enabling you to change the driving characteristics from sporty to more comfort-oriented. 4MATIC all-wheel-drive ensures the car maintains good traction, even in the toughest driving conditions. www.mercedes-benz.co.za

Volvo XC90 ■ A handsome seven-seater packed with

safety features, the Volvo XC90 offers solid performance with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed gearbox that drives all four wheels. The quiet, composed ride is matched by an elegant interior that oozes Scandinavian style – think soft leather, grainy wood, a crystal gearshift lever and ventilated front seats with four-way electric lumbar support – and features Volvo’s new Sensus infotainment system. www.volvocars.com/za

Tesla Model X ■ If you’re looking to get across hill and dale in the greenest possible way,

then the new Model X comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 90kW battery providing 400km of range. It’s packed with safety features, including a medical-grade HEPA filter that removes pollen, bacteria, viruses and pollution from cabin air. There’s ample seating for seven adults and all their gear – and those distinctive Falcon Wing doors allow easier access to second and third row seats, even in the tightest parking spot. www.teslamotors.com

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Diamonds we love to flaunt Van Deijl Diamond Pendant ■ Founded in 1964 in the Western Cape, Van Deijl Jewellers is known for style and quality that has a strong foundation in fine craftsmanship. Part of its latest collection of fine jewellery is this 18K white gold diamond pendant featuring two round brilliant cut diamonds totalling 0.33ct (Colour: H–I; Clarity: SI1) and 65 round brilliant cut diamonds totalling 0.785ct (Colour: H–I; Clarity: VS–SI1). www.vandeijl.co.za

Harry Winston Secret Wonder Earrings ■ Reversible starburst drops bring

an enchanting and unexpected touch to this extraordinary pair of earrings. They feature a brilliant medley of round and pear shaped diamonds on one side, that rotates to reveal a colourful array of sapphires, diamonds and aquamarines on the other. Eighteen round brilliant sapphires (approx. 0.84ct), eight pear shaped aquamarines (approx. 0.45ct), and 438 marquise, pear shaped and round brilliant diamonds (approx. 7.43ct) are set in platinum. www.harrywinston.com

Arthur Kaplan Dream in Colour Marsala Ring ■ The Dream in Colour Marsala Collection from South African jeweller Arthur Kaplan uses nature’s palette of coloured gemstones to create a fashion collection that brings the 2015 Pantone Colour of the Year to life. The key piece is the rose gold ring set with amethyst, Brazilian garnet, smokey quartz and diamonds, a stylish combination of colours that will add sophisticated drama to any outfit. www.arthurkaplan.co.za

Shimansky Fancy Yellow Diamond Ring

Cartier Bracelet ■ Unveiled at La Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris’s fabled antiques and haute

joaillerie event, this beautiful piece shows off an array of settings, colours and stones that hark back to traditional designs in Cartier’s extensive archives.

Crafted from platinum, it features 16 carved pink sapphires totalling 85.15ct, ruby beads, moonstones, onyx and brilliant cut diamonds. www.cartier.com

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PHOTOGRAPH: VINCENT WULVERYCK © CARTIER 2012

■ Extraordinarily rare, Fancy Yellow Diamonds capture the warmth of the African sun as they sparkle with the most magical golden hues. The diamonds used in the Shimansky Fancy Yellow Diamond Jewellery Collection are selected

by Shimansky directly from Kimberley and the West Coast and transformed into exclusive creations. This ring features a 4.8ct Natural Vivid Yellow Diamond flanked by 1ct asscher cut D/VVS diamonds. www.shimansky.com

Opulent Living essence Graff Diamonds Carissa Necklace

Compiled by Florian Gast

■ Graff Diamonds’ exquisite Carissa

Collection captures the delicate carissa flower in an arrangement of pear shape and marquise gemstones in a range of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Designed and crafted at Graff’s London atelier, scintillating diamonds and tantalising rubies, emeralds and sapphires are cradled within a minimal setting to ensure the distinction of each stone is intensified. www.graffdiamonds.com

Piaget Secrets of Venice Cuff Bracelet ■ Part of the new Piaget Haute

Shimansky Tanzanite Ring ■ Based at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, and with retail outlets around the

country, renowned South African jeweller Yair Shimansky has built a reputation for creating remarkable diamond and tanzanite jewellery. This glittering ring is set with a 95.12ct tanzanite stone that is B-AAA Flawless. It is flanked by 432 round brilliant cut diamonds weighing 4.18ct in total. www.shimansky.com

Joaillerie collection “Secrets & Lights” – inspired by two legendary cities of the Silk Route: Venice and Samarkand – this extravagant cuff brings to glittering life the play of light on Venice’s famed canals. It’s crafted in 18K rose gold set with 88 marquise cut diamonds (approx. 20.24ct) and 776 brilliant cut diamonds (approx. 10ct). www.piaget.com

Jenna Clifford Cristiano Earrings ■ South African jewellery designer Jenna Clifford is known for her bold designs

and superlative craftsmanship. These Cristiano Earrings from the Fine Jewellery Collection feature the beautiful Morganite stone, prized for its soft pink tones.

The earrings are mastercrafted in 18K white gold (750) set with two 6x8mm oval morganites and round brilliant cut diamonds in the derail. www.jennaclifford.com

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Scotch we love to savour Bunnahabhain ‘Eirigh Na Greine’ ■ Available exclusively in travel retail outlets worldwide, this remarkable

expression from Islay distillery Bunnahabhain raises a dram to the ‘Morning Sky’ that washes over the seafront distillery. Crafted only in small batches, this complex single malt is dominated by malts matured in red wine casks, gifting the whisky a deep amber hue. On the palate, the influence of the Italian and French casks shines through in notes of rich fruitiness, underlined by the lightest hints of sea salt and smoke. www.bunnahabhain.com

Johnny Walker XR

Grant’s Elementary CU Copper 29 ■ The whole is greater than the sum of the parts: that’s the philosophy behind

this remarkable whisky. From the storehouses of William Grant & Sons, Master Blender Brian Kinsman hand-selected the finest barrels of whisky, each matured for a minimum of 29 years. Combining both peated malts and grain whiskies he’s created a unique blend offering silky caramel and a hint of leather on the nose, giving way to a rich fruitiness underpinned by a sturdy smokiness to ensure a long, complex finish. www.grantswhisky.com

■ Inspired by the blending notes of the late Sir Alexander Walker, who established Johnnie Walker as one of the leading whisky blends of the 20th century, this limited-release 21-yearold whisky beguiles with its layered intensity of caramel and citrus elements. There’s a swirl of tobacco in there too, and a hint of raisin richness, all laid out over a haunting hint of peat. A truly memorable blend from the rich storehouses of John Walker & Sons. www.johnniewalker.com

Macallan Rare Cask ■ Rarity. Complexity. Depth. Those

are the principles underpinning this flagship blend from Speyside distillery Macallan. Blended from 16 different barrel types, the very finest barrels in the Macallan storehouse, it’s a whisky defined by the mahogany hue and rich raisin notes of sherry casks. Expect fragrant sweetness on the palate and nose, underpinned by the structure of years in first-fill oak barrels. Vanilla and chocolate round out the magnificent malt blend, with a zesty citrus-tinged finish. www.themacallan.com

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The Balvenie PortWood ■ As much as distillers honour tradition, sometimes a break from it garners extraordinary results. In addition to long years maturing in traditional sherry or bourbon casks, this remarkable 21-year-old malt from Malt Master David Stewart was finished off in aged Port casks, imparting a deep golden hue and a perfume of raisin and fruit on the nose. In the glass, it’s a complex dram bursting with layers of fruit, honey and spice. www.thebalvenie.com

Chivas Regal The Icon ■ “A symbol of luxury for a new

Opulent Living essence

era”, is how the Master Distillers at Chivas Regal describe this exclusive malt. Blended from 20 of Scotland’s rarest whiskies, many of which are no longer produced, The Icon is a whisky that demands your full attention.

Presented in a finely crafted crystal decanter, the nose tempts with honey, bitter chocolate and orange fondant.

That sweetness carries through on the complex palate, where orange and vanilla balance perfectly from the nutty cask influence. www.chivas.com

Compiled by Florian Gast and Richard Holmes Words by Richard Holmes

Bowmore 1957 ■ The oldest single malt to leave the

shores of Islay, this venerable whisky spent 54 years maturing quietly in Bowmore’s famous No.1 Vaults, the oldest maturation warehouse in all of Scotland. Only 10 bottles of this oncein-a-lifetime malt were ever produced, with the first released on auction in 2012 for a staggering £100 000, the highest reserve ever set for a singlemalt whisky. Each bottle is encased in hand-blown glass resembling the waves that crash against the walls of the No.1 Vaults. www.bowmore.com

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix ■ From adversity springs creativity. When a heavy winter’s snowfall caved

in the roofs of four Glenfiddich storehouses in 2010, the craftsmen rallied in the bitter cold to save the precious barrels of whisky. Malt Master Brian Kinsman marked the occasion with this limited-release blend of malts from the finest Oloroso and American oak casks rescued from the snow.

Expect honey and chocolate on the palate with a lingering finish. Enjoy with a splash of water; this one’s had enough ice. www.glenfiddich.com

Glenmorangie Pride 1978 ■ This ultra-matured whisky is, as the name suggests, the pride of

Bruichladdich Octomore ■ The island of Islay is famous for its peated whiskies awash with maritime notes of salt, smoke and iodine.

They’re whisky-lover’s whiskies, and not for the faint of heart. The Octomore proudly stakes its claim as the world’s most heavily peated malt whisky; challenging convention and fiercely celebrating independence.

Expect a nose of spindrift sea spray and iodine, balanced by a palate of crisp malted barley and the vanilla notes of oak. An iron fist in a velvet glove. www.bruichladdich.com

Highland distillery Glenmorangie. A mere 700 bottles of this 34-yearold malt have been released worldwide, with Master Distiller Bill Lumsden calling it “my finest expression yet, one that will be savoured by whisky enthusiasts across the globe”. Richness and depth of flavour are the hallmarks here, with baked fruits, clove, spice and vanilla underpinned by a solid oak backbone. An unforgettable malt. www.glenmorangie.com

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Wolwedans Private Camp ¡ Namibia

In harmony with nature Treading a magical line between sustainable tourism and superlative desert luxury, Wolwedans Private Camp in Namibia’s NamibRand Nature Reserve offers a world-class eco-friendly escape.

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or many travellers, soaking up the sunset as the ochre light washes over the endless plains of Namibia is a long-held wish made real.

A memory never to be forgotten, and a dream come true.

Back in 1984, local businessman Albi Brückner also had a dream. To see marginal farmland returned to wilderness and watch the desert thrive under careful, considered custodianship. To cheer rusty fences being torn down, and see wild

animals roaming free across the plains once more. That dream came to life in 1992, when the NamibRand Nature Reserve was born: a remarkable 200 000-hectare wilderness in south-west Namibia. One of the largest private nature reserves in Southern Africa, it is today a sanctuary for wildlife and a pristine wilderness that is a shining example of tourism and conservation working in concert.

Set in the heart of this success story you’ll find the Wolwedans Collection

of camps. Here the 4Cs (Commerce, Conservation, Community, Culture) – a sustainability platform developed by the Zeitz Foundation – guides an approach where people, nature and business are all equally important, and where lowimpact luxury travel aims to better both the environment and the quality of life in local communities.

And just as the migrating dunes themselves find form in myriad shapes and shades, so the Wolwedans Collection offers a

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Cast away in the great plains of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, where giraffe and oryx roam, Wolwedans Private Camp is designed for those who enjoy the peace that the utter silence of the desert can afford.

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captivating diversity of experiences to inspire its discerning guests and drive its conservation model forward.

Each camp flaunts its own distinctive backdrop in the tapestry of landscapes that is the NamibRand. Dunes Lodge perches atop a sandy plateau with breathtaking views out across the reserve, while Dune Camp offers a similar immersion in the landscape on the edge of russet-orange sands. And it’s not only dunes that define the NamibRand. The dramatic Nubib Mountains guard the eastern horizon of the reserve, a mountain terrain hinted at by the enigmatic Boulders Safari Camp, where sundowners might be enjoyed from atop a spectacular rocky plateau.

All provide a place to rest, reflect and discover the desert, with a healthy dose of luxury and warm, personal service to temper the pristine wilderness.

For desert travellers are those who appreciate the solitude of the sands; who find peace in gazing out over the endless

plains. And there are few better places to soak up the silence of the desert than the Wolwedans Private Camp.

Easily the most exclusive getaway in the NamibRand, Private Camp is rented on an exclusive-use basis, allowing up to six guests (or families of up to eight) the luxury of their own private hideaway amid the sandy plains. It’s an escape that beguiles with its understated luxury; from the spacious bedrooms that seem to flow directly out on to rolling hills, to the plunge pool that materialises like a welcome mirage amid the desert heat.

After a mesmerising morning drive and sumptuous breakfast, relax in the opensided sala where the desert breezes and endless views will lull you into an afternoon siesta. In the charming communal area, a small library and comfortable armchairs may tempt you into a book on Namibia’s rich natural history, or perhaps the landscapes will inspire you to begin that journal you’ve been promising to start.

As the sun angles towards the horizon, the lanterns are lit and the evening cool descends. The heat relinquishes its grasp on the day, and it seems as if the very earth exhales in quiet relief.

Linen tablecloths are spread over dinner tables, and four-poster beds turned back for another blissful night’s sleep in the enchanting quiet of the desert.

Before you retire, though, spend some time gazing up at the star-spangled heavens above. Thanks to the lack of light pollution, 2012 saw the NamibRand designated as Africa’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, marking it as one of the finest destinations on the continent for admiring our solar system.

Stargazing is just one of a myriad activities on offer. Daily wilderness drives unearth the magical beauty of the NamibRand, offering both big game and smaller delights that include oryx, kudu, jackal and caracal. Early morning hotair balloon excursions can be arranged,

or keep both feet on terra firma with a walking safari across the secluded valley that spreads its arms around Private Camp. Or, in the cool winter months, horse rides out into the reserve offer an unforgettable experience of the desert as the sun dips low beyond the Namib dunes stretching out towards the sea.

While no luxury is spared it doesn’t come at the cost of the environment, for Wolwedans is more than just another circuit of tented camps offering daily game drives and a comfortable bed.

At Wolwedans the goal is the very conservation of this fragile landscape, and the upliftment of the communities that have long called these plains home.

The camps are essentially a series of canvas tents pitched on elevated wooden platforms, a low-impact style of construction that means every trace of their presence could be seamlessly removed from the landscape if needed.

Wolwedans has also invested heavily in

its bid to touch this fragile landscape as lightly as possible. All waste is recycled so that nothing impacts the pristine ecology, and much of the fresh produce consumed by both guests and staff is grown in onsite organic gardens, further reducing the carbon footprint of the camps. A state-of-the-art photovoltaic power installation has slashed reliance on fossil fuels, while a water management system continually conserves this most precious of desert resources.

No surprise that Wolwedans scored the highest Five Flower rating when audited

by Eco Awards Namibia in 2015.

Out in the wider NamibRand community the vocational skills programmes set up by the Wolwedans Foundation have also had a dramatic impact, with over 200 young Namibians receiving vital training in the hospitality industry.

That dedication to sustainability is a thread that links each camp in the Wolwedans Collection. A founding member of Global

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Private Camp offers three spacious en-suite bedrooms, a sala for lazy siestas, various decks and the central lounge, combining a study, living room, dining area and fully equipped kitchen.

Wolwedans

NamibRand Nature Reserve, NAMIBIA Telephone: +264 (0)61 230 616 Email: reservations@wolwedans.com Website: www.wolwedans.com

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to walk that magical line: providing a superlative wilderness experience, while preserving and improving the environment for generations to come. The camps may wear their eco-credentials as lightly as their footprints on the desert floor, but this unforgettable wilderness escape offers, quite literally, the best of both worlds when it comes to an eco-friendly safari in the heart of the Namibian desert. n Sebastian Bartlett

PHOTOGRAPHS: WOLWEDANS

Ecosphere Retreats, in 2011 Wolwedans was inducted as a Long Run Destination; a prestigious certification recognising the group’s achievements and successes in fostering sustainable eco-sensitive tourism development, whilst encouraging community development and cultural stewardship in the region.

For today’s traveller is changing. Luxury travel can effect positive change in the world and Wolwedans has managed

Wolwedans is about 70km south of Sesriem/Sossusvlei. If you‘re driving, a 4x4 is recommended, but not essential.

It is about a five-hour drive from either Windhoek or Swakopmund. Guests can also book a scheduled DuneHopper flight from Windhoek or Swakopmund, or hire a private charter. Flying time to Wolwedans is about an hour.

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ART OF ILLUSION

Italian artist Johannes Stรถtter plays tricks with the mind with incredible body art in which his subjects disappear into their backgrounds.

Images by Johannes Stรถtter

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AN ODE TO AUTUMN

Taking nature as his main inspiration, Johannes spends up to five months painstakingly planning and perfecting each one of his body art creations. Each work of art then takes up to eight hours to complete using special breathable paint.

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MASTER OF DISGUISE

A chameleon balances on a branch, poised to pounce... Except this master of disguise is not all it seems. Featuring two carefully painted and positioned female models, it’s a clever piece of sculpture designed to create an amazing illusion.

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BLOSSOMING BEAUTY

The beautiful flower demonstrates the intricate and painstaking attention to detail Johannes applies to each of his creations – but also the transience of the work, which exists only until the model washes off the paint. “Body painting is a good way to learn to let something go, to separate from something,” he says. “And the fast end of the artwork makes us perceive it in a much more intensive way.”

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COLOURFUL TALES

What do you see? A pair of parrots, or a pair of women? Johannes spent four hours painting a female model in intricate detail and then a further hour positioning her on a tree trunk before taking his photograph, which has been mirrored here. The finished creation sees the model‘s outstretched leg become the parrot‘s tail feathers, while her other leg and an arm become its wings The other arm - wrapped around her head forms the bird‘s head.

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CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

His lifelike creations, which include this woodblock incorporating a human head, have earned Johannes the World Bodypainting Champion title. He first started body painting in 2000 and says “the experience was so special that I wanted to do it again immediately – I wanted to try it with different colours, a different model and a different motive.”

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LEAP OF IMAGINATION

Johannes carefully painted and positioned five people to recreate this tropical tree frog, which made headlines worldwide. One person can be seen in the centre, acting as the frog’s backbone, while two others can be seen crouched on the floor, acting as the frog’s back legs. Two others sit upright on either side of the ‘backbone‘ with their arms and hands strategically placed to replicate the front legs.

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ART OF ILLUSION

Words by Andrea Vinassa

Colourful camouflage: Award-winning bodypainter Johannes Stötter puts the finishing touches to the two naked models he’s transformed into a chameleon.

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For one week every year, bodypainters from around the world converge on Pörtschach am Wörthersee in Austria for the World Bodypainting Festival. The festival has been running for almost 20 years and attracts up to 30 000 visitors who come to watch around 1 500 artists compete for World Championship titles in bodypainting.

The event is credited with the resurgence of the modern bodypainting movement and is the hub of an outdoor artistic village, Bodypaint City. Here artists work on human skin using brushes, sponges and airbrush compressors to add special effects to augment the body.

However, far from being a modern phenomenon, body painting is perhaps the most ancient of all art forms. Archeological annals are full of incredible evidence of body art and tattoos in ancient cultures. From the Japanese to the South Americans to the Siberians to the Greeks, almost all ancient peoples used their bodies as a canvas. Remains of painted mummies sporting fantastical designs with mythological significance have been found in archeological sites all over the globe.

The oldest and most famous painted mummy found to date is ‘Ötzi’. His body dates from around 3330BC and is extensively covered with markings made of soot.

It is interesting that Ötzi was found – by two tourists in 1991 – on the east ridge of the Fineilspitze in the Ötztal Alps on the Austrian–Italian border, the same region in which bodypainting legend Johannes Stötter spent his childhood. Whether or not the discovery of Ötzi inspired the bodypainting movement is a matter of speculation, but Austria has certainly become the epicentre of the phenomenon.

Though body art serves a different purpose in current society, it has been practised since at least Neolithic times. The oldest discovery

of tattooed human skin was found on the upper lip of a Chinchorro mummy from South America, dating to approximately 6000BC, while Ötzi still holds the record for the earliest tattooed mummy.

In traditional societies body art, in the form of permanent tattoos and temporary designs applied with natural dyes, were and still are associated with ritual practices and denote social status.

Archeologists have classified bodypainting into decorative designs used for ritualistic purposes and those that have a therapeutic function. Amazingly, Ötzi’s body has 57 tattoos believed to mark acupressure or acupuncture meridians. Discoveries on St Lawrence Island in the Arctic showed that there as well people used body art as a medicinal and spiritual practice; they tattooed specific joints to drive evil spirits from the bodies of sick individuals, believing that joints were a kind of highway used by evil entities to enter the human body and injure it.

One of the most extraordinary examples of body painting was unearthed in the permafrost of the southern Siberian mountains. The Princess of Ukok or Ice Maiden is a 5th-century BC mummy found in 1993 that had survived almost intact for 2 500 years. Her left shoulder was found to be adorned by a complex abstract design, showing a mythological animal, a deer with a griffon’s beak and a Capricorn’s antlers.

The antlers are decorated with the heads of griffons. And the same griffon’s head is shown on the back of the animal. The mouth of a spotted panther with a long tail is seen at the legs of a sheep.

While in some cultures body painting was reserved for royalty, other tribes included the entire population in the activity. To this day, African cultures have a tradition of body painting to denote stages in a person’s life

With roots in ancient tradition, bodypainting is currently enjoying a huge surge of interest worldwide as the body becomes a canvas for artists to express their passion for connecting us with our mythical selves.

journey, their participation in initiation rituals, protection and mourning.

African body art is characterised by variety, colour, flamboyance, texture, design and pattern, transforming each person into a dynamic work of art. Sometimes African bodypainting is an ornamental process, but often it involves a painful experience and signifies a person’s rite of passage.

The discovery during the 1990s of a prehistoric “workshop“ in the South African cave of Blombos near Still Bay, led archeologists to put forward the hypothesis that early humans covered their skin with ochre as far back as 100 000 years ago. There was no evidence of any wall painting but among the artefacts archeologists found abalone shells where ochre was stored and processed, combined with fat, crushed bone, quartz and charcoal to produce a pigment compound that was possibly used for skin painting, decoration and protection.

The finding points to the first known instance of deliberate production of a pigmented compound – and the dating corresponds to a time when early modern humans were thought to be on the threshold of thinking and expressing themselves in symbolic ways. In other words, the beginning of art and design.

In ancient times symbolic images were imbued with powers – real or imagined – and elaborate designs were used by warriors to make them invisible or prevent them from perishing in war.

According to surviving accounts, pre-Christian Germanic, Celtic and other European tribes were often heavily tattooed. Julius Caesar described the tattoos of warriors in Book V of the Gallic wars in 54BC. The Picts, or “the painted ones”, tattooed their warriors with the blue chemical from the woad plant as a form of intimidation against their enemies.

Woad also has antiseptic properties and

it is surmised it was worn into battle to assist in healing wounds and because its hallucinogenic effects enhanced fierceness.

For Native Americans, face-painting is also more than adornment. Each tribe has its own designs for war and ceremonies and each colour a special meaning: red is the colour of war, black is the colour of the living, worn on the face during preparation for war. White denotes peace, while green, when worn under the eyes, is believed to empower the wearer with night vision.

In India the ancient art of Mehndi is still popular today. Women are adorned with abstract designs full of religious symbolism for a wedding or other special occasion. The practice of applying mehndi is thought to have began as a way to protect the couple during the days-long ceremony. Henna is a strong medicinal herb and is believed to improve circulation and, mixed with essential oils, acts as powerful aphrodisiac.

Contemporary body art has its roots in the 1960s when avant garde artists were searching for new ways of expression, determined to shake off the confines of conventional artmaking practices. Often provocative and shocking, the movement rejected “object-based” art practices.

So-called Viennese Actionism, or “action art”, was characterised by transgressive nudity, destructiveness and violence, many of its proponents ending up in jail for violating decency laws. Other artists, like famous German model Veruschka von Lehndorff, emphasised the sheer aesthetic beauty of the human body and its connection with nature.

It is this latter tradition that has now found popular expression in events such as the World Bodypainting Festival, where artists bring about magical transformations and celebrate the body as art.

PRIMAL TOUCH A man of many creative talents, Johannes Stötter is an artist and musician as well as a fine-art bodypainter. Born and based in South Tyrol in northern Italy, he grew up in a family of musicians and spent his early childhood in the high Alps playing music with his three siblings. Today he sings, plays violin, whistle and bouzouki in the Celtic Folk band, Burning Mind. He studied education and philosophy at the University of Innsbruck in Austria where he was involved in several social projects that he combined with art and music.

He

taught

himself

the

techniques

of

bodypainting and joined the international bodypainting community in 2009 at the World Bodypainting Festival in Austria, where he took part in the Bodypainting World Championship for the first time. He was named Italian Bodypainting Champion in 2011 and 2013, won the World Championship title in 2012, and was World Champion runner-up in 2011 and 2014. In 2013 he won the North American

Bodypainting

Championship

in

Atlanta, Georgia. He also won the International Fine Art Bodypainting Award in 2014.

Johannes says much of his inspiration comes from nature. “I think I observe the world, nature, colours and shapes with very clear eyes and an open heart. Painting is my big passion. I think the secret of good work is to always have a love for it. The skin is very different to canvas – it is alive, it is soft and warm, it is a very comfortable base to paint on. Bodypainting is special because the artwork is alive and can move.”

Today Johannes teaches Bodypainting at the World Bodypainting Academy in Austria and Anatomic Bodypainting at North and South Tyrol’s Yoni Academy, which promotes the primal language of touch and a re-alignment of body and soul. He also works and exhibits around the globe in collaboration with his agency wb-production.

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Miarestate Hotel & Spa ¡ South Africa

Wild and secluded

Set on the rugged Wild Coast just north of East London, Miarestate Hotel & Spa invites you to unwind in a wildlife reserve nestled above sheer cliffs giving way to a secluded beach. Pampering treatments at the luxurious spa, gourmet meals prepared using the best local ingredients and relaxed horseback safaris through the rolling hills combine to revitalise and restore the soul.

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Rooms look out over the peace and tranquillity of the garden, which gives way to indigenous bush rolling down to the rugged coastline. The Restaurant at Miarestate serves up the freshest local produce from an ever-changing à la carte menu.

A

n hour’s drive north from East London (or a 20-minute helicopter flight) shows guests some of the most magnificent coastline South Africa has to offer: the Wild Coast.

Surprisingly gentle to begin with but soon transforming into a majestic route of rocky cliffs, untouched beaches and winding river estuaries, it’s dotted with occasional seaside villages that have changed little over the years. Dolphins can often be seen skimming the waves and seasonal visits from southern right and humpback whales between July and December give guests spectacular sightings, especially from the air.

The destination is a grassy hilltop above Pullen’s Bay, near Haga Haga, where Miarestate enjoys expansive views up and down the coast. The 740-hectare wildlife estate is scattered with game, and first to be glimpsed is usually the giraffe in their favourite bush near the boutique hotel.

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On arrival, a welcome drink and refreshing swim beckons. Views from the pool and restaurant deck stretch across indigenous bush all the way to the coast. Birdlife is prolific and the occasional zebra wanders through the gardens as light lunches are served outdoors. The pace is gentle, and guests are invited to relax and make themselves at home.

Later, guests discover why Miarestate’s dinners and tasting menus are legendary in the area: you’re treated to at least four courses of perfectly proportioned dishes.

Enjoy delicious ostrich and deep-fried Camembert vol-au-vents or the most delicate roast kingklip balanced with lemon crème fraîche and citrus beurre blanc, leaving just enough appetite for the lamb pithivier. Dessert? Yes, absolutely, as it could be melt-in-the-mouth baked lemon pudding with orange preserve, roast pineapple and homemade vanilla ice cream. Menus change as frequently as

PHOTOGRAPHS: MIARESTATE HOTEL & SPA

the variety of fresh produce sourced from local suppliers, an ongoing passion of the culinary team – and one of the reasons why it wasn’t long before word-of-mouth brought appreciative diners all the way from East London for celebratory lunches and dinners at the restaurant, which is open to non-guests and day visitors to the spa. A Wellness menu with glutenfree and vegetarian options, coupled with healthy smoothies, rounds off a day of pampering for those who come for the signature treatments.

The vision of an astute investor who wanted to conserve land in an area that was reminiscent of her childhood and where her children could enjoy the freedom of the outdoors, Miarestate began as a family farm with stables for Arab horses. But as friends began to visit and interest increased in the conservation work done in consultation with Dr John O’Brien of Shamwari, the idea of sharing this special corner of the Wild Coast took hold. Today, on a gentle safari through the bush towards the grassy slopes along the coast – either in the Polaris off-road game vehicle or on horseback – it’s possible to watch herds of antelope graze just as they did many years ago.

For those who come to de-stress and rejuvenate, days are often spent at the luxurious spa@Miarestate – a sanctuary of calm. Emerging restored and relaxed after a full-body massage or deep-cleansing Decléor facial, it’s tempting to laze away the day on a chaise longue beside the pool.

But more energetic guests can choose instead to work out at the fully equipped gym, or do a martial arts or stretch class with the resident gym instructor, while mountain bike enthusiasts are able to ride the new and relatively challenging mountain bike trail on the estate.

However, languid summer days call for a beach excursion with a picnic lunch booked in advance. All you need to do is hop on board the game drive vehicle. Within 10 minutes you’ll be walking down the steps through tropical forest and emerge onto the beach at Pullen’s Bay. Everything is laid out ahead of your arrival and before long you’ll be sitting in your deck chair,

Horseback safaris through the wildlife reserve, stocked with giraffe, Burchell’s zebra and blesbuck, are led

by Wild Coast Horseback Adventures, who also do trails along the coast, ending at Miarestate.

a glass of chilled Chardonnay in hand, with a delicious spread to nibble on until late. Or take a walk to the tidal rock pools around the headland while keeping watch for tell-tale whale spouts out at sea.

And when the sun dips, sundowners are enjoyed up the hill on the outlook deck with spectacular views.

It’s hard to imagine, after a lazy day on the beach, that in days gone by, farmers would bring their livestock to this area to graze in winter months. Local lore has it that when they reached the shoreline, cries of “haka, haka” (isiXhosa for “hookup, hook-up”) could be heard, as teams of oxen were hooked together. It’s one of the suggested origins of the name Haga Haga – another being that it comes from the sound of the waves crashing along the rocky shoreline. No matter, it's the secluded beauty that draws guests here, and that stays top of mind as they head, revitalised, back to the city. n Sophia Watershed

Miarestate Hotel & Spa

Haga Haga, Eastern Cape, SA Telephone: +27 (0)43 841 1152 Email: reservations@miarestate.co.za Website: www.miarestate.co.za

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Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa ¡ Mauritius

Oasis of pure romance and unfettered luxury

Renowned for its idyllic setting in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a magnificent destination; Maradiva, though, is pure magic. For romantics and lovers of rare beauty, for foodies and families, for spa and sports fans, this is nirvana fronted by a sugar-soft white beach and warm turquoise ocean. Superb service, absolute attention to detail, utter elegance and perfect privacy mean guests at Maradiva are cocooned without a care in the world.

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The resort’s secluded beachfront setting makes it the perfect spot for a romantic island wedding – and tailormade wedding packages can be arranged to provide the special day of your dreams.

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he vista is languid and layered. A classic castor-sugar-white beach with sparkling turquoise water gently lapping at its edge, traditional pirogues and shiny speed boats beyond, and stoic white-sailed yachts in the distance standing out against a flameorange sunset: this is the ever-enchanting view from Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa. Situated near Flic en Flac on the scenic west coast of Mauritius, this tranquil spot is where seekers of space and beauty will find their natural niche.

Maradiva is a dreamed reality for the visionary local Ramdanee family. The island’s first IATA travel agency in the 1960s, the first traditional Mauritian restaurant in the 1970s, and the first British pub on Mauritius all preceded the first full luxury villa resort – christened Maradiva in 2009. The aim was to have ‘private club’ style and space and to pioneer top-end service, which is precisely what every guest now experiences. In recognition, Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa won the prestigious Mauritius Leading Resort 2015 Award at the World Travel Awards in the Seychelles.

You know the Maradiva experience is different immediately after landing at Ramgoolam International Airport. Highly trained ground staff welcome arriving guests in the private reception rooms of YU Lounge and take care of all arrival formalities and luggage collection; guests have only to step into the immaculate Rolls-Royce awaiting them for a chauffeured transfer directly to Maradiva – where luxury, refinement and serenity lives in an Edenic setting.

“Being independent and family owned, Maradiva is very personal and gives guests a boutique, bespoke, luxury experience with magnificent attention to detail,” says Director of Marketing Mylene Ah-Hang. “That’s what makes Maradiva stand out from other establishments along the coast.” Well, that and the secluded location, the magnificent light and airy villas, the decadent cuisine and endless options to restore body and mind with relaxation, world-class spa treatments or a full menu of fun watersports.

As a standard bearer for luxury in the Indian Ocean, Maradiva is a member of Leading Hotels of the World and offers privileged guests a holiday experience that’s exceptional throughout. Here guests can cocoon in their villas and simply switch off, knowing that everything they need will be taken care of by the large complement of friendly staff – not to mention a personalised butler service – available around the clock.

The 65 guest villas are elegantly tucked into 27 acres of lush natural environment along a pristine stretch of coast almost a kilometre long. While all beaches in Mauritius are considered public, the Maradiva beach is something special – because of its location at the end of Tamarin Bay, guests have the white sands all to themselves.

The resort’s main building is open air and bathed in light, while Maradiva’s villas epitomise subtle refinement and blend beautifully into the landscape. It’s an exceptional setting with the villas cleverly positioned to ensure absolute privacy for all guests. Design welcomes the outdoors indoors, and even the shower opens onto the garden patio in a bid to get closer to nature.

Décor inside is colonial and luxurious, the colour palettes warm and soothing. Wood predominates in the bedroom and seating areas, while the en-suite bathrooms are cool retreats in elegant marble. Step outside onto your tiled patio and you’ll find a private plunge pool surrounded by plump day beds to while away a lazy afternoon, as well as a tranquil dining area for romantic meals al fresco. The garden villas are surrounded by lush vegetation, while the beachfront villas give incomparable views over Tamarin Bay, with the basalt landmark of La Morne peninsula in the distance.

Taking pride of place at the centre of the resort’s crescent-shaped beach are two presidential suites, each comprising two bedrooms, and the perfect retreat for friends or families looking to spend quality time together. Each has a large private patio, where palm fronds frame loungers and a sparkling pool.

Warm wood and cool marble characterise the luxurious suites, which all open onto a private patio with a pool and al fresco dining pavilion – with views either over the lush gardens or the sparkling bay.

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Coast2Coast, open for lavish breakfasts through to delicious dinners, enjoys wonderful coastal views, while speciality restaurant Cilantro has a vibrant Teppanyaki counter.

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When you’ve had your fill of cocooning, it’s time to sample the excellent cuisine.

Meals at Maradiva are a sensory experience, and much of the fresh produce is grown right on the grounds.

In the two-acre Karo du Chef, you’ll find 40 kinds of fruit and vegetables – from aubergines and beetroot to bananas and mangoes, the garden provides about 70 percent of the produce needed in the Maradiva kitchens. And there are four hives providing organic honey, too.

For a casual lunch, head to the contemporary, intimate atmosphere of Breakers Bar, which serves light meals and a selection of international wines and spirits alongside the main infinity pool, overlooking the serene Indian Ocean.

If it’s Indian and pan Asian fine dining you’re after, then the carefully crafted and sumptuous cuisine at speciality restaurant Cilantro will be just what you’re looking for. It offers a refined à la carte menu and has vibrant Teppanyaki and sushi bars.

At Coast2Coast, Executive Chef Ravi Gookoolah’s dishes are highly sought after by discerning guests. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the venue serves Mediterranean, Mauritian and International cuisine in a relaxed

atmosphere, with live music at dinnertime providing a festive, romantic ambience.

Island holidays are never complete without plenty of me-time, so a visit to the Maradiva Spa is almost obligatory. Named one of the Leading Spas of the World, it’s won many awards for its holistic and therapeutic treatments in a serene, pareddown setting. There are a range of western and Indian signature treatments, including Ayurvedic therapies, to choose between, with customised massages using only natural oils. There’s also a hydrotherapy pool, private Jacuzzis, sauna and steam room – as well as a traditional hammam ritual bath.

You’ll also find a yoga and meditation pavilion close by, as well as a fully equipped Fitness Centre where you can work off the calories doing Thai boxing, or a full cardio and weights session with an instructor.

Alternatively, head down to the Boat House on the beach and try one of a myriad invigorating water activities.

Catamaran sailing, diving, wind surfing or swimming with dolphins are all daily offerings here, and a chance to explore the many treasures of the Indian Ocean that frames the resort.

Fine dining – at three restaurants offering menus that range from Mediterranean to Indian – is matched by spacious accommodation, especially in the Presidential Suite Pool Villas (below), which open onto large private patios.

Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

PHOTOGRAPHS: MARADIVA VILLAS RESORT & SPA

Wolmar, Flic en Flac, MAURITIUS Telephone: +230 403 1500 Email: reservation@maradiva.com Website: www.maradiva.com

Because Maradiva is family owned, it understands the dynamics of family holidays as well as couples’ getaways.

So whether you arrive as a two-some or more-some, a five-star warm welcome awaits you. The Mini Club provides a safe space for children aged four to 12 with plenty of fun, creative, sporty and cultural activities to keep them amused.

There’s a baby sitting service, too, if you want to enjoy a romantic meal or walk along the beach à deux.

“Maradiva is renowned as a couples resort,” says Mylene, “but really it’s for romantics of all ages, with or without children. Some guests come to honeymoon, others to renew their vows, some come simply to celebrate life and share the experience with their children.”

Given Maradiva’s uniquely decadent yet understated offering, it’s no wonder that most also make repeat visits to sample the tranquil joys of this secluded corner of paradise. n Keri Harvey

A member of Leading Hotels of the World, Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa is a haven of luxury overlooking Tamarin Bay on the west coast of Mauritius. Guests fly in to Ramgoolam International Airport, serviced by regular scheduled international flights, and are transferred by Rolls-Royce or helicopter to the resort.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF WILDERNESS SAFARIS

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Southern Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands is our territory.

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Camp Jabulani · South Africa

A close encounter with lowveld giants Getting up close and personal with an elephant is an emotional, life-changing experience – and it’s the unique safari offering that sets Camp Jabulani apart from other South African lodges.

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alvation from the jaws of tragedy.

That’s the escape story behind Camp Jabulani’s elephants, which faced the horror of being shot when war veterans took over the farm in Zimbabwe belonging to their care giver. These elephants were all orphans due to a culling programme in the 1980s and were trained for elephant-back safaris. They now faced a grisly end… But enter Lente Roode and the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, who undertook a brave and elaborate rescue operation.

Lente and her team spirited the animals away to a new home in the lowveld. Faced with the overwhelming responsibility

of caring for these elephants, the next logical step was to create a camp to support them. This would also enable guests to interact with the gentle giants.

And so Camp Jabulani was born.

The five-star lodge, a member of Relais & Châteaux, sits in the heart of Kapama, a private game reserve in the Limpopo lowveld. With the grey-blue Drakensberg mountains in the west and iconic Kruger National Park to the east, Kapama lies in a stretch of game-rich bushveld frequented by the Big Five.

Arriving at Camp Jabulani, guests step out of the everyday bustle of their workaday lives and into a realm

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Sundowners next to a waterhole are the perfect way to finish a relaxed elephant-back ride through the lowveld bush. And with five lion prides resident in the reserve, you may find a big cat who wants to join in the fun as well.

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seemingly suspended outside time. The beautiful lodge is set along the banks of a (mostly) dry river bed. Its tranquil dining room and lounge merge with a wooden deck in the shade of lofty leadwood trees.

A suspension bridge connects the living areas with the suites, which lie scattered beside the river.

Open-plan interiors allow for communion with the bushveld, providing a comfortable, homely environment. The rich textures of organic elements strike a balance between designer elegance and lowveld traditional: crystal glasses and silver service juxtaposed with grass-pressed mud walls, stone floors and thatched roofs.

Each of the six luxury suites has a large bedroom with bathroom en-suite: think pure cotton sheets, large stone tubs, glass-enclosed showers that appear to be suspended among the trees. There’s a separate lounge area with fireplace, a wooden deck and private heated plunge

pool. After a dusty day of game activities, there’s soft lighting, a blazing fire and a welcoming bed to draw to a close another idyllic safari.

In addition to the suites, there’s Zindoga Villa, designed for guests who prefer a more exclusive experience or for small groups, especially families. This 424-square-metre house is entirely selfcontained and mirrors the style of Camp Jabulani. The villa is serviced by its own team, including a chef, butler and ranger with a private vehicle.

Some guests while away the heat of the day in a hammock, others indulge in retail therapy in The Gallery or visit the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. For the more energetic there’s an open-air fitness area to work off those calories. It has a variety of exercise gear, weights, a treadmill, exercise bike and even a sauna. There’s also a bush spa for languid pampering. The resident

PHOTOGRAPHS: CAMP JABULANI

Lente Roode, who rescued the Camp Jabulani elephants, established the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project, which has since evolved into the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, in 1990 with a view to protecting and breeding these endangered cats.

therapist offers everything from skincare and body treatments, to natural wraps and foot massages.

Each day begins and ends with a game drive in an open safari vehicle. The vegetation is typical of the lowveld: mixed woodland dominated by a variety of acacia and bushwillow species. The varied habitats support high densities of wildlife, offering top-notch game viewing. Apart from elephant, buffalo, rhino and large herds of antelope, giraffe and zebra, Kapama is home to a healthy Big Five population. The reserve has five lion prides and guests also have frequent sightings of leopard, cheetah and spotted hyena. Twitchers won’t be disappointed, with more than 350 bird species recorded, including the endangered ground hornbill, lappet-faced vulture, knobbilled duck and African finfoot.

But it is the elephant encounters that set this lodge apart from all others. There’s

nothing quite like sailing through the bushveld on the back of a muscular grey cloud. The elephant grooms are dedicated to their charges, which is clearly evident in their caring, yet firm, approach. The elephants are trained by a reward system rather than forcing obedience through physical punishment.

Each guest is partnered with an elephant based on temperament. Saddles have been designed with comfort in mind – for both elephant and rider. Perched atop their mighty spines, you soon become lulled by the gentle rocking motion as you move in single file through the bush.

Afternoon safaris set off just before sunset. The elephants converge on a romantic clearing lit by lanterns where a white-linen table adorned with drinks, crystal glasses, fresh flowers and delectable canapés awaits. There can hardly be a better way to end a day in the African wilderness. n Justin Fox

Camp Jabulani

Kapama Private Game Reserve, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, SA Telephone: +27 (0)12 460 5605 Email: reservations@campjabulani.com Website: www.campjabulani.com

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Tintswalo Atlantic · South Africa

Risen from the ashes More beautiful, more serene, more sumptuous – the new Tintswalo Atlantic honours the past while stepping forward into a bright future. Rampant bushfires across Table Mountain National Park razed the lodge in early 2015, but the owners’ attitude of grace and positivity has ensured the boutique hotel has reopened its doors in record time – once again offering discerning guests a unique retreat on a protected beach below dramatic Chapman’s Peak.

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eafront locations in Cape Town don’t come more exclusive than this: a pebbled beach lapped by the Atlantic at the base of Chapman’s Peak, one of the landmarks of the southern peninsula and famous for the scenic drive that winds around its edge. Tintswalo Atlantic nestles discreetly on its slopes, so hidden from the road above that motorists often don’t realise it’s there. These beautiful slopes are protected as part of

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Table Mountain National Park, a haven for indigenous fynbos and milkwood trees.

Unfortunately, this idyllic natural position put the boutique hotel directly in the path of a rampant bush fire that swept across the southern reaches of the park in early 2015. “The fire just swooped down on us,” says Tintswalo Lodges Group CFO and coowner, Gaye Corbett. “We lost the whole main lodge area, kitchens, decks, the dining room, lounges and five suites. Over

80 percent of the lodge went up in flames, including 300-year-old milkwood trees.”

Tintswalo means “the intangible feeling of love, gratitude and peace bestowed upon someone offering you a meaningful and worthy gift” and with this in mind, the Corbett and Goosen families remained focused on the magnificent landscape they felt lucky to inhabit. Just two days after Tintswalo Atlantic was razed, they announced it would be rebuilt immediately.

Armchairs are positioned to give guests the best of the magnificent ocean views, while shell decorations, unique to each luxurious en-suite bathroom, were personally created by Tintswalo Lodges Group CFO and co-owner, Gaye Corbett.

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The first timber was laid for the Lamu Island Suite in April, quite symbolically, as it was the first building to be ravaged by the fire the month before. And as the lodge took shape, Gaye and her daughter, Lisa Goosen, along with Caroline Wright of Spatial Concepts, combed the country for exquisite finishes to replace those lost.

Gaye says support and enthusiasm were everywhere and made the job that much easier and more worthwhile.

“In the rebuilding we have taken the opportunity to implement changes,” says Gaye, “but these are not great changes because we are governed by Table Mountain National Park regulations.

The main change was that when we originally built, it was to accommodate the old milkwood trees, but these were all destroyed in the fire. So the new lounge and dining room were built without that restriction and are by default bigger, more user-friendly spaces. This was our compensation for losing the milkwoods.”

Still, these trees are not entirely lost. “We didn’t just want to discard the dead trees,” explains Gaye, “they were part of our original journey and I wanted to retain the spirit of them in the new lodge. So their wood is being used to create signature pieces of furniture and will also form part of the new bar and the dining room table.”

In addition, antique doors were sourced from exotic locations like Zanzibar and India, and restored to splendour.

While on the outside Tintswalo Atlantic has the same footprint, with a few bathrooms slightly larger and some suites raised higher off the ground, the new interiors are quite different in look and feel.

“The theme is still ‘islands’,” says Gaye, “but the colours are completely different to before and all the furniture had to be remade, so there’s a very different feel now compared to the old Tintswalo Atlantic.”

Well over 100 different imported fabrics have been used in the soft furnishings, their colours – turquoise, sea greens and blues – those of the ever-present ocean beyond the deck.

The style remains classic and comfortable, with each of the 12 suites completely individual. “I wanted to create something

inspirational, like a home from home, just better,” says Gaye. “We are so fortunate to be surrounded by the most wonderful and naturally beautiful environment, so it’s important to us that our guests are intrigued, entertained and captivated by our eclectic interiors.”

Special elements, such as the shell décor detail in every bathroom, have also been recreated. Gaye invested her time and dedication into personally creating the shell decoration that was unique to each bathroom previously and she resumed the task again this second time around.

While the lodge was being rebuilt, all the staff remained employed and did charity work at the NSRI, old age homes and orphanages in the Hout Bay area – initiating and running several projects in a bid to give back to the community that so generously supported Tintswalo Atlantic through the difficult days after the fire.

Staff training was also done during this time and, when the lodge structure was up, staff prepared gardens and planted trees. Six big milkwoods were planted around the lodge, and Just Trees donated 750 small indigenous trees to assist in regreening the mountain.

Former guests were invited to join the team in planting trees and General Managers Ryno and Melissa du Rand said the response was incredible. “Capetonians jumped at the offer,” says Ryno, “and some couples who were married at Tintswalo Atlantic even expressed that they would like to have their (future) children christened at the site of their tree.

Other guests wrote personal wishes on a traditional Tintswalo wishing stone and buried these at the roots of their trees.”

In a gesture of appreciation to the City of Cape Town emergency services, NSRI, fire department, volunteers and the Hout Bay community, Tintswalo Atlantic will host an annual charity event to mark the day of the fire on 2 March. “We will celebrate these brave people and thank them annually by giving them the opportunity to experience the hospitality of the new Tintswalo Atlantic,” says Gaye. “They take risks on a daily basis and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.”

Each of the 12 lavish suites is decorated in striking colours and rich fabrics to reflect the personality of a famous island, from Robben Island to Zanzibar and Sicily.

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Gaye also lauds the staff and says all 30 plus of them have shown great mettle. “I believe we have the best staff ever, from our management couple Ryno and Melissa to our executive chef Jeantelle van Staden – who I believe to be one of the best and most creative chefs in the country – and everyone else between. They have all worked tirelessly to help open Tintswalo Atlantic within just eight months – and a full month ahead of schedule.”

Now discerning travellers from around the world who want to experience a place with a serious wow factor can again visit Tintswalo Atlantic. Here you are so close to the sea, “any closer you’d need a boat,” says Gaye. It’s a place for nature and ocean lovers, honeymooners and lovers of all ages who come to renew their vows or make them for the first time. Or if you simply want to rejuvenate body and soul, recline on a private deck with the ocean as natural theatre, then this too is your place in the sun. For at the end of the day, when the sun sinks into the Atlantic Ocean before you, and decadent sundowner canapés are served in a gentle sea breeze, you’ll believe that nirvana does exist and it may just be right here. n Keri Harvey

Tintswalo Atlantic

Hout Bay, Cape Town, SA Telephone: +27 (0)21 201 0025 Reservations: +27 (0)11 300 8888 E-mail: res1@tintswalo.com Website: www.tintswalo.com Tintswalo Atlantic is two kilometres from Hout Bay on Chapman’s Peak Drive.

It is approximately a 45-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport, and 25 minutes from the city centre.

PHOTOGRAPHS: TINTSWALO ATLANTIC

Framed by the Atlantic Ocean and the slopes of Chapman’s Peak, Tintswalo Atlantic enjoys an enviable seafront location in the quiet, natural beauty of Table Mountain National Park.

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Edwardian on a sub-divided plot Tamboerskloof, Cape Town Arches and views – this wonderful Edwardian home in sought-after Tamboerskloof has them both in abundance. Period character abounds, and there are views all around – from Signal Hill right behind the house, to the city, Table Mountain and even the Hottentots Holland range in the distance.

This unique investment opportunity in a prime location has a front entrance in Devonport Road and a back entrance (where there’s a double garage and a dedicated parking bay) in the secure Signal View Estate, making access safe and easy. The sub-divided double plot – 521 square metres around the house and 408 square metres on the second plot – also means the buyer would be able to build a second dwelling.

In the front garden, a sparkling pool nestles among lavender and tall trees, while up the stairs a large deck with space for al fresco eating and a shaded seating area takes advantage of the views.

Inside, Oregon pine floors, pressed ceilings, spacious rooms and arches demonstrate the character For more information contact

of a gracious bygone era. Downstairs there is a formal sitting room with a Victorian fireplace as

Michael Hauser +27 (0)82 888 0970,

well as a casual lounge. The kitchen will suit serious cooks, with a central island, a quarry tile floor

michaelhauser@seeff.com

and a separate scullery and laundry. It is open plan to the dining room (where there’s a charcoal

Doris Ricketts +27 (0)82 898 0519,

stove for cold nights), which, in turn, leads to a courtyard with a built-in pizza oven. There is

doris@seeff.com SEEFF TAMBOERSKLOOF

also a study, two king-sized bedrooms, a bathroom and separate toilet. Up a couple of steps is a

Telephone: +27 (0)21 423 9146

family room, an en-suite bathroom and a separate toilet. A master or guest suite is upstairs and

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 364699

commands magnificent views. It includes a separate lounge area and an en-suite bathroom with

Asking price: R18,5-million

double basins set in a granite vanity top.

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Designed for luxury Camps Bay, Cape Town Exquisite features and high-quality interior finishes mark out this six-bedroomed villa on the slopes of Camps Bay as the ultimate in luxury living. Designed over three levels to seamlessly integrate 360-degree views of Lion’s Head, the Twelve Apostles and the Atlantic Ocean, the lavishly appointed home provides stylish indoor/outdoor living that is perfect for both sophisticated entertaining and relaxed family living.

Free-flowing spaces link the gourmet open-plan kitchen to sumptuous living areas fronted by floor-to-ceiling glass doors. These open out onto an expansive covered terrace where there’s a built-in barbecue and glass-walled pool. The sleek modern kitchen is fitted with state-of-theart appliances and has a separate scullery.

The upper level, again with floor-to-ceiling windows that invite the spectacular sea and mountain vistas inside, comprises an ultra-luxurious master suite. This includes a walk-in dressing room and a stylish bathroom with a private outside shower. There’s also a private wraparound terrace for glorious sunsets and romantic sundowners.

Downstairs, a further five generous en-suite bedrooms, set around a central pyjama lounge with

For more information contact

a fireplace, complete the dream home. There’s also a second swimming pool for the children,

Rochelle Serman +27 (0)72 239 4449,

wooden decks, a fully equipped gymnasium, a sauna and steam room, and air conditioners in

serman@seeff.com

every room. Discerning buyers will also appreciate the temperature-controlled cigar bar.

Lyn Pope +27 (0)82 575 1999,

Camps Bay boasts popular Blue Flag white-sand beaches and a vibrant, cosmopolitan night-life with many top restaurants and hotels lining the beachfront. The sought-after suburb also has

lyn@seeff.com SEEFF CAMPS BAY Telephone: +27 (0)21 438 1055

an excellent infrastructure with good schools, private hospitals and a wealth of shopping and

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 356997

entertainment venues within easy reach.

Asking price: R22,995-million

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A key feature of the contemporary home is the large entertainment terrace, which can be closed off with stacked shutters, that leads to the swimming pool and garden.

Built for entertainment Bishopscourt, Cape Town Bishopscourt lies in the leafy Southern Suburbs where it enjoys panoramic views towards the southern slopes of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak and, protected from the prevailing summer winds, is much admired for its lush gardens and tree-lined avenues.

This contemporary home, designed over three levels, makes generous use of glass and picture windows to maximise the area’s spectacular views – as well as the outlook over a beautifully landscaped garden, which features an interplay of open lawn and beds of tropical plants. There are also outdoor living areas on each level, including balconies on the top floor and a large downstairs entertainment terrace that incorporates a wet bar (equipped with fridges and ice machine) and leads out to the large swimming pool and a decked area around an adjacent Jacuzzi.

The modern interior incorporates luxury bespoke finishes, a combination of marble and wooden floors, feature fireplaces, underfloor heating throughout and American-style shutters. The sleek kitchen boasts integrated appliances, including a Miele coffee machine and a Siemens food processor, and leads through to a separate scullery and laundry. There’s also a temperature-controlled wine cellar as well as a glass wine-shelving system and wine cooler in the dining room.

The home has three bedroom suites, each with a luxurious bathroom, while the spacious main For more information contact

suite incorporates a dressing room as well. There is also an additional guest or au pair suite with

Diane Hosty +27 (0)82 775 2777,

its own entrance, private garden and kitchenette.

diane.hosty@seeff.com SEEFF CONSTANTIA Telephone: +27 (0)21 794 5252

State-of-the-art technology features throughout and includes music and Wi-Fi access throughout the house, pool area and patio, a fully computerised irrigation system with an integrated liquid

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 360161

fertilization system, and a full alarm system with four security cameras. Four garages fitted with

Asking price: R40-million

custom storage solutions complete the luxury offering.

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Essence of sophistication Constantia Upper, Cape Town This magnificent ambassadorial home is set on two acres in Spilhaus Avenue, where it embraces

For more information contact

stunning views of the mountains and leafy Constantia Valley. A grand, double-storey property for a

Janine Stevenson 073 168 4749,

discerning buyer looking for something unique, it offers meticulous attention to detail and includes

janine.stevenson@seeff.com

finishes of the highest standard. No expense has been spared to ensure comfort on all levels.

A columned portico gives access to a baronial, double-volumed, marble-tiled entrance hall from

Priscilla Young +27 (0)82 324 3793, priscilla.young@seeff.com Liza Snijman +27 (0)82 805 7005,

where a variety of reception rooms flow. These include a music room with a feature fireplace, a

liza.s@seeff.com

study lined with cherrywood panelling, cupboards and shelves, and a pub tastefully fitted with a

Marie Durr +27 (0)83 269 8608,

bar counter and shelving, as well as a temperature-controlled cellar for 600 bottles. French doors

marie.durr@seeff.com

lead out onto a wraparound entertainment patio that overlooks the swimming pool, lush garden

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and the mountains beyond.

Telephone: +27 (0)21 794 5252

The chef’s kitchen features a marble-tiled floor, built-in maplewood units and black granite countertops. There’s a coffee corner with a breakfast bar, wall-mounted TV and integrated Miele coffee maker as well as a separate laundry room and scullery.

From the entrance hall, a sweeping staircase with a bespoke wrought-iron balustrade gives access to the upper storey where there are five spacious en-suite bedrooms.

Adjacent to the sparkling swimming pool is a large entertainer’s pool house with a sauna and shower suite, while outbuildings include a garden cottage for staff accommodation as well as a six-car garage that gives direct access to the house.

High-tech features include fast Wi-Fi internet access throughout the house and garden, state-ofthe-art security and a generator to cope with power outages.

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 351618 Asking price: R25-million

Premier views Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape This magnificent north-facing home, perched on the cliff edge, looks out over the entire Formosa Bay, from Robberg Nature Reserve right through to the Tsitsikamma mountains. It is set in the premier Whale Rock Ridge estate where great care has been taken to preserve the beauty and natural integrity of the landscape while providing a safe, harmonious residential environment. Homes comply with strict architectural and environmental protocols, while public common areas – including walking trails, floodlit tennis courts, a tennis clubhouse, golf chipping green, children’s jungle gym and a boma, ideal for African barbecues – have been designed to provide an unsurpassed lifestyle.

On the upper level, two double garages flank the house and stairs lead down to the automated, pivot front door and an entrance hall where large picture windows frame the dramatic vista. The lounge is the perfect place to watch the ever-changing seascape, with a fireplace to ensure cosy winters and sliding doors opening on to the balcony to enjoy summer days. The well-appointed kitchen, fitted with Gaggenau appliances, has a separate scullery and also opens on to a balcony. The spacious For more information contact

master suite, with amazing views, is on this floor, too, as is a second en-suite bedroom.

Alet Ollemans +27 (0)83 657 5678,

Downstairs is an entertainer’s paradise, with a light-filled lounge, a TV room, a second kitchen

alet@seeff.com SEEFF PLETTENBERG BAY

and a wine cellar/pool room that flows out onto a paved patio and sparkling swimming pool. An

Telephone: +27 (0)44 533 0311

additional two en-suite bedrooms provide spacious accommodation.

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 358453

Underfloor heating, a high-tech entertainment system with surround sound, water features and

Asking price: R19,5-million

a Jacuzzi are all part of the luxury offering.

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On the fairway Zimbali Coastal Resort, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal Boasting one of the finest fairway frontages in Zimbali, this master-built home enjoys a magical

For more information contact

setting overlooking the second fairway of the championship golf course and the extensive lake

Andreas Wassenaar +27 (0)82 837 9094,

that flanks it. Its elevated position also means its view extends over multiple other fairways and

andreasw@seeff.com

green belts in the exclusive coastal resort to encompass the Indian Ocean beyond.

A gentle driveway with generous turning areas leads to a four-car garage and down to the

Ian Naidu +27 (0)76 941 1838, ian.naidu@seeff.com SEEFF DOLPHIN COAST

main entrance, where the home immediately reveals its incredible location, with floor-to-

Telephone: +27 (0)32 586 0170

ceiling doors that frame the view and fold back to incorporate the balcony into the living

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 357943

spaces. These include two lounges, a TV room and a large undercover patio with a bespoke bar

Asking price: R13,95-million

and barbecue area that interacts seamlessly with the sunny pool deck. The gourmet kitchen has separate scullery and laundry rooms, which are practical and well appointed.

The main bedroom is also located on the entrance level, meaning that one-level living is possible in this home. His and her studies are beautifully fitted and provide independent work spaces. The lower level houses three guest suites and an additional TV lounge – ideal for family or guests that require their own space and privacy. Uninterrupted fairway views are possible from all the bedrooms.

Zimbali Coastal Resort borders the popular holiday town of Ballito on KwaZulu-Natal’s sunny Dolphin Coast. Set within 425 hectares of coastal forest, it provides nature trails and a splendour of birdlife, but is within close proximity of Durban and King Shaka International Airport. This family home enjoys full access to all the resort’s impressive amenities, including its championship golf course, tennis courts, squash courts and state-of-the-art gym, not to mention its 3.5 kilometres of pristine beachfront.

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Quiet and private, yet minutes from the Sandton CBD, this family home is newly refurbished for relaxed indoor/outdoor living.

Executive chic Hurlingham, Sandton, Johannesburg Find modern country-style living in this newly renovated, elevated family home where a wraparound balcony enjoys tranquil tree-top views and puts the focus squarely on relaxed indoor/outdoor living.

An elegant, lit staircase leads to a covered portico and a double-door entrance that opens into a family home with spacious proportions and seamless flow. The open-plan reception rooms give access onto a pool deck flanked by a delightful, curtained patio where there’s ample space for an outdoor lounge and dining area as well as a built-in barbecue. In winter, retreat indoors to the formal lounge, where a wood-burning fireplace and mood lighting provide a cosy ambience.

The characterful family kitchen features warm wooden floors, elegant white cupboards and Caesarstone surfaces. The central island includes a breakfast bar and a prep bowl, while the large range cooker provides a gas hob and triple electric ovens. There’s a large pantry cupboard for For more information contact

gourmet essentials, as well as a separate scullery and laundry.

Doug McMeeking +27 (0)82 549 1248,

The mezzanine level incorporates three north-facing bedrooms, including a master suite with a

doug@seeff.com

walk-in dressing room and en-suite bathroom featuring American-style shutters. All the rooms

Gareth Robertson +27 (0)79 318 6733,

open onto the wraparound balcony. The lower level comprises a separate guest suite with its own

gareth.robertson@seeff.com SEEFF SANDTON Telephone: +27 (0)11 784 1222

lounge and kitchenette.

This executive home sits in a landscaped half-acre garden and has three garages as well as ample

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 363865

parking. Part of a guarded enclave, it is in close proximity to the Sandton CBD as well as top

Asking price: R8-million

schools, entertainment, shopping and medical facilities.

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Opulent Living

Exceptional living Sandton, Johannesburg When this 6 000-square-metre Sandhurst property came on to the market, the potential buyer sat on the roof of the old Spanish home, commented on the views of the Sandton CBD skyline – and envisaged his dream mansion. When he bought the property, he turned that dream into reality, commissioning architect Aurelio Cimato to develop a truly magnificent three-storey mansion.

From the simple yet grand fountain-lined entrance to the home there’s a wide ramp down to the basement, which features a 20-car garage, a state-of-the-art cinema room, wine and cigar lounges, plus a gym and children’s playroom.

For more information contact

A glass elevator or the floating staircase leads from here to the ground floor, where there are

George Papadopoulos +27 (0)84 454 1834,

breathtaking views from large, double-volume reception spaces that open onto a wide patio and

sandhurst@seeff.com

a rim-flow pool. The extravagant dining room is surrounded by glass and fountains and there is also a double-volume study and library as well as a guest suite with its own lounge opening on

Corinna Lowry +27 (0)82 652 8891, sandhurst@seeff.com SEEFF SANDTON

to the garden. An open-plan executive kitchen, as well as a second kitchen in the rear, both have

Telephone: +27 (0)11 784 1222

top-of-the range appliances, plus a cold room.

Website: www.seeff.com Web ref: 366373

The views from the top storey are even more far-reaching. The large main suite, its huge windows

Asking price: R65-million

fronted by push-button blinds, opens onto an extensive balcony while four further spacious ensuite bedrooms also give access to private balconies.

The wonderfully designed spaces feature clean, glossy finishes, simple lines, gas fireplaces and solid-oak and marble flooring, while home automation for lighting, sound, security, underfloor heating and air conditioning provides the best of modern convenience.

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Divas Unite on Women’s Day An incredible line-up of top local music stars came together at Cape Town City Hall to celebrate South African Women’s Day on 9 August with a rousing concert that had guests dancing in the aisles.

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he beautiful main chamber of Cape Town’s Edwardian City Hall came to life with rousing renditions of popular hits and opera classics as a lineup of South Africa’s top female artists took to the stage for the first ‘Divas Unite’ concert. Brought together by Opulent Living Experiences, and made possible by presenting partner Infiniti Luxury Cars and associate sponsors, the concert was a celebration of the strength and determination of the phenomenal women who make up South Africa.

The star-studded line-up included Zolani Mahola, lead singer of Freshlyground, top South African sopranos Magdalene Minnaar and Zanne Stapelberg, stars of musical theatre Kim Kallie and Judy Page, as well as SAMA-winning instrumental pop group Sterling EQ, young up-andcoming opera singer Noluvuyiso Mpofu and the Sans Souci Girls’ High School Choir representing youth initiative Sing the Change. They were accompanied by an all-female Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Brandon Phillips, while TV presenter Katlego Maboe entertained as MC for the afternoon.

The talented trio of Sterling EQ, playing flute, cello and violin, opened the show with the iconic ‘Asturias (Leyenda)’. The three opera sopranos then took to the stage for a stirring rendition of ‘I Feel Pretty’ from West Side Story. Zolani Mahola’s emotional rendition of her group’s popular hit ‘I’d Like’ brought the audience to tears before Kim Kallie

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delivered the moving ‘Cry Me a River’. She was followed on stage by her mother, Judy Page, who gave a grand performance of ‘New York, New York’ before the interval, where guests were served complimentary Pongrácz bubbly, Butler’s Pizza, Frey Swiss Chocolate, cupcakes, tea and coffee.

A duet by Darren Green and Magdalene Minnaar from the hit West End musical Phantom of the Opera got the second half of the show off to a passionate start.

The show reached its climax when all the stars, including MC Katlego Maboe, came on stage to sing ‘We are the World’ together with the Sans Souci choir.

The audience roared with applause and rose for a standing ovation – where they remained for the encore of Freshlyground’s feelgood ‘Doo Be Doo,’ which had everyone dancing in the aisles.

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07 [01] TV presenter Katlego Maboe acted as MC for the event.

[02] Freshlyground star Zolani Mahola with Opulent Living’s Barbara Lenhard. [03] Sopranos Magdalene Minnaar and Noluvuyiso Mpofu. [04] Opulent Living’s Florian Gast with grande dame of SA musical theatre Judy Page. [05] Sterling EQ cellist Ariella Caira. [06] Celebrated flautist Carina Bruwer of Sterling EQ. [07] Well-loved soprano and lieder singer Zanne Stapelberg.

[08] Singer and songwriter Kim Kallie. [09] Zolani Mahola performed popular hits by Freshlyground. [10] The concert was held at Cape Town City Hall and accompanied by an all-female Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

[11] The divas pose with performer Darren Green, Katlego Maboe and Barbara Lenhard.

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[01] Anthony Mederer of Hansgrohe South Africa auctioned a furry toy for the cause. [02] Demetri Pappadopoulos of Fusion Global with and FNB’s Marius Pentz. [03] Auctioneer Joe Burke. [04] Event chefs Pieter de Jager, Christo Pretorius, Michelle Theron and Floris Smith. [05] Bryan Havemann of The Cape Leopard Trust.

[06] Hein Koegelenberg of Leopard’s Leap with Opulent Living’s Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast. [07] Shaun Wustmann of Bridgestone.

[08] Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers entertained guests.

[09] Mark and Segolene Elliott.

[10] Helen Turnbull of The Cape Leopard Trust.

[11] Singer James Steward.

[12] Event MCs Africa Melane and Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp.

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Visit Opulent Living online for the video of the event: www.opulentliving.co.za

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Leopards in the limelight The second annual Cape Leopard Trust Fundraiser lunch and auction, held at Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards in Franschhoek in August, raised R460 000 for the predator conservation fund.

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ore than 200 guests gathered in the light-filled restaurant of the Franschhoek wine estate for a display of culinary excellence, an auction of fine art and experiences, and fun musical entertainment – all in the name of leopard conservation.

The annual fundraiser, conceptualised and organised by Opulent Living Experiences, saw guests welcomed by the internationally acclaimed dance group, Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers, who set a fun, festive tone from the start.

A highlight of the experience was the three-course lunch, prepared by four renowned chefs: Chef Pieter de Jager of Leopard’s Leap, Christo Pretorius of The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Michelle Theron of Pierneef à La Motte and Floris Smith from Bushman’s Kloof.

Their delicious dishes were all paired with Leopard’s Leap wines.

Celebrity MCs Africa Melane and Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp then captivated the crowd in the build-up to the auction, which featured an array of top art, including a Dylan Lewis maquette, valued at R285 000, a landscape by Cape

Town artist Andrew Cooper and a signed leopard print by leading photographer and filmmaker Adrian Steirn. Also on offer were an array of travel experiences, from a hot-air balloon flight in the Magaliesberg to a stay at Wilderness Safaris’ Rocktail Beach Camp. Thanks to the generosity and support of sponsors Leopard’s Leap, FNB, Fusion Global and Bridgestone, 100 percent of the funds raised were donated to The Cape Leopard Trust.

Helen Turnbull, CEO of the Cape Leopard Trust, said in appreciation: “The atmosphere at the event was incredible and we are extremely grateful to all those who participated. The funds raised this year will go towards sustaining The Cape Leopard Trust operations, primarily paying airtime for satellite tracking collars, fuel and financing the resumption of the Cederberg leopard research project.”

“Leopard’s Leap has been a proud sponsor of the trust since its inception and we have enjoyed being the host and associate of such a great cause and what has become a highly celebrated and enjoyed annual event,” added Hein Koegelenberg, CEO of Leopard’s Leap.

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Exhibition of excellence The Hennessy 250 Tour, a travelling exhibition that celebrated the famous cognac maison’s past, present and future as it marked its 250th anniversary, spent a week in Johannesburg in August.

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he Circa Gallery in Rosebank was chosen to host the hybrid cultural event, which was curated by Hervé Mikaeloff, known for his work for Louis Vuitton, and featured renowned artists, photographers, filmmakers and designers such as Charles Sandison, Anton Corbijn and Xavier Veilhan. The exhibition touched down in four legendary locations around the world in 2015 – Guangzhou in China, Moscow, New York, and finally Johannesburg, where the work of local artist Dineo Bopape joined the show.

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The exhibition launched in the city with a gala dinner, where selected media, artists and cognac connoisseurs were treated to a preview of the exhibits. These included the Hennessy Time Barrel, a creative interactive installation that upholds the Hennessy legacy of transmission from one generation to the next. Guests were invited to send a digital message to the future, which will be preserved in the barrel in Hennessy’s historic cellars in Cognac and be opened on the maison’s next anniversary celebration in 2065.

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[02] Hennessy Master Blender and Taster Yann Fillioux.

[03] Opulent Living’s Florian Gast and Barbara Lenhard.

[04] Hennessy chairman and CEO Bernard Peillon with TV personality Lorna MasekoLukhele. [05] Hennessy’s Davide Marcovitch, Bernard Peillon and Pascal Asin.

[06] Maurice Hennessy and Chief Joe, Exclusive Distributor for Hennessy in Nigeria.

[07-10] VIP guests included socialite Maps Maponyane, actress Nomzamo Mbatha and singer Nandi Mngoma.

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A synergy of fine design The ‘Chefs who share’ Art Preview Evening showcased the fine art and unique experiences on auction at the annual charity gala – alongside the sleek lines of the latest luxury models from Mercedes-Benz.

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he ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ charity gala has, in just a few short years, become a not-tobe-missed annual event. Apart from the gourmet experience it offers – courtesy of South Africa’s finest chefs and sommeliers – a highlight has always been the amazing art that goes on auction to help raise funds for youth development in South Africa.

This year the prestigious event widened its reach by holding an exciting Art Preview Evening to showcase the auction lots a week ahead of the gala, which is held at Cape Town City Hall every September. The art auction has always played a vital role in the gala’s enormous success, thanks to generous donations by leading luminaries such as Lionel Smit, Keith Calder, Anton Smit, Dylan Lewis, Jean Doyle, Heike Allerton-Davies, Russell Travers, Marieka Prinsloo-Rowe and Jimmy Law. The Preview Evening gave potential bidders the opportunity to view the art in advance and plan their bids ahead of the big auction night.

Art lovers and artists gathered at the spacious and well-lit Mercedes-Benz AMG Performance Centre in Century City, Cape Town, where they could also admire the beautiful design of the latest models from the event’s long-standing presenting partner, Mercedes-Benz.

Celebrity chefs – Michelle Theron of Pierneef à la Motte and Darren Badenhorst of Grande Provence – prepared the delicious canapés, which were served throughout the evening.

In addition to the art, five exceptional experiences were showcased, including a luxury Mediterranean cruise, VIP tickets for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2016 and a rare bottle of the Hennessy 250 Collector Blend housed in a special celebration display.

[01] Jen Su and Katlego Maboe were MCs for the evening.

[02] Anton Smit’s ‘Reflect’ was one of the auction lots on display.

[03] Niël Rademan with Edwina and Selim Kagee. [04] ‘Cumulate’ by artist Lionel Smit. [05] Peter Pretorius and Etienne van Dyk of Mercedes-Benz. [06] ‘Chefs who share’ founders Florian Gast and Barbara Lenhard. [07] Candice and Gavin Ferreira. [08] The evening’s glamorous hostesses.

[09] Chef and restaurateur Giorgio Nava and Mala Bryan.

[10] ‘Chefs who share’ auctioneers Iain Banner and Philip Powell.

[11] Artist Jimmy Law in front of his painting ‘Emily’s Wish’ and comedian Marc Lottering.

[12] Guests gathered at the Mercedes-Benz AMG Performance Centre in Century City.

[13] Lee and Gary Koetser.

[14] Steven Graham and Marcelle Salida. [15] Chefs Michelle Theron and Darren Badenhorst.

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Charity gala of the year The third annual ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ charity gala held at Cape Town City Hall in September was a glittering ‘feelgood’ evening – and raised again R2-million for youth development in South Africa.

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overs of the finer things in life, including entertainment personalities, politicians, sports stars, socialites, designers and business executives, gathered for an evening of exquisite food and wine amid the splendour of Cape Town City Hall.

Presented by Mercedes-Benz and hosted by founders Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast, the gala brought together once again 14 of the country’s top chefs and seven acclaimed sommeliers, who for one night only worked together in seven teams to create culinary wonders for 252 guests.

[01] Baba Mutle and Johann Laubser. [02] Paul Kovensky and Brent Greenblatt. [03] Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe with her ‘Young Swimmer Girl’. [04] Mayur Bhana and Morné du Plessis. [05] Sahar Biniaz and Ryk Neethling with Barbara Lenhard. [06] Sabine Thomas and Pascal Asin.

[07] Singer songwriter Arno Carstens. [08] Carla and Stefan Antoni. [09] Mike and Kathleen Minkley. [10] ‘Chefs who share’ founders Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast. [11] MCs Jeremy Mansfield and Elana AfrikaBredenkamp. [12] Yegas Naidoo, Sithembiso Mthethwa and Nazira Moosa. [13] Michael and Helena Livingston. [14] Nigel Brown and Bernadette Hunkeler-Brown.

[15] Roy McAllister and Thomas Klein.

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Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp and Jeremy Mansfield took on the role of MCs for the evening, with singer and songwriter Arno Carstens, soprano Magdalene Minnaar and the youth initiative Sing the Change providing musical entertainment.

Iain Banner and Philip Powell presided over the now legendary auction where guests had the opportunity to bid for 17 outstanding works of art by some of South Africa’s leading artists, as well as seven exclusive once-off travel and lifestyle experiences. In addition, seven art pieces by up-and-coming creatives from the Little Artist School in Johannesburg were available in a silent auction. Artist Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe received the highest bid of the evening – her ‘Young Swimmer Girl’ bronze statue fetching R180 000.

This year’s grand gala also saw the announcement of the first ever ‘Chefs who share’ Young Chef Award winner – Jamie-Lee Saunders, Commis chef at Red Indigo Restaurant at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in Hermanus. Jamie-Lee and six other finalists were selected for their innovative canapé entries and given a spot in the star-studded ‘Chefs who share’ kitchen on the night of the gala, where they prepared their canapés for the illustrious audience and were teamed up with their culinary idols to help prepare the four-course dinner.

Thanks to the commitment of presenting partner Mercedes-Benz and associate sponsors, 100 percent of the money raised via ticket sales and the proceeds of the auction went to the Make A Difference Leadership Foundation and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. ‘Chefs who share’ has now raised R6-million for youth development charities since its inception in 2013.

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Visit Opulent Living online for the video of the event: www.opulentliving.co.za

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An escape from the ordinary Keen travellers converged on The Munro Boutique Hotel in Sandton in October for a stylish and informative cocktail party hosted by Cruises International and the cruise division of Opulent Living.

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here’s no better way to see the world than on a luxury cruise.

You don’t need to pack and unpack your bags as you move from city to city, or worry about catching your train or plane to the next destination on your itinerary. Simply make yourself at home in your cabin and let your cruise liner take you on a journey of discovery to some of the world’s most exotic ports.

That was the message to the glamorous young travellers who came for an elegant evening at The Munro in Sandton’s leafy Houghton Estate.

With Mumm Champagne and Absolut Elyx vodka providing the drinks and delectable canapés on offer, guests were given a small taste of the luxury on offer from Celebrity Cruises.

Travelling to over 280 destinations across seven continents, Celebrity Cruises combines first-class accommodation, live entertainment, exceptional cuisine and warm, intuitive service with exciting sightseeing opportunities for discerning travellers looking for something out of the ordinary. And when you’re not exploring on shore, there are picnics, open-air concerts, croquet, golf, or simply sunbathing to enjoy on board, not to mention a wide choice of restaurants, bars, lounges and clubs to suit the preferences of any passenger.

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[01] The Munro Boutique Hotel in Sandton hosted the event.

[02] Paula Futre of Opulent Living Cruises with Thayabah Khan and Dionne Potiphar of Cruises International. [03] Natalie Mietz with Opulent Living’s Barbara Lenhard. [04] Mpendulo Dlamini, Vika Shipalana and Lucky Ntimane. [05] Natasha Senkge, Vuyo Dlamini, Barbara Lenhard, Lizeka Fitshane, Anelisa Mnyengeza and Mohumi Maswabi. [06] Margaret Wilson, Mark Kaplan and Corinne Harrison. [07] Barbara Lenhard with The Munro’s event staff.

[08] Lumka Dlomo. [09] Guests mingled in The Munro’s elegant conservatory. [10] Kumarie Moodley, Khanyi Mamba and Bonnie Maponya. [11] John Tawanda amd Saint-Francis Tohlang. [12] Mncedisi Mayekiso and Azola Zumamusic.

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The sounds of Denmark Iconic Danish brand Bang & Olufsen opened an all-new South African store in Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch in September, celebrating sound and design excellence that has stretched over 90 years.

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he Danish Ambassador to South Africa cut the tape to officially open the new Johannesburg Bang & Olufsen store, which joins the high-end retail mix on the High Street in Sandton’s Melrose Arch precinct. Senior managers from the Denmark head office and lovers of fine sound mingled in the stylish new space, which aims to deliver a sensory experience through sound and design.

Founded in Denmark in 1925, Bang & Olufsen has become an icon of performance and design excellence through its long-

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standing craftsmanship tradition and strong commitment to high-tech research and development – and its highly distinctive range of televisions, music systems, loudspeakers and multimedia products combine technological excellence with emotional appeal.

“The new store is where existing customers and a new generation of discerning consumers will hear, see and feel the Bang & Olufsen brand and be able to interact and play with our products,” said Shannon Rogotzki of Bang & Olufsen South Africa.

VIP guests gathered on the High Street in Melrose Arch to celebrate the opening of the new Johannesburg Bang & Olufsen store.

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