Wanted December Issue 2021 by SundayTimesZA

nted 12 / 2021

The Gifting Issue

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EDITOR.

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Siphiwe Mpye

Lesedi Molefi

n unquestionably essential part of being an avid reader is having a long list of unread tomes sat dusty on one’s heaving bookshelf. My list of untouched classics, pop-lit hits of the day, and obscure conversation starters is as long as Msholozi’s rap sheet. None but one, however, has nearly put paid to my marriage. That honour goes to The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary Chapman. Several years ago, my wife had whizzed through it enthusiastically, crashing into what she was certain were answers to many of our marital roadblocks. She implored me to read it and, as the days dragged by with it on my side table, I managed to skim it enough to learn that my love language

1. MGB Roadster (strictly ’60s era with the wire wheels): I would have a hard time fitting this one in my stocking but, by golly, I would try. As I noted recently on the socials (yes, I am quoting myself): “I have distant love affairs with many desirable and unaffordable heritage cars from across Europe, but it is this humble, mature English lady — the MGB Roadster, ‘the people’s sportscar’ — that really has my heart.” It is truly the perfect classic car: drivable and easy to maintain, with parts readily available and viable as a daily driver. 2. Linn Klimax LP12 turntable: I have been an audiophile for most of my life. As a teen I devoured Smash Hits and Vibe voraciously, and no Friday was complete without an obligatory after-school stop at Musica or its more mom-and-pop predecessors that sold vinyl. I never really stopped buying vinyl, even as I amassed an obscene number of CDs, and the wax revival of the past decade has meant audio companies have continued to improve recordplayer technology. I have two turntables of the vintage variety, but this beauty — a modern take on a classic design — would take pride of place on the mantle.

Hamptons or the Côte d’Azur could pull them off. Tailored and mostly available in sober colours, these easily take you from the pool, into a shortsleeved shirt and espadrilles, and straight to a lazy lunch, without making you look like you are wearing swim trunks at the table. You couldn’t do that with a Speedo or the dreaded board shorts of the early noughts. 4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: I remember my first flip phone, an obscure brand name I can’t recall — a novelty in the mid-’90s that was so big one needed a backpack to carry it around. I went on to acquire others in the flip-phone heyday and am pleased that they have made a return in recent years without compromising screen size and useability. I have been playing around with this one, and while it is compact folded up, it opens up to give you a tactile, rich experience whether watching the thrillingly over-the-top The Harder They Fall on Netflix, navigating various apps, or editing pictures.

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3. Orlebar Brown swim trunks: I have been partial to these ever since I shook the idea that only six-footplus, bronzed, and eight-pack-abbed specimens on a perpetual holiday in the

straddled “Words of affirmation” and “Physical touch” (typical, really). Hers was “Receiving gifts”. I read no further, and, as such, this was evident in our book debrief as I clutched at straws explaining what I understood about her love language. We were in therapy shortly thereafter. A torrent has flowed under the bridge since then and I am much savvier in these matters, to the extent that I too have developed a gifting sub-language. As we present you with an embarrassment of gifting ideas in this, our last issue of the year, we hope that you receive all your heart’s desires this holiday season. As for me, only the following coveted stuff will do.

5. Another stay at The CellarsHohenort: Simply the best small luxury-hotel experience I have ever had in Cape Town — and I have stayed at a fair share of establishments of high repute. Part of the Liz McGrath Collection and located in Constantia Valley, the five-star establishment has a staff complement who understands that fine line between attentiveness and being overbearing, an incredible menu across the day, pristine historical grounds, a spa, gym, two pools, and a tennis court, as well as a world-class selection of rooms, suites, and villas. I would return in a heartbeat.

Cover / 18kt all rose-gold spider brooch with pavé-set, round, brilliant-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped, checkerboard-cut prasiolite, POR, Charles Greig Jewellers F O R

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20 Christmas comes but once a year — for some, that’s once too many

26 Still here: the iconic hotels that have survived the pandemic

If money’s no object, these are the toys for you

LAMU

WRITING

RETREAT

Curated experiences for the true lover of luxury

54 We wrap up with the best in the Wanted Gifting Guide

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WAT C H E S

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Patek Philippe

Gary Cotterell is Wanted’s editorat-large.

In-line Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5 2 3 6 P - 0 01

COLUMN.

Quality time

HETHER LINEAR or cyclical, or a combination of both — we all have our views on the nature and meaning of time. And, even if our relationship with time has shifted over the past year, the little instruments beating gently on our wrists are a perpetual reminder of our centuries-long quest to make sense of the universe and the world around us. This is particularly true of grand complications such as perpetual calendars, or the phases of the moon and its various cycles. Linear time and an obsession with accurate measurement are an integral part of modern life, and most likely began when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582 to correct the shortcomings of the Julian calendar. It accounted for the discrepancy of five hours, 49 minutes and 16 seconds between the calendar year and solar year (the time it takes the Earth to orbit the sun) by adding 29 February once every four years. To accomplish the mighty feat of making a watch complication that accommodates 29 February in leap years as well as months with 31, 30, and 28 days, a movement requires a highly sophisticated mechanical “memory” of four years. This is where Patek Philippe shines as the unrivalled master of the calendar complication. While the earliest-known watch with a perpetual calendar was made in 1762 by English horologist Thomas Mudge, Patek made the first wristwatch to feature this most intricate and sophisticated of complications. The unique Patek No. 97'975 was made in

An elegant mastering of the perpetual calendar complication

C a l i b r e 31 - 2 6 0 P S Q L movement back

C a l i b r e 31 - 2 6 0 P S Q L movement front

1925 and, along with that Mudge watch — acquired by Patek in 2016 — is now on display at its museum in Geneva. Switching instantaneously, elements of the calendar are displayed around the white enamel dial of the No. 97'975: the day at 12 o’clock, the analogue date on the outer ring, and the month at 6 o’clock. The moon-phase and moon-age indications are at 3 o’clock. Patek also created the first retrograde perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1937, and the first series-produced perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1941 with the legendary reference 1526. In 1962 the Ref. 3448 became the first self-winding perpetual calendar. Such grand accomplishments in watchmaking are often expressed through the simplest, most elegant dial designs, where the high art of their mechanical hearts is only revealed by opening them up or through a crystal case back. In another first, this year Patek revealed the In-Line Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5236P-001 with its day,

date, and month displayed on a single line. On the surface, it’s an unassuming design with a deep blue dial with blackgradient rim and vertical satin finishing. Yet within its 41.3mm by 11.07mm platinum case is a wonder at work: the new ultra-thin self-winding mechanical calibre 31-260 PS QL with several new patents, including the calendar display with four coplanar rotating disks. This “panoramic” aperture is not entirely new, first appearing in 1972 when Patek produced the Lépine pocket watch with in-line display for the American market. The new movement is also based on the calibre 31-260 REG QA, originally launched in 2011 in the Annual Calendar Regulator Ref. 5235 — from which the Ref. 5236P-001 also takes its aesthetic cues. But with its new module, the In-Line Perpetual Calendar is quite exceptional, requiring an extra 118 parts compared to a conventional perpetual calendar display to accommodate the leap year and day/night indication apertures, small seconds, and moon phases. And, while it is performing all these functions, let’s not forget that this is a tiny mechanical machine at work, not a supercomputer. The extra parts include several bridges that are fanned out and visible in meticulous detail through the case back, and wheels with jewel bearings that reduce energy consumption. The off-centre mini-rotor is made of platinum to enhance its winding power, facilitating 38-48 hours of power reserve. On the dial, baton-style hands in white gold read the time off slender applied-gold hour markers and a railroad minute track. Two small apertures at 4 and 8 o’clock indicate the leap-year cycle and day/night respectively: useful information when setting the calendar. The moon phases are tracked with precision in a window within the seconds sub dial at 6 o’clock. Three correctors for day, date, and month are recessed in the case flank between 9 and 2 o’clock, and the moon phase corrector at 8 o’clock. The case is hand polished and features a diamond at 6 o’clock. The sloping lugs continue the momentum of the bevelled bezel and secure an alligator strap in navy blue to match the dial. POA, patek.com or Patek Philippe, Sandton 011 784 2595

IMAGES SUPPLIED

Gary Cotterell

WAT C H E S

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R41 900, tagheuer.com or TAG Heuer Boutique Sandton 011 784 7422

ON OUR RADAR

text

Gary Cotterell

1. TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 X SENNA Fastest, bravest, smartest, greatest — the legendary Ayrton Senna broke every motor-racing record in his short lifetime, achieving three world drivers’ championship titles, 41 Grand Prix wins, and 65 pole positions. This special-edition racing chronograph pays tribute to a TAG Heuer ambassador and celebrates its partnership with the Senna Foundation. Versatile and water-resistant to 200m, it’s the ultimate motorracing watch. Set within a 43mm DLC steel case, the bold anthracite sunray brushed dial features pops of bright yellow on the sub-dials, the inner ring of its ceramic tachymeter bezel, and the stitching on the strap. Black-gold hands and hour markers are coated with SuperLumiNova for greater legibility during night driving.

NEWS

2. H. MOSER DUAL TIME Tradition and modernity meet in the bold steel Heritage Dual Time from H. Moser & Cie. Inspired by Moser pocket watches, this classic model is reinvigorated with a new burgundy fumé dial featuring the brand logo in transparent lacquer. The three-dimensional appliqué numerals are made from Globolight, an innovative ceramicbased material containing Super-LumiNova. The Super-LumiNova-coated sword-shaped hands read home time, while the grey hand indicates the dual time zone and can be hidden behind the main hour hand when not in use. Its steel case features tapered lugs and a large notched crown. Inside beats the new in-house HMC 809 self-winding calibre. POA, h-moser.com or Boutique Haute Horlogerie 011 325 4119

3. BREITLING SUPER AVI B04 CHRONOGRAPH GMT 46 Breitling returns to one of its core territories — aviation — with the launch of the Super Avi. This new family of military pilots’ watches reflects the distinctive identities of four legendary planes, and is inspired by its pioneering pilot’s watch, the Ref. 765 Avi. The new super-sized Super Avi B04 Chronograph GMT 46 novelties are the stainless-steel “Tribute to Vought F4U Corsair”, steel or 18kt red-gold “P-51 Mustang”, steel “Mosquito”, and “Curtiss P-40 Warhawk”. They feature a 1/4th second chronograph, 12-hour totalisers, and bold 30-minute sub-dials. The self-winding manufacture Breitling B04 movement tracks mission time and local time. Track a third time zone using the rotating bidirectional bezel. From R177 900, breitling.com or Breitling Boutique Sandton 011 883 2286

4. OMEGA SEAMASTER BRONZE GOLD First created by Omega in 1957, the popular Seamaster 300 is presented this year with a thinner case, new domed sapphire glass, and plenty of vintage tributes. The new pieces join the Heritage collection, echoing the spirit of the original models but updated with a brand new Master Chronometer calibre 8912 movement and sandwich dials featuring vintage Arabic open-style numerals hands filled with “vintage” SuperLumiNova. These 41mm timepieces are available in stainless steel or this exclusive bronze-gold alloy with oxidised bronze dial. Bezels are also thinner and crafted from a toughened aluminium. From R115 000, omegawatches.com

5. TUDOR PELAGOS FXD The Tudor Pelagos collection are true professional divers’ watches, guaranteed to a depth of 500m and equipped with a helium escape valve to preserve them during deep-sea “saturation” diving. They are also closest in design and spirit to the iconic Submariner from the ’50s. The new Pelagos FXD is inspired by historic pieces used by a division of the French Navy since 1956 and was developed in conjunction with a special squad of combat swimmers. This unique addition to the collection has a 42mm case with extra-robust fixed strap bars, and a 120-notch bidirectional rotating bezel with retrograde graduation from 60 to 0. While it does not correspond to ISO 6425:2018 standards, it does meet the specific needs of “underwater navigation” and is waterproof to 200m. R66 000, tudorwatch.com or Rolex Watch Co SA 011 784 9230

6. IWC PILOT’S WATCH TIMEZONER TOP GUN CERATANIUM The jet-black IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner is the first Top Gun model to feature IWC’s Timezoner complication. It is also crafted out of Ceratanium, an advanced performance material that combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with the scratchresistance of ceramic. Set a new time zone by simply pressing down and rotating the bezel, while the hour hand, the 24hour Worldtimer display, and the date will move forwards or backwards in one-hour steps. The IWC-manufactured 82760 calibre uses a Pellaton winding system reinforced with ceramic components to build up a power reserve of 60 hours in the mainspring. POA, iwc.com or RLG Africa 011 317 2600

JEWELS

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If you want department, of jewellery long-lasting

1. Graff continues to produce the most fabulous jewels in the world, and we all want a piece of that fabulousness! Graff Threads earrings with round, baguette-cut diamonds (1.80ct total weight) in white gold, $17 000.

2. You may be more familiar with Dolce & Gabbana’s avantgarde style, but there is also a host of timeless pieces in the jewellery box that make for the perfect gift for someone special, such as this 18kt yellow-gold bracelet, R183 000. It’s embellished with rhodolite garnet and small floral decorations with morganite and rhodolite garnets.

to up the here are that will shine to

stakes in the gifting some beautiful pieces add an immediate and the new year

3. This Liberated Spirit earcuff, POR, is part of the Messika Opus 2 by Kate Moss high-jewellery collection. “It’s the ideal jewel for every occasion. It is feminine, timeless, and a modern reinter-pretation of ’70s style, which I adore!” Moss says.

4. Inspired by the architecture of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, Bulgari’s B.zero1

collection is all about “the inspiring power of bold visions”. We love the timelessness of this B.zero1 necklace in 18kt rose gold with black ceramic, R139 000, and Bulgari B.zero1 three-band ring in 18kt rose gold, R38 995.

text

Ingrid Wood

LET IT S H I N E

5. This 18kt whitegold diverse ring (R65 300) created by bespoke local jewellery creators Impilo Collection can be reversed, so you can let either the diamonds or the emeralds take centre stage. The ring is made up of 20 emeralds (1.13ct) surrounded by 96 round, brilliant-cut

diamonds (0.76ct) and five baguette-cut diamonds (0.31ct). Impilo Collection also offers a “remodelling” service that transforms your old, broken or worn-out jewellery into something unique.

6. With a focus on bespoke, proudly South African diamond jewellery,

stones. Aiming for a commitment? Who would say no to this diamond starburst ring in 18kt rose gold, R70 600?

Nungu Diamonds

is very much about taking you on a journey to know the source of its

Stockists Bulgari 011 883 1325 Dolce & Gabbana 011 326 7808 Graff graff.com Impilo Collection impilocollection.co.za Messika bhhboutique.co.za, 011 325 4119, 021 418 1889 Nungu Diamonds nungu-diamonds.co.za

HAPPY SPIRIT - Handcrafted in ethical gold -

STYLE NOTES

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Nokubonga Thusi

01.

S I L K ARTI STRY

all that glitters is definitely gold. The Lily Pad ring was named “Most

Beautiful Object in South Africa”

at Design Indaba 2012, and the high-end, everyday jewellery pieces are the perfect items for your wish list. Taking up its residency at Hyde Park Corner with a newly launched store, Kirsten Goss jewellery specialises in limited-edition

OH MY GOSS!

and one-off pieces manufactured by an in-house team of goldsmiths, using a variety of unusual gemstones and fine materials. The store has been described as “fun, sophistication, and luxury all rolled up into one luscious experience.” We can’t think of anything better to find waiting under the tree. Visit the new Kirsten Goss store at Hyde Park Corner, Corner William Nicol Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue. kirstengoss.com

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guillotinebylisa jaffe.com

MOST 03.

WANTED /

Drape your neck with art this season with a limited-edition silk scarf from the L’MAD Collection and Latitudes Online “Made it to the Life Raft” collection. Eight South African visual artists each created one-of-a-kind, vibrant summer scarves that we can honestly see ourselves wearing all season long. Available at Guillotine by Lisa Jaffe.

CHANEL HOLIDAY

s the perfect finale to the N°5 centenary year, the House of Chanel has created a holiday collection unlike any other. Completely dedicated to the magic and iconic celebrity of N°5, the house has curated selection of exclusive N°5 limited editions featuring everything from a gilded, N°5-inspired and embossed makeup to a much-anticipated N°5 calendar featuring full sizes of 27 of the most iconic Chanel products and the famous N°5 scent, of course. The highlight of the collection? The larger-than-life N°5 Grand Extrait Baccarat, one of the largest bottles ever made at a size of 2 021ml, fashioned in Baccarat crystal. With only 55 N°5 Grand Extrait Baccarat bottles available globally, we suggest you run (not walk) to get your hands on this gifting extravaganza. Chanel Ombre Première Laque Glitter Longwear Liquid Eyeshadow Limited Edition in 17 Or Noir & 27 Or Ambré, R655 each; Chanel Rouge Allure N°5 Luminous Intense Lip Colour Limited Edition in 99 Pirate, R820; Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow Limited Edition in N°5, R1 170; Chanel N°5 Eau De Parfum Limited Edition 100ml, R3 075

IMAGES SUPPLIED

hen it comes to W Kirsten Goss,

DOWN TO BUSINESS

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Lukanyo Mnyanda

Lukanyo Mnyanda is the editor of Business Day

COLUMN.

Perspective is everything

around the eerily empty OR Tambo International Airport, which in more “normal” times was among the busiest in Africa. Even that small window of opportunity for limited travel closed rather quickly. Before 2020 was done, the world had become excited over the so-called “South African variant” of Covid-19 and our not-sosplendid isolation started. It wasn’t until October 2021 that the country was removed from the dreaded “red list” by the UK, one of the last major economies to allow unrestricted travel, at least for the vaccinated, to and from South Africa.

Even the smallest things are huge from the right angle

ne might argue that noting how 2021 is closing on a happier note than 2020 is setting the bar a bit low. But then, having made it through this year will feel like the height of achievement for many people and businesses. It’s strange to think that, this time last year, I was writing about walking

Just a couple of weeks ago I was in Cape Town, and it was rather inspiring to hear all those foreign accents. A week before that, a South African friend, now living in the UK, was visiting family for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. She noted that the Air France plane she had travelled on had been filled with French people rather

than South Africans coming home. It feels as though South Africa is back. Travelling to Cape Town was a good way to test this out. To say the city hasn’t been scarred by Covid-19 would be dishonest. The evidence to the contrary is all too obvious, with the explosion in homelessness that’s in your face. Walking along the beachfront between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay brought home the madness of the year that was 2020. Seeing those beaches full of life, it was hard to imagine what they had looked like 12 months ago. There are lots of things we haven’t been able to make sense of in the age of lockdowns. One of those on which I look back and for which I still struggle to find a rationale is the government’s decision to close beaches to combat the second wave of Covid-19. Much has been said about the resilience of the South African people in the face of lockdowns and the resulting economic depression. This has been evident in the hospitality and tourism industries, which have been among the hardest hit. Help from the government has been limited to non-existent,

while they also have had to struggle with insurance companies that wouldn’t pay out on business-interruption insurance policies. It was heartening, therefore, to hear that one of the main restaurants on the Sea Point strip, the Grand Pavilion, opened in the middle of the pandemic and is thriving. I can vouch for the quality of the food and the setting. And there were some old survivors, such as the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay. Cape to Cuba also survived, and we stumbled upon a party there where all the women were dressed as Frida Kahlo. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay long enough to find out why. Book lovers will be happy to hear that Quagga Rare Books and Art is still around. Looking at the collections (and prices), I did wonder how many they sold on any one day, even before Covid-19. But then, President Cyril Ramaphosa was apparently spotted shopping there just before the pandemic. Perhaps he spent enough to keep it going through the lockdowns. Happy travels to our readers during this holiday period. As for Christmas wishes, a year without lockdowns and restrictions on movement will do me just fine.

TAG HEUER BOUTIQUES ��Ŝ��

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TH TH E ER E RA EA DD

THE PERENNIAL ORDEAL OF CHRISTMAS GIFTING text

Dr Wamuwi Mbao

No matter whether you are a good or a bad gift giver, there is no escaping the special purgatory that is finding the right something

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nothing of what prompted that gift, or when it disappeared from my life (I was an incorrigible loser of things), but I still remember it some 30 years later, which says something about the role gift giving plays in teaching us about thankfulness, generosity, and other important life lessons. Adulthood is generally where the mythologies burn away, but it brings with it the burden of moving from gift receiver to gift giver. The positions of gift giver and gift receiver are disparate. The giver is motivated by something not altogether altruistic. You want to convey your gratitude for someone’s existence via some physical placeholder. That tchotchke is only known when seen, at a location that is invariably the first place you begin the hunt, but that can only be arrived at after unhappily throwing yourself into the democratic throng. You may think that in the age of online shopping such clumsy methods are a thing of the past. But you’re wrong. The effort is the thing. Nothing feels more inappropriate than a gift procured on grounds of convenience. That’s why vouchers are always a poor idea. It’s like handing your guest several unbroken eggs when you’ve invited them over for an omelette. I’m resentful of good gift givers, and I believe we all should rightly be

“I’m resentful of good gift givers, and I believe we all should rightly be angered by their careless anticipation of our desires”

angered by their careless anticipation of our desires. By showing how good they are at finding the right thing, they make the fact of their competitiveness too obvious. You see this in the odd dramatised interaction that plays out around the exchange of gifts. The giver demurs, downplays, and gestures to the presence of a receipt the receiver knows not to ask for. The receiver is pinned down like a featured extra in a soap opera, because receiving a gift calls for the right mix of sincerity and surprise. (Nothing is ever really a surprise, unless someone has managed to sneak an Eames chair under the Christmas tree without your noticing.) You’re left mumbling thank-yous and you-shouldn’t-haves, and considering if you have anything on your person you could discreetly swop out for the Takealot voucher you stuffed into a gift bag purloined from your bag-of-bags. Many of us are bad gift givers, and the knowledge of this fact is galling. Several years ago, in a moment of panic, I gave a Bluetooth hands-free car kit to someone with whom I was besotted, who mercifully accepted the clunky imposition with good grace and never mentioned it again. The cringe shakes me to this day. Being expected to peer into someone’s soul is stress inducing, but the alternative is worse. What a picture of neglect is conjured when you tell someone (for all practical purposes), “I thought of you, but only to the extent that this domestic object suggests.” It says that all your shared background and history with the receiver can only find its reduction in an object that is unavoidably banal. The air fryer assumes laziness. Whisky infers age. Cufflinks suggest fussiness. And candles connote pyromania. There’s no formula for escaping banality, and this terrible realisation is perversely soothing to me, even if it is a wilful delusion. Don’t be tempted to do away with gifts — this is a tragic capitulation. Ignore the rules and the listicles: giving is the important thing. It’s an excuse to see the face of the one you care about, and that, after all, is the oldest and simplest of our social compacts.

IMAGES MARUSHY/ 123RF

y the time you read this, it will be too late. Those who leave their gift shopping until the malls are decked with ornaments and sinister context cues (Mariah Carey and Boney M competing in public) will know that the error is great, and the misfortune that follows greater still. The ordeal of gift buying is repeated each year, and each year we fall into the same fallacy of believing we will have enough time. “Christmas comes but once a year” is as much a threat as an exhortation. Miserably, this annual holiday throws up a perennial problem. Who knows what anyone actually wants? Gift giving is an anxiety-inducing dramatisation of society’s thraldom to consumerism. Christmas is presented as a testbed for how well you get on with people, an opportunity to demonstrate your good taste and the esteem in which you hold those around you. It’s a lesson in maintaining a warm demeanour even as you wonder whether Yuppiechef will be open on the 27th for you to return the bone-handled salad servers that are currently furrowing your vegan wife’s brow. The giving-receiving nexus is complicated and potentially sorrowful. Why else would one of the most popular Christmas songs feature George Michael lamenting his having given his heart to someone who gave it away the very next day? When you’re a child, Christmas is a simple affair. You wake in the pitch-dark and tiptoe to the lounge to see if Santa has been and gone. Then, gifts sighted, you go back to bed and await the hour when the wrapping can be deliriously ripped off and the presents ogled. We weren’t expected to furnish gifts for our parents, and so we passed from one Christmas to another believing that our pleasure was the only gift our parents needed. If you were to ask anyone around you what their most memorable Christmas gift was, the answer would invariably be something from childhood. Mine is a burgundy 1 /24-scale Ford Sapphire Cosworth I received at the age of six. I recall

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Brendon Petersen

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02. 03.

LAPTOP

1. MacBook Pro Apple’s new MacBook Pro is a return to form for the tech giant. Sporting a variety of ports, a new MagSafe charger, and a notched MiniLED display, the new MacBook Pro means business. Available in a 14-inch and a 16-inch variant with either an M1 Pro or an M1 Max system-on-chip (SoC), this is finally everything Apple pro users have asked for. While the M1 Pro- and M1 Max-powered laptops are somewhat heftier than their predecessors, this means that Apple has improved their battery life, with early reviews claiming a full day’s work while unplugged. And while there’s much online chatter about the notched display, the truly significant changes are the all-new chipsets. Successors to Apple’s in-house M1 SoC, the new M1 Pro and M1 Max boast unparalleled performance, with up to 64GB RAM and 8TB storage. From R36 299, istore.co.za

CAMERA

2. Hasselblad 907X 50C Initially a concept introduced in June 2019, the mirrorless medium-format 907X 50C is now a reality. Consisting of a modernised CFV II 50C digital back and the body of the new 907X, this camera connects Hasselblad’s legacy and future. It can function as a standalone digital camera, and can serve as a digital back for most Hasselblad V-System cameras made since 1957. With its 3.2-inch 2.36M-dot tilting rear display with full touch support and Hasselblad’s user interface, anyone familiar with the company’s

traditional medium-format cameras will feel at home. With the 907X, you’ll gain access to all the high-quality X-System lenses, as well as a vast range of Hasselblad optics (via adapters), including the H-System, V-System, and XPan lenses. Key features include a 50MP 43.8mm x 32.9mm CMOS sensor, 14 stops of dynamic range, the ability to capture 16-bit RAW images and full-resolution JPEGs, a USB-C port, full compatibility with all XCD and HC/HCD lenses, and integrated Wi-Fi. R134 012, ormsdirect.co.za

E-READER

battery life, it makes it easy to get lost in another world. And while it doesn’t evoke the nostalgia of opening a physical book, the new Kindle Paperwhite

4. Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition There’s a magic in getting lost in new worlds and learning new things. Only, many of us blaze through books

like wildfire, always looking for something new to read. Kindle, Amazon’s popular e-reader, solves that pain point, and now one can find and download new books with ease. Paired with a glarefree display and a long

Signature Edition has some unique advantages. With a flush-front design and 300ppi glare-free display, 10-week battery life, wireless charging, an

PRINTER

3. Instax Link Wide

auto-adjusting front light, 32GB storage for thousands of books, and an IPX8 rating, you’ll be able to take this Kindle anywhere. $189.99, amazon.com

Fujifilm’s new smartphone printer builds on the popularity of the Instax Mini Link and Instax Share SP-3 by being the first Instax printer to offer users the ability to print images measuring 86mm x 108mm, twice as large as those of its predecessors. Connecting to your smartphone via a dedicated app, the new printer is also the first to feature a new enhanced coloursaturation mode. Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, the Link Wide can easily be tossed in a bag or carried around by using the hand-strap. Available in ash white or mocha grey. R2 499, instax.co.za

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Lose yourself in the creative flow, or enjoy someone else’s creativity with these four gadgets

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THE GOODS

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A new development on an island off the coast of Mozambique promises to open mind, body, and soul text

Siphiwe Mpye

he local economy is set to benefit in multiple ways from a piece of paradise on an island 11km from the coast of Mozambique. The resort — a partnership between the Banyan Tree group and project developer Jack Truter — will reportedly offer ultraluxury hospitality, with the work of local suppliers, artisans, and staff tying it all together with a ribbon of sustainability. It’s set to open in 2022. We spoke to Eduardo Johnston Da Silva, general manager of Banyan Tree Ilha Caldeira. What was the thinking behind taking this concept to this part of the world for the first time? Banyan Tree is renowned for pioneering projects, both in geographical terms and in experiences offered to guests. The opportunity arose to open the first ultra-luxury property in Mozambique, with a full-villa host service, offering a soul-searching immersion into the Mozambican culture and way of life. What are the trends coming through on luxury and the African experience? There is a growing trend for guests to look for sense-of-place experiences that enhance their appreciation of the destination, where they learn about the culture, the traditions, the food, and the way of life of the people of the destination. There is also a strong focus on wellbeing, where guests look to take care of their bodies and minds.

How will Banyan Ilha Caldeira offer a sense of place? Our food and beverage concept is “regionally sourced, locally curated” — 70% of the menu will be local recipes and local products. The local ingredients will be the stars of the show. We have two restaurants on the island, one of them specialising in fish and seafood. All of the fish served will be caught by members of the local fishing community. This means that the menu will change daily to accommodate the fish and seafood caught on that particular day. Guests will be continuously surprised and delighted. The concept focuses on traditional Mozambican recipes. When the recipe is not from Mozambique, it needs to have a Mozambican twist, such as a spice, fruit or vegetable — a cashew fruit (not the nut) for example. There is a sustainability ethos that pervades the development. Please speak to that. Sustainability is one of our pillars, so we take it very seriously indeed. We will be the first Banyan Tree resort to be 100% solar powered. All our water is desalinated to drinkingwater quality; we bottle all the still and sparkling water offered at the resort. Even though this already exists at other Banyan Tree properties, all the energy used in the process of reverse osmosis is supplied by our solar panels. All our waste will be treated in a controlled

manner. Among other initiatives. we will use digesters for organic waste and offer the odourless fertiliser produced to local community members for their crops. Certified companies will recycle aluminium and glass waste. We have a treatment plant that turns sewage water into irrigation water, so that we may irrigate the flora and the produce grown on the island. Sustainability also encompasses what we do for the community. The majority of the associates employed — 95%, in fact — will be Mozambican nationals. What were the considerations as far as design was concerned? The resort has been designed to look like a typical rural village in Mozambique. This is ever so apparent when one flies over the resort. All the furniture is produced in a carpentry shop in Nampula, Mozambique, where all the artisans are Mozambican nationals and use traditional production means such as wood carving by hand. Mozambican artists took care of the artwork and decorative pieces. Members of the Makonde tribe made the salad tongs, for instance. The wine cellar was decorated with face brick produced in Larde, the closest village to the island. The bricks are made by hand and fired in a woodburning oven by a family that has been producing them for generations. banyantree.com/en/mozambique/ilhacaldeira

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Moz luxe

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STILL GRAND, STILL STANDING

A landmark of the French Riviera for more than a century, the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has been a byword for elegance and opulence with a sea view. The hotel, which perches on the southern tip of the Cap d’Antibes peninsula, offers 117 rooms and two villas from which you can enjoy acres of parkland interlaced with paths leading to the private pontoon and exclusive shoreline. Dip in the pool where Greta Garbo once swam, or book a skipper and head out on the elegant Aquariva Super. At day’s end, toast the Mediterranean with an Eden-Roc Splash, the hotel’s signature cocktail since 1934. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc opens for its summer season on 15 April 2022, with new culinary adventures by Michelinstarred chef Sébastien Broda. oetkercollection.com/hotels/hotel-ducap-eden-roc/

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Richard Holmes

Thank goodness these icons have survived the pandemic 4.

e get it. We know. Your wanderlust is bad right now. As the world opens up, it’s time to start planning your post-pandemic exploration. And while it’s worth celebrating the brave hoteliers opening new properties worldwide, at Wanted, we’re tipping our hat to those icons that have survived and thrived. Add these to your travelling bucket list.

1. PIER ONE SYDNEY HARBOUR, SYDNEY Set in a heritage building on the water’s edge, in the shadow of the famous bridge, Pier One Sydney has a dramatic location anchored in the city’s maritime history. The décor is casually elegant throughout, while The Gantry offers destination dining and a menu exploring contemporary Australian cuisine. Fancy a taste of charcoal grilled kangaroo? You’ll find it here. With tourist hotspots and the theatre district on the doorstep, it’s an enviable base from which to explore the city. pieronesydneyharbour.com.au

2. THE PLAZA, NEW YORK Since 1907, The Plaza has stood watch over the southern corner of Central Park, setting the bar skyscraper high for luxury hotels in New York. Despite an 18-month pandemic closure — among the longest in its history — the sense of timeless style remains. Revelling in its Beaux-Arts décor, The Plaza deftly blends continental charm with Manhattan chutzpah as gold-plated fittings balance out iPad-enabled amenities. Afternoon tea in the glittering Palm Court is a must, as is a treatment at the Guerlain Spa. fairmont.com/the-plaza-new-york

3. TAJ LAKE PALACE, UDAIPUR Cast adrift on the waters of Lake Pichola, the Taj Lake Palace has been a hedonistic hideaway since it was built in 1743. You’re whisked to the hotel by boat, before stepping into a warren of colourful murals and marble corridors. Lake views flood in from every direction, but be sure to book one of the 18 opulent suites with balconies gazing out towards the city. Then, wander the rooftop gardens, indulge in the Jiva Spa, and discover Rajasthani cuisine at Neel Kamal. tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-lake-palace-udaipur

IMAGES THE PLAZA; DAVE WHEELER; AND SUPPLIED

4. HOTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC, NICE

BLACK BEAUTIES Bold. Dramatic. Luxurious. We invite you to cross over to the dark side where you’ll discover the exquisite pleasure of Black Diamonds, alive with the magnificence of the raw, rich, African earth. Always unexpected and infinitely alluring, their enthralling glamour is made even more enticing when expertly crafted in 9ct Rose Gold.

Visit our flagship stores: V&A Waterfront Cavendish Square Canal Walk (CPT) | Eastgate Menlyn Mall of Africa Sandton (JHB) | Gateway Westville (KZN) Come in-store to be inspired or explore online at www.americanswiss.co.za

OBJET

production

Sahil Harilal

photography

Judd van Rensburg

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In the spotlight 28

Luxury gifting takes centre stage

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Opposite page Artel barware decanter R14 5OO Apsley House

Porcupine stool by Ronel Jordaan R9 665 Always Welcome

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GG embossed duffle bag, R53 OOO, Gucci

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Also available as: Meisterstück Around the World in 8O Days writing instrument with a roller ball nib, R26 5OO; Meisterstück Around the World in 8O Days writing instrument with a ball point nib, R22 7OO

Meisterstück Around the World in 8O Days writing instrument with medium fountain nib, R33 6OO, Montblanc

LV trainer sneakers R21 OOO Louis Vuitton

Opposite Page: Creed 5OML refillable atomiser R6 999 Skins Cosmetics

PHOTOGRAPHER JUDD VAN RENSBURG LIGHTING GLOW HIRE

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Stockists

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H O S E A M AT L O U “I fell in love with wood sculpting, especially working with pine and rustic wood, which has so much character. This wood has inspired my love for sculpting and creating because it has a story to tell.” V I S I T I - S P I R I T. C O . Z A

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LIFTING

Pernod Ricard invests millions in a festive-season campaign to support and upskill local artisans

his festive season, Pernod Ricard is spreading cheer in an exciting and sustainable way, creating jobs and uplifting artisans. The country is battling massive unemployment, and a big part of the potential solution to this enormous challenge is developing small local businesses. However, the government cannot create enough jobs to address this problem adequately on its own. Therefore, the only real solution lies in private-public partnerships to sustain these small businesses. To help achieve this, the world’s second-largest spirits company has invested R38 million locally into its 2021 Phakamisa ispirit (lift the spirit) festive season campaign to support employment opportunities in the country. Phakamisa ispirit is inspired by South Africa’s gifted woodenfurniture and lifestyle artisans and offers South Africans a gift that keeps on giving this holiday season. Pernod Ricard has also partnered with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) to ensure longevity and maximum impact during the roll-out of this project. Time after time, Pernod Ricard has shown itself to be not only an industry leader but also a potent example of how corporations can play a positive role in society. Its intent is to create conviviality and bring “Good Times from a Good Place” to the nation. As a well-established corporate in South Africa, the company feels it has a responsibility to invest in the local economy. These local makers often cannot afford the equipment they need and require training to progress their careers. Through its Phakamisa ispirit campaign, Pernod Ricard will provide these exceptionally gifted artisans with training, resources, and access to markets to help them

SPIRITS grow their businesses and create employment in South Africa. In partnership with the GDED, Pernod Ricard plans to create a sustainable environment for artisans by establishing five workshops across Gauteng in the next five years, accommodating approximately 100 makers. The first workshop in Thokoza, donated by the City of Ekurhuleni, is currently being refurbished for approximately 20 local artisans. This warehouse will accommodate artisans who work with wood, and makers at the facility will have access to Pernod Ricard and other strategic partners that will guarantee a stream of income for them. The aim is to grow

makers’ businesses to accommodate about 1 000 new jobs across all the workshops. The makers will also have access to a virtual showroom to photograph and instantly display their creations to a broad range of prospective online clients. Pernod Ricard’s Phakamisa ispirit campaign follows the brand’s 2020 festive season campaign, which redirected money traditionally spent on importing glass gift packs into the local economy instead. Local artists, manufacturers, and artisans were commissioned to produce gifts that accompanied select Pernod Ricard products, replacing the imported branded-glass gift packs historically found in stores over this period.

South Africans can support the new campaign by buying and enjoying one of their favourite Pernod Ricard spirit brands at select retail stores across the country. The participating brands are Jameson Select Reserve Irish whiskey, Ballantine’s Finest blended Scotch whisky, The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve single malt Scotch whisky, Chivas Regal 12YO blended Scotch whisky, and Beefeater London Dry gin. Each of the brands has unique packaging and comes with a bespoke gift (lemon squeezer, ice mould, or phone-speaker amplifier). The gifts are inspired by some of the country’s most gifted makers, who hand-carve wooden furniture and lifestyle items.

Part of the proceeds from every bottle sold will help provide local artisans with SETA-accredited courses covering business management, manufacturing, technology, and accounting, as most artisans do not have formal training. Through the emphasis on practical assistance, they will also be given the necessary resources to grow their businesses. This goes a long way in helping to close the divide between the informal economy and access to formal training. “As an established corporate in South Africa, it’s our responsibility to invest in the local economy and our local makers, who are at the heart of the country’s economy. These makers often cannot afford the equipment they need and require training to progress their careers. Our Phakamisa ispirit campaign will provide these exceptionally gifted artisans with training, resources, and access to markets to help them grow their businesses and create employment in South Africa,” says Gregory Leymarie, Chief Executive Officer Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Phakamisa ispirit campaign was launched at Gallery MOMO

in Joburg in mid-November in a celebration of Pernod Ricard’s values and the spirit of ubuntu. Parks Tau, the MEC for economic development, environment, agriculture, and rural development, said in a speech at the event, “It is imperative that we applaud Pernod Ricard’s initiative and contribution towards localisation. The fact that you chose to invest in the building of local capacity shows a deep sense of solidarity and patriotism. It will assist in uplifting spirits. It is through efforts like these that we can grow an inclusive economy.” Tau continued, “We endeavour to work hand in hand with Pernod Ricard to make sure that this pilot in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, is a success, so that this model can be replicated… In the long term, I would love to see this partnership evolving into a deeper participation by Pernod Ricard and other corporate partners in accelerating transformation and the participation of youth and women in high-growth priority sectors, particularly the food, beverages, and agro-processing sector.” Also in attendance were Pernod Ricard CEO Gregory Leymarie, head of the GDED Blake Mosley-Lefatola, and two local artisans, Hosea Matlou and Sandile Tsulo. Matlou is the founder and owner of Hosea Studios, a business in Hatfield, Pretoria, that creates furniture, picture frames, and mirrors. Aside from running his business, Matlou also helps train youth at the Hatfield-based Reliable House: Harm Reduction Centre. He is deeply grateful for the assistance from the campaign, saying, “I am so thankful for platforms like Pernod Ricard’s Phakamisa ispirit programme, which set out to support local makers by providing resources for us to learn new skills, acquire new tools, and access online platforms that allow us to promote ourselves.” The campaign will allow

him to reach a far greater range of customers and grow his business. Tsulo, who owns a wood-pallet business called Silanda Fresh in Westonaria, creates rustic and environmentally friendly furniture from repurposed and upcycled timber. Tsulo is excited about the future and for more people to experience his craft, saying, “I want my job and my skills to touch people and give everyone ‘all the feels’. I want to uplift my friends and help people grow up in a good-looking home. A good start, starting with your environment, equates to a beautiful life. I’m inspired by my gift and potential, as well as by seeing clients’ reactions to my work.” According to the South African National Development Plan, the country needs to create 11 million jobs by 2030 — 90% of which are expected to come from an expansion in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Phakamisa ispirit aligns with these goals and is focused on incubating new and established SMEs to reach their full potential. This focus aligns neatly with the Growing Gauteng Together 2030 initiative by empowering a sector of the economy that has high employment potential. The Phakamisa ispirit campaign, with the participation of the GDED, will evoke positive change through processes of economic recovery, reindustrialisation, youth employment, and the development of township economies.

Last year, the group also helped to launch The Bar World of Tomorrow in South Africa, a free online course available to all adults. The course’s contents are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and covers aspects of sustainability and responsibility in the night-life sector. Waste management, ingredient vetting, and responsible beverage serving are covered. During the pandemic last year, when many members of the bar and restaurant community lost their livelihoods, the #KeepTheSpirit campaign helped alleviate some of the hardship faced. Pernod Ricard contributed R2 million to support nearly 1 000 workers impacted by the initial lockdowns. Pernod Ricard’s corporate social-responsibility initiatives and

Hosea Matlou

“South Africa’s entrepreneurs already have to contend with the challenges associated with Covid-19, making it extremely difficult for them to grow, let alone survive,” says GDED director of special projects and partnerships, Tseliso Mohlomi. “The role of these businesses in creating jobs and stimulating the economy is critically important, which is why we’ve partnered with Pernod Ricard to provide them with the resources they need to succeed in this turbulent economic climate.” The Phakamisa ispirit campaign is an important next step in Pernod Ricard’s realisation of its philanthropic and sustainability goals, with widereaching effects. Representing brands such as Jameson Irish whiskey, Absolut vodka, G.H. Mumm champagne, and Beefeater London Dry gin — which is headquartered in France — has been recognised as a top employer across Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. Its three foundational values — entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics — serve as the pillars of its business practices. Pernod Ricard’s desire to create a more convivial world, a world without excess, is expressed authentically and with genuine commitment through numerous social investments and projects to fight alcohol misuse. The collective and individual responsibility of its staff has played an active role in cementing Pernod Ricard as a powerful and

influential force for change, as well as an ethical and respected employer, despite the apparent contradictions of the industry. Reaffirming its 2018 strategic plan “Transform and Accelerate”, the company’s long-term strategy is focused on sustainable development for all stakeholders. In line with its three foundational values, Pernod Ricard strives to protect the environment in which it operates, to promote responsible consumption, and to uplift the local population through its business strategies. One example of this ethos is the Autosobriety Training Programme to Prevent Drink-Driving — an interactive educational programme launched in Durban. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with 100 driving schools, where learner drivers are taught about the risks of drunk driving, the legal ramifications, and their personal responsibility, in a hybrid model involving virtual reality and teaching. A total of 5 000 drivers are expected to benefit.

Sandile Tsulo

campaigns against alcohol misuse underline the company’s focus on uplifting stakeholders and the environment. It plays an active role in mitigating societal issues while empowering those most in need of assistance. In addition, its festive Phakamisa ispirit campaign directly gives back to the community, as part of each gift-set sale contributes to the campaign and places the local economy at the forefront of the multinational’s sales. Pernod Ricard sets a crucially important and influential standard for creating change and supporting the developmental and economic goals of South Africa. Gift packs are available at most liquor stores and are a meaningful way of giving back while gifting to a loved one.

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U LT I M AT E G I F T S

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Mark Smyth

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MONEY NO OBJECT?

If you want to give someone one of the very best bikes, cars, yachts, or even planes out there, here are some very Wanted choices

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CAR | ELECTRIC MUSTANG BY CHARGE CARS, FROM £300 000 Here’s the thing — technically, you can’t buy an electric Ford Mustang by Charge Cars in South Africa yet and, since only 499 will be built, you may never be able to do so, but the thing about a wish list is that it’s a wish list and money is no object, so you make a plan. We thought about putting the Bentley Continental GT Speed, Ferrari Roma, or even the Zenvo TSR-S at the top of the list, but just look at that Mustang. It’s dark, sinister, and predatory, as though

a car from the future has come back to scare us. Ok, it hasn’t, but you get the idea. It is, however, a brand-new, original Mustang body shell on an Arrival electric-vehicle platform with design and tech by clever people who used to work for McLaren and Jaguar Land Rover. Plus, it’s electric with 400kW and 1 520Nm of torque. Not only is this the coolest car on the planet right now, it’s also good for the planet.

The Gulfstream G400 is among the quietest and bestequipped jets available, with a wide range of interior options

BIKE | DUCATI MULTISTRADA V4 S, FROM R358 700 It’s no surprise that a Ducati is top of the motorcycle wish list. Yes, the BMW GS is the big seller when it comes to an all-rounder, but nothing really gets the pulse racing like a Ducati. It’s the Lamborghini of motorbikes and, in the case of the Multistrada V4 S, not just a 170hp sports bike. Rather, this is a go-anywhere bike, capable of weaving through the traffic in style on the way to the office, taking on Franschhoek Pass at the weekend, or heading off in search of roads less travelled when you just need to get away and be at one with yourself and the bike.

1.The Tankoa Sportiva 55 features contemporary design and functionality for those who want to experience the best life on the ocean waves. 2. Gulfstream launched its new G4OO this year, which promises to take you anywhere you want to go in comfort and privacy. 3. The Electric Mustang by Charge Cars is clean, green, and boy does it look mean. We like it, a lot. 4. The Ducati Multistrada V4 S is one of the best all-rounder bikes money can buy.

PLANE | GULFSTREAM G400, FROM

YACHT | TANKOA SPORTIVA

$35 MILLION If you’re expecting us to say the new Gulfstream G400, we won’t disappoint you. It was the first long-range, large-cabin private jet launched in years when it debuted earlier this year. It might not match the big, longdistance jets when it comes to range, but it will still cover 7 778km at a speed of up to Mach 0.85 — enough to get you to Dubai and almost enough to get you to Geneva, requiring just a brief splash-and-dash on the way. When the first G400s are delivered in 2025, they will be among the quietest and best-equipped jets available, with a wide range of interior options that can be tailored to meet all your flying needs. With a price tag of around $35 million, it’s surprisingly well priced too (for a private jet, that is).

55, POA 2021 has seen some amazing superyachts come out of shipyards, although we’re still waiting for Jeff Bezos’ 127m new mega yacht. We’ve also seen some incredible concepts, but despite the kind of unlimited budget that would get you the new Lürssen Nord or the Oceanco Kairos, the Tankoa Sportiva 55 grabbed our attention. It’s a wonderful piece of contemporary design with a rear-deck beach club, master stateroom, four ensuite bedrooms, a large window that sits on the water line, and the option for the yacht to be fitted with a hybrid propulsion system. It’s the kind of yacht on which we really could live happily ever after, forever.

MOTORING

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Range Rover interior

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Denis Droppa

The infotainment is provided by a Pivi Pro system featuring a 13.1-inch curved touchscreen with haptic feedback, while the instrument panel is a 13.7-inch interactive display enjoy an entertainment system with adjustable 11.4-inch HD touchscreens, complete with a Wi-Fi hotspot and HDMI ports to connect devices. Remote park assist allows drivers to guide the big SUV into tight spaces using a smartphone app while standing outside the vehicle. It is the most agile Range Rover yet, featuring an electronic roll-control system, all-wheel steering for maximised high-speed stability with improved lowspeed manoeuvrability, and pre-emptive independent air suspension that reads the road ahead and primes the vehicle for upcoming corners. Intelligent all-wheel drive automatically distributes torque between the front and rear axles, and across the

rear axle, for optimum traction onand off-road. An active locking rear differential ensures maximum grip during high-speed cornering, on slippery surfaces, and during off-road driving. While owners of this premium SUV might be hesitant to take it wallowing through mud, the new Range Rover retains the off-road prowess of its predecessors with a Terrain Response 2 system that offers six modes for varying surface conditions. Power is supplied by a choice of six-cylinder turbo diesel or eightcylinder petrol turbo engines, with a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to arrive in 2023 and a pure-electric Range Rover in 2024. Instead of the previous 5.0-litre supercharged V8, the range-topping P530 model uses BMW’s 4.4 TwinPower turbo with outputs of 390kW and 750Nm, capable of thrusting the big SUV from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds and to a top speed of 250km/h. The D350 diesel produces 257kW and 700Nm, for a 6.1 second 0-100 sprint. The new PHEV pairs a six-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and has an electric-only range of up to 100km. The PHEV will be available in two outputs: 323kW and 620Nm in the P440e, and 375kW and 700Nm in the more powerful P510e. The new luxury SUV will be available in South Africa in a choice of HSE and Autobiography models. A First Edition will be available in the first year of production, based on the Autobiography and featuring an exclusive Sunset Gold Satin finish with a choice of five exterior colours. Pricing and final specifications will be confirmed closer to the launch.

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ange Rover created the luxury SUV class 51 years ago, and now the wraps have come off the new, fifth-generation model. It is headed to South Africa in the second half of 2022 to compete with the MercedesMaybach GLS and BMW X7. Like its predecessors, the premium British SUV offers go-anywhere ability in maximum comfort, with technology that has taken a leap forward. Styling-wise, there’s been no fiddling with a successful recipe. It is still instantly recognisable as a Range Rover with its trademark chunky profile and short overhangs, but has been tidied up with minimalist detailing that includes flush-fitting door handles and a simplified version of the traditional side graphic behind the front wheels. A drag coefficient of 0.30 makes it the world’s most aerodynamically efficient luxury SUV, says Land Rover. The rear adopts the most noticeable restyle with a distinctive arch that incorporates slim new darkened LED tail lights that are “hidden” until they light up. This new boat-tail rear comes with the traditional split tailgate. The British SUV will be available in standard and long-wheelbase versions, with the latter offering seven seats for the first time. This new Range Rover pulls out all the stops in terms of luxury. The cabin is lined with sumptuous materials, including plated metals, smooth ceramics, mosaic marquetry, and soft, nearaniline leather. A new SV Signature Suite option on long-wheelbase models pampers passengers with massaging seats, an electrically deployable Club Table that rises theatrically from the centre console, and reclining rear seats. Active noise cancellation helps create one of the quietest vehicle interiors on the road by monitoring wheel vibrations, tyre noise, and engine sounds, and by generating a cancelling signal through 35 speakers. All four passenger doors are power assisted, and they work when the vehicle is parked at angles of up to 10 degrees while off-road. Digitisation has been used to achieve a clean, uncluttered cabin. The infotainment is provided by a Pivi Pro system featuring a 13.1-inch curved touchscreen with haptic feedback, while the instrument panel is a 13.7-inch interactive display. Rear passengers can

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The New Range Rover takes comfort to the max

5-STAR LUXURY

C O L L A B O R AT I O N

MORE THAN A LIFESTYLE

City Centre at Steyn City is the apex of secure, luxury apartment living

here’s nothing to beat the convenience of apartment living. Compact and easy to maintain, these homes are ideal for people who enjoy a hassle-free lifestyle, allowing them to come and go as they please. Now Steyn City’s City Centre has taken this concept to new heights, introducing the spaciousness typically enjoyed in free-standing homes where families opt to spend more time living and less maintaining. When Steyn City Properties recently introduced the City Centre to the market, it was with the promise that this development would change the way people think about luxury apartment living. The cornerstone of this promise is the 2 000-acre indigenous parkland that is Steyn City’s signature; planted with a million trees and shrubs to create a home for a wealth of bird and animal species — and giving residents access to one of the largest and most secure back gardens in South Africa. This means that, while free from the burdens that come with upkeep, the families making their home at the City Centre have more hours to explore and discover every day. An outdoor sculpture park, outdoor exercise stations, and play nodes for children set the stage for memorable family moments. in addition, there are all the other facilities offered by Steyn City, including golf, an equestrian centre with a clubhouse, fishing, cycling, a fully equipped gym, a choice of restaurants, resort pools, a 45km floodlit promenade for jogging no matter the time of day or night, a 50km mountain-bike track, and tennis — all of which can be enjoyed with the total peace of mind that comes from Steyn City’s outstanding security measures.

Added to this, the design of the City Centre lends itself to a cosmopolitan, sophisticated lifestyle. Rather than the monolithic design associated with apartment blocks, the City Centre comprises a series of villages cascading down a hillside in the manner of the world’s most picturesque capitals. Each village is built around a piazza, inviting residents to step into the treed shade of a gathering spot that will, in time, be lined with buzzing, select retail stores and restaurants — the perfect spot to enjoy a cappuccino or a glass of wine after work. At the heart of the City Centre’s curated lifestyle are time-savers, such as an on-site school campus. Not only does Steyn City School offer a future-focused curriculum taught by an outstanding teaching staff but its proximity to homes also means that the daily school run is minimised, as is the endless ferrying between extramurals. Similarly, AAA-grade offices at Capital Park make it possible to arrive at work within minutes, without wasting time in a frustrating commute. Tying it altogether is an unrivalled range of leisure facilities, starting with a 300m-long lagoon that turns every day into a holiday. Whether splashing about on a pedalo, SUP boarding, kayaking, or simply enjoying a gelato or icy beverage from the Laguna kiosk, City Centre residents have no need to envy their coastal-dwelling counterparts. If, however, they do feel the need to get away, it takes only minutes to schedule a flight at the Steyn City Ultimate Helistop. City Centre – where every day is extraordinary From R2.3 million to R35 million To make an exclusive booking, telephone 010 597 1170, email ccsales@steyncity.co.za or visit www.steyncity.co.za

T H I S I S N ’ T Y O U R N E X T H O L I D AY. I T ’ S YO U R N E X T H O M E . Secure luxury apartment living.

Where else would you find prime waterfront property in the heart of Johannesburg? Or be able to go kayaking in a sparkling lagoon to relax after work? Where else could you enjoy the convenience of a modern city environment with its state-of-the-art amenities, while surrounded by unspoilt natural splendour? This is City Centre, the apex of secure, luxury apartment living.

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Apartments from R2.3m up to R35m. Visit www.steyncity.co.za to book your exclusive viewing.

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Di sp a t ch e s o n a l l t h i n g s c ool , c ove t a bl e , a n d c onve r s a t i o n - wo r t hy

A S L U X U RY T R E N D S B E C O M E M O R E A B O U T E X P E R I E N C E S T H A N P O S S E S S I O N S , W E O F F E R YO U S O M E E C L E C T I C O P T I O N S F R O M A R O U N D T H E WO R L D

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ver the past few years, luxury has become less about ownership and more about the experience. The high-end consumer wants more than just luxury goods and, at this time of the year, is searching for gifts with resonance. There is a growing need for brands and businesses to cater to more sophisticated expectations in terms of authenticity, sustainability, and personalisation. Most importantly, it’s about oncein-a-lifetime, transformative experiences that make a lasting impression — ones that leave people changed. According to the latest Bain & Company Luxury Study, released in November, the market for luxury experiences such as travel, dining, and entertainment has grown at a much faster pace than that for luxury goods. Experienced-based goods are expected to rebound quicker, while the recovery of the luxury experiences market, which has lagged due to Covid-19 restrictions, is dependent on the normalisation of tourism. What started out as a fad has now become a business strategy that luxury brands have had to adopt in order to stay abreast of changing consumer demands. The experience economy, a term first used in the Harvard Business Review in 1998, speaks to the shift to creating immersive consumer experiences. Dior, which opened its Dior Café in 2019 in the Miami Design District, just one street from the Fendi Caffe, has since offered pop-ups in restaurants

in Seoul and Singapore for exclusive dining experiences, presenting a menu and cuisine reflective of the maison and its Cruise 2022 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. At $25 for an iced coffee, guests enjoy the proximity to a brand that

has extended the red-carpet treatment beyond its retail offering. Similarly, aiming to bolster the shopping experience, Gucci has moved into 63 Wooster Street, in Soho, New York, developing a new way to engage with the eclectic and creative

philosophy of the brand. The destination house Gucci Wooster is a treasure trove of restored architectural design, bold colours and fabrication, vintage fixtures, and memorabilia, complete with innovative screens featuring glasses-free 3D technology. Private

and personalised in-store, phone, and video visits are available by appointment. As luxury — and the way in which we define it — continues to evolve, these emerging trends can help you gift with intention, and perhaps change a loved one’s life.

1. Sabbatical

LAMU WRITING RETREAT ccording to US Bureau of Labour statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021, with the greatest numbers being in the 30-to-45 age group. While the “Great Resignation” hasn’t hit figures close to this in South Africa, Covid-19 has forced many to rethink their lives as a result of heightened work pressure, burnout, a search for purpose, or a change in pace. A writing retreat for you or someone in your life may be just the thing if you’re looking for a time-out in a magical setting. Join writers, creatives, and yogis on Lamu — a tiny island off the east coast of Kenya and a destination du jour. While staying at the legendary Peponi Hotel, you’ll enjoy group and/or individual writing classes with writing coach and literary agent Sarah Bullen, while festival owner Georgia Black will curate yoga sessions, moonlight dhow trips, snorkelling, island-hopping, and decadent seafood feasts. More importantly, you will have a chance to find your story, connect, rest, and dream. The retreat takes place from 19-25 September 2022. thewritingroom.co.za/

lamuretreat.html

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2. Exclusive Access

SOHO HOUSE CWH MEMBERSHIP members’ club founded in 1995 with the aim of creating a home for and connecting creative souls, and growing together, having fun and making an impact, Soho House can now be found in countries across the world. The membership club was recently launched in South Africa, with a presence in Joburg and Cape Town, as part of the Cities Without Houses (CHW) initiative, aimed at people who live and work in cities that don’t have a House yet. Members can attend invitation-only events, connect with others in their home city as part of the Soho House community, and access Houses all over the world when they travel. From private gallery viewings and music nights to sourdough classes and pop-up dinners, every city has its own monthly events calendar. The events “must always feel effortless, never fussy, very welcoming and, if not unexpected, they need to connect us to something cultural or bring us back to ourselves or broaden our way of thinking”, says Zanele Kumalo, Soho House CWH liaison for Joburg, who is responsible for building community and curating exclusive experiences for members in the city. sohohouse.com

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3. Transient Hotels

700’000 HEURES he world’s first ephemeral hotel, 700’000 Heures, was established in 2018, and can only be experienced by a private community of members — le Cercle des Amazirs. This is a nomadic approach to hospitality, with the hotel’s location being shifted every few months to help alleviate guests’ concerns about their travel footprint and to elevate the communities which it inhabits for a spell. According to the website, “In each new destination, 700’000 Heures empowers locals to create our unique sanctuaries and welcome you in these dream homes that exist within, not apart from, their community.” The name 700’000 Heures comes from the average number of hours a person spends on Earth, and the concept was born out of founder Thierry Teyssier’s love for discovering new places and exploring different cultures, according to Net-A-Porter.

4. Hands-on Meals

MUSASHI BY AMAN hile Michelin-star restaurants remain the holy grail, more and more travellers are after a gastronomic experience that brings with it an understanding of provenance and culture. And this is what master chef Hiroyuki Musashi offers — an exclusive taste of authentic, traditional sushi in the Edomae style at Musashi by Aman, at the Aman Tokyo hotel. He is dedicated to quality and creates his omakase sushi masterpieces with rice he grows himself, fed by spring waters from Mount Fuji. Omakase, which translates to “I will leave it to you”, is about giving the chef complete creative control, allowing him to conjure up dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients of his own liking for your pleasure. aman.com/

hotels/aman-tokyo

700000heures.com

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5. Barefoot Luxury

KRAAKTAFEL purred by a passion for hospitality and design, Hannes and Tina Maritz developed the unconventional event company kraak, and 10 years later added Eduan Ross and Christell Vermeulen to the team. “Luxury has changed — going from flashing lights to a candle. People have started to appreciate the value of taking things slowly and being in the moment without having to jeopardise innovation and drive. The world was moving at a pace where ‘more’ was always ‘more’, and then the world came to a stop. When this change started to happen we were smiling from ear to ear, as it aligns with our values and beliefs,” says Hannes Maritz. “Barefoot luxury is one of our fundamental legs and we would love to believe that somewhere a seed was planted 10 years ago that will grow along with this new movement that the world so desperately needs.” While the company mainly curates weddings and events for a clientele that’s predominantly international, kraaktafel has become the business’s calling card, a representation of kraak’s values. The quarterly experience attracts “people who understand the new idea of luxury and the approach of being exposed and vulnerable to nature while experiencing true hospitality and conversations”. Picture long, long, long tables with white tablecloths and minimalist settings, winding along a path amid greenery or golden fields of wheat, depending on the season and location. Taking place four times a year at different venues, with a maximum seating capacity of 300, the next tafel will be on 22 January 2022 in Stellenbosch.

kraak.co.za

6. Wellness

THE SAXON SPA estled in the tree-lined suburb of Sandhurst, the Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa has brought a new focus on wellness and mindfulness since reopening in May 2021. Luxurious amenities include the spa, comprising eight treatment rooms, a spa café and hair studio, and a modern gym with kinesis equipment. According to Saxon Spa manager Tanya Lopes, “A global shift in the consciousness of self-care has revived muchneeded conscious learning of our environmental and physical factors, forcing us to prioritise the importance of applying mindfulness to all our actions and thoughts, slow down our thoughts, and be aware of our actions without letting our concerns affect the enjoyment of every moment.”

UNFOUND TREASURE

Is there a “lost hoard” in your history?

IMAGES COPYRIGHT SOHO HOUSE PARIS, ALEXANDRE TABASTE; COPYRIGHT SOHO HOUSE ROME; COPYRIGHT SOHO HOUSE TEL AVIV, JAFFA, SIVAN ASKAYO, MPUMELELO MACU; KRAAK, DANIELA ZONDAGH; MOUNT FUJI.ITSARET/123RF AND SUPPLIED

he legend of the missing Kruger millions — part of what numismatic scholars refer to as the “Lost Hoard” — is a mystery that has long inspired intrepid treasure hunters and braai-side truthseekers alike. While no definitive account has ever been produced for the missing Kruger millions, this piece of history is embedded, nevertheless, in the South African psyche and has given rise to a vast array of urban legends. Earlier this year, a large cache of gold Kruger “ponde” was discovered in a Swiss vault. This significant find of rare South African gold coins has reignited the debate about the legend. In addition, it has encouraged people to investigate whether there is a “lost hoard” of coins somewhere in their family history.

The mindfulness journey allows guests to shake off the outside world temporarily, with offerings such as the new Bellabaci massage, a treatment based on a silicone cupping technique to aid in drainage and detoxification; the Digital Detox Journey, which allows guests to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with themselves; sleep therapy, which takes place on a dry flotation bed, to calm the high levels of anxiety triggered by sleep deprivation; a La Prairie illuminating White Caviar facial and a Lux Collagen Recovery facial; and the Saxon Signature sound therapy with crystal therapy, among other treatments. saxon.co.za

UNRAVELLING ANOTHER MYSTERY Seven of the 50 Fabergé eggs crafted for the Russian Imperial family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been lost and may still be out there, waiting to be discovered. While the quest for the missing eggs has not yet turned up any of these priceless treasures, you can still add this Peter Carl Fabergé Rose Trellis 2021 Mongolia 2oz high-relief proof silver coin to your collection.

“It might not be the Kruger millions, but anyone turning up a gold coin from somewhere in their own family history has a reason to celebrate,” says Rael Demby, CEO of the South African Gold Coin Exchange and The Scoin Shop. “It is not unusual for clients to approach us with a coin collection inherited from a family member, and in that stash are some valuable, important finds.” The steady accumulation of Krugerrands and other gold coins creates a legacy, builds inter-generational wealth, and protects against inflation, economic upheaval, and currency fluctuations. Krugerrands, gold coins, and collectables distinguish themselves as safe-haven assets that always maintain their value.

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he new project headlined by celebrated local chef Ryan Cole is a one-of-a-kind offering for the Mother City. The club boasts two restaurants and a champagne bar — perfect for revellers of all fine things. “I’m looking forward to bringing the much-loved international beach-club concept to Cape Town in a way that aligns with the city’s love of fine cuisine but also offers a great venue where people can party and play,” Cole says of the project. Besides the Beach Club, there’s Violet, a restaurant, and also a caviar and champagne bar, a relaxed lounge space, plunge pool, and a stage. The team has spared no effort in ensuring that Cabo is the ultimate playground for the discerning and sophisticated. The Beach Club is the more casual of the two eateries, perfect for long, lazy, poolside lunches in the sun. Expect an interesting and refined take on casual dining with the likes of whole baked fish, woodfired flatbreads, contemporary sushi, and bountiful fresh salads. Violet showcases the chef ’s signature approach to modern European dining, with a selection of decadent and refined small plates. In alignment with Cole’s fervent dedication to sustainability and local cuisine, the menu will change both seasonally and based on the produce available during any given week. Currently on offer is slow-cooked lamb, peanut pork belly, and crayfish thermidor. For a truly opulent exper-ience, head upstairs to the caviar and champagne bar. Here, you can indulge in caviar, oysters, and sushi while sitting on the deck overlooking the club. The sophisticated and highly focused menu is inspired by Cole’s love for the ocean and his delicate approach to working with seafood. Designed by KT Interiors, each space has been carefully curated and decorated for both optimal aesthetic and purpose with a strong influence and inspiration drawn from the sea, sea life, and beachclub culture around the world. The Beach Club mirrors the gorgeous ocean it looks out over in shades of white and blue and really beckons you to relax and bask in a holiday mood. When it comes to Violet, warmer burnt-orange and natural-earth tones and greys, together with textures of concrete, wood, and brass create a modern and elegant setting in which Cole’s fine food takes centre stage. In addition to its standard offering, the venue will offer special events and entertainment where it will exude its international flair with a host of curated musical appearances and parties.

LET’S TA K E I T BACK TO THE BEACH CLUB

C a p e To w n ’ s new Cabo Beach Club promises to be the hottest place to see and be seen this summer

FOOD / text

Steve Steinfeld

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the new vintage of series c, available now www.vilafonte.com/seriesĥc

DRINKS

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Wade Bales

now someone with a serious crush on craft beer? Then look no further for the ultimate gift. Jack Black’s most recent addition is a limited-release, premium grapefruit radler called Super Crush. With only 3% ABV and a natural fruity flavour, it’s the perfect daytime, alltime beer — just in time for summer. Sold in a sustainably packaged six-pack wrap, bottled in a 330ml bottle, and priced at R109.99 per six-pack from selected retailers.

BOSCHENDAL NICOLAS

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02.

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ALL THINGS NICE

REGIONAL SERIES STELLENBOSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018

05.

In an ode to its innovative founders — Alexandre Bisquit and Adrien Dubouché — this premium cognac undergoes traditional double distillation, but then allows intuition to take over, with the master distiller waiting to cut at the exact right moment. Both the soft, fresh V.S. and the distinctly matured V.S.O.P. (awarded Cognac VSOP of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition) are gifts that will keep on giving.

BISQUIT & DUBOUCHÉ COGNAC

I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H WA N T E D

n South Africa’s chenin blanc heartland, five of Breedekloof’s top winemakers each contributed their best chenin blanc barrels. The result: a complex nose of Golden Delicious apple and nectarine, with a slight flinty note. Pristine, elegant, and fruitforward, the palate exudes good concentration balanced with vibrant acidity and well-judged oak.

Having just won first place in Wine Magazine’s “Prescient Sauvignon Blanc Report 2021: Sauv-Sem Blends Top 10”, this special blend represents a very special region and project — one that combines the talents and best barrels of nine of Constantia’s top winemakers and farms. Luscious flavours of citrus and winter melon, with an undertone of sweet spice, ensure that this will be a welcome gift under any tree or on any festive table.

REGIONAL SERIES CONSTANTIA WHITE 2019

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John Platter awarded five stars to this renowned regional series, with five of Stellenbosch’s best winemakers having contributed their finest cabernet sauvignon barrels to produce the ultimate expression of their region’s signature style. A deep ruby hue gives way to aromas of dark cherries and dried cranberries. Wonderfully complex, the tannins are soft and integrated. A pleasure to drink now, this wine will continue to intrigue for years to come.

Wade Bales is a wellknown wine négociant and merchant

Forget Saint Nick — Nicolas is a luscious blend of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot, and petit verdot. Named after one of Boschendal’s founding pioneers, this special blend brims with character, depth, and vibrant fruit.

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FITBIT CHARGE 5 04

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1. Cutler & Gross sunglasses, from R6 483, Farfetch, farfetch.com/za

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GIF TING

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2. Tom Ford sunglasses, R6 590, Sunglass Hut za.sunglasshut.com

The ultimate gifts for loved ones who adore the finer things in life

05.

As New Year’s resolutions go, improving your health is usually high up on the list for most of us, which is why the Fitbit Charge 5 is such a perfect gift. Available in a variety of colours, the Charge 5 is not only the most advanced fitness and health tracker from the Google-owned company but also one of the most subtly stylish. With a brighter display and a host of impressive features, including Fitbit Pay, an EDA Scan sensor for stress management, six months of free Fitbit Premium, and seven days of battery life, it’s no surprise that this is Will Smith’s Fitbit of choice. R3 999 at various retailers, including superbalist.com

5. Bulgari Le Gemme Opalon EDP, R5 000, bulgari.com

03.

The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 1S has an 18 650-power lithium battery that produces a top speed of 25km/h and has a range of up to 30km. So, you’ll be able to make roughly two-anda-half roundtrips from the Cape Town city centre to Clifton 4th Beach on a single charge. Foldable and weighing only 12.5kg, this is perfect for a jaunt to the beach. R8 999,

DJI ACTION 2 03 Taking on GoPro, DJI’s new Action 2 is a modular action camera unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s hard to believe that this tiny camera, which measures a miniscule 39mm by 22mm and weighs a mere 56g, is capable of recording 4K video. The Action 2 has a 12MP sensor with 4K recording capability, a lens with a 155-degree field of view, and a 1.76inch OLED touchscreen covered by gorilla glass.

incredible.co.za

06.

It can be submerged in up to 10m without a waterproof case. Thanks to an array of magnets that expand its usability, you’re able to attach

another touchscreen, an extra battery, or a range of mounts. You can even wear it around your neck. From R8 195, droneworld.co.za

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SONOS ARC 09 This one is for the movie buffs. Sonos’ top-tier soundbar features 11 highperformance drivers that will give you crisp highs, dynamic midranges, and surprisingly impressive bass in a beautifully slim design. It has Dolby Atmos surround sound and has been tuned with the assistance of Oscarwinning sound engineers to emphasise the human voice, so you won’t miss a word when watching the next big blockbuster at home. As a Sonos product, not only is the Arc great for your hometheatre setup but it’s also perfect for a multi-room dance party. Compatible with the Sonos S2 app and with a choice between Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Arc is easily controlled from your phone or via your voice. If you want an even more immersive experience, pair Arc with a Sonos Sub or any of your existing Sonos products. R19 999,

07.

8. Keira mules, R25 000, Dolce & Gabbana

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7. Swarovski Harmonia Cuff, R7 650, Spilhaus

09.

planetworld.co.za

CLCKR 10 Pronounced “clicker”, this low-tech gadget is similar in concept to the pop socket, only better — Clckr not only makes your phone more manageable but also props it up (in either landscape or portrait), which ensures that watching YouTube or making video calls is a

more enjoyable handsfree experience. Available as part of a Clckr case for select phones, or as a standalone attachment that sticks to the back of almost any phone or case, Clckr turns your beautiful large-screen device into a more secure onehanded one. From R199, takealot.com

11.

PENHALIGON’S THE INIMITABLE WILLIAM PENHALIGON 11 Regal and majestic, this fragance will be adored by any lover of exotic, earthy scents, with notes of bergamot, jasmine, vetiver, incense, sandalwood, and ambrox. EDP 75ml, R5 190, skins.co.za

10.

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CHAMAREL 2012 HIGHVELD AGING SERIES 12

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Aged in French oak casks for at least six years, Chamarel’s famous XO rum has been taken one step further in this limited edition, with an additional two years of ageing in a first-fill Moscatel cask. Its darkmahogany hue hints at the dusty spice that abounds on the nose, followed by inklings of jasmine and cranberry on the palate and a long, warm finish. Available nationally at select finewine merchants for approximately R1 675 per bottle.

13. KitchenCraft cafetiere, R1 429, yuppiechef.co.za

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CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATTE RÉSERVE EXCLUSIVE BRUT ROSÉ 15 Nothing marks festivities like real French champagne. Inspired by the famous cherryblossom season in Japan, each bottle is adorned with delicate pink petals. A gorgeous pomegranate pink, this creamy champagne is fresh and vibrant with a touch of floral enchantment on the nose and palate. It retails nationally for R860.

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JACQUES BRUÉRE BRUT RESERVE 2012 17

14. Glass-top humidor with tray for 40 cigars, R5 000, cigars.co.za

DELHEIM GRAND RESERVE 2017 16 Delheim’s latest Grand Reserve marks the 40th anniversary of its flagship Bordeaux blend, which is only made in years of exceptional quality. This vintage was awarded John Platter’s coveted

five stars. Delheim’s online store is offering a complimentary magnum of Delheim Grand Reserve 2015 with every case of Grand Reserve 2017 bought. Retailing at R420 a bottle.

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Named in honour of the Bruwer family’s French Huguenot heritage, this bubbly from Bon Courage is handmade from beginning to end in the traditional Champagne method. Fruit-driven with peach, hints of citrus, and a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel, this is an MCC for every festive occasion.

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18. Prada sunglasses, R4 520, Sunglass Hut

IPAD MINI 22 The new iPad Mini is not only a beast when it comes to performance but also very droolworthy. Perfect for anyone who needs a compact computing device that’s larger than their phone but more portable than a laptop, the redesigned iPad Mini is a dream. With support for the second-generation Apple Pencil, Touch ID, the same A15 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 13 lineup, Centre Stage, and 5G, there’s no better compact tablet for on-the-go creativity. Available in a range of fun new colours, the 6thgeneration iPad Mini is perfect for students and creatives. From R9 299,

19.

These are the best commercially available true wireless buds on the market, boasting industryleading noise cancellation and next-level audio quality. With an IPX4 rating and Qi wireless charging compatibility, they are the ultimate in everyday audio luxury. R6 272, geewiz.co.za

20. Atelier Versace Éclat De Rose EDP 100ml, R4 950, arcstore.co.za

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istore.co.za

21. Horsebit 1955 shoulder bag, R49 300, Gucci 22.

23. Boucheron Quatre En Rose 100ml, R1 879, caretobeauty.com

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NATURE MEETS HERMÈS Looking for the perfect Christmas present for the man in your life? Hermès H24 Eau de Toilette combines nature and technology to redefine the male fragrance offering. While the overall scent profile is green and fresh, also expect notes of rosewood essence and metallic undertones from a futuristic molecule called sclarene. The bottle is refillable, while its box is crafted from 100% recycled and recyclable paper. Hermès H24 EDT 100ml, R1 920, available this festive season at Woolworths. Shop online at woolworths.co.za

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EXCEPTIONAL FESTIVE GIFTING FROM MEMO If you’re gifting a Memo Paris Eau de PARIS Parfum this Christmas season, a lovely reusable cotton pouch awaits you. Adorned with a festive visual, this is the perfect souvenir or giftwrapping alternative. A soft hand-cleansing or gentle shower gel will also be in your cart as a complimentary gift from Memo Paris for all purchases of one eau de parfum or more. Shop online at skins.co.za or arcstore.co.za

CELEBRATE THIS SEASON IN THE VELVET BIG BUCKLE BY BIRKENSTOCK Step into the celebratory season in style with the Birkenstock Velvet Big Buckle Collection. The soft and velvety material makes for a refined and sophisticated look, while the eyecatching big buckle adds a feminine touch. A soft piumato leather-lined footbed allows for ultimate comfort from the very first step, as the sandal automatically shapes to the foot. The Velvet Big Buckle is available in two eye-catching styles — the double-strapped Arizona Big Buckle (R2 999), in Midnight, and the single-strapped Madrid Big Buckle (R2 199), in Midnight and Maroon. Shop online at bashafrica.com

TREAT YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO THE GOODNESS OF SPIER

Spier’s online shop has a gorgeous range of more than a dozen gifts, ensuring that your festiveseason present buying is a breeze. Each comes beautifully wrapped and can be delivered nationwide. Spoiling your loved ones with distinctive, exclusive gifts has never been so easy. Shop online at shop.spier.co.za

DELAIRE GRAFF ESTATE

The Jewel of the Cape Winelands ST E L L E N B O S C H | S O U T H A F R I C A | WWW. D E L A I R E .CO. Z A

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18. Drink responsibly.

N NA AV V II G GA A TT O OR R

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Michele Magwood is a contributing books editor at the Sunday Times

Will Smith To help him tell his astonishing life story, superstar Smith called in Mark Manson, author of the mega-selling The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Billed as “a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind”, this is Smith drilling deeply into his life and psyche. (Penguin Random House)

13. ANOTHER NOW: DISPATCHES FROM AN ALTERNATIVE PRESENT

Yanis Varoufakis The popular economist and former Greek finance minister has built an enormous following with his fresh and daring views. In what is described as an extraordinary novelistic thought experiment, he offers an invigorating vision of an alternative reality for the world that rejects the capitalism that is failing us. (Penguin Random House)

READ ALERT.

Reach for a read

With the holidays finally here, slow down, stretch out, and crack open a book

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13. 1. HOW TO GET OVER BEING YOUNG: A ROUGH GUIDE TO MIDLIFE

Charlotte Bauer Bauer, once one of the country’s stroppiest columnists, chronicles her adventures through the middle years with a sharp pen and a selfdeprecating eye. After some hilarious — and, at times, hair-raising (and -removing) — experiences, she concludes: “The rest of my life has arrived, and I’m still in one piece, just put back together in new and interesting ways.” (Atlantic Books)

2. HOW TO SURVIVE FAMILY HOLIDAYS

Jack Whitehall Fans of the entertaining Netflix series Travels with My Father — and there are many — will snap this up. The comedian inspans his parents Michael and Hilary for a daft guide to navigating family holidays that’s part memoir and part hard-earned advice. ( Jonathan Ball Publishers)

3. AFRICAN ARTISTS FROM 1882 TO NOW

This is a book to beg for this Christmas, with a vast and rich selection of works produced by more than 300 artists from the continent. The African art scene is truly booming, and this is the definitive guide to it. (Phaidon)

11. 4. HARLEM SHUFFLE

Colson Whitehead It’s Harlem in the early ’60s, and Ray Carney is working all the hours in the day to make a decent living for himself and his family. But with just one risky job he gets sucked into a vortex of heists, shakedowns, and shady deals. Whitehead pulls off a literary crime novel that is also a layered family drama, and the critics are raving. (Little, Brown)

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Jonathan Franzen In one of the literary events of the year, Franzen hits big with a sweeping, sprawling history of a generation, a nervy ’70s moment in American history as lived by a Midwestern family in crisis. So far, so very Franzen, but in this novel he is warmer than usual, more empathetic, and as perceptive as ever. (HarperCollins)

6.THIS IS THE CANON: DECOLONISE YOUR BOOKSHELF IN 50 BOOKS

Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne & Kadija Sesay Three academic curators set out to dismantle the white-dominated traditional canon and select a reading list that celebrates the wide and diverse experiences of people from around the world, of all backgrounds and all races. ( Jonathan Ball Publishers)

7. TASTE: MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD

Stanley Tucci First “The Tooch” seduced us during lockdown with his Negroni-making demonstration and then he swept us along in his TV series Searching for Italy. Now he has published this wry and intimate memoir of growing up in an Italian-American family that worships food, and how this love of eating has spread through the years, in good times and bad. Irresistible. (Penguin Random House)

8. THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET

Catriona Ward Here’s one to scare the bejesus out of you. It’s ostensibly about a lonely, deranged man living with his cat in a boarded-up house, but nothing in this story is as it seems. Ward keeps readers guessing from the first page until the last, as the ground keeps shifting. There’s a murderer. A stolen child. Revenge. Stephen King called it “nerveshredding”. (Viper)

9. THE DARK FLOOD

Deon Meyer Just in time for the hammock days, detectives Benny Griesel and Vaughn Cupido shamble in, chastened by their demotion from the Hawks and headed for a stationing in Stellenbosch. But soon they’re drawn into an investigation into a missing student and firing on all cylinders. ( Jonathan Ball Publishers)

06. 10. BLACK LION: ALIVE IN THE WILDERNESS

Sicelo Mbatha with Bridget Pitt Mbatha is a facilitator of spiritual experiences of the wilderness, fashioning a rare approach from Zulu culture and his close observations of the bush. Here he teams up with writer and environmentalist Pitt to share some of the lessons he has learnt from being immersed in nature. ( Jonathan Ball Publishers)

11. CLOUD CUCKOO LAND

Anthony Doerr Ask anyone what their favourite book of all time is and the answer is often All the Light We Cannot See, Doerr’s Pulitzer Prizewinning war saga. In his eagerly anticipated new novel he casts back to 15th-century Constantinople, then forward to ’40s Idaho, through to 2020, and on until 2146, when a spacecraft hurtles towards Earth containing all of humankind’s knowledge. A story of dazzling imagination. (Simon & Schuster)

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THE WANTED Wish list

What we here at Wanted would love to find under the tree 1. Stone Island Archivio ’982–’012, stoneisland.com 2. Tom Dixon Plum Ice Bucket and Ice Tongs, cremadesign.co.za 3. Beosound Balance, bang-olufsen.com/en/za 4. Fender Stratocaster, fenderfamily.co.za 5. The Wayside #6, Eylene Clifford Ceramics, thegoldengooseartistry.co.za 6. Wooden Cuboid 009, Flowering Gun 18, Driaan Claassen, southernguild.co.za 7. Flamingo light, alwayswelcome.store 8. Ou Bank bench, davidkrynauw.com 9. Double C de Cartier, cartier.com 10. New Moon couch, murrmurr.co.za 11. Elula blanket, shopwakoyo.com 12. Cartier Tank, cartier.com 13. Virago Modern Classics 40th anniversary edition (set of 13), virago.co.uk 14. DJI Mavic Air 2, dji.com

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The price in rands for a bottle of the new Vilafonté Series C 2019 vintage, a limitedproduction blend. The International Wine and Spirits Competition has recognised Vilafonté, a small Stellenbosch winery, as the Global Best Red Wine Producer of the Year.

The last year in which French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent will use animal fur.

The estimated price in dollars of the World’s Fair Necklace, the most expensive piece of jewellery Tiffany & Co has made thus far.

for another minute. Which is an enviable level of suspended reality. Or you’ll struggle to disconnect and spend the first week of your prized summer vacation trying not to read emails, Twitter, WhatsApp, or news feeds compulsively. You know you should be clocking out, but it’s just so hard not to check how your Peloton and Avis shares are faring. You’ll switch off eventually — just in time for work to start up again. For those who struggle, or to fast-track that holiday feeling, I invite you to try one of my very horizontal life hacks for leisurely living. These zero-effort interventions will slow you down in minutes and can be done whether you’re in Plett or Parkhurst — or going off-piste later. They are:

The price in rands achieved by Nicholas Hlobo’s Intlambo yochulumanco — a record for the artist — at Aspire Art Auctions’ sale of the Nwabisa Xayiya collection.

2 Lying on the sofa and listening to the WildEarth channel. For the non-couch cricketers, there is DStv’s channel 183. It plays an almost eternal loop of game drives and other footage shot in the bush. You might not be at Tswalu or in the Serengeti, but you’ll get the benefit of unbelievably calming animal sounds and the chats of game rangers who are there, while you doze.

3 Lying on the sofa and listening to Desert Island Discs. You could take a Valium, or you could envelop yourself in the back catalogue of

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ou can just make out safe ground, but overhead, shells are exploding — fired in a mortar hail of Covid-19, coalition municipalities, economic pressure, and political unrest. You roll to the left, narrowly evading a landmine of more corruption news, dragging your adrenaline-saturated body through a morass of social-media toxicity and boardroom politics. One last push and, against all odds, you may make it out alive. Has the end-of-year slog ever felt more arduous or perilous? Perhaps in roughly T-7 days you will power down your laptop, hit Llandudno, and not think about the slow-motion car crash that was 2021

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Declan Gibbon

LAVISH GIFTS, STAGGERING RECORDS The world-record-breaking price in rands paid for an Omega Speedmaster CK2915-1 at Phillips auction house in Geneva. The timepiece was among the first collection of Speedmaster watches released in 1957.

The value in dollars of the 86ct Koh-i-Noor diamond ceded to Queen Victoria by Duleep Singh, the last maharajah of the Sikh Empire, in 1849. It is now in the cross in the Crown of Queen Mary and part of the British Crown Jewels.

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A guide to holiday lying

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ECLECTIBLES.

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Sarah Buitendach is contributing editor to the Financial Mail.

Lying on the sofa and listening to cricket. This is not to be confused with watching cricket — which, sometimes, even over five days, can be exciting and requires engagement. Rather, lie with your eyes closed and listen to the thwack of the ball and the commentators nattering for hours about statistics, form, and the weather. You needn’t pay attention to anything they are saying and will be lulled into the ultimate soporific summer state. From 17 December, you’ve got the Indian tour to South Africa to get you into the zone — aided by a beer and a mince pie or four.

this 79-year-old BBC Radio 4 show (it’s a podcast too). Over the decades everyone from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to magnate Bill Gates has been a castaway on an island with their chosen eight tracks, book, and luxury item. When you hear the aptly named opening tune, By the Sleepy Lagoon, you’ll know you have thousands of hours’ worth of songs and interesting people ahead. Tranquil island escapes offer unparalleled decompression.

4 Lying on the sofa and trying to read a highbrow book. Writing that pushes you to work mentally while you read is often rewarding. That said, there is no quicker way to drowsiness than attempting a page or two of a book that’s hard work. Instead of another mindless Patterson paperback, try the new Franzen, Powers or even an old Mantel or Murakami for instant chill.

5 Lying in the bath. For when you need a change of scenery from the sofa. Just make sure that you can top up the hot water with your toe, your Kindle is waterproof, and the door locks, so you can go submerged, undisturbed, and unnoticed for hours. Bliss.

The cost in dollars of the solid 24ct-gold bath tub Mike Tyson gifted his then-wife, Robin Givens, in the late ’80s.

The cumulative sales in rands at the 2021 Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction, the highest so far.

477 000 000

The amount in dollars grossed by Home Alone — a perennial holidayseason favourite and the most successful comedy of all time.

THE G I

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE LOC

T HE GI FT TH AT GI VES BAC K Part of the proceeds from every bottle sold will go towards supporting the local makers who inspired these gifts by providing them with SETA-accredited courses covering business management, manufacturing, technology and accounting, as most artisans lack formal training. Having been ptrovided with these resources, the local makers will be able to grow their businesses and help create more employment opportunities. Make a difference with the gift that keeps giving back.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. NOT FOR PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.