PRESTIGE i n
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Ancient Egypt Contemporary Jazz portrait of madiba
Shanghai Tang 5 Capes Sailing Race
ISSUE NO. 37
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contents
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special features 32 Harvest in the City 34 Portrait of Nelson Mandela 48 Mission Millions 72 Jazz Colonisation and 78 Between a Hard Place Protofarm 2050
By Artist Paul Emsley The Kruger Bullion
Fluid Contours & Local Greats
Postcolonial Literature
boating & yachting 16 Five Capes Sailing Race 30 Radical Power New Zest to 42 Bringing South African Seas Tracing the 2012 Course Superyacht CODE-X
Riviera 70 & 85
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Star of Barcelona Rodman MUSE 50
business & csi 56 From Bust to Boom 68 Into the Future 86 Mythmanagement Business in Angola
Offshore Investment
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A Tale of Two Friends
haute horlogerie 20 Artwork Meets Clockwork 54 Still Fit for a Queen 80 Putting the Name on the Dial Jean Dunand Watches
Marie-Antoinette's Breguet Christophe Claret
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contents
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lifestyle & travel 24 Discover the Ancient 38 Shanghai Tang 58 Africa at its Best 64 Still Life and Figure Studies 76 A Splendid Stay 84 From the Orient Pyramid Hunter’s Guide to Egypt
Spring/Summer 2010 Collection
Lugenda Wilderness Camp
South African Art
The Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence
Persian and Other Hand-Made Rugs
motoring & aviation 46 D for Deluxe Exclusive – 50 Super Super Performance Sikorsky S-76D
Carlsson C25
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Namibia’s Aluminium Eagle The Iconic DC-6B
regulars 10 Letter from the Chairman 12 Letter from the Editor 14 Live the Life 67 Premier Travel Portfolio 88 Making Waves
letter from the
chairman
In showcasing Africa's gems to the world, there is no shortage of options that appeal to every taste and fancy. In this issue, we have sought out and put together a range of content to provide our readers with an unusual glimpse at what unique experiences and stories are about, starting with our most famous icon, Nelson Mandela. While every corner is presently abuzz with the theme of soccer, the excitement mounting daily, there remains a strong momentum on the continent from the surge on infrastructure development, the emergence of a professional middleclass community and better wealth distribution to help the continent grow. On a continent that was largely shielded from the global debt crisis – thanks to more stringent banking regulations and a cultural propensity for citizens to trade on cash or available resources and not on debt – it makes sense that these start to formalise as organisations mature and develop infrastructure to trade globally. I sometimes wonder whether I am overly optimistic about things, especially when there are so many doomsday predictions out there. With such negativity it is no wonder there are so many despondent people around. But every day I see more and more positive things in Africa – more infrastructure, more access to facilities and services, and an everincreasing business optimism. In local boardrooms of late, there is much talk about those South African businesses not directly related to the tournament and what they
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have planned during this time. A different sentiment has been raised; one of whether the congestion of tourists, higher transport pricing locally and the incentives of lower airline pricing outbound of the country allow for these businesses, over this period, to grant leave to their employees, who would then use this time to see other parts of the world. While this logic might make sense I would think that any passionate African, even if he or she is not an avid soccer fan, would love to just be in the country at the time, just to experience the energy and excitement surrounding the tournament. A good idea for those with such an option available is to find a way to get involved in a volunteer programme or associated service. To live the energy of the event in the trenches – that's the place to be for the World Cup. A good friend of mine demonstrated exactly this when he, the Chief Operating Officer of a major South African company, asked me if he could volunteer at Neo Africa. To me, Africa's gems represent the core of exceptional experiences as the conversion of the continent’s resources from “stones” to “crystals.” We will continue to strive to identify these pockets of excellence and showcase them to the world.
PRESTIGE i n
letter from
t h e
l a p
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l u x u r y
PUBLISHER – Neo Publishing (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 484 2833 Fax: +27 86 699 2266
the editor
CHAIRMAN – Vivien Natasen vivien@neoafrica.com MANAGING EDITOR – Charl du Plessis charl@prestigemag.co.za EDITOR – Toni Ackermann toni@prestigemag.co.za ADMIN & CIRCULATION – Lodene Grobler lodene@prestigemag.co.za
“To know a man, observe how he wins his object, rather than how he loses it; for when we fail our pride supports us; when we succeed, it betrays us.” – Charles Caleb Colton Watching these two halves come together to close the gap, forming one cohesive structure, made me think of how far we’ve come since 1994; bridging the gap – or gaps shall we say, for there were several. And while there might still be a way to go I’m sure most people would agree we’ve done pretty well thus far. Our preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup further demonstrates this; it is indicative of our determination as a nation, our ability to work together, our eagerness to succeed. I think it’s time we celebrate our shared accomplishment, and revel in a collective sense of pride. At Prestige, we take great pride in our work and are immensely pleased to present you with this month’s edition, which saw itself leaning towards a focus on African Gems. Thus, you will find a story on South African artist Paul Emsley’s portrait of Nelson Mandela; a man who earned the respect of the world when he walked to freedom after 27 years of imprisonment. We consider various views on postcolonial African literature; travel from the endless plains of the Niassa National Reserve to the sweltering deserts and arresting pyramids of Egypt; and mellow out with a look at the modern-day influences in jazz and some of our local greats. Next, tuck into some mystery with the reappearance of Marie-Antoinette’s Breguet, followed by a tale that didn’t end quite as well for the missing Kruger Millions which are, unfortunately, still missing. Oh, all this is just to tease you, there is a so much more swaddled between these teeming covers. Do enjoy. Toni
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© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Every day on my way to the office, I drive past one of the Gautrain construction sites. Over the months I have watched the two pieces of the track come closer together over the highway until finally, one day they met and the bridge was complete. On this day I smiled broadly as I passed beneath it, and felt immensely In Our Next Edition: proud. Sure, I’d had no part in The Design Renaissance its building, and sure, the construction thereof has been surrounded by some controversy, largely to do with the anticipated date of completion, but here it was, this sturdy stone viaduct, opening up a new course between two cities.
ADVERTISING Jean Ramsay (Cape Town) Cell: +27 79 508 0428 jean@prestigemag.co.za Rui Barbosa (Sales Manager) Tel: +27 84 290 2070 rui@prestigemag.co.za Adie Ceruti (Gauteng) Tel: +27 83 601 2291 / +27 11 465 1572 adie@prestigemag.co.za Michiel Faber (Cape Town) Tel: +27 82 922 3856 michiel@prestigemag.co.za Namibian BUREAU Mynard Slabbert (Commercial Manager) Tel: +264 81 227 2380 mynard@prestigemag.co.za DESIGN & LAY-OUT VDS Design Studio Liesel van der Schyf Tel: +27 82 336 7537 liesel@vdsdesign.co.za Proof-reading Clive Moses Print Paarl Web, Gauteng SUBSCRIPTIONS R499 for 12 issues; R949 for 24 issues SMS the words SUBSCRIBE PRESTIGE, followed by your name and email address, to +27 79 876 4130. Alternatively, email your name, cell number and delivery address to mail@prestigemag.co.za. DISTRIBUTION Prestige is available on newsstand and through subscription. Free public space distribution includes over 50 charter fleets operating in the Southern African region. Top five-star hotels and all major business class airport lounges nationally receive free monthly copies. Also look for Prestige in upscale coffee shops, spas, and private banking waiting areas. Cover Images Shanghai Tang; Jon Hursa/epa/Corbis/GreatStock; iStockphoto.com; Mark Lloyd, Lloyd Images/Oman Sail All rights are reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. PRESTIGE is published by Neo Publishing. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or any of its clients. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and reports in this magazine, the publisher does not accept any responsibility, whatsoever, for any errors, or omissions, or for any effects resulting therefrom. No part of this publication may be used, or reproduced in any form, without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2010. All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs to Neo Publishing and/ or the individual contributors. All rights reserved.
www.prestigemag.co.za
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The Stork
Hartenberg Estate, regarded as one of South Africa’s leading and oldest producers of the Shiraz grape, has received excellent international reviews for its expressive single vineyard wine, The Stork. An expressive, richly layered single vineyard Shiraz, The Stork is the youngest member of Hartenberg’s Shiraz trio, the others being The Gravel Hill and the original Estate Shiraz. Tim Atkin, from the UK’s Decanter Magazine, singles out the 2005 vintage as the only Shiraz to be included in his line-up of the 25 wines that “best fly the flag for South Africa.” Atkin describes the wine as a New World style and “one of a handful of thrilling Syrahs made in the Cape.” James Molesworth of Wine Spectator Insider claimed to love the mouth feel and “delicious core of damson plum, fig and boysenberry fruit laced with tangy iron and spice hints.” The Stork 2005 sells at the cellar door for R410 a bottle and is available at boutique wine stores and selected fine dining restaurants. Contact Hartenberg Estate on +27 21 865 2541, email info@hartenbergestate.com or visit www.hartenbergestate.com.
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For those who just can’t resist a little indulgence, Heaven Skincare UK has opened a destination store in Cape Town’s new Cape Quarter. Organic, all natural and free from harmful preservatives, the Heaven range of skin and body treatments, in harmony, the power of nature with the latest scientific breakthroughs in beauty technology. It is a range of products 20 years in the making. Today, Heaven is the preferred choice of celebs such as Victoria Beckham, sisters Kylie and Danni Minogue and Michelle Pfeiffer, among many others. Call +27 21 418 0750 / 51, email info@heavensa.co.za or visit www.heavensa.co.za. Or, if you’re in the Mother City, drop into the store, situated in The Square at the Cape Quarter.
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Eau de Cartier
Essence d’Orange The new Eau de Cartier Essence d’Orange brings a citric twist to the classic Eau de Cartier scent. Already the epitome of freshness, the scent now sparkles with effervescent, blissful orange. Flowers and fruit, masculine and feminine; a natural partnership for an eau de toilette bronzed with modern and creative freedom and possessing a refined olfactory effect that melts gently into woody notes of cedarwood and patchouli. Eau de Cartier Essence d’Orange is presented in a simple, orange-tinted bottle with a droplet sculpted into the glass. Available now from Cartier boutiques for R700 per bottle.
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F E AT U R E
Five The New
Capes Race
Tracing the 2012 Course 16
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SPLASH
Just two years from now, 2012 will see the start of an exciting new long-distance sailing event of 16,300 nautical miles, linking the Middle East, Africa, Australia and Asia. City start lines are scheduled for Muscat, Cape Town, Freemantle, and Singapore, while five Cape finish lines await contestants: Cape Ras Al Hadd off Oman; Cape Agulhas and Cape Leeuwin on South West Australia; Cape Piai, the southernmost point of Mainland Asia; and Cape Comorin on the southern tip of India. Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © Mark Lloyd, Lloyd Images/Oman Sail
D
uring early March this year, a giant 105-foot trimaran, Majan – one of the world’s biggest and fastest yachts and the first of a new breed of racing multihulls known as the A100 – stopped over in Cape Town on an exploratory dash of the proposed gruelling 2012 race circuit. Capetonian Paul Standbridge, who was sailing manager for South Africa’s 2007 America’s Cup Team Shosholoza and is rated among the
world’s top sailors, is the skipper and training manager for this part of the Sultanate of Oman Sail Project. Also on the crew for the exploratory dash to Cape Town was former Team Shosholoza sailor Michael Giles and Mohsin Al Busiadi, who, in 2009, became the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world. Majan left Muscat on 6 February and stopped briefly in the Maldives while en route to Cape Town. From here, she heads for Freemantle Australia, joined by the world-famous
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Majan
Majan is the first of a new class of Arabian 100 (A100) trimarans. Assembled in the southern city of Salalah in Oman, she is 32 metres or 105 foot, and one of the fastest offshore multihulls in the world. Majan has been adapted to the purpose of training young Omani sailors and is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots. Oman Sail CEO David Graham said: “The main objective behind the creation of this new class is not to take on the ‘classic’ European events, but to help pave the way for a thriving professional racing scene in the Gulf region and around the Indian Ocean.” Majan was assembled locally in Salalah and is now leading the way in developing pioneering new race routes around the Indian Ocean rim. Recently in Cape Town, Majan wowed local media and sailing enthusiasts by powering up to speeds of 30 knots – almost 60 km/h. It was a rare opportunity for some to take the helm and fly effortlessly across the bay at speeds normally associated with power boats rather than yachts. To find out more about the A100, visit www.majan-a100.com.
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French round-the-world sailor Sidney Gavignet and crack French America’s Cup sailor Thierry Douillard. This next leg to Freemantle involves racing across the frozen and treacherous Southern Ocean and will be one of the most exhilarating and dangerous parts of the course, before reaching the warmth of Cape Leeuwin and Australia's west coast. For sailors, the Southern Ocean is the vague term for the underworld where no land separates the oceans. Below 40 degrees of latitude, a series of low pressure systems continuously “roar” and move towards the east without being blocked by any land mass. Further south, winds are even more fierce, hence the nickname of the “howling fifties.” Down there, the crew of Majan will find themselves in the “Grey World” – one of the most remote and dangerous parts of the planet. A very desolate place, where “no-one should go without having some fear of it,” as world-famous British solo sailor Ellen MacArthur once put it. Some days there will be no horizon at all –
the grey of the sea melting with that of the sky, or the height of the waves hiding it from sight. Writing on his blog while at sea soon after the Cape Town start, Mohsin Al Busaidi said: “As we waved goodbye to the new friends we made in Cape Town, it was time to mentally prepare ourselves for the toughest leg yet to Freemantle, Australia. It's an overcast, warm day. The wind is light, around 8 knots. We’re heading south out of Table Bay. The mood onboard is a mixture of excitement to be back on Majan and anticipation about entering the Southern Ocean – we have a great team and a great boat, it’s going to be an amazing adventure.” If all goes well with the current group’s attempts at tracing the future route, sailing enthusiasts can look forward to seeing some of the world’s top sailors switching to large multihulls in 2012 for what might become one of sailing’s most exhilarating events. For more information, visit www.omansail.com.
Thierry Oulevay and Christophe Claret
Artwork Meets
Clockwork
Jean Dunand Watches
STRIDE
For a company that is only seven years old, Jean Dunand shows no lack of ambition. Christophe Claret, one of the industry’s most radical inventors, together with watch entrepreneur Thierry Oulevay, conceived of the manufacture to showcase two philosophies dear to both men. The result is that every new model is both a work of art and a technical tour de force. Words: KEN KESSLER Images: © JEAN DUNAND
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n honour of the Swiss artist after whom the company was named, Jean Dunand watches exude the spirit of the age of Art Deco. Dunand lived from 1877 to 1942, a period that was marked by bold adventurers, farreaching scientific discoveries, political upheaval and – for the first three decades of the 20th Century – unparalleled elegance in both industrial and luxury design. To reflect this, the company uses architectural shapes, unusual materials and bold colours. For their flagship model, the Tourbillon Orbital, this love of art has been taken a stage further: no two pieces are alike, for the client chooses a unique dial material, design or colour; the selections ranging from precious stones to enamels, cloisonné to guilloche. As with all of man’s finest creations, form goes hand-in-hand with function, which brings us to Jean Dunand’s second raison d’être: the designs incorporate exceptional complications developed by Claret. The very model that established the brand, causing connoisseurs, enthusiasts and the press to reel in surprise, features a tourbillon in which the entire movement – not just the tourbillon itself – rotates. That it rotates completely around the dial
once per hour creates a feast for the eyes: whenever the user looks at the timepiece, the tourbillon has relocated itself after even a few minutes’ passage. Both philosophies are exhibited vividly in the second model Jean Dunand produced. For the exotic Shabaka, the shapes and visual details were inspired by both the Art Deco movement and the craze for Egyptian artefacts in the 1920s. To meet with the company’s desire to innovate, Jean Dunand chose to indicate the day, the date and the month on cylinders, instead of using conventional dials. This was achieved by a fresh creation from the fertile brain of Christophe Claret. Topping this will be difficult, but it would appear that the challenge has been met by Jean Dunand’s allnew model for 2010: the Palace. And as with its predecessors, the Palace marries the aesthetic and the functional with complications of an unconventional, yet wholly logical nature. And although it shares no familial resemblance to the Tourbillon Orbital or the Shabaka, the company’s ethos has been addressed to the letter. According to Oulevay, the spiritual and aesthetic essence of the Palace is the cultural transformation of Western civilisation during a 50-year
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period defined roughly as 1880 to 1930. This is evident in a name that honours London’s Crystal Palace, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Equally, the look and structure were inspired by what is probably the most evocative monument of the era, the Eiffel Tower. It is no coincidence that the period corresponds almost exactly to the life of Jean Dunand himself. The result is a watch that would have suited a hero from the works of Jules Verne or HG Wells. What initially triggered the project was a new movement created in-house through an annual competition Claret organises to inspire his watchmakers. The movement itself is remarkable, but Claret and Oulevay insisted that it
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should dwell in a case worthy of its innards. It is more than a watch. It is what every high-end watch wants to be: a statement. But not merely of the owner’s taste or discernment or fiscal worth; rather, it is an embodiment of the concept of “no compromise.” Key to making the Palace a standout are its dimensions: a massive 48.2mm wide, 49.9mm long and 16.65mm thick, including the crystal. This protects a movement that features a one-minute tourbillon, placed at the six o’clock position, the balance operating at a frequency of 3Hz. Above it are skeletal hour and minute hands, while a sapphire crystal 60-minute counter for the chronograph is positioned at 12 o’clock.
So far, we have a single-button, manual-wind chronograph tourbillon, in itself a rare beast. But flanking the tourbillon are two vertical tracks, further evidence of the genius of the Claret workshops. The one in the right-hand corner displays the Palace’s 72-hour power reserve. In the other corner is an exceptional linear GMT dial to show a second time zone. To access the two 12-hour scales on either side of the vertical trace, the indicator arrow, mounted in a disc identical to that of the power reserve, has to make two passes. When the arrow disc reaches the bottom of the trace, it flies back to the top and the arrow flips to address the other scale. To set this for the appropriate time zone, a GMT advance button is positioned between the lugs at six o’clock. Each push moves the arrow ahead one hour. Then the details take over. The winder feeds power to the movement’s barrel through a microscopically tiny chain, complete with a teensy tensioner, designed, according to Oulevay, to recall the chain drive of a motorcycle. The plates that form the movement’s structure are separated by tiny, sculpted pillars, visible through the case sides’ arched glass windows. The metalwork itself recalls huge iron castings, as used in the great bridges of the era, as well as the struts that compose the Eiffel Tower. Observers will note that the watch’s side view looks exactly like the base of the Parisian landmark. To savour all of these exquisite details, the Palace will be supplied with a loupe, for studying it closely over the years. And like a painting by Bosch or Dadd, the observer will discover something new every time the loupe is employed. Visit www.jeandunand.com.
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F E AT U R E
This page: The Sphinx through the Mortuary Temple door Opposite page, clockwise from top left: The Oberoi Mena House; Portico of Step Pyramid at Sakkara; Causeway to Unas; the three Pyramids of Giza
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F E AT U R E
egypt The Pyramid Hunter’s Guide to
Most tourists to Cairo only find the time for the obligatory photo stop at the Cairo Museum and the Great Pyramids of Giza; the last of the standing Seven Wonders of the World. However, it is little known that like star clusters in the Milky Way there are over 30 pyramid fields dotted along the Nile. For the intrepid pyramid hunter, this makes for quite the adventure.
Words: MARCUS BREWSTER Images: Š MARK LEACH
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Mortuary Temple for the Great Pyramid
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irst a warning: all pyramid tunnels share a common and somewhat forbidding architecture. They are narrow and low-ceilinged; the gradient steep and not friendly to those weak of back and knee. The temperature and humidity rise in direct proportion to the distance you are from the entrance. And the most popular pyramids traffic queues of people so you generally have to wait for 20 voluble foreigners to descend through the corridor before you and your party can ascend to exit. In other words, this is not a vocation – or vacation – for the claustrophobic. Having given due caution, pyramid hunting can be exhilarating for anyone who has ever harboured an Indiana Jones fantasy. The primary – if only – pyramid experience for most visitors will be at Giza. On any given day, at least one of the three pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure is open. (The interiors are closed on a rotational basis to allow the interior passageways to dry out after the damaging moisture-laden exhalations of so many visitors in a non-ventilated space). Of the three, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is perhaps most worth entering because of its imposing Grand Gallery and the comparative complexity of its interior
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The Black Pyramid
fissures that have provoked so much layout. For day visitors, limited tickets controversy in the last decade as to are sold on a first-come-firstthe age of the site. The meteorological serve basis. studies, at odds with the Egyptological On my first trip, I was part of a record, posit that the Sphinx must group that had a private night-time have been rain-weathered over a opening. I was in the subterranean period of some 12 million years, thus chamber when the electricity went making it far older than the pyramids out and it was so dark I could not see themselves. More importantly, getting my hand in front of my face. The rest inside the enclosure is the only way of my party had decided that to see the legendary dream stela, their meditation in the King’s which stands between the Sphinx’s Chamber would be improved if they front paws. switched the lights off. While they While the best view of the Sphinx channeled their inner ohms, I is from standing directly before it, the scrambled up the ascending corridor best view of the Giza pyramids is at guided by the faintest patch some remove. For any self-respecting of starlight. Once outside, I climbed the Great Pyramid, coming to Still girdled with the rubble from when its rest halfway up too-shear sides gave way to gravity, the the ancient blocks stepped core of the structure and its interior of masonry; the warm desert breeze corridors stand solid and can be entered stirring the inky by the agile and adventurous. night, the twinkling pyramid hunter, there is only one lights of Cairo spread out below me. address – The Oberoi Mena House. No visit to Giza is complete Originally a royal hunting lodge without viewing the Sphinx and no that was turned into luxury understanding of the enigmatic accommodation for visiting heads of monument is possible without a state and rulers during the grand permit to enter the enclosure. Only opening of the Suez Canal, Mena when in the pit – less fortunate House is one of the few historic tourists stand on the walls hotels whose modern wing compares surrounding the enclosure – can one favourably with the period walk around the body of the Sphinx property. Recently refurbished, the and see first-hand the water-erosion
Dream Stela at the Sphinx
contemporary rooms in the palace’s garden wing have picture-postcard sight lines to the monuments whereas in the original wing, the pyramidfacing suites put you right under Khafre’s pyramid, as you are that much closer. Our high-ceilinged room in the old section gave onto a terrace the size of a ballroom, large but perfectly in scale to the looming mass of masonry before us. Those with a weakness for golf will be pleased to learn that Mena House has a course adjacent to the pyramids. What a treat, to tee off in the shadow of one of the largest monuments on Earth. More interesting than the Giza Pyramids, I would argue, are their antecedents at Sakkara and Dashur. The Step Pyramid at Sakkara, the world’s first experiment in this design idiom, is part of an exhilarating site showcasing a number of construction firsts from architect-savant Imhotep. It is mind-blowing to see civilisation’s earliest pillars – still engaged, the builders not certain whether they would stand alone and unsupported – and the first curved wall. Down the road at Dashur are two of Sneferu’s Fourth Dynasty pyramids, including the Bent Pyramid. Still bearing most of its limestone casing – this having long been removed from all other major pyramid fields and repurposed in the construction of
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Local mode of transportation
mediaeval Cairo – the Bent Pyramid is the only one in Egypt that takes the breath away with its mysteriousness and sense of scale. In my opinion this is not just the equal, it is superior in impact to all three at Giza combined. Four-wheel drives – and permits – are the only way to get into the vast tracts of South Sakkara. Among its never-visited sites are the Middle Kingdom Pyramid of Khendjer and the fascinating Fourth Dynasty Mastaba Faroun. Further dune driving brings one to the pyramids and mortuary temples of Pepi I and Merenre. North of Sakkara is Abu Sir, esteemed not so much for its pyramid remains but for its causeway and adjacent sun temples. Clearly the solar cult did not begin with the heretic 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife, the legendary beauty Nefertiti, as it must have had its roots much earlier in the 5th Dynasty, as Abu Sir indicates. North-west of Giza lies the remarkable Abu Roash Pyramid. Almost never visited as, like Dashur, it lies adjacent to a military zone; Abu Roash is nothing less than a virtual pyramid. Built by Djedefre, the son of Khufu, the pyramid was deconstructed by daily caravans of over 300 camels to build nearby Cairo. Although most of the above ground structure is gone, Abu Roash is like a cross-section of pyramid construction and allows one
The Step Pyramid at Sakkara
the slightly dangerous thrill of descending the sloped floor through the bedrock of a stripped-down pyramid. A half-day’s drive away lies the last of Egypt’s iconic pyramids – the collapsed structure at Meidum. Still girdled with the rubble from when its too-shear sides gave way to gravity, the stepped core of the structure and its interior corridors stand solid and can be entered by the agile and adventurous. As the sun set on another day’s pyramid hunting, we took our seats for dinner at the Mena House’s poolside Oasis restaurant against a backdrop of the floodlit Giza monuments. Sitting under the cool canopy of the Egyptian night sky, I couldn’t help but wonder if the pyramid fields were a terrestrial map of the celestial fields overhead; a mirror of heaven. But only the stars themselves and those ancient blocks of masonry can still tell. The writer travelled in Egypt with Peter Allingham of Ancient World Tours. AWT combines superior archaeological knowledge with unrivalled ground support and has relationships with all the top ministerial, military and site supervisors. If a remote temple or tomb needs special access, AWT can get it. Visit www.awt.co.uk.
F E AT U R E
CODE-X Radical Power Some say that if Agent 007’s technological expert Q were to provide him with a CODE-X superyacht, he’d be beside himself with joy. Combining daringly pure lines with cutting-edge technology from the world of Formula One and renewable solar-powered energy, CODE-X is in a class of its own. Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © CODE-X
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T
he forerunner of a new brand offensive from a Swiss company, CODE-X was developed in cooperation with leading experts from the boat and motor construction industries, with the overriding vision to provide a mid to long-term alternative to replace conventional combustion technology. The result is a sleek, 14.5-metre-long yacht that offers its owner total control and flexibility, literally at the touch of a button. Choosing the solar hybrid propulsion system enables quiet, environmentally friendly cruising in ports and coastal areas while switching to conventional energy provides for the unfettered enjoyment of high-speed pleasure on the open seas. Knowing that their clients treasure their independence, the CODE-X design team allows owners to make choices not only in the type of energy the boat uses, but also in terms of design elements ranging from the colour of the hull, to the wheel height and the number
of sporty, shock-absorbing seats provided. The fittings and performance of the CODE-X will certainly impress design aesthetes. Onboard electronics and touch screens, which are individually programmable, fulfil all the requirements of the aircraft industry. Among its many innovations is the distinctive protective sun shield, with its phototropic shaded screens and windows. However, just because you are ensconced in what feels like a 22nd-Century spaceship at sea
doesn’t mean you can’t feel at one with the natural world. For dramatic night viewing, an LED illumination system offers optimal lighting while a daytime, open-to-the-elements feeling is easily accomplished by adjusting the moveable roof panels. CODE-X seems to be an ideal synthesis of brilliant design and perfect function. For those who take responsibility for the future seriously and who need not seek a licence for pleasure, CODE-X might just be the boat for you. Visit: www.code-x.ch.
Formula Clean
The Swiss company responsible for the conceptualising of CODE-X wants to launch an international racing circuit, starting this summer on Lake Lucerne, through its initiative Formula Clean. The idea behind the project is that the company will manufacture, at its own expense and parallel to the production of the limited CODE-X series of seven yachts, another fleet of seven yachts for a racing series. These yachts will have, in contrast to the CODE-X yachts for sale, only a renewable energy drive. It is planned that these seven Formula Clean yachts will annually take part in a distance race. Despite having an eco-friendly engine, the racing speed will still be a very respectable 40 to 50km/h. Owners of the CODE-X yachts from the limited edition will receive the right to use, though there will be no obligation, the parallel boat in the Formula Clean races.
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SUBSIST
Harvest in the
City
In 2010, more people live in cities than in rural areas and thus the need to cater to the nutritional needs of the city is on the rise. Projecting new thoughts into our nourishment, farming is given a serious focal point as part of the sustenance of our future.
E
nvision this: you've just arrived home from work. You've put your leather brogues up on the couch and are sipping from the glass in your left hand, your right hand reaching for a snack. Your mind trails to an unusual, unfamiliar place; the life process of things that surround you: your things, the things that fill, enrich and clutter your life. Thoughts as to the origin of these products start to fill your head, becoming understandings of how modernity has removed our comprehension of organic processes:
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Words: DANIEL SCHEFFLER Images: Š DESIGN INDABA
the majestic cow that lived and breathed and ate grass until shedding its skin for the leather your brogues required. It is farming, or at least a farming function, that was involved in the products; these items at hand – the shoes and the couch, the drink and the food. A forward-thinking development of a newfangled aesthetic has emerged with nimbleness and virility, rooting itself as a farm vernacular. A new lexicon of thinking and expression has developed from the understanding of austere farming. With the world searching for a new concept of luxury, the beacons of
hope now rest as space, time and stillness. This propels the new human back to his roots and foundations by speaking a language of care and mindfulness. Nature no longer exists as an intangible fragment of the world but rather as a deluxe investment. And by giving nature an economic value or pinning a currency to it, not only is it an investment, but an investment that will accrue. The cost and pay back from a financial perspective will prevail in due time. Thus, emerging globally, are self-sufficient farms that are off the grid. And what becomes interesting here is translating this
SUBSIST
into urban homes and apartments. The rise of the peri-urbanite and the urban farmer is happening with great esteem. An estimated 800 million people around the world are involved with urban farming. Thus, cultivating, processing and distributing food in an urban sphere could be the future vision for catering to people's food requirements. With the advancement of urban farming comes a whole new observation of the community. Decades ago, Marshall McLuhan popularised the term “global village,” a new movement where the world becomes even smaller and the global village becomes a commuter taxi filled with information. Information and aid is what, nowadays, gears our lives. Creative Consultant, Jaco Jansen Van Rensburg believes that farmhouses and their language are becoming more important as cultural ambassadors leading to new thinking in terms of constructing homes. These facilitate and meander towards helping the urban farmer enrich and curve around structures of steel and concrete, feeding even more into a new reflective state surrounding farming, and the way farming will be 20 or 40 years from now. The inspired “Protofarm 2050” project, commissioned by The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) at last year’s World Design Congress in Singapore, is a project that certainly has an Orwellian truth and vision about it. The brief given was to generate forward-thinking prospective situations on any topic. This year’s Cape Town-based Design Indaba chose farming as a topic, looking to absorb information about food security and resourceful environmentalism. The next logical move was to commission a group of radically pioneering thinkers to this project. And so Futurefarmers, 5.5 designers, Dunne&Raby, Revital Cohen and Frank Tjepkema were to generate the vision of farming in the year 2050. By looking at this uniquely
collaborative vision of what could be, Futurefarmers proposed using old container ships to create floating farms and gardens where diet, water and psychological needs are taken into perfect, unified consideration. Designers 5.5 created city guidebooks with urban recipes (eating rats and cockroaches included). Dunne & Raby believe in designing for the overpopulation and embracing a new kind of activist who wants to keep
innovation and forward thinking by turning protofarming into a viable and usable reality? By looking at urbanites the solutions swarm. Building an inner city conservatory with vegetables and green shrubs on your balcony and a greenhouse that is in your courtyard; these become realities and viable options when your thinking translates into action. Philosophically, positive change in the world originates from spiritual
species wild. Also looking into synthetic biology where plants are modified to become digestible and nutritious and humans’ digestive systems are engineered to absorb cellulose. Revital Cohen feels that form follows function and that by replacing your appendix with an artificial energy generator, the human body will become the farm: thus the appearance of Homo evolutus, where man creates and designs his own evolution. Frank Tjepkema forward thinks to a self-sufficiency that leads to self-containment, where farms can exist completely off the grid, for example, making theme parks useful by turning them into farms and thus providing thrilling eco-tainment. In an African context, how can we as South Africans proactively utilise
development in the individual filtering across into cultural, technological and environmental development. South African designer Haldane Martin argues that even furniture can encourage spiritual development through digital technology. Thus the onus rests on you, the brogue-wearing, couch-sitting individual processing your ideas of a new life. The emotional satisfaction of picking fruit from your home garden as opposed to off the supermarket shelf becomes an elixir. In a revolution for the self-combining form, achieving gratification is the next step towards happiness; finding a stomping ground that is beyond the obvious going green, buying green or even thinking green, but takes back the power by being truly self-sufficient.
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SKETCH
Paul Emsley’s
Portrait of
Nelson Mandela E
Portraying what is perhaps the most famous face in the world in such a way that it not only captures the essence of the man
but complies to the highest standards of
technical integrity too, was undoubtedly
the greatest challenge ever faced by artist Paul Emsley. Words: TONI ACKERMANN Images: © PAUL EMSLEY
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msley recounts the journey: “About a year and a half ago I conceived of the idea of doing a portrait drawing of Nelson Mandela. I had seen many portraits of him but I felt that there was the need for a work that would be serious enough to do justice to such an iconic figure. I was aware that it would be wise to move fairly quickly due to Mr Mandela's age. I learnt that it was extremely difficult to obtain access to him. Various avenues were attempted before success was finally achieved. In October 2009 I was given a 10-minute slot to take a series of photographs. “There were some difficulties and uncertainties, Mr Mandela being understandably rather tired of being photographed. I was asked not to use flash and there was also a small possibility that he would not feel up to coming to the appointment on that particular day. After flying from London to Johannesburg with all my equipment I was allowed some time in his office to prepare for the session before his arrival. Fortunately there was good natural light coming from one side, which was essential as all my work is based upon the way in which light and shadow falls across the surface of an object. “When Mr Mandela arrived I was taken into his office. He was as engaging and warm as I had expected. He had about him a definite atmosphere of benevolent authority. I had to ask him to stop smiling as my intention was to do a fairly ‘serious’ portrait. I managed 14 photographs. In the first group he was still smiling but in the second there remained a halfsmile as he became more serious. These
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were the most successful. “The portrait is a chalk and conte’ drawing on Somerset 'tub-sized' paper. I begin by drawing with carbon chalk pencils to get the basic forms and composition. I then make a powder from conte' chalk and rub it into the paper with my fingers in order to achieve the soft gradation of tones and skin textures I require to convey the mysterious way in which light and shadow move across the forms of the face. I also use 'stumps', a blending tool made of compressed paper. These enable me to put in the fine details without using pencils, which would be too hard and would disturb the tonal harmony.” The finished portrait was shown for the first time at the recent Johannesburg Art Fair. It was incredibly well received and attracted a lot of attention, though Emsley laughs as he says he isn’t sure whether this was because of the subject or the drawing, though he hopes it is both. “It felt very
Paul Emsley
good to see this piece on display,” he says. “When a newly completed work finally leaves the studio one is attuned to it in a very close and personal way. Seeing it hanging at an art fair alters this hugely and one has to get acquainted with it anew. There are many, many portraits of Mr Mandela but unfortunately there does not seem to be what one might call a serious fine art attempt, or one of which I am aware. The project took a long time to set up so I am particularly pleased that the portrait is now complete.” Paul Emsley’s portrait of Nelson Mandela will be exhibited at several venues before being shown at the Redfern Gallery in London later this year. The portrait will then be donated to a museum, which one is still to be decided though several high-profile names have been mentioned. In South Africa, the portrait will be on display at the iArt Gallery in Cape Town until 17 April, visit www.iart.co.za.
Paul Emsley, born 1947, is a South African painter now resident in Wiltshire, England. Emsley prefers not to limit himself to one genre, and does not consider himself a portraitist. It is, however, in the field of portraiture that he has enjoyed numerous noteworthy successes. In 2007 he won first prize in the prestigious BP Portrait Award in London. In 2009, his portrait of fellow artist William Kentridge raised eyebrows at the Johannesburg Art Fair, and was bought by an anonymous buyer for a mighty tidy sum. In the same year, he was commissioned by the British National Portrait Gallery in London to paint the knighted author, Sir VS Naipaul. It was under these circumstances that Emsley began his most significant project to date: his portrait of Nelson Mandela. “All that I can experience of the universe with any degree of certainty is matter, for me it is the visible and tangible end of space. This is probably why I gain such satisfaction from the experience of drawing or painting the human figure, flowers in a vase or an animal. All forms are made up of different configurations and densities. Light and shade pass over each in the same way. By emphasising a brooding or settled half-light I try to give a sense of mystery to my images,” says Emsley of his work. Paul Emsley is associated with iArt Gallery in Cape Town, visit www.iart.co.za, and is represented by the Redfern Gallery in London, visit www.redfern-gallery.com. For more info on Paul Emsley, visit www.paulemsley.com.
LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE
OfямБcial agent for Riviera luxury motor yachts in South Africa. NATIONWIDE : 0861 324 754 DURBAN HARBOUR : Durban Yacht Mole Tel: 031 301 1115 / 083 324 4630 DURBAN POINT : The Quays Tel: 031 332 1987 / 079 872 2335 CAPE TOWN : The Waterclub, Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront Tel: 021 418 0840 / 082 881 2607 / 072 860 6401 www.boatingworld.co.za | info@boatingworld.co.za
LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE
F E AT U R E
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F E AT U R E
At the dawn of the 21st Century, all the world’s eyes are riveted on China as the ancient nation embarks on a path of unrivalled economic growth, unmatched modernisation and phenomenal projects on an immense scale. While the entire West hurls itself towards China, anxious that it will miss the consumerism train as it pulls out of the station, Shanghai Tang departs on its own journey, leading the world towards a new design movement. Words: RHYS RALPH Images: Š SHANGHAI TANG
Shanghai Tang
Spring/Summer 2010 Collection
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F E AT U R E
S
hanghai Tang’s mission is to revitalise Chinese innovation by interweaving it with the dynamism of this century, so producing a renewed and witty take on the fusion concept. Thus, their label creates luxurious, modern Chinese chic items with themes deeply rooted in ancient and authentic Chinese culture, from calligraphy to The Silk Road to Chinese contemporary art; interpreting Chinese culture and craftsmanship with renewed sophistication. Shanghai Tang’s studio of international designers from east and west create modern, wearable items that combine traditional Chinese design and motifs with tongue-incheek humour and a contemporary sensibility. Their product line includes a full range of ready-to-wear clothing for men, women and children, using the most exquisite natural fabrics from Chinese silk to Mongolian cashmere; as well as accessories, home furnishings, and gifts. Shanghai Tang’s Spring/Summer 2010 offering, the “Love Restraint”
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collection, is a modern interpretation of the divergent influences of nature, art and social culture across Asia; distinctive of Shanghai Tang's modern style. The universal emotion of love and romance balanced by the Chinese cultural characteristic of personal restraint is the essence of this seasonal assortment. This sensual, artistic collection took as its muse three sources: the magnificent mountainous landscape of China, Hong Kong’s bold optical art movement of the sixties, and the intricate patterns of Peranakan ceramics. Shanghai Tang is the first luxury brand to emerge from China. Founded in 1994 by Hong Kong businessman David Tang Wing Cheung, Shanghai Tang is now controlled by The Richemont Group, which owns several of the world's leading luxury goods companies, among them Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Panerai, and Montblanc. Today, Shanghai Tang is the only Chinese luxury brand: the apogee of the Chinese art of living and Chinese creativity. With a network of 40 boutiques, including Shanghai, New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo, Shanghai Tang is represented worldwide. Continuing its global expansion, Shanghai Tang is set to launch in South Africa in 2010 through a series of trunk shows prior to opening the first boutique store on the African continent. The first trunk show is taking place from 28 April to 1 May at the Southern Sun Hotel, Hyde Park. For more information contact Rhys Ralph on +27 82 5041881, email rhys@fourteen21.com, or visit www.shanghaitang.com. ď ?
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F E AT U R E
Riviera 70&85
Riviera is Australia’s most awarded luxury boat manufacturer of Open and Enclosed Flybridge models, Sport Cruisers and Sport Yachts. This southeast Queensland company produces around 350 boats annually at the largest pleasure-boat-building facility in the southern hemisphere. These yachts are exported to more than 30 countries globally, including South Africa. Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: Š RIVIERA YACHTS
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SWEEP
B
oating World, one of South Africa’s leading yachting outfits, represents Riviera from both its Durban and Cape Town premises. A three-generation boating family, current owners Derrick Levy and Suzanne Glock make no secret of their enthusiasm for their Australian friends’ yacht-building capabilities. We met with them recently to talk about some of the larger Riviera models suitable for South African and regional waters.
The 70-foot Enclosed Flybridge
Bringing New Zest to South African Seas
Derrick first waxes lyrical about one of the flagships of the Riviera fleet. With a massive cockpit that is fully equipped both for game fishing and entertaining, it is a four-cabin/ four-bathroom model with sleeping capacity for between 10 and 14 people. That sounds like a great weekend away. But not only for the fishing braves. Company is welcome, as the fully enclosed flybridge is air conditioned, along with the rest of the yacht. Seating includes a central helm chair with three companion chairs and a large L-shaped lounge with coffee table facing a liquor cabinet and entertainment unit. An external viewing platform aft has seating for up to three people, with mezzanine seating forward under a lift-up stainless steel hopper window. The captain and his crew are never far out of sight of their guests, and one can easily sense why, since its first launch in 2008, this model has performed so well around the world. Inside the saloon, a U-shaped lounge can seat eight in comfort. A straight-line staircase on the starboard side leads to the enclosed flybridge. The dining area, with seating for eight, and the galley are one step up from the lounge area. Forward of the dining area is a utility room equipped with separate washing machine and dryer and a multi-zone temperaturecontrolled wine cellar. The galley is equipped with a four-burner electric induction cooktop, two refrigerator
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porthole is recessed into the hull. The forward accommodation includes a twin cabin to port, a twin or double to starboard and a forward cabin that can be fitted out with either a double bed or four tournament bunks. Derrick quips that people who buy a boat suddenly make a lot of new friends, and listening to how much fun one could have out in the blue, and how many friends one could bring along for the ride, it seems to be a pretty good investment opting for one of these beauties.
New Motor Yacht Range
units with two drawers each, and a two-drawer freezer unit. There is also an under-bench dishwasher. Clearly, the yacht could serve equally well on a quick day-trip as on an extended cruise, for you have every creature comfort onboard. Down a wide companionway, the accommodation includes three cabins forward and the master stateroom aft down three steps. The stateroom spreads across the boat amidships, with fixed portholes on either side offering light and lovely waterline views. A king-sized bed is flanked by bedside tables. Walk-in wardrobes are built-in on both sides. The en suite features quality quartz tile flooring and a marble/quartz benchtop with porcelain bowl. A separate shower stall has a frameless glass door and a teak seat. An opening
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So, I was almost sold on the Enclosed Flybridge, when Suzanne drew my attention to the range of large motor yachts Riviera launched late last year. The Riviera 73, 78 and 85 motor yachts (MY) all bear Riviera’s hallmark styling and impeccable build quality, and are sure to become the epitome of luxury for a few discerning owners. These beautiful new boats are designed by the New Product Development team at Riviera’s Coomera headquarters. The design studio team claims to be second to none in luxury boat design. Together they draw on experience not only in developing the flagship Riviera 70, but having worked with Azzura, with Sunseeker in the UK, and with Austal building superyachts. And it shows in the styling of a yacht series that could be either workhorse or water-hotel, whatever your preference. From the large enclosed flybridge, with its interior and exterior lounge areas, to the accommodation space offering a minimum of four cabins and three or four bathrooms, these Rivieras set a new standard in luxury for long-distance cruising, relaxing at anchor in a secluded bay or when docked at the marina.
The massive saloons encompass a lounge area, generous U-shape galley amidships and separate dining area. Owners have a wide range of options including a garage housing a tender or space on the flybridge deck to store said tender or other water toys. With the garage option, the flybridge exterior can be a large entertaining area with lounges, tables and bar fridges. At the top end, the 85 MY comes standard with four cabins, including a full-beam master stateroom with full-beam bathroom equipped with shower and bath, dual basins and toilets, and twin walk-in robes; the enclosed Sky Lounge, hydraulic swim platform, hydraulic bow and stern thrusters, and windlass. Engine options will give owners a wide range of boating lifestyles, from long-range cruising of more than 1,500 nautical miles to planing speeds around 24 knots. This range is evidently meant for the discerning and successful individual who is used to only the best. And in terms of getting only the best advice, service and maintenance support, there is no one better to speak to than the people at Boating World. Boating World will have a clear presence at this year’s April Boat Show in Durban, so be sure to stop by. Other new Riviera models to lookout for in the Flybridge range are the all-new Riviera 43 with twin IPS pods, and Riviera 51 Enclosed with 3 Zeus drives. In the Riviera Sports Yacht range the all-new 5000 Sport Yacht with Zeus drives and the Riviera 5800 Sport Yacht with 3 IPS pods are winners about to debut at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in May. If you are interested in one of these models and would like to view them at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in Australia, get in touch with Derrick Levy. Boating World has offices in Durban and Cape Town, contact: • Tel: 0861 324 754 • Email: info@boatingworld.co.za • Visit: www.boatingworld.co.za
F E AT U R E
Sikorsky S-76D
D for Deluxe
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SOAR
While corporate jets have consistently led the race when it comes to inflight luxury, helicopters have somewhat lagged behind. Sikorsky’s latest offering, the S-76D, makes no bones about the fact that a total shake-up of the corporate helicopter market is happening. So much so that it even announces this in its name – the D standing for Deluxe. Words & Images: © KEVIN BARKER
H
aving first flown in 1977, the Sikorsky S-76 family of helicopters has ingrained itself into the hearts and minds of pilots, and more importantly, passengers, thanks to the various crafts’ high-speed capabilities, smooth ride quality and delightful manoeuvrability. Initially developed for the corporate market, the S-76 has proven to be so flexible in its role that it has also become very popular for offshore oil markets, medical evacuation services, search and rescue, and VIP transport. The latest model, the S-76D sets the bar as far as corporate helicopters are concerned. Building onto one of the most successful corporate helicopters ever designed, the D-model redefines the term luxury. In its newest guise it also offers a 1,000-lb increase in useful load, and extended range performance in comparison to Sikorsky’s currently fielded S-76C model. In addition, a quiet engine mode and redesigned tail and main rotors minimise disturbance while flying over noise-sensitive areas. Behind a number of these improvements lies the new allcomposite, dual-speed rotor with active vibration control that improves hover and take-off performance and cruise speed, and adds 50 nautical miles of range. Further improvements include a new electrical generating system; a totally new cockpit with Thales avionics and autopilot for minimised pilot workload; health and usage monitoring system (HUMS); quieter tail rotor; and rotorcraft icing protection system (RIPS). The RIPS means the craft will be able to launch
into known icing conditions, thereby maximising its dispatch reliability. A state-of-the-art controller for the electrically de-iced main and tail rotor blades will minimise the system's power consumption while maximising its reliability. Adding to the already quiet noise footprint of the existing S-76 range, the new, quieter tail rotor hands the S-76D even more comfort and environmentally friendly efficiency. This rotor will produce 2 dBA exterior noise reduction on takeoff, a 1.5 dBA exterior noise reduction on flyover, and no change in performance, handling or sideward flight capability. In September 2005, Thales announced that its TopDeck family of avionics suite was selected by Sikorsky to equip its newest S-76D commercial helicopter. The S-76D’s Thales TopDeck cockpit – complete with track-ball cursor control for its PC-like interface – represents the most advanced solution specifically designed for helicopter operations. Large-format displays are consolidated in an efficiently designed console for improved visibility and situational awareness, while a synthetic vision system that gives a coloured 3D view of terrain in all weather conditions, be it day or night, vastly improves pilot situational awareness, while considerably lowering cockpit workload. Driving the damage-tolerant rotor system are two new PW200 turbine engines developed by Pratt & Whitney Canada. Tailored for the specific needs of S-76D customers, they encompass the latest turbine technologies to provide the best match of power, range, payload, and
fuel consumption. The Category A hot takeoff capability will increase by nearly 1,000 lbs, while maintaining the range advantage of the S-76C+. Modifications include a streamlining of the exterior; its sleek looks no accident. The original design requirement, set by the offshore oil operators, was to move 12 people, long distances, as efficiently as possible. That remained a goal for the S-76 team, which is why this craft had its already sleek lines even more streamlined. It is on the inside however, that the real magic has taken place. For the first time in helicopter history, passengers are now able to travel in an atmosphere that is comparable to that found in top-end business jets, with satellite phones, entertainment systems, flight progress displays and refreshment cabinets featuring custom woodwork, to ensure that every passenger can experience the maximum comfort, from a private, quiet workspace. With a cockpit that features the same level of sophistication and userfriendly, intuitive pilot interfacing similar to that found in today’s most modern business jets and airliners, and a passenger cabin that features all of the must-haves in today’s modern inflight travel environment, passengers can rest assured that they are flying the safest, most comfortable helicopter on the market. Operators and pilots can rest in the knowledge that they have one of the most powerful avionics suites available in any helicopter today, pushing dispatch reliability in all weather conditions to new levels. The S-76D is a game changer in all aspects, with looks to boot.
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SPOILS
Millions
Missing
The Kruger Bullion Did the Boer nation’s complete stock of gold make it safely across the waters to a vault in Europe, or are the missing Kruger millions buried somewhere near Barberton, as fortune seekers have remained convinced for more than a century? Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: Š ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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I
t was the last phase of the Anglo-Boer War. After a few brave initial offensives into the Queen’s Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking, the two independent Boer Republics – the South African Republic (later the Transvaal) and the Republic of the Orange Free State – were in retreat against the mighty forces of the British Empire. This was a vicious war, and its third and final phase was conducted in a way similar to how Thomas Hobbes described life – nasty, brutish and short. Boer women and children were herded into concentration camps, farms and stocks burnt to nothing, and a firebrand band of Boer guerrillas on horseback had to live off what they could hunt or forage. With Pretoria falling to the British troops, gold bullion belonging to the Transvaal Republic was sent for safekeeping to Machadodorp in the Eastern Transvaal. This bullion and State Treasury consisting of gold sovereigns was then moved by President Kruger to Waterval Onder, a nearby hamlet in the Elands River Valley. After the battle of Berg-enDal, which took place near Belfast in August 1900, President Kruger left for Nelspruit and then went on to Lourenço Marques without the treasure. The Kruger millions had unaccountably vanished somewhere between Waterval Onder and Nelspruit. After the British occupation of Pretoria on 5 June 1900, Lord Alfred Milner established that gold to the value of approximately 800,000 pounds had been removed from the SA Mint and National Bank between 29 May and 4 June 1900. The gold never made it to Europe, and its absence gave rise to a century of folklore, treasure hunts, historical
fact-finding missions, archival research and sensational press reports. A famous murder trial in 1903 saw the defendant claiming that his was a mission to retrieve the gold. Between Witbank and Maputo, many a farmer’s offspring tells their own variation of a story that invariably involves a now-deceased family member who was entrusted with the secret – if only the three trees that marked grandmother’s treasure were not chopped down for firewood one winter. Another tale speaks of a quiet Zulu family who has lived in the Ermelo district for more than a century, and after their discovery of the treasure in the 1960s, slowly sold off little by little so as not to attract attention. History is clear on one thing: the gold did exist. And history agrees that it has never been found. All we do know, is that the gold was moved. The Transvaal was known as the “richest place on Earth,” and one senior government official, later a General, a founding member of the League of Nations, and eventually Premier of the Union of South Africa, Jan Smuts was tasked with saving the gold. Amid wandering and weeping citizens, the looting of government stores, and the loud ringing of British Long Tom guns in the hills to the west, Smuts and his trusted companions went about their task. It must have been one of the most dramatic moments in modern military history when, as the gunshots were already being heard on the outskirts of Pretoria, a small band of men had to feverishly stand in line to pass bags and crates full of solid gold to wagons waiting outside the National Mint, the Netherlands Bank and the Palace of Justice, where the gold was kept. In
a moment of final treachery and rebellion, the officials at the National Bank refused to allow the gold to be removed. An angry Smuts boldly strode in with his pistol and warned the officials that they would eat lead if they did not comply. In the National Mint was also discovered a pile of solid gold bars, some unrefined gold, a large quantity of smooth, unstruck golden blank disks in various stages of completion, piles of paper money, and more gold coin. Again, all of this was hurriedly recorded, and then
unceremoniously handed down into the street where the loads of glittering metal were deposited onto waiting wagons. At the end of all of this, carts and wagons containing anything between 400,000 and 750,000 pounds or more of solid gold were hurriedly sent under light escort to where a special train was kept under steam and full pressure, desperately waiting for the precious load. There the gold was laden into railway trucks, even as the first shells literally started crashing above the railway line. Frightened workers held onto their hats and stared white-eyed at the clouds of screaming shrapnel which began to shatter the sky above them. The departure of the gold train came at the last possible moment, taking its precious cargo on the first leg of a journey. On a journey history has yet to complete...
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Carlsson
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F E AT U R E
C25
Super Exclusive – Super Performance
Producing cars as individual as their owners, Carlsson has achieved what can only be described as maximum driveability with its latest offering, the C25. The concept of this Super-GT is based on the vision of combining maximum driving performance with an entirely new design and elite exclusivity. The result is a breathtaking 753hp (554kW), thoroughbred sports coupé with only 25 siblings worldwide, of which there will be only one in any country. Words: KEVIN BARKER Images: © CARLSSON
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ar from being just another sports car, the Carlsson C25, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in January 2010, redefines the Super-GT vehicle class. Combining the performance of a Gran Turismo with one of the most intense driving experiences on the market, the C25 rockets from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and can maintain a top speed of 352km/h at full gallop. Powered by a 6-litre V12 Bi-Turbo that produces 1,320Nm of torque at 3,750rpm, the C25 is guaranteed to affect a permanent change in facial expression, and most certainly in the owner’s vocabulary, as most current words are unable to describe the lifechanging intensity that is driving this vehicle. What the engineers have strived for with the C25 is not only blistering top-end performance and fighter jetlike handling, but also smooth, lowspeed handling for typical every day use. “There are more than enough super sports cars in this world which can only be safely driven on a race track,” says Carlsson CEO, Markus Schuster. “Therefore, we deliberately wanted to develop a car which is highly exclusive on the one hand and can be used for the daily journey to the office on the other hand.” And all this in the utmost comfort. This high level of comfort is achieved by the intelligent lowering system C-Tronic® SUSPENSION®, which automatically recognises the
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road characteristics and driving manners and constantly adjusts the suspension setting accordingly. This makes for a genuinely silky journey on long routes, but also guarantees that the nodding and rolling motions of the C25 are reduced to a minimum when negotiating high-speed curves. The car thus attains impeccable road holding characteristics in every situation, while leaving the driver with the confidence of absolute controllability. All security-relevant regulations such as pedestrian protection, crash behaviour, ESP, ABS, and airbag systems are identical to large series editions with most modern standards. A major bonus, and one born out of Carlsson’s close ties with MercedesBenz, is that any Mercedes-Benz dealer will be able to maintain the C25, as it is based on the SL600 technology. And as there will be only one C25 in any given country, this is sure to make that one exclusive owner’s maintenance schedule a breeze. The styling and design philosophy behind the sleekly elongated front end, with its trapezoidal Carlsson air inlets, is one of symbiosis – that between form and function. Its arrogantly tapered front lobe is gripped by powerful shoulders, while the rear of the beast mounts into an athletic rump. The elongated flat rear screen and restrained tearing edge on the boot lid as well as the generously dimensioned double diffuser render the required downthrust and as such,
the C25 does not need any formbreaking spoilers. The ultra-light, forged wheels were designed specially for the C25 and are equipped with highperformance tyres. One wheel weighs just 11.2kg, 40 percent lighter than custom light alloys. The specially made 405mm, large-slotted race brake discs in front, and 380mm at the rear, get their ventilation from gill-like ducts ahead and aft of the wheel houses, adding to the visual intensity of the C25. The generous use of real carbon, tanned buffalo leather and ultrasuede on the inside pull together the definitive, aggressive lines found on the exterior. The characteristic Carlsson trapezoidal symbolism is carried through on the inside; the steering wheel, seats and centre console all referring to this theme. Carlsson has stayed away from the use of racing seats, belts and roll cages to further emphasise the C25’s daily road usefulness. The C25 not only hammers down the Carlsson reputation as one of superb exclusivity and performance, but also brings with it an entirely new vocabulary when it comes to descriptive vehicular terminology. Its extreme technical competence, advanced design philosophy and German elegance take it out of the realm of the has-been supercar, instead making it the ultimate, exclusive hypercar. For more information, visit www.carlsson.de.
LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE
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LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE
STUN
Queen Still Fit for a
Beheadings, theft from a museum, and unexpected rediscovery
–
the
Marie-Antoinette
Breguet is
the
watch stuff
made of
for
legends.
Had you written this story and submitted it to Hollywood, most sensible producers would have rejected its plot as contrived. But every element is true, however unbelievable. No watch in history has had the experiences of Breguet No160, nor is another likely to. Rivalled only by the chronometers of John Harrison, it is the most valuable – and coveted – pocket watch ever made. Words: KEN KESSLER Images: © BREGUET
I
t’s enough that the watch was a creation of the greatest figure in the history of horology, Abraham Louis Breguet, enjoying a reputation as probably the most innovative watchmaker the world has seen. As such, there are no “ordinary” Breguets from the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Add to any early Breguet, though, a host of complications and its value will skyrocket. Top that with provenance leading straight to royalty and you have a timepiece that merits the description of “priceless.” As Breguet’s archives and other documentation indicate, the great watchmaker received a commission in
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1783 from an officer of the Queen’s Guards to create a timepiece that would feature every function then known. Clearly, this would be a costno-object effort, and via the officer the client made sure that Breguet was to approach it as such: gold was used everywhere, even parts where lesser metals would suffice, and Breguet could take as long as was needed to create what would be the most complicated watch ever produced. Simply being the greatest watch of all time isn’t enough to establish the epic grandeur of the piece: it needed an air of mystery and romance as well. The intended recipient was none other than Marie-Antoinette,
though her would-be benefactor remains unknown. The king, a secret suitor, a wealthy admirer? Whoever he was, his taste was impeccable, for Breguet, though only in his mid-30s at that point, already possessed a reputation as a genius, having created early self-winding watches and minute repeaters, and later going on to invent the tourbillon. Tragically, and – indeed – cinematically, Marie-Antoinette went to the guillotine in 1793 without ever seeing, or even knowing about, the watch being made for her. It is rumoured, however, that she had a Breguet with her, an early demonstration of true brand loyalty,
STUN
for she had been one of his clients. With the French Revolution interrupting Breguet’s work, the watch was not completed until 1827, by which time its intended recipient had been dead for 34 years. Breguet himself never lived to see it completed, for he had recommenced work on it in August 1823 but passed away a month later. One might therefore suspect that the watch was developing a curse worthy of an Edgar Allen Poe novella. Breguet No 160, regardless of any associated melodrama, was a masterpiece like no other. Even though more modern timepieces have featured a greater number of complications, these are pieces produced with tools Breguet could not even imagine. No 160 stands proud in exactly the way that a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B can never be overshadowed by a Veyron. Breguet’s archives describe No 160 as a “minute-repeating, selfwinding watch with full perpetual calendar, equation of time and independent seconds hand.” Any watch fancier today will tell you that those functions are enough to elevate it to the highest levels of horological achievement. Nearly 200 years later, they are still the province of the costliest watches, and rarely do you find all of them in a single timepiece. A fuller description merely takes one’s breath away. Add to the above complications that the perpetual calendar indicates the day, date and month; power reserve indication; metallic thermometer; shockprotection; independent large seconds hand; jewelled bearings throughout; gold case with rock crystal dial; and jumping hour. With that list, the Marie-Antoinette would maintain its title as the world’s most complicated watch until the following century. But the story just gets better. In 1838, the watch was returned to the Breguet workshops for servicing, though no record indicates how the item left Breguet in the first place. The Marquis de La Groye, who took it to Breguet for its service, never collected it. The watch remained at
Breguet until 1887, when it was sold to an English collector, eventually finding its way into one of the most important watch collections to precede those amassed by the watch manufacturers in recent years: that of Sir David Salomons. Salomons’s daughter inherited No 160 after Sir David passed away in 1925, eventually donating her time pieces and artworks to the LA Mayer Museum of Islamic Art she founded as a tribute to her friend and mentor, Professor Leo Arie Mayer. Then the tale took another turn: on Friday night, 15 April 1983, Breguet No 160, aka “the Marie-Antoinette,” was stolen from the LA Mayer Museum in Jerusalem. It was part of a theft of 40 items, police believing that the robbery may have been commissioned, because the thieves knowingly stole only the most valuable pieces in the collection. Remarkably for such a highprofile watch, it vanished from sight, joining other great works of art that simply disappear – often into the private collections of obsessive, secretive, fabulously wealthy collectors. But that’s not quite what happened. During the intervening years, the Swatch Group acquired Breguet, which became a **cause celebre** of CEO Nicolas Hayek. His love for the great house led him to doing the seemingly impossible: in 2005, he decided to have his master craftsmen build a replica of the masterpiece, to fill the yawning gap in horological history. Unveiled to the world in 2008, it was an achievement approaching the magnitude of the original, for Breguet’s watchmakers had to reproduce it from photos and images. Presented to the stunned world of watch lovers, in an exquisitelycrafted, inlaid casket made from the wood of Marie-Antoinette’s favourite oak tree, the reproduction is magnificent. A handful of connoisseurs and collectors responded by placing orders for “MarieAntoinettes” of their own, watches to cap the finest collections. One imagines that even the replicas cost
in the millions. Here is where the last – indeed, ultimate – coincidence drives the story into the realm of the utterly unbelievable: while Hayek and the team at Breguet were preparing the replica, the news emerged that the watches and clocks stolen 24 years earlier had been found. According to most sources – the full story has yet to be revealed – the watch turned up in the premises of a Tel Aviv watchmaker, who recognised what he had purchased along with other items from the theft. After it had been authenticated and the police, insurers and other interested parties’ parts played, Breguet No 160 returned to the museum in Jerusalem, for the world to enjoy once more. It is hoped, at the very least, that security has been improved.
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Angola:
From
bust to
Boom We set off by road from Johannesburg to Luanda two weeks after the first ceasefire. It was 1992, 18 years of civil war having elapsed since the Portuguese left in 1974. For nine days on the road, we witnessed up close how low one of Africa’s absolute gems had sunk. With another 18 years gone since that crazy trip, it is amazing to see how Angola has risen from the ashes.
S
ometimes when you look back at your life, your spine chills thinking about the brash, silly things you did when you were younger. That 1992 trip, I am sorry to admit, ranks high on that list. Friends of mine had the daring idea that being first into a country ravaged by war for so many years, we would find opportunities and gold on the streets. We bought a brand new Toyota
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Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Image: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Hi-Ace, loaded it with almost two tons of fast-moving consumer goods, covered each window with riotpolice-like protective grids, and hit the road for Luanda. There were two of us, myself, the intrepid entrepreneur, and Roman, my Ukranian translator, who was fully fluent in Portuguese, having been in Angola as Soviet military advisor for the previous three years. The plan was to get to Luanda, secure a warehouse, and forward orders for South African
goods. Our contacts would be from among the ex-military procurement officers who grew rich running supplies during the war, and who were likely to use their “statesponsored” infrastructure to grow even richer setting up the new retail infrastructure for a post-war society. For nine days we swerved bombcraters on the road that made South African potholes look like a Sunday picnic. Burnt-out tanks and other military gear littered the roadside.
F E AT U R E
Bridges over the Kunene were blown up and we dug our Hi-Ace out of deep sand and river beds more often than I care to remember. We found a hotel in the Southern capital, Lubango, where our door received knocks throughout the night. Roman answered every time, because he spoke the language. Time and again he strolled back to find out whether I was interested in the offers: AK-47s, diamonds, cocaine, prostitutes, explosives, the much-rumoured red mercury. No takers thank you, as we were here to set up legitimate business. And as we would learn the next month, we were likely the only suckers in town with the intent of keeping our noses clean (bar the likes of major players like Coca-Cola and SA Breweries’ local distributors). It was the Wild West. Ex-Unita officers were trading diesel 4x4s brought from South Africa for illegal diamonds. Gunshots came from the harbours at night as containers with goods were looted. Policemen harassed us for bribes and it cost me U$500 on one occasion to get my passport back. We sold our goods straight from our van on the massive open-air market outside Luanda to learn what the people would need if we were to become importers. Our petrol cap, side-mirrors and the Toyota name tag all disappeared off the car while we were sitting inside it. An old Soviet military base, now in the hands of an Admiral with whom Roman had served, became our safe haven. Each day we could fill up two litres of
SNAPSHOT OF A BOOM
fresh drinking water, shave and shower. We ran to the beach for a daily swim and lived on bananas, fish and rice. The ceasefire was shortlived, however, and a few months and trips up and down later I was back in South Africa hearing how Angola was once again imploding. Roman, however, fatefully stayed behind to try his luck in the diamond business. Today, 18 years later, Angola has finally seen peace for a protracted period, and has become Africa’s fastest-growing economy. Expatriate compounds host thousands of multinational workers, as their companies invest heavily in each industry. And Angola has it all – minerals, oil, construction, agriculture, fisheries and more. It is safe to say that were it not for the civil war, it should have been Africa’s richest nation, and it is possible that it could grow to become just that again. Luanda is a different city today. Restaurants and cafes serve the new elite, yachts line the lovely bay and Isla area where Luanda’s affluent go to relax. If your company has not yet had at least one exploratory trip up there, you are likely losing out to your competitors. But, speaking to a more modern-day crowd of “explorers,” there is still some reason for caution, and the need to secure reputable middlemen on the ground on that side. Speak to your local chamber of commerce first, or work through the official Angolan representation in South Africa.
Since becoming an OPEC member in 2006, right before the dramatic rise in international oil prices, Angola has experienced double-digit growth figures for several years, topping out at a 21.1 percent real growth rate in GDP in 2007. With oil representing about 85 percent of GDP (at 1.9 million barrels a day), the global downturn has taken its toll, yet real growth opportunities still persist mostly in infrastructure and agriculture. Major crops are bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, and plantains, as well as livestock, forest products and fish. Angola remains a nett importer of food despite its suitable climate and land, as landmines still mar the country. Industry is focused around petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, gold, cement, basic metal products, fish processing, food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar, textiles and ship repair. Source: CIA World Fact Book
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w w w. p r e s t iTel: g e m+27 a g . c11 o . z484 a 2833 57
Fax: +27 11 484 2899 www.neoafrica.com
F E AT U R E
Lugenda Wilderness Camp
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F E AT U R E
Africa
at its Best
In the far northern reaches of Mozambique on the border with Tanzania lies the Niassa National Reserve. Its 42,000 square kilometres of African bushveld make it about twice the size of South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The only tourist safari camp in this wilderness is Lugenda. Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: Š RANI RESORTS
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t is amazing how far you have to go these days to get to nowhere yet somewhere special. Open to guests for only eight months of the year, Lugenda Wilderness Camp is an exclusive safari destination that brings meaning to the idea of wilderness. Lugenda is part of Rani Resorts, a remarkable collection established by Saudi Arabian businessman, Adel Aujan, in the 1990s as part of his altruistic vision to unlock the tourism potential of some of the most exotic and remote locations in southern Africa. The camp is accessible only by small, private aircraft, and the discomfort of the bumpy midday flight quickly fades as we make a dramatic approach over the Lugenda River and past exposed dolomite mountains to touch down, light as a feather, on the dirt runway. The first rains reached the region just a week before our arrival, so the bush is tinged with green shoots as we take a short drive with Ranger Nick back to camp. The terrain is remarkably different from what I expected – tropical palm trees that stretch skywards, lush grasses in the flatlands, and ancient Baobab forests that surely harbour many secrets. Because of the rains, Nick tells us, much of the game has moved further inland, though we are given a short tutorial on camp safety, told to wait for our escorts at night because of lion, and given notes on the resident elephant, Old Ben, who takes a daily
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walk through the gardens. There are a total of eight luxury canvas tents and a main lodge for dining or lounging under the constant whir of ceiling fans. There is no faux African-Colonial chic here, and it is a welcome respite. Instead, there is a magical mix of functionality and comfort. My accommodation consists of an enormously cosy four-poster bed with requisite mosquito net, ridiculously large en suite bathroom with decadent Moya toiletries, a simple desk and two restful armchairs. On the deck outside, overlooking the river, is a wooden table and two camp chairs where I sit writing by candlelight. Because of its remoteness, the camp runs on generators, which are turned off after the last guest heads back to their tent after dinner. And then all is quiet. I feel a bit like Mrs Livingstone. A pre-dawn cup of steaming coffee is delivered to my tent with a gentle knock, and we soon embark on our early morning game drive. With no bush radio humming a constant chatter, it seems as if we are the only four humans for miles in any direction. And quite likely, we are. These are game drives of a different sort, as Nick encourages us to get out and walk often, either to hike up a dolomite cliff to a cave to view rock art of the Batwa tribe or later, on our sunset drive, to clamber over rocks to a perfect spot on the river where we sip gin & tonics and watch hippos wallow in the long shadows. The bird life is phenomenal. With some 270
species in this region, it is a birder’s dream destination and rare sightings can include the Africa Pitta and Pel’s Fishing Owl, among others. Nick has a quiet confidence that comes from years in the wild and he drives a 4x4 the way it was intended, taking us up a 60-degree incline on our last evening to a massive insulberg (a granite outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding plains) overlooking the river. While the sun sinks into the African veld, turning the river into ribbons of pink and gold, we watch the fishermen trawling in their mokoros and wonder where they will safely spend the night. As far as the eye can see and beyond for 200 kilometres or more, we realise we are surrounded only by nature reserve. It is both a physical and transcendent awareness, and we are all stunned into silence. We take a slow drive back to camp by searchlight, stopping to gape at bushbabies and spotted genets along the way. The scarcity of Big Five game during our few days at Lugenda is, strangely, not a disappointment – it is a welcome reminder of the vastness of the wilderness and the inability to tame this land. One feels so small and so overwhelmed by the landscape, yet grateful that there are still swathes of the bush where the rhythm of nature still rules. To experience this is a luxury in itself. If you want the best of both bush and beach, Rani Resorts can tailormake an itinerary that combines Lugenda Wilderness Camp with one of their private Quirimbas island resorts on Medjumbe or Matemo Island. Airlink offers two weekly return flights between Johannesburg and Pemba; visit www.flyairlink.com or call +27 11 451 7300. For interisland transfers, contact CFA Air Charters on +27 11 312 0196 or visit www.cfa.co.za. Contact Rani Resorts on 0861 77RANI (0861 777264), email info@raniresorts.com, or visit www.raniresorts.com.
Aluminium Namibia’s
Eagle The Iconic DC-6B
A crowd has gathered behind the fence on the Northern boundary of Runway 1. It is 07:20am on a chilly morning at Eros Airport in Windhoek, Namibia. In the distance, perched like a giant bird of prey, the world’s only remaining, passengercarrying Douglas DC-6B readies herself for takeoff. There is almost no wind as the slow turning propellers glint in the early morning sun. Words: HANS WIEHAHN Images: © NCA
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nd then the propellers become spinning disks. “Here she comes,” says one excited onlooker while, in unison, camera lenses swing like the barrels of an anti-aircraft gun, poised and ready to capture the magic moment. “Point your camera to a spot on the runway diagonally across from that hangar over there – that’s where she normally lifts off,” advises an “old hand” to a novice. “You’ve got to be quick,” coaches another.
S TA N D B Y
The big, beautiful craft approaches and the roar of her engines carries towards the crowd. At the spot indicated by the “old hand,” she claws her way into the air and in the blink of an eye thunders over the heads of those below, her 72 cylinders firing on cue. The crackle from her exhausts is ear-splitting. “Whoowee!” shouts a member of the gathered crowd. This particular DC-6B belongs to Namibia Commercial Aviation (NCA). She was the very last DC-6 and also the very last piston-powered propliner built. She started life as an airliner with Jugoslovenski Air Transport (JAT) before the Yugoslavian Air Force converted her and her sister ship to Presidential configuration to serve as transport for Field Marshal Tito. Both aircraft were subsequently donated to the Zambian Air Force to serve as Presidential Aircraft for Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Having fallen into disuse, Chris
flown tourists from the USA, UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Russia, Spain, and the Netherlands to destinations all over Namibia and Southern Africa. “She is a flying ambassador for our country and probably one of the most photographed aircraft in the world,” says Schutte. But what is it like to have a DC-6B on your list of assets? More importantly, how does she fly? She is a large aircraft, capable of seating 102 passengers in economy class configuration. However, given the VIP target market, Bateleur is configured for only 60 passengers and includes an eight-passenger stateroom with club seating. Every passenger has a window seat and although she can fly at pressurisation altitudes, she is deliberately operated at altitudes between 8,500 and 12,500 feet to afford passengers an exquisite view of the passing country below.
much attention on her – we simply leave nothing to chance.” An inspection of the aircraft bears testimony to this. Her fuselage gleams like polished glass and her interior is pristine. Schutte dubbed her the “Pride of Namibia,” until a senior Government Official suggested that she rather be referred to as the “Icon of Namibia.” These words now appear below the Namibian flag on her sides. For 2011, Bateleur has been invited to participate in the centenary of commercial flight celebrations in Australia. She will be flying from Namibia to South Africa before making her way to Reunion and Cocos Island to finally end her journey in Perth. She will spend three months in Australia, participating at all major air shows and events, until finally returning to her home in Namibia. So, she guzzles AVGAS and uses copious quantities of oil – which she must – and she is maintenance-
Schutte of NCA bought the two, bringing them to Namibia, where he set about restoring first the sister ship and subsequently this very last one, featured here. The sister ship was sold, leaving NCA with only this aircraft, serial no. 45664, registration V5-NCG. This DC-6B, named Bateleur after an eagle endemic to Namibia, took 20,000 man hours to restore. According to Schutte, Bateleur was the aircraft most used by Marshal Tito. In fact, his Presidential chair still resides in the lounge of the NCA offices. Bateleur was put into service in 2001 as a charter aircraft for tourist and incentive groups. To date, she has
She operates with a crew of six, which includes a captain, first officer, flight engineer, technical assistant and two flight attendants to look after the passengers. Tours and onboard service can be tailor-made in accordance with customer requirements. The aircraft is licenced for dirt strip operations. With only 11,200 airframe hours logged since new, the aircraft has a lot of life left in her. She is powered by four Pratt & Whitney R2800, double wasp, radial engines, each with 18 cylinders with a two-stage supercharger and a displacement of 45.75 litres. Says Schutte, “Our aircraft has been very good to us so far, basically because we lavish so
intensive but, when one looks out of the panoramic windows at the scenery below, being pampered by a pretty cabin attendant and with the muted drone of her four big radials as accompaniment, one realises why NCA treasures her so very much. She is a labour of love; an icon, a queen of the skies, reminiscent of a bygone era when flying was done in style. Harry Gann, in his book on the DC-6 and DC-7 series of aircraft, has the last word when he describes the DC-6B as the “finest piston-engined transport ever built.” We can raise a glass to that! Visit www.nca.com.na, email fly@nca.com.na or call +264 61 223562.
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South African
Still Life and Figure Hodgins, Robert Griffiths (1920 – 2010); “Study in Blue and Orange”; Oil on Canvas; 75.5 x 75cm; Signed: “Robert Hodgins” (Versa); Dated: 2006
T
he representation of scenes and events from, and the paraphernalia of, everyday life has long been part of the artistic tradition in the West. Known as “genre” painting, such scenes of ordinary people, events and things flourished in Northern Europe from the Renaissance, and assumed a particular importance during the Golden Age of trade and commerce in the Netherlands in the 17th Century. The importance of genre painting grew with the rise of the middle class in the later 18th and 19th Centuries, sometimes underscored with notions of social commentary or satire, but
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Studies
more often as a celebration of the virtues of an ordinary and prosperous life. In time, the traditions and subjects associated with genre painting – not least still life – became part of the artistic canon in the West. This canonical tradition persisted well into the 20th Century, and was appropriated and reinvented by several South African artists. Two dominant themes emerge. The first is the depiction of the domestic interior, where the focus is on expressing the private and public spaces that become places through use, habit, social function and history. Noteworthy examples include Frans Oerder’s Interior of a Boer House, Cecil Higgs’s
Woman in a Green Chair, Gerard Sekoto’s Woman by an Empty Cupboard and Ephraim Ngatange’s Music Teacher, whose calmly introspective view of different aspects of South African domesticity continue the European tradition. Second is the theme of still life, where the staging of inanimate objects serves alternately as a way of ordering and controlling nature, as well as suggesting the symbolic structuring of self and society. Still life came into its own in the Netherlands in the 17th Century. The combination of carefully detailed transcriptions from nature in the Northern European tradition with
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Battiss, Walter Whall (F.R.S.A F.I.A.L) (1906 - 1982); “People Admiring Pink Nude”; Oil on Canvas; 18.2 x 31cm; Signed: “Battiss” (Upper/ Right); Circa: 1980
Through its engagement with the outside world and the intersection of people and places, landscape painting above all seems to represent the notion of the triumph of culture over nature. This article focuses on the distillation of nature and culture that is expressed in the depiction of still life and figure studies. Words: FEDERICO FRESCHI Images: © GRAHAM’S FINE ART GALLERY
easily decoded symbols that related to symbolic notions of vanitas – that is, the transient vanity of earthly possessions and the impermanence of life – appealed to the growing middle classes, which increasingly replaced the State and the Church as art patrons. Given the Dutch interest in horticulture, flower painting emerged as a distinct and enduring category of still life at this time.
The Dutch-born Frans Oerder is perhaps the most widely celebrated of flower painters associated with the early 20th Century South African art scene. The Hague tradition in which he was trained emphasised formally composed and naturalistically rendered studies. Taking their cue from Oerder, South African artists – particularly Irma Stern – would push the limits of the genre, reinventing it
as an exercise in engaging a new visual language, where the emphasis is less on the faithful transcription of nature and moralising symbolism and more on the self-conscious engagement with the abstract properties of colour, form and line. From a contemplation of places and things we now shift our focus to one of the oldest and most compelling aspects of art making: the scrutiny of
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Pemba, George Mnyalaza Milwa (1912 2001); “Madala”; Oil on Board; 39 x 34cm; Signed: “MM Pemba” (Upper/ Right); Dated: 1951
fellow human beings. In turn voyeuristic, celebratory, intimate or crass; the depiction of people, their bodies and their interactions, points to a seemingly fundamental psychological need to understand the construction of self in relation to representations of others. It is interesting that this is also probably the most populated category of South African figurative art. To my mind this suggests not only the enduring psychological interest that the representation of self and others holds, but is also a reflection of the diversity of South African society. The nude is one of the oldest subjects in the West and has always served as a vehicle for expressing the ideal and the heroic; the erotic and the sensual; the powerful and the fragile; the object and the subject. The nudes in the South African canon are no exception: Francois Krige’s sensual Reclining Nude, like Henri Matisse’s Odalisques that it resembles, unites the classical theme of the reclining nude in the style of Giorgione and Titian with an interest in the exotic; Maggie Laubser’s Seated Female Nude Reading is as much a conventional, academic study of the figure as it is an opportunity to explore a new, expressionistic, visual
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language; Walter Battiss’s ironic People Admiring a Pink Nude is a wry take on the illicit thrill implicit in the act of looking at the nude; and Robert Hodgins’s visceral studies are complex meditations on the psycho-sexual dynamics that underscore our everyday interactions.
in Dutch 17th Century genre paintings, and was brought into the industrial world by the Impressionists. Such works affirm our common humanity by depicting ordinary people going about their daily activities of work and play. In different ways – whether in Gerard Sekoto's and George Pemba’s finely observed transcriptions of township life, or Ephraim Ngatane's and EleanorEsmonde-White’s depictions of people at work and play – they are all animated by the complexities of group dynamics and social hierarchies, evoking notions of fellowship and alienation. Of course there is also that strand of art making that defies easy categorisation. Although they engage with the themes identified above, they in effect deal with those aspects of the imagination that engage with that which essentially cannot be
The nude is one of the oldest subjects in the West and has always served as a vehicle for expressing the ideal and the heroic; the erotic and the sensual; the powerful and the fragile; the object and the subject. From George Pemba’s elegiac Madala to Bettie Cilliers-Barnard’s solemn Portrait of a Girl; Maggie Laubser’s sultry Girl with Poinsettias and Robert Hodgins’s moody Study in Blue and Orange, the portraits by these and other South African artists remind us of the centrality of this genre as a way of positioning ourselves in the world in relation to others. At least since the time of the Romans, portraiture has served to celebrate individuals or to suggest archetypes, and in this way both to affirm our common humanity, and to present compelling psychological insights into ourselves. The theme of people together in social interactions also has its origins
represented. Works by Pranas Domsăitis, Alexis Preller, Claude Bouscharain and Cecil Skotnes offer fine examples of the age-old link between art making and the celebration of the creative spirit of the universe, and remind us of the words of the great art historian Ernst Gombrich: “Before the artist ever wanted to match the sights of the visible world he wanted to create things in their own right.” For further information, contact Graham’s Fine Art Gallery on +27 11 465 9192 or Sarah Sinisi (Cape Town) on +27 84 568 5639 or Graham Britz (Johannesburg) on +27 83 605 5000. Alternatively visit www.grahamsgallery.co.za.
premier TRAVEL
FORDOUN SPA MIDLANDS
NKOMAZI GAME LODGE BADPLAAS
This family-run hideaway in the Natal Midlands, with its pristine country air and rolling hills, offers luxurious accommodation and some of the most advanced, award-winning spa facilities. Highly personalised service includes the very best in traditional African treatments. Fordoun is the perfect place to escape and refresh mind, body and spirit. www.fordoun.com Reservations: +27 33 266 6217
Known as the “place of water,” Nkomazi represents the true symbol of Africa – with its vivid scenic beauty, dramatic landscapes and wildlife. Accommodation is offered in the form of “African Campaign” styled tents where nature-loving guests can enjoy various exciting activities or be pampered and rejuvenated in African style. www.nkomazireserve.com Reservations: +27 41 407 1000
HOTEL LE VENDÔME CAPE TOWN
MICHELANGELO HOTEL JOHANNESBURG
Ideally located within walking distance of the vibrant Seapoint promenade, and boasting picturesque views of the Atlantic coast, Hotel Le Vendôme is a luxury boutique hotel with impeccable attention to detail. This timeless, elegant hotel is a benchmark in South African hospitality and five-star service excellence. www.le-vendome.co.za Reservations: +27 21 430 1200
FRÉGATE ISLAND PRIVATE SEYCHELLES
Away from the frenetic pace of modern living, Frégate is a different world. Not solely a means of escapism, Frégate strives to set new standards by integrating luxury tourism with a focus on the environment. Private butlers are also assigned to each villa. Combining the most elusive qualities – space, seclusion, security – makes it distinctive among its competitors. www.fregate.com Reservations: +27 21 556 9984
A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, The Michelangelo’s Renaissance architecture in the heart of Sandton's business and leisure district, service excellence and world-class facilities set it apart from others. Built around a central atrium, guests enjoy the decadent use of space and a feeling of grandeur. www.michelangelo.co.za Reservations: +27 11 282 7000
ONE&ONLY CAPE TOWN
In the finest tradition of this very select international group, the One&Only is located in the V&A Waterfront, walking distance (or water taxi) to the convention centre, conference venues and the best tourist attractions and restaurants. Enjoy spectacular views of Table Mountain and the city’s yachting life, with the world-famous Nobu restaurant ready to treat you. www.oneandonlycapetown.com Reservations: +27 21 431 5800
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S TA S H
Offshore
Investment into the Future While equity markets on both sides of the Atlantic have come under pressure on account of uncertainty over where the world economy is headed, some experts believe South Africans have good reason to be bullish about the future. Image: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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ust because offshore markets have been a poor investment in Rand terms over the past 10 years, and more recently over the past year, there is no reason to believe that it will remain so, despite the recent “knock” experienced by investors. Now is a good time to invest offshore, particularly for those who have not been burnt by the global economy’s downturn or suffered any losses.
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Warren Moollan, Head of Absa Wealth International, says he has noticed something of an upsweep in offshore investments as the South African economy steadies its recovery. “With the relaxation of exchange control, as the economy crawls its way back onto its feet, we are finding clients more willing to take their money offshore,” he says. “The fact that the cap on international investment has increased from R2
million to R4 million for individuals, and that married couples are now able to take R8 million offshore, are key contributing factors. More money, more interest.” According to Moollan, who has worked in the financial services industry for the past 11 years, there are only a few South Africans with a firm grasp of the benefits, pitfalls and differences in tax structures represented by offshore investment.
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“There is an opportunity, I suppose, to educate the not-so-offshore-savvy among our clients on the types of offshore investment products available to them. The most common assumption is that it is expensive. But what reluctant offshore investors fail to consider is that if you are investing in Pounds, at an exchange rate of R11 to the pound, this is incentive for an 11:1 return on investment. Our role is to demystify offshore investment. People at all income levels need to be made aware of the long-term growth potential of equities in order to live and retire comfortably.” But have we recovered enough to consider offshore? At the recent International Congress of Actuaries, immediate past president of the Actuarial Society of South Africa, Garth Griffin, said that the safest way to survive the next financial crisis is to build up financial buffers. “These buffers,” he said, “include, among others, building up your savings, being careful about the institutions to which you entrust your savings, and not chasing unrealistic investment returns through high-risk investments.” Griffin also warned that financial institutions should steer clear of investment structures where they do not understand the risk. South Africans seem to prefer liquidity. Cash still seems to be king. But with no commitment to a longerterm investment, the returns will always be low. Moollan explains: “When you make a commitment to a five-year offshore investment term, you stand a better chance of seeing genuine returns. Our structured products, which have been around for a long time, are suddenly gaining huge interest. These products seem to be drawing attention from those clients who may have had their fingers burnt on international shores during the economic downturn. People are still willing to invest offshore, but they want to know that, at the bare minimum, they will not lose their capital. They want to know that the risk is much lower. The popularity of these structured products is on the increase as clients
understand that they only ‘risk’ the growth of their portfolios, not their capital.” And while South Africa may be a good place to invest with a Reserve Bank that regulates the banking industry with stringent capital and liquidity requirements, the collective chant among fund managers across the country’s financial institutions remains the same: “Diversify, diversify, diversify.” Moollan is adamant that it really is about understanding a client’s ability to take risk before advising on any product. He says: “Most clients are risk-shy. Our recommendation is that they invest at least 15 to 20 percent offshore. When you diversify your investments you enjoy a lot more security. The JSE is a strong investment product but in comparison to other markets, offers very few liquid shares with at best, approximately 100 companies who are traded every day. Go to the NYSE or FTSE and you have hundreds of companies in which to invest.” It seems now is as good a time as any to follow a more balanced approach and take some investments offshore because no market can continue to deliver the high returns that the JSE has given investors in recent years. A major reason behind this performance has been substantial inflows of investor money into emerging markets, of which South Africa has been a major beneficiary. Investors around the world have been attracted to emerging markets because of very low interest rates in developed markets and have, in a way, been forced to consider investing in riskier assets, such as emerging markets, for better returns. Moollan confirms that there is an upsurge among South African investors sowing their seeds in emerging markets. “Most people assume it’s only China. But markets such as India and Indonesia have already seen a relatively good rebound, and South Africans want to invest. What’s more, the returns are good,” he says. “The FTSE is a highly liquid market with more money, more products, and bigger companies in
which to invest. However, we find that South Africans are more inclined to invest in commodities which represent higher risk, but higher returns at the same time.” So what motivates investment? “Volatility of markets does not push investors away. Markets do not drive the economy – products do. Investors watch the indexes. That’s what really matters,” Moollan says. “And of course, the relationship they have with their fund managers. Investment is allowed to come with a bit of risk, but not the relationship.” According to the latest JP Morgan Asset Management’s recent adviser poll, reputation and financial stability seem to have become the cornerstones of fund selection criteria due to the global economic crisis and ensuing market turbulence. The poll found that over 50 percent of participating advisers felt that other than fund performance, a fund manager’s reputation was the most important criteria in the overall fund selection process. Only 25 percent chose financial stability of a product provider. While performance will always be important, the fact that advisers are focused on longer-term criterion is a positive move for the industry as investors become increasingly attuned to the benefits of long-term equity investments, including offshore investments. Doubts have been raised over the last few years about the stability of many large financial institutions and advisers are absolutely right to take this into account as an important part of the fund selection process. This, alongside reputable and experienced fund management skills, will go some way to reassure investors that offshore investments are an essential part of healthy financial planning. Warren Moollan has been in the financial services industry for the past 11 years, and Head of Absa Wealth International since 2009. Send your questions or comments to warren.moollan@absa.co.za.
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RODMAN MUSE 50
Star of Barcelona Spanish yacht manufacturer Rodman Polyships now offers a complete range of its MUSE motor yachts with overall lengths from 44 foot to over 100 foot. In the last two years the MUSE 44, MUSE 54 and MUSE 74 were launched onto the world market. The 2009 Barcelona Boat Show saw the introduction of the new Rodman MUSE 50. Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: Š RODMAN
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he Rodman brand of motor yachts is well known a long the South African coastline for its superior performance and seakeeping capabilities. In this regard the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), wardens of our rugged waters, have acquired two Rodman 1300 Search and Rescue
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craft for their Cape Town and East London bases. Rodman has combined much expertise with a long history and tradition in the manufacture of Patrol Vessels, Sportfishers and Cruisers into the launch of their new super-luxury MUSE range of motor yachts. This is a yacht made for the enthusiast and its blend of beauty, personality and
performance may easily see owners switch their daytime sports gear for an elegant evening on the marina. With an overall length of 15.3 metres and a 4.7-metre beam, the Rodman Muse 50 demonstrates an intelligent distribution of space, both outside and inside the boat. Without a doubt this new model outshines competitors within this length range
STREAMLINED
for its excellent relationship between dimension and volume. The exterior design of the Muse 50 is characterised by the superstructure lines, marked by three ample side windows and a large front windscreen that graces it in the trademark Rodman sporting spirit. The hull lines combine elegance, sturdiness and innovation, where the shape and design of its circular windows and ample portholes give the model its distinct character. There is a natural flow in the design that bears testament to designer Fulvio de Simoni’s creativity and Rodman’s experience in listening to the needs of its customers. The distribution of space on the
which is accompanied by a double seat on port side. Behind both seats lies a large L-shaped sofa with an adjustable table in the centre, able to seat eight. The cockpit has ample, comfortable cushioned seating that can be complemented by a teak table and chairs set. This sophisticatedlooking motor yacht has plenty of space in which to simply lounge and laze. The saloon is designed around a comfortable lounge, with a luxurious, large U-shaped sofa and state-ofthe-art audio-visual equipment, including flat-screen TV. On the upper level just forward of the saloon is the galley, which is integrated in the
their quality and distinction. A particular brightness is achieved in the owner’s cabin through natural sunlight, which enters via large circular windows on either side of the hull – one of the identifying elements of the range. Multiple large oval portholes also brighten the guest cabins with an air of stylishness. The Rodman MUSE 50, with its overall performance, excellent seakeeping capabilities and the sturdiness of its high-displacement hull that gives comfort in severe sea conditions, provides an exceptional boating experience under any water conditions. Meet with Laurence Steytler of Rodman at the Durban Boat Show in
exterior is evidence of the detailed amount of design work carried out on this new model. Whether in the cockpit, forward solarium area, or flybridge, the sensation is one of finding oneself on a much larger boat. On the flybridge, following the same line as the rest of the Muse range, is a generous sunbathing area forward of the starboard helm position, and
entire space on the port side. To the starboard side of the galley is the main helm station. The interior layout meets the requirements of even the most demanding owner wanting comfort and seeking to enjoy life onboard. The walnut wood, glass work tops, natural leather, stainless steel and teak used here stand out for
April and let him introduce you to the finer detail of this exceptional yacht, as well as the others in the Rodman range. Contact: Laurence Steytler • Cell: 082 3371088 • Email: laurence@rodmansa.co.za • Visit: www.rodmansa.co.za or • www.rodman.es
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Jazz The Fluid Contours of
Judith Sephuma
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The euphonic allure of music embodies a vibrancy of effervescent emotions and sensual feelings that can only be explained from an essentially intimate perspective. Jazz forms a nest of wondrous musical exploration for the genuine connoisseur, and the overhasty daredevil. A thrust of syncopated beats, the calculated misshaping of timbre, and toying with polyphonic ensembles climaxes with improvisation as if alive. Words: Daniel Scheffler Images: © espAFRIKA; CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL; AARON FARRINGTON
S
ince the beginning of time man has made music; has felt rhythm and stealth inside his skin. He simply amalgamated sounds in his mouth, with his carnal body and then with worldly instruments. This vivacious expedition is where jazz opens its odyssey. As man evolved, so his music desires patterned his worlds. The commandments of music no longer exist; the shapes have changed by arriving at a new world where commingling is a state of jazz being. Undefinable and nebulous jazz is sentient as it functions as a gasping organism. Forever changing its contours and stature, it allows for liberation in music and being. Slavery was rife in the early 1800s, when a million West Africans were shipped to America, their strong tribal musical traditions taken along with them. On Sundays, slaves hosted lavish festivals featuring African drums while rhythms reflected African speech patterns and the use of African pentatonic scales. A century later, with the abolition of slavery, the freedom of African Americans represented the tenacity for exploration and a revitalised new
world. African Americans were, for the first time, able to pursue careers in entertainment, which saw performers such as Ernest Hogan explore avenues like ragtime with its characteristic, syncopated rhythm. It is said that jazz birthed in the ghettos of New Orleans after the stifling influence of European music drove music lovers away from form and towards hoopla. Ragtime spilt down the red-light districts of New Orleans like truth, filling the city with parades of musical dare and charm long before ragtime became sheet music for the piano. The critic Joachim Berendt defined jazz as a “form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of blacks with European music.” By the 1920s, jazz flowed upstream to Chicago and New York with the seeking of an African American version of Gatsby's American Dream. The 1930s delivered swing; music with an easy flow but flourishing rhythm. Bennie Goodman and Count Basie were the bandleaders of the time, achieving widespread fame. In synchrony, Louis Armstrong bestowed his foundational influence on jazz, modifying the focus from collective improvisation to solo
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Lira
Vusi Mahlasela
Paulo Flores
artists. As an eminent singer with nimbleness in his ability to improvise with true expression in melody and lyrics, Armstrong rightfully is a world music ambassador. With the dawn of the 1940s bebop, Charlie Parker flowed loosely across America as he converged melody and harmony. Though bebop formed around the structure of having a set start – called “a head” – and ending, everything that happened uniting those moments was pure improvisation. With the arrival of Miles Davis, jazz could no longer be considered just music. It had emerged as a marvel of subcultural and cross-cultural understanding of the world. Davis's artistic deftness to utilise ritual space and symbolism to form narratives and musical parlance is what gives jazz the ability to grow intuitively. What Davis gave to jazz along with his personality, controversial behaviour and all-embracing interests was the experiential feasibility of improvisation. With a dramatic split in the jazz world, the development of acid jazz and free jazz and even punk jazz left throats hoarse with commentary. The relaxation of orthodox jazz and the ability to conjure modernity in jazz allowed for new movements and developments. Even heavy metal
started to infuse itself into jazz and delivered its message with harder tones and more insecurities than before. Electronic sounds tried to contain jazz with their rigid structure though jazz always seemed to prevail as a wild medium of expression. In a contemporary sense, the traditional role of jazz artists is changing too. Diana Krall, for instance, has moved from being coy and sensual to taking on a role as producer of Barbra Streisand’s latest album; another indication of the dexterity of jazz as a construction medium, infusing its ability and strength into popular music and a global artist's album. This gives additional new blood to artists such as Michael Bublé, who modernise the scope of jazz into an easy-listening sphere with a focus on vocal and a touch of rock. In an African context, Luanda-born Paulo Flores uses his music to take in personally suffered tribulations and expose the heinous war of his home country. He investigates the vocal reflections of his music through his use of Portuguese and the Kimbundu language, rearing a unique and crystallised perspective on African jazz. South African artist Vusi
Mahlasela’s expertise and skill seem to be horizons stretched. With a style fusion of folk, world, blues and soul, Mahlasela represents a kaleidoscope of jazz consciousness, allowing his creativity to dance into poetry and expressions of his life escapades. Female comrade Judith Sephuma takes inspiration from her dreams; her lyrics reflecting a deep nurture of creativity, while songbird Lira is raising the grandeur with extreme radio play and glamorous media attention. With visions of Europe and exploration abroad, Lira weaves her life experiences into her music, winning her much acclaim and awards in every musical sector. Jazz possesses the capability to reconstruct and assimilate influences from varied musical styles and inspirations, which releases debates about the alpha and the omega of this genre. Jazz allows for, even encourages, the questions “does it have a real tangible end” and “does it start somewhere within a construction of music?” It promotes a world where new ways of seeing and even more explorative ways of hearing can be felt and inherently scrutinised. It is the tool of music that can allow you to envision a place where freedom exists and breathes.
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S AV O U R
A Splendid Stay at the
Cape Royale South Africa is a country of many spectacular destinations, and the award-winning Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence is one of its most celebrated gems. With so many choices available to travellers, the Cape Royale successfully strives to meet all travellers’ expectations, be the guests visiting for business or pleasure.
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ithin close proximity to the new Cape Town Stadium and the V&A Waterfront, the Cape Royale offers guests a rare combination of “home away from home” comfort, in a venue spectacular enough to make you leave the outside world outside. Framed by the outline of Table Mountain and with panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Royale promises an enclave of luxury and refinement in the heart of South Africa’s most beautiful metropolis. Fusing the sophistication of Europe with the vibrant spirit of Africa, guests can expect ample living
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Words: NICKOLA BALES-SMITH Images: © CAPE ROYALE
and entertainment areas in all 95 suites, a varied and delicious choice of cuisine from one of two restaurants, use of the Hotel’s state-of-the-art executive meeting and boardrooms, a fully-equipped cardiovascular gym, “me time” in the French boutiquestyled Equinox Spa, or downtime on the Residence’s roof-deck pool and Sky Bar. The Cape Royale was designed by the Phelan Holdings team and assisted by six leading South African designers. Its construction was inspired by the gracious architecture of Parisian boulevards; its distinctive old-world façade elegantly infused with modern, spacious interiors complete with grand archways and French windows
with wrought-iron Juliet balconies. Every element from down-theline functionality to pure aesthetics was considered when this hotel was created. Accommodation is made up of 40 one-bedroom residences, 50 twobedroom residences, 4 three-bedroom residences and 1 four-bedroom residence. These spacious suites boast contemporary decor, luxurious fabrics, fine textures and custom-made furniture, designed for comfort and relaxation. Dark woods and fabrics contrast with accents of crisp white and lime green, while carefully selected artwork adorns the walls. All suites are generously proportioned and include an en suite bathroom, entertainment
S AV O U R
and lounge area and dining room. Luxury amenities include Charlotte Rhys bath and body products, his and hers bathrobes and slippers, and butler’s tray with assorted local and imported teas and coffees. Also available is a 32-inch LCD TV in the lounge and 22-inch LCD TV in the master bedroom, a DVD player with surround-sound system, complimentary high-speed Internet access, and private laptop safe. The Cape Royale’s French boutique-style Equinox Spa and Wellness Centre is resplendent in tranquil variations of blue and indigo. Dedicated to physical and spiritual rejuvenation, skilled practitioners offer an assortment of spa treatments, including the signature treatment – a colour-coded Chakra Balancing Candles Massage that incorporates natural soy aromatherapy candles, burnt to form warm oil, which is then used to perform a balancing head-totoe massage. When it comes to fine dining, guests have the option to either prepare their own meals in their suites or to enjoy a meal in one of the restaurants. A private chef is also available to cater for everything from a well-cooked breakfast to a magnificent four-course supper in your suite. At the 1800° Restaurant, cuttingedge technology in the kitchen means that the grill literally cooks steak at a temperature of 1800° degrees Fahrenheit. This broiler system, which inspired the restaurant's name, is unique to South Africa. Carefully selected and extramatured prime steak, cut thick to be succulent, is seared to perfection at 1800° degrees and served with your choice of exotic sauces, including Argentinean Chimichurri, Indonesian Coffee, Madagascan Peppercorn, Spanish Madeira, and Peruvian Anticuchos. An impressive variety of imported, hand-harvested, gourmet salts from around the world, including dark pink Himalayan salt, Hawaiian True Kona deepwater sea salt and Aleppo Chile pepper salt are used during preparation to enhance the
Ingredients For the salad • Head of cos lettuce, separated into leaves • crisp bacon bits • diced parmesan croutons • fresh parmesan shavings • 7-minute boiled egg, cut into quarters • several sprigs of fresh chives • anchovy dressing • maldon sea salt & cracked black pepper
Caesar Salad Served with Anchovy Dressing & Parmesan Croutons
For the dressing • 2 egg yolks • 25ml lemon juice • 5g roasted garlic, chopped • 12.5g Dijon mustard • 250ml olive oil blend • 2-3 drops Tabasco sauce • 2-3 drops Worcestershire sauce • 25g fresh parmesan, grated • 5ml white wine vinegar • 20g anchovy fillets • salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Method Make the dressing Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and white wine vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk. Slowly add the oil to form a creamy dressing. Add the parmesan cheese and anchovy fillets. Season with 10 drops each Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, and a crack of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Prepare the salad In a mixing bowl, toss the lettuce leaves with the dressing. Place the leaves onto the centre of a large plate. Lightly warm the crisp bacon bits and the parmesan croutons and evenly arrange them on and around the salad, together with the parmesan shavings. Arrange the egg quarters evenly around this. Take half the fresh chives and slice into centimetre-long bits. Sprinkle over and around the salad. Season the salad lightly with the maldon sea salt and a twist of black pepper. Top with the remaining whole chives. Serve immediately.
flavour. A choice from the restaurant’s expertly selected local and international wine list complements your dinner. At the Cape Royale, your arrival is celebrated through personalised service of staff trained to indulge your every whim with the utmost professionalism and discretion combined with the warmth of African hospitality. For more information or to make a booking
contact +27 21 430 0500, email reservations@caperoyale.co.za, or visit www.caperoyale.co.za. The Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence is a proud member of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts Group™. It is also the overall winner of the “Luxury Hotel” Award, for 2009, in the “All Suite” category, and overall winner of the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award for “Best Luxury Hotel in Africa for 2010."
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SCRIBE
Caught between
Colonisation and a
Hard Place
Politics and religion – two topics that have been labelled taboo thanks to their ability to reduce a table of perfectly refined individuals into disagreeable red-faced quarrellers. Sadly, today’s blacklist of conversation faux pas has grown by one: the addition of the P-word. If you’re not sure, just ask David Bullard. Words: CARMEN POOL Images: © ANJA VENTER; ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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P
ostcolonialism literally means “after colonisation” and entails the dynamic process of destabilising a privileged Western point of view. Taking this term literally however, can be problematic because the previouslycolonised world is full of contradictions, half-finished processes, hybridity, and confusion. In other words, postcolonialism comes with an inextricable plurality. It does not simply refer to the period after the colonial era but can also be seen as a
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continuation of colonialism, albeit through new relationships concerning power, and the control and production of knowledge. Postcolonialism is a loaded theory that brings some hefty baggage to the fore. Baggage that constitutes questions of national identity and the fundamental knowledge systems that perpetuated notions of the assumed inferiority of those who were colonised. It is no surprise then that this “ism” catalysed a literary movement that addresses these very questions. Postcolonial writers interact with the traditional colonial discourse by attempting to modify or subvert it. As the decolonisation process unfolded in the 1950s, a debate about choice of language erupted and pursued authors around the world. These authors were torn between two schools of thought: those who were against the use of English as a medium for their writing and those who were for it. The former were of the opinion that the act of writing in English – the language of the coloniser – was a justification of colonialism. By using the language of the oppressor they would be perpetuating a Eurocentric world view. Therefore, the authors who subscribed to this belief chose to write in their mother tongues. The authors who were pro the use of English as their medium felt that, instead of being bogged down by the horrors of colonialism, they should rise above, accept the past and use whatever resources were now available to them to create a rich literary heritage accessible to the world for the sake of globalisation and ergo more effective at spreading the ideas attached to the postcolonial movement. Two literary iconoclasts who subscribe to these opposing schools of thought are Chinua Achebe and Ayi Kwei Armah. Achebe chose to write in English and felt that the process of colonialism provided colonised people from varying
linguistic backgrounds with “a language with which to talk to one another.” By using English, Achebe employs the characteristic “writing back” mechanism by which indigenous people write their own histories and legacies using the language of the coloniser as a means to their own literary end. Using English also meant his books could be read in the colonial ruling nations, which undoubtedly contributed to the enormous success of his first novel Things Fall Apart (1958), the most widely read book in modern African literature. Achebe's writing laid a formidable groundwork for taking the English language and Africanising it. By altering syntax, usage, and idiom, he transforms the language into one distinctly African in style. “Those of us who have inherited the English language may not be in the position to appreciate the value of the inheritance,” Achebe said. “Or we may go on resenting it because it came as part of a package which included many other items of doubtful value and the positive atrocity such as racial arrogance and prejudice. But let us not, in rejecting the evil, throw out the good with it.” On the flip side of the postcolonial coin we find the esteemed Ayi Kwei Armah. Armah has often been regarded as belonging to the next generation of African writers after Chinua Achebe, and is said to epitomise postcolonialism; an era of intense despair. His main concern is for the creation of a pan-African agency that will embrace all the diverse cultures and languages of the continent. Armah felt that to embrace postcolonialism he needed to fully reject colonialism and the accoutrements that came with it. This included the use of the English language. Armah felt that the idea of expressing his own ideas in the language of another culture was a near impossibility, and that much of the meaning and nuance was bound to be lost in translation. He
saw this process as a sieve that filtered out all the imagination and anomalies that set great writing apart from sterile writing. He felt that by using English, writers were leaching their work of all value and distinction and were left with a mere approximation of the originally envisioned text. “Every artist is a
dreamer,” Armah said, “but we seek to communicate our dreams, and attempt to transform them into reality. We do not want to get lost in abstraction and ideation.” Whether you subscribe to the beliefs of Achebe or Armah, postcolonialism is certainly still a much-contested issue today. So when next you find yourself smiling and nodding at someone across the table during one or other inane dinner conversation, throw in the P-word. I double dare you.
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STRIKE
Christophe Claret
Putting the Name on the Dial Since 1989, master watchmaker Christophe Claret has been the watch industry’s go-to guy. If there’s a problem to be solved or a complication to be developed, his atelier, Christophe Claret SA, can probably handle it. Words: KEN KESSLER Images: © CHRISTOPHE CLARET
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oo discreet to reveal who his clients are, Claret’s name is associated openly with few products, for rarely do they publicise his contribution. But as is well known to connoisseurs, he is a partner in Jean Dunand, which has benefitted from his iconoclastic approach to the various functions. Maîtres du Temps, too, has benefitted from Claret’s expertise and imagination. This exclusive brand has launched two models, Chapters One and Two, both of which feature not just Claret’s creations but his image as well, because the brand celebrates the designers used for each new model. Claret’s contributions – in collaboration with Peter SpeakeMarin, Roger Dubuis for Chapter One and, most recently, Daniel Roth and Speake-Marin for Chapter Two – are part of the models’ personae. Claret, from Lyon, in France, studied watchmaking in Geneva before embarking on a career as an antique watch restorer. Fortuitously, at the 1987 Basel Watch Fair, just as
the world seemed to be rediscovering mechanical timepieces, a major Swiss watch company asked him to develop a minute repeater movement. One of the most complex (and difficult to manufacture) of all the complications found in wristwatches, a minute repeater must chime the hours and minutes. The commission led Claret to establish his own company two years later, together with two other talented watchmakers. By 1992, Claret was the sole owner. Ever since, his workshops have been developing and constructing complications and movements for select clients to incorporate into their most prestigious timepieces. And now, after 20 years either behind the scenes – or more precisely, behind the dials – Claret has issued a model with his name proudly adorning the dial. This is Claret’s way of celebrating this important anniversary, which, with hindsight, demonstrates his prescience: when he established his factory, the watch revival had barely commenced. Future historians will be able to trace Claret’s evolution
alongside the renaissance in watchmaking. His role has been significant. As would be expected, the first watch signed by Claret would have to feature a novel, new function. He dubbed the watch DualTow, which barely alerts the observer to the delights it contains. Among its features are a unique, single-pusher planetary-gear chronograph with striking mechanism; a one-minute tourbillon positioned at six o’clock; 12-hour, 60-minute and 60-second chronograph counters; operating mode indicator showing the state of the chronograph’s behaviour; and power reserve indicator visible on the watch back, all functions developed and constructed in-house. Undoubtedly the most highly visible of the DualTow’s details are the “belts” that display the hours and minutes, respectively in “windows” at the nine o’clock and three o’clock positions. Claret was inspired by caterpillar-track vehicles, leading him to devise a mechanism employing two specially developed, notched rubber
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belts imprinted with numerals and driven by cylinders placed on either end. A coloured “fork” fixed to the tourbillon bridge carries the tiny windows that highlight the correct digits for reading the time. Inside the DualTow is the handwound CC20A mechanical movement with 60-hour power reserve, thanks to two parallel barrels, and boasting a number of intriguing devices. The most amusing and entertaining is a gong that sounds each time the chronograph pusher is activated, referencing Claret’s long experience with minute repeaters, which operate with striking mechanisms. The chronograph itself is a single-pusher design operating by means of three identically structured planetary gears, for which a patent has been filed. Its benefits include superior regulation because the torque required is consistently identical, whatever the position of the chronograph, be it starting, stopping or resetting. Even the strap of the DualTow – be it crocodile leather or rubber – is equipped with a novel feature: an exclusive, adjustable clasp that can accommodate extension of up to one centimetre. This addresses the biological reality in which the wrist is
slightly swollen by the end of the day. The clever clasp ensures that the DoulTow never pinches the owner’s wrist. With such a watch, exclusivity is a given. For many, it will be enough that only 68 DualTows will be produced. But to enhance further the privilege of owning “a Christophe Claret,” the company will undertake to finish a DualTow in one of a number of colours from a broad palette, to complement the precious metals that make up this 42.75x48.20x15.85mm masterpiece. Among the options are a main plate available in a choice of rhodiumplated, black rhodium-plated, 4N gold-plated or black amorphous carbon versions. The hands, the tourbillon bridge, and the screws holding the sapphire dial, the hour and minute display forks and the differential gear elements are available in assorted colours, as are the rubber components – the belts, the pusher and the crown. Pistachio green, ivory, bright red, midnight blue – from Claret’s imagination to that of the client. In its own way, then, the DualTow is a connoisseur’s opportunity to collaborate with the master himself. Visit www.dualtow.ch.
B1 Western Bypass, Windhoek South, Namibia Windhoek, Namibia Tel: +264 (0) 61 205 5911 Fax: +264 (0) 61 205 2797 E-mail: windhoek@legacyhotels.co.za GPS co-ordinates: 22°37’6”S | 17°4’23”E
Namibia 2 Theo-Ben Gurirab Avenue Swakopmund, Namibia Tel: +264 (0) 64 410 5200 Fax: +264 (0) 64 410 5360/1 E-mail: swakopmund@legacyhotels.co.za GPS co-ordinates: 22°40’27”S | 14°31’13”E
F E AT U R E
A high-grade Persian Bidjar rug in a fine contemporary setting
Our second in a series of interviews with Victor Lidchi of Johannesburg, third-generation specialist dealer and connoisseur of fine Persian and Oriental rugs. Victor’s decades of international experience in buying,
Persian and Other Hand-Made
Oriental Rugs
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restige Magazine (PM): Victor, who buys Persian rugs these days? Victor Lidchi (VL): Internationally, one can broadly divide buyers into those who buy them mainly as a decorative floor covering – they are satisfied with what we call the lower "commercial" grades; and those who love this craft and art form for its glorious colours, fascinating designs, and luxurious texture – much for the same reason that people of taste love
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and buy original paintings. They want art and beauty in their interiors and often hectic lives. They will want what we call the “superior or choice grade” examples. Lastly, and more rarely, there are those who love collecting them, as an engrossing “hobby.” They tend to take more trouble to research the subject and usually specialise in a particular type, style or region of rugs. For example: prayer rugs, or rugs with animals and nature scenes, or rugs of a particular tribe (such as the renowned Qashgái
selling, lecturing and consulting in this field has seen him visit all regions of the Orient, as well as the major art and dealing centres of the West. Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © VICTOR LIDCHI
of Persia), or silk rugs. Some will collect the antique examples (100 years or more), which can be very valuable, or semi-antique (50 to 100 years old), as well as the better examples of more recent times, which are more affordable. Finally, there is a smart group of collector-investors who buy usually for all the above reasons as well as with the hope and expectation of capital growth as a store of wealth. PM: In your introductory lecture, you emphasise the importance of
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understanding “levels” and grades. Why? VL: Because otherwise people get confused by the often poor marketing in the market place, and remain uninformed. You see, “Persians” and the other no-less worthy and beautiful authentic Oriental rugs and carpets, can best be understood by comparing them to another art form – original paintings. Paintings vary in “levels” from museum masterpieces to rare valuable “collector’s items,” to fine paintings of merit and beauty, to “ordinary” pedestrian ones, to downright mediocre ones. This applies to any art or craft. And certainly applies to the craft and art of Oriental rugs. Just to use as an example one well-known name in Persian rugs, those from the renowned city of Kashan. There are “commercial” level Kashans of little merit, made of poor materials – ie, mediocre craft level and not much art. “Adequate” as a floor covering, but that’s all. Next up in level would be a Kashan of respectable artistic and technical craft standard with a little more “art” content – not only acceptable as a floor covering, but decorative too. Better than the average, but not exceptional. Next up, for the person who wants a really beautiful example, and will pay for it, is the “superior” or close-to-top grade. It is not only a fine piece of craft technically, but it has superb materials, and uncommon beauty and personality – that priceless ingredient of the caring and gifted creator. Finally, (and remember these are broad divisions only) you find the rare Kashan masterworks that are fit for the finest homes or palaces, the finest collections, and even museums for the greatest past examples such as you will find in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and its equivalent art museums of London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and Zurich. Now, these last are not just beautiful “floor decorations.” They exhibit excellent craft and skill, and topquality materials, but now also have a high artistic merit content and exceptional beauty. And these, as with any art form, are of course always rare and costly.
PM: What about cost in these categories? And who can afford them? VL: Staying with the example I just gave of the different levels or “grades” of Kashans, and using a popular size called a Dozar in Farsi (Persian) that is roughly 2 metres by 1.4 metres, the low “commercial grades” could cost between R7,500 and R10,000. The next level up could be between R12,000 and R17,000. These are the grades you will find with ease. The superior ones for the real lover and discriminating buyer would cost, say between R20,000 and R40,000 or more, which is still affordable when you consider prices of even unexceptional paintings. Now, when you get to the top grades for the serious collector-investor, depending on age, rarity and beauty, these pieces could cost anything from R50,000 to R100,000 or more. For masterworks of the past you may expect to pay between R100,000 and R200,000 and up. When you get to the museum examples of earlier eras and centuries, start counting into the millions of Rand or US Dollar equivalent. PM: Have they been a good investment in the past? VL: I prefer “store of value” rather than investment, but in the lower grades, very seldom; in the higher grades, yes, very often in the medium to long term. As an example, I recently sold two lovely small semi-antique Kashan rugs, in imperfect but acceptable condition, for around R37,000. They had originally been sold in the 1950s, probably by my father, for approximately Sterling Pounds 125 (converted to Rand in early sixties equals R250). They had given their owners generations of pleasure and beauty. Not a bad return. But caution – there are changes in fashion and shifts in supply and demand which mean there are no guarantees. For example, fine Kilims that few would buy in the 1940s to 1960s became, in the last generation, highly sought after and prices shot through the roof. And on the other hand, certain fine silk rugs of the last generation currently are not doing well. But who knows: maybe in a few
years they will rise sharply once again. I much prefer to advise my clients to buy, above all, for love of beauty; to satisfy their personal tastes and decor; and to buy the best they can afford. That’s ultimately the best investment – the joy they bring to your life and living, and the originality and style they add to your interiors. Contact Victor Lidchi on +27 11 341 0367 (Dunkeld) or Sharon Lidchi on +27 11 675 5008 (Clearwater Mall). Alternatively, email vl@victorlidchi.co.za, visit www.victorlidchi.co.za, or stop by one of the showrooms to view the collection. Rare, early 20th Century collectible tribal Qashgai masterwork
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F E AT U R E
MythManagement
A Tale of
Two Friends I was thinking about two old friends this week. The one is undoubtedly the smartest person I have ever known, the other, simply the most successful. Common to the two are their modest roots in middle South African society, and the fact that the local business environment could not find a place to accommodate their phenomenal talents. The smart guy because his best ideas are too new and threatening; the successful guy because his pursuit of the best ideas took him to greener pastures. Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Image: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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hey were both in South Africa recently. The smart guy lives and works here, though his contribution is grossly underrated. The successful guy jetted in for a press conference, where some local newspaper desperately tried to claim him as still one of our own. I met Dr Success at primary school. When Chopper first introduced those bicycles with the long handlebars, our bloody knees testified to our better understanding of the word “speed wobble.” We got puppies from the same litter and gave them equally ridiculous names. The early death of his father introduced the concept of mortality into both our young lives, although it always
remained unspoken. Our mothers shared the same dream of upward mobility when conniving to send us both to boarding school at an old, reputable institution. Here, for five years, our friendship drifted apart as we jostled either to ingratiate ourselves with kids from the affluent neighbourhoods or to compete for their respect in the only arenas open to us – sport and schoolwork. Trust was broken somewhere along the way as he managed both. After school, he went on to accrue a list of blue-chip distinctions before settling in Australia as the heir apparent of a global company shaping the future in significant ways. We lost touch, connecting only recently on Skype, where I learnt that his country of origin was no longer an important point of reference. His kids spoke Mandarin even as the local business press called him “Boertjie.” Mr Smart and I met during the indignity of university initiation – running up a mountain before daybreak in a uniform T-shirt and suffering abuse, mostly verbal. He was already obnoxious then, questioning and challenging every step of the process. This would become the central theme to his studies and career. Always interrogating what others took for granted to the point that he would never humble himself by graduating. The regurgitation of stale ideas was just too unpalatable for him then, a trait that has only grown more acute through the years. He dabbled in a few things to keep alive, while reading three books a night. Someone in advertising spotted his intellect over a dinner table and offered him the chance to help shape the fortunes of local companies. Every ad agency worth mention on an advertising resume put him in the front-line at some stage or the other, including a few stints abroad. As we
reconnected every few years, the scope and intensity of his insights was becoming progressively more abstract and futuristic, but the cynicism that showed through when he told of good ideas lying rotting in client boardrooms was moderated by his enduring belief in the potential of people. What was clear when talking over a glass of wine recently was that he has finally been forced to change tack. He was “dumbing down” his ideas so his clients could still feel that they owned them. It was too scary to open up for what the new could bring. The market was losing his talent, because it lacked the daring to engage with challenging concepts. These talented individuals are flip sides of the same phenomenon – the South African brain drain. Dr Success represents the common garden variety, where the talented have migrated to the next level of opportunity elsewhere. Mr Smart shows how thin our business strawman has grown around the top as the talented depart. The old joke that both countries’ average IQ increases when a gifted South African moves abroad has grown stale. The vacuum of talent at the top has created a lack of competition in the local market for ideas, and an enormous complacency with our own prejudice. Built on the legacy of Apartheid education, which either discouraged critical thinking or plainly denied learning, our tolerance for disruptive intellectual horsepower has dissipated. But what an opportunity for the company that can create an environment within which no idea is too far-fetched for consideration, or where no “gut-feel” opinion goes unchallenged. Are there gutsy managers in your organisation who let good ideas penetrate their comfort zones? Or is the only idea left how to afford the move abroad?
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Tel: +27 11 484 2833 Fax: +27 11 484 2899 www.neoafrica.com
makingwaves Good News Greets MasterCraft Following detailed discussions with boat manufacturers that lasted several months, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) recently announced a major six-year official tow-boat agreement with MasterCraft, the premium manufacturer of inboard wakeboard, waterski and luxury performance boats. This agreement will cover the World Championships for Tournament, and Disabled Waterskiing, Wakeboard and the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series. Kuno Ritschard, IWWF President, congratulated MasterCraft on their success: “We are indeed very fortunate to have such strong innovators as supporters of our sport.” Ian Birdsall, MasterCraft's VP International Sales, agreed: “This six-year agreement to partner the IWWF and MasterCraft in all world-titled Wakeboard and Water Ski events is a tremendous opportunity to continue the growth of these sports worldwide.” While some dates for these future World Championships and World Cup events have already been confirmed, others are still to be announced. Visit www.iwsf.com to find out more.
Celsius X VI II introduces Remontage Papillon French company Celsius X VI II has launched a new creation that will forever alter the world standard of prestige products. This first papillon item is an accessory for the contemporary aesthete; the very first blended product of its kind. From an aesthetic standpoint, micromechanics has clearly imposed its exclusive laws on microelectronics, revealing a quest for perfect elegance – skilfully contoured lines, fine materials and subtle details – through a functionalist approach; beauty without excess. The quality of the manufacture hints at a fine watchmaking influence and the best workmanship; most of the roughly 547 mechanical components hand finished. Tucked away inside its hinge, the item conceals a patented system that is activated when the wings are unfolded. Based on complex micromechanics, this innovation is called “Remontage Papillon,” meaning “butterfly rewinding,” and which is spelled out on the top wing. It is an asset that opens up new horizons, as Celsius X VI II begins to explore mechanical functions that will revolutionise the world of communications. Visit www.celsius-x-vi-ii.com.
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Ever the Perfect Peech
Joburg’s Peech Hotel demonstrates a great commitment towards operating in an environmentally responsible manner. Among its eco-friendly operational measures are solar-water geysers for the entire property and drinking water that is filtered on-site. Rain and grey water from baths and showers, meanwhile, is processed and recycled for use in the Peech’s lush and leafy garden, which also has its own worm farm. It came as no surprise, thus, to learn that this establishment was recently welcomed to Fair Trade TSA, an independent endorsement of fair and responsible tourism practice in South Africa. Association is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment. Well done to James and his Peech. Visit www.thepeech.co.za to learn more, or to make a reservation.
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TEXTOPHOBIA
~ The fear of fabrics.
There are lots of things to be scared of. Insurance needn’t be one of them. At Alexander Forbes, we’ve learnt a thing or two over the years about putting motor and household insurance-related fears to rest. We provide the widest cover with the least exclusions, and we give you the option of an up-front discount on your premium when you sign up with us, which puts money back into your pocket immediately. We also give each of our clients their own personal consultant who deals exclusively with their policy and all matters pertaining to it. Simply, we make insuring as effortless and as comprehensive as possible. Because we believe that while some fears in life might need to be accepted, insurance-related fears are just irrational. www.afi.co.za
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