Premier | November 2010

Premier Comp lim e n ta r y M a gaz i n e fo r t he Di s cer ni ng Tr avel l er

Royal Chundu Lodge

Towerbosch’s Dynamic Duo

The Liz McGrath Collection

Samsonite Turns 100

Paris Motor Show Top 10

Ifa Lethu’s Heritage

Delaire Graff Estate

Mantis’ Adrian Gardiner

The DNA Diet

Premier Lounge

Cape Town International Airport

East London International Airport

Durban International Airport

OR Thambo International Airport

While waiting for your flight, relax in comfort and avoid the crowds • Enjoy light meals, snacks and drinks • Freshen up with a shower • Utilise business facilities • Smoking rooms available

All are welcome Premier Lounges Available in OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Port Elizabeth, East London and George airports.

All are welcome www.comfortguaranteed.co.za Terms and conditions apply

contents

Royal Chundu Lodge is a destination where guests can discover the wild essence of Africa.

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28 Features 32 38 40 58 64 71 76 78 84 90

Flying High with Grant Duncan-Smith The DNA Diet The Dream Team Pretoria’s Resident Historian A Woman of Many Talents Samsonite Sends You Packing Garmin Forerunner® The Rise & Rise of Coco Chanel Future Creativity On Site with Hands On

Travel 28 36 50 60 66 80 82 88

True Luxury at Royal Chundu Lodge Views Boutique Hotel Delaire Graff Estate Franschhoek Champagne Festival The Marine Hotel Hermanus Fight Against Luggage Pilfering The Ultimate in Comfort and Convenience Porter Plus Takes a Load Off!

Business

54 74

Mantis Collection’s Adrian Gardiner Employment Equity

50 32

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November 2010

Bosman’s restaurant at Grande Roche Hotel was acknowledged as the number one fine dining restaurant by SA Tourism.

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Indulgence 42 56 62 86

Towerbosch Restaurant’s Dynamic Duo Fall Back in Love with South African Food A Trio of Merlot Bosman’s Sheer Culinary Class

Motoring 46

Paris Motor Show’s Top Ten

Regular

8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 92 94 96

Letter from the Editor Letter from the Managing Director On the Soap Box Point taken Comfort Zone This is the life The New Black Have Passport, Will Travel Not Necessarily the News Technophilia Compulsory Reading Worth Watching And Another Thing…

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46 Premier

Editor

Letter from the Deidre Theron-Loots

“A budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.”

–William Feather

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t might not be December yet, but the festive buzz is here none-the-less, and I’m not loving it. Sure, we seem to be pulling out of the recession and folks are certainly doing better than last year, but prices haven’t exactly come down, and the size of my family is not decreasing. That’s right, the Christmas Shopping Mania has begun, and I am trying to formulate a plan of action.

I don’t really hold with the “everyone must buy 5 generic gifts of no more than R30 each which we will hand out randomly on Christmas Eve” method. I like giving gifts, you see, and I want each gift to be special. It is an opportunity to not only make my loved ones happy but for me to brag about how well I know them all and understand what sort of gift suits them as individuals.

I want to hear my son exclaim how “I just get him”, to see the surprise on my daughter’s face because I knew she wanted the red shoes, to hear the sigh of relief from my parents because someone thought to get them something other than slippers or hankies. Sadly this means forking out moolah to the point of no return, and let’s face it, you can’t always give people what they want.

If I could grant everyone their heart’s material desire this year, my husband would be getting a yacht in Monaco, my best friend a house on the Knysna heads, my son his very own quad bike, and I’d be doing this shopping in a Maserati to boot. We always want more.

It’s part of our nature to aspire. Fortunately for me, reality tends to keep our aspirations in check, so at least I know that nobody would be expecting me to give them a sports car for Christmas, and I won’t have to beat myself up about the fact that I can’t.

So when you start your festive spending frenzy this year, bear in mind the fact that any gift you give, no matter how small, is still special because you thought to give it. And when Christmas Day rolls around, don’t think too badly of the person who just got you a card.

The fact is that they thought of you.

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Hamba gahle. Mooi loop. Travel well!

Deidre Premier

Premier PUBLISHER Bernard Hellberg bernie@tcbgroup.co.za EDITOR Deidre Theron-Loots deidre@tcbgroup.co.za MANAGING EDITOR Nicola Weir nicola@tcbgroup.co.za GROUP FASHION EDITOR Eric Way eric@tcbgroup.co.za +27 79 124 7662 In Association With The Dream Team Jan de Beer – Hairstylist Adele Moolman – Photographer Cecilia Kaufmann – Make-up Artist DESIGN & LAYOUT Aneska Meintjes aneska@virtualdavinci.co.za

Letter from the

Managing Director

Thomas Overbeck

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Premier

SALES MANAGER Estelle van der Westhuizen +27 84 821 7257 estelle@tcbgroup.co.za SALES EXECUTIVES Dino Boonzaaier, Bernard Hellberg, Bryan Kayavhu, Robyn Shillaw-Botha, REPRODUCTION Virtual Da Vinci Creative Room +27 12 425 5800 info@virtualdavinci.co.za www.virtualdavinci.co.za

Greetings! ith November here, we are happy to be out of the Halloween month when everyone makes a point of horror and ugliness – although this is, admittedly, a perfect reason to escape to the Premier Lounge, where our beautiful staff awaits to serve you in comfortable surroundings.

Have you spotted the most beautiful of them all?

Remember, beauty is not just about the “face” but also about generosity, care and consideration for others, friendliness and warmth. Go on; we have many beautiful people, and it is not that hard to spot them.

Talking of this ugliness focused on one particular month makes me only too aware of the wonderful natural beauty that surrounds us just now, such as the purple blossom of the Jacaranda flowers floating through our Capital City. Our gardens are covered in fresh spring flowers, and the green hues of strength and health are unfolding in open areas and throughout the bushveld. We have waited in anxious anticipation for the rains to encourage this bounty of colour, but clearly nature has once again come through. Take time out

MEDIA TRAFFIC Maggy Nkoe maggy@tcbgroup.co.za

to find these treasures, or look out of that airplane window and appreciate what you are seeing.

On the business front, I am very pleased to announce that our East London Premier Lounge now also boasts a smoking room, which is the only indoor smoking facility at the airport. This enhances the service to this airport, not only for our guests, but also any traveller who happens to be passing through and chooses to make use of the Premier Lounge.

Most exciting for us is the fact that the planning, design and organisation for the refurbishment and expansion of the O.R.T.I.A. Premier Lounge is nearing completion, and we will be seeing the workmen on site within the next few weeks.

This lounge will feature double the number of seats, ample space for comfort and relaxation, free Wi-Fi throughout, plugs for charging cell phones and laptops in every corner, and the most fantastic relaxation couches to snooze in. Wow, what a lot of comfortable features to offer our guests! I cannot wait to see you there!

Safe travels, Thomas

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Thomas Overbeck, Deidre Theron-Loots, Jacqueline Cochrane, Nicola Weir, Coert Coetzee, Bronwyn Burns, PR Worx, Lara Potgieter, Grant Duncan-Smith, Alice Art Gallery, Neal McKenna, Lesley Stones, Bette Kun, Bernard Hellberg, Thomas Coggin, Media Express, Megan Helstone, Nic Joubert IMAGES © iStockphoto.com PRINTING Business Print Centre, Pretoria AFRICAN SPIRIT MEDIA / TCB GROUP Pretoria 343 Lynnwood Road, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081 Tel: 021 876 3137 Fax: 0866 790 006 Franschhoek Oak Lodge 50B, Village Artisan, 69 Cabrière Street, Franschhoek, 7690 Tel: 0861 THE MAG (843 624) Fax: +27 12 362 0605 mail@tcbgroup.co.za www.tcbgroup.co.za PREMIER LOUNGE Head Office: +27 11 390 8660 Customer Care: 0861 BIDAIR (243 247) rosalynb@bidair.co.za www.comfortguaranteed.co.za Premier magazine is published monthly by African Spirit Media, part of the TCB Group, on behalf of BIDAir Hospitality, part of the BIDVest Group. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of African Spirit Media, the TCB Group, BIDAir Hospitality, BIDVest, or any of the subsidiaries of the aforementioned companies, their strategic partners or their clients. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. No material (articles or photographs) in this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from the Editor.

Submissions of articles and photographs for publication are welcomed, but the publisher, while exercising all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. Please ensure that all material is sent by email to editor@tcbgroup.co.za.

Copyright © 2010. All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs to African Spirit Media, part of the TCB Group, and/or the individual contributors. All rights reserved.

On the soapbox… Coert Coetzee This month we invited Coert Coetzee, Wealth Creation Coach and founder of the Treoc Group, to talk to us about why life is about living out your passions.

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any people have asked me why I offer seminars where I share my secrets with strangers, and why I don’t retire instead.The answer is very simple: if I retire, I will very soon stop living, because I’ll no longer be able to live out my passions.

Since my school days it’s been my passion to make money. As far back as I can remember I’ve been making money or making plans to make money. To be honest, I can’t think of a single day in my life that this passion was not a part of. I know a lot of people will say that it’s a superficial passion, but I know of many people with other superficial passions that don’t put any money in their pockets – like playing golf, for example, or collecting matchboxes.

People who practise their passions regularly become very good at them after a while.

Premier

I choose to be good at my “superficial” passion – and maybe I’m getting better and better at it too.

My second passion is helping people to help themselves. I can’t tolerate pathetic people who wait for others to make

the best part of all is that I am paid to talk, and in this way it enables me to live out all my passions! things happen. Like people who wait for the insurance companies to provide their pension for them, or people who strike against their own governments for salary increases. It’s so easy to be financially selfsufficient, and it gives me endless pleasure

to teach people how to do it, and then to watch how their lives change.

One of my favourite passions is public speaking. It’s a passion that I only discovered in 2003. The subject I talk about, of course, is how to create wealth from nothing. It’s a subject that draws unbelievable positivity from any audience, and along with that positivity the audience radiates an energy that is unfathomable if you’re not a public speaker yourself. As the speaker standing in front of an audience, all that energy is focused on you. It’s indescribable! It is the highest high you can imagine. Be careful; it’s highly addictive.

Of course, the best part of all is that I am paid to talk, and in this way it enables me to live out all my passions!

What a perfect world!

point taken

Letters from our Guests Precious Memories Returned I just want to express my appreciation to you and your staff for making sure that my camera was safely kept at George Airport Premier Lounge after I had left it there by mistake. I also want to thank Roz for making sure that it was safely delivered to me. Your help with these arrangements is highly appreciated. My family memories have been safely returned.

Thanks Zakhele Gumede

Premier Lounge is Tops!

Avis recently hosted top-tier media for a getaway at the idyllic Grootbos Private Game Reserve just outside Hermanus and, on behalf of Avis and Ogilvy PR, we would like to extend a big shout out to the professional Premier Lounge team for their assistance. We made use of the Premier Lounge en route to our destination and the service and setting were outstanding. The group enjoyed great hospitality on arrival and the catering was superb. The Premier lounge was the perfect star t to an amazing experience. Thank you to all who made this possible.

Keep up the great service!

All at Avis and Ogilvy PR

The Premier lounge was the perfect start to an amazing experience.

Compliments & Complaints Please contact our customer care line 0861 BIDAIR (0861 243 247) www.comfortguaranteed.co.za

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We Value Your Feedback Premier

We Read it on the Comment Card...

“What an awesome lounge! The staff are super-friendly, accommodating and helpful. Every facility one could need is available – distressed passengers can even receive emails and send faxes. The food and drinks are great as well! A special word of thanks goes to Tessa and Yolanda.” – Moyra Goldberg, Cape Town Domestic Lounge.

“Zimkita Ncana was so helpful to me! The lounge was so comfor table and the staff so helpful that I have encouraged my par tner to make use of the Premier Lounges as well.” – Carolyn Aylmer, Cape Town Domestic Lounge

comfort zone

Far From the

Madd(en)ing Crowds

Airports are packed with crowds of people, and unless you posses the elusive virtue of patience, a visit to The OR Tambo International Premier Lounge is practically a necessity.

Text & Images: © Jacqueline Cochrane

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one are the days when you could leave home at the last minute and catch that international flight with time to spare. From the minute you depart for the airport until you reach your final destination, you are likely to be met with endless queues and obstacles. If you’re not stuck in traffic, you may very well be left searching in vain for a parking spot. And even those discerning travellers who make use of the Gautrain still have to wait their turn at the check-in counter, security checkpoint and passport control desk with patience. Although we’re all aware of these potential time-wasting hazards, many of us hate arriving at the airport too early, believing that the preflight wait means time wasted. What truly savvy travellers know, however, is that the

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Premier Lounge at International Departures in OR Tambo International Airport means that anyone can spend the pre-flight wait in luxury, quiet and comfort, and use that time as productively as they desire!

OR Tambo is South Africa’s busiest and biggest airport, and in stark contrast to the constant commotion of the airport outside, the Premier Lounge here is a true haven of calm. Certain cardholders are granted automatic entry to the lounge (check the Premier Lounge website on www. comfortguaranteed.co.za to find out if you qualify), but cash visits are also welcome so anyone can access this oasis of serenity; regardless of airline or class being flown.

With sumptuous seating and conveniently located power points dotted about the lounge, business travellers can set up their

laptops with comfort and ease. There is Wi-Fi access, a complement of ever-smiling staff members, and a large variety of hot and cold drinks and snacks to choose from; all these factors ensuring that guests make themselves right at home.

This lounge is also ideal for those whose flights have been delayed, or for travellers who have long transfer times between flights. After long-haul flights, many guests arrive at the lounge looking as tired as the creases in their clothes. With shower facilities, television, air conditioning and various magazines and newspapers to choose from, a visit to the Premier International Lounge at OR Tambo will leave even the most exhausted guest feeling refreshed, relaxed and revitalised.

this is the life

Garden of Lights

3rd December to 3rd January

This December, Emperors Palace will once again be bathed in a magical sea of light as the always spectacular Garden of Lights display is switched on in the Gardens of Vespasian at the magnificent Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel. Thousands of visitors experience the splendour of the Garden of Lights each year - and every spectacle seems more magical than the one before. Your little ones will be thrilled by a wonderland of awesome Christmas lights, fantastic characters and surprises around every turn. And the most exciting thing is that entrance is free! Running from 3rd December 2010 to 3rd January 2011, the Garden of lights is the perfect start to the merriment and cheer of the festive season. www.emperorspalace.co.za

Johnny Clegg Celebrates 30 Years in Music

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts open with Just Jinjer

One for the history books! From 15th to 24th December at the Theatre of Marcellus, the legendary Johnny Clegg will be celebrating his 30th anniversary in the South African music industry with his “Spirit is the Journey” show. Fans can expect old favourites that span his 30-year career, such as Scatterlings of Africa, Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World, and African Sky Blue. Ticket prices start from R175 per person and a special Dinner and Show package is also available at Queen of the Nile for R290 per person or at Tribes African Grill and Steakhouse for R375 per person. Tickets available through Computicket.

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The Old Mutual Summer Sunset Concerts at Kirstenbosch have a great line-up this season. Launching the 2010/11 series is Just Jinjer, one of the most successful and popular rock groups on circuit today. So mark your diary for Sunday, 21st November, when the concert series launches in one of South Africa’s most beautiful venues. The Parlotones, Zebra and Giraffe and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra are all scheduled to appear this season, which runs from 21st November 2010 to 3rd April 2011. The concerts take place at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. For further information and ticket prices call +27 21 799 8783/8620 or visit www.sanbi.org. Book online at www.webtickets.co.za or call +27 21 761 2866.

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the new black

Success from the Start At Origin, we sample, roast and taste before we buy. We know who grew our coffee, and where. We refuse to accept anything but the best from top coffee-growing regions worldwide.

Patience and passion is the difference between ordinary commercial roasting and our artisan roasting. Each coffee we add to our range goes through a relentless process of experimentation.

Based on experience, we roast, taste, analyse and roast again to fully optimise the flavours of each coffee. Great preparation makes or breaks the quality released at the farming and roasting stages.

We are training a new generation of professional baristas to serve our coffee and we are lucky to be able to use the best to train the best. Our Barista trainer Joanne Berry has recently been crowned the Regional barista champion of Cape Town for the second time in a row!

Give Your

Lashes Wings Natural Angel now provides the secret to lavishly long, full and beautiful eyelashes with their new Lash Extender product. Every time you use Lash Extender, brush-on lash extensions (that add hundreds of tiny natural lash fibres enriched with panthenol and Vitamin E) are added to your lashes, visibly lengthening them. Simply apply Lash Extender in between coats of your favourite mascara for fabulous results.

Researched and formulated in Italy, Natural Angel’s futuristic formulations are prepared with nature’s finest ingredients, creating the world’s most innovative avant garde products. For more information, contact +27 71 683 3458, email shari@NaturalAngel.co.za or visit www.LashExtender.co.za.

Levi’s® Spring Clean

‘Get Rid of Your Jeans for Good’

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Continuing its tradition of commitment to sustainability, Levi’s South Africa is encouraging consumers to be kinder to the environment by recycling their jeans while giving back to the community. For one month until 8th November, consumers will be able to bring their old pairs of jeans – any brand, colour, style or size, as long as they are still wearable – to any Levi’s® Store. For every pair of jeans donated, you will receive a voucher for a discount of either R100 or R150 off your next purchase of Levi’s® jeans. All jeans collected will be donated to two very wor thy charitable organisations, Kheth’Impilo and The Topsy Foundation, which suppor ts communities affected

by HIV/AIDS. So get down to your nearest Levi’s® store and ‘Get Rid of your Jeans for Good.’ For more details visit www.levi.co.za.

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have passport, will travel

Leadwood Lodge is the perfect choice for a family or small group of friends sharing a safari.

Leadwood Lodge

Santé Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre Santé Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre is located in the Franschhoek Valley, on a 160-hectare wine estate, and is dedicated to health and wellness. Santé Spa features a heated indoor pool, sauna, gym, experiential showers and a steam room available to all guests of Santé Hotel. There are 10 Manor rooms at the hotel itself and 39 Spa Suites with fireplaces and patios. Conference facilities in the Banqueting Hall can accommodate up 160 people with breakaway rooms and an organiser’s office. For weddings, Santé has one of the largest Bedouin-style marquee tents in the southern hemisphere, covering more than 2,000 square metres in the Piazza, which hosts 1,000 guests.

Santé’s newly acquired helicopter, the Robinson 44, is ready to collect guests from the airport or even drop them off at the V&A Waterfront for some well-earned retail therapy. For more information visit: www.santesa.co.za

Wild Wicked Wednesdays at Valley Lodge Spa

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Valley Lodge in Magaliesburg is offering fantastic Summer Packages that include pampering treatments at its La Cigale Spa. Valley Lodge is offering 50% off normal spa treatments every Wednesday until February 2011. From December 2010 until February 2011 the ideal mid-week getaway for individuals and groups in need of time out of the city will include dinner, bed and breakfast plus a half-hour aromatic Back and Neck Massage.

Rates per person sharing per night range from R2560 to R3959. Sunday lunch at Valley Lodge is still a delight, while their new rooms and luxurious refurbishments enhance every guest’s experience. Special conference and team building Spa packages are also on offer as well as yoga and laughter workshops. For more information, phone + 27 14 577 1301/5 or visit www.valleylodge.co.za.

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Adjacent to the Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sands Game Reserve is famed for its intimate wildlife encounters. Situated on a wooded bank of the Sand River, &Beyond Leadwood Lodge’s four spacious suites are separated from each other to offer solitude and privacy. Each suite features a fireplace, sitting room and private pool. The large en suite bathrooms have both indoor and outdoor showers. The elevated dining and sitting areas boast dramatic views out over the confluence of the Sand and Mabrak Rivers. Dinner is served in enchanting settings adding romance to magical African evenings. Due to its capacity of just eight guests, Leadwood Lodge is the perfect choice for a family or small group of friends sharing a safari. Complete with a private, open, 4x4 safari vehicle and personal ranger/host, tracker, butler and expert chef (when the lodge is booked for sole-use), guests can customise their safari experience. For more information, visit www.andBeyond.com

Superb Service at

Strand Tower Hotel

The Strand Tower Hotel is a luxury establishment in the city centre of Cape Town, close to many famous tourist attractions. Rooms are available in Standard, Superior, Executive and Deluxe. The 242 rooms spread over 16 floors afford guests an enviable view of the best sights in Cape Town: Table Mountain, the inner city lights, Cape Town Stadium and the harbour. The hotel offers a restaurant, bar and lounge, as well as an elegant pool deck, all on the second floor. The 17th and 18th floors contain the gym, sauna and steam room.

24-hour reception and concierge services ensure that all guests’ needs are taken care of. World-class conferencing facilities are available for up to 200 people. Visit www.strandtowerhotel.co.za for more information.

The Strand Tower Hotel is a luxury establishment in the city centre of Cape Town, close to many famous tourist attractions.

Jaci’s Safari Lodge - Spring Flight Surprise On the edge of the Kalahari, in the 75,000 hectare Madikwe Game Reserve, you’ll find Jaci’s Safari Lodge; a tranquil haven boasting some of the most striking views to be seen in the African bushveld. Boasting magnificent wildlife and two privately owned lodges, Jaci’s Safari Lodge and Tree lodge are a blend of exciting adventures, warm hospitality and exceptional service; a destination that will delight the soul and surpass all your safari expectations. The Safari Lodge allows guests to sit back and relax in ultimate bushveld luxury and the Tree Lodge, with its raised walkways and tree houses hidden amongst the ancient riverine forest, offers guests a magnificent treetop experience. Jaci’s Safari Lodge has an exceptional return flight offer from now until 10th December 2010, which includes accommodation, return flights, all meals, coffees/teas and two game drives per day. For more information contact +27 83 700 2071 or visit www.madikwe.com. Terms and Conditions apply.

Mangwanani White Summer As the authentic African spa experience, Mangwanani has been voted Spa of the Year for seven consecutive years. For the spa connoisseur, Mangwanani has crafted the chic White Summer Spa Experience as the ultimate indulgence to while away an African summer’s day or an evening under the African sky. The White Summer spa experience includes a gorgeous gift collection of an embroidered thick Indian cotton weave wrap, white Havaianas, and decadent African Milk and Honey products. Indulge yourself at your preferred Mangwanani destination: at the Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom in KwaZulu-Natal, on the Zevenwacht Wine Estate in the Western Cape, at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg, or on the Hennops River in the Schurveberg, west of Pretoria.

Treat yourself or someone special to a White Summer Full Day Spa at just R1699.00 per person or indulge in the Mangwanani White Summer Night Spa at just R1499.00 per person. For more information, call 0860 550 055.

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November 2010

not necessarily the news

Thai Airways Celebrates 50 Years of Flying Smooth as Silk Thai Airways International (THAI), Southeast Asia’s premier global airline, celebrates 50 years of welcoming international visitors to Thailand and the region. “THAI offers a network of flights to over 70 key destinations on five continents.

Since opening its doors, the airline has truly come of age and was recently voted one of the top 10 airlines in the world,” says Niruth Sripawatakul, THAI’s General Manager of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. “It’s no coincidence though that we’re firmly establishing ourselves on the African continent. We view South Africa as a key priority destination, not least because it is a gateway to the rest of Africa,” he says, commenting on the influx of people who are investigating opportunities on the continent. The popularity of THAI among its passengers over the years has been due to its emphasis on incorporating its “Thai Touch” into all flights. The airline’s vision has always been to create an atmosphere and standard of service that reflect the traditional Thai values of hospitality. For more information visit www.thaiair.co.za

Who is

Alexander Forbes Insurance Company?

AFI is a specialist, dynamic Motor and Household Insurer, focused on bringing outstanding customer service and a high rate of claims payment to their clients. We are represented by a countrywide network with offices in all main centres. By committing ourselves to a thorough understanding of your lifestyle and reacting rapidly to your ever-changing requirements, we are geared to provide products tailored to meet your evolving needs. Our brands serve different sectors of the individual market and incorporate cover for household contents, all risks, motor, buildings and specialised covers. We also offer personalised Group Schemes and approved motor brand and 4x4 vehicle cover. Call us on 0860 111 234 for a “fearless” insurance experience.

Zonnebloem

Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier

Strikes gold

The Zonnebloem Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2006 is making its mark as one of the country’s finest Rhône-style blends, with gold medals from top local and international wine competitions. One of three Zonnebloem gold medal winners in the 2010 Michelangelo International Wine Awards, Zonnebloem SMV 2006 also holds a Best in Class gold medal from the 2009 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. This fullbodied blend teems with ripe berry and plum aromas following through onto a rich, complex palate of ample berries, gentle tannins and integrated wood spices. Visit www.zonnebloem.co.za for more information.

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(From left) Niruth Sripawatakul- General Manger for Thai Airways Central, Eastern and Southern Africa with H.E. Mr. Tharit Charungvat, Thailand Ambassador to South Africa

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technophilia

Express Your Inner Self

Songs Under the Sea

The new Logitech Fantasy Collection is a range of products in brilliant colours and fanciful patterns inspired by trends in fashion and pop culture. The collection lets you express your personality and create a world that’s distinctively yours with computer accessories as unique as you are. Already a favourite, with its ornate and intricate patterns and architectural flourishes, the mysterious and elegant Fleur Dark evokes a sense of motion and moodiness that adds an edgy elegance to your computer. The collection offers many additional patterns and colours across a broad range of Logitech products, including mice, portable lapdesks, and a wireless keyboard and cooling pad. The Fantasy Collection offers you personal expression at an affordable price, with most pieces priced below R279.50. Visit www.logitech.com

The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo, has launched a new, high quality underwater MP3 player for swimmers and all those leading an active lifestyle.The Speedo LZR Racer Aquabeat allows users the oppor tunity to listen to their favourite tunes on the pool side, at the beach, in the water or while working out. The special edition Speedo LZR Racer Aquabeat is available with either 1 or 2GB built-in memory, allowing storage of up to 1,000 songs. It attaches easily to swimsuits, board shor ts or goggles while snug-fitting earphones allow listening at depths of up to 3 metres and, if dropped into the water, it floats to the surface. The Aquabeat comes in an array of funky colours including hot pink and neon yellow and is available at Spor tsman’s Warehouse and selected spor ts outlets.

Contact Speedo: +27 80 077 3336 sales@speedo.co.za. www.speedo.com

Tea Time for Microbiologists

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Scientists at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University have developed a high-tech “tea bag” filter that fits into the neck of a bottle and turns polluted water into clean water as you drink from it. Together with researchers from the Department of Microbiology and SU polymer scientists, microbiologist, Professor Eugene Cloete, recently patented the innovative invention.

A research team was put together and, after various trials and experiments, a filter sachet was developed that not only resembles a tea bag in shape and size, but is made of the same biodegradable material as off-the-shelf rooibos tea bags.

“We tested the filter with water taken from a river here in the Stellenbosch area. The samples were highly polluted with pathogens but they came out completely clean on the other side,” said Dr Michéle de Kwaadsteniet, a postdoctoral fellow working on the project with Cloete and Professor Leon Dicks of the Department of Microbiology.

The “tea bag” filter is currently being tested by the South African Bureau of Standards, after which the team hopes to roll it out to various communities.The Stellenbosch University Water Institute and its “tea bag” water filter form part of its HOPE Project, a set of development goals aimed at improving lives in South Africa and the rest of the continent.

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Text & Image: © Media Club South Africa

w w w . t r u e r e l i g i o n . c o . z a

True

LuxuryAwaits

The opulent and eco-sensitive Royal Chundu Zambezi River lodge located in the Katombora forest surrounds on the Zambezi River banks in the Kazungula Province of Zambia, offers true luxury where every comfort is provided.

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Text & Images: Š The Mantis Collection

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Hidden from civilisation and the trappings of the modern world, MANTIS PROPERTY, Royal Chundu allows guests to come in contact with the essence of Zambia.

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antis property, Royal Chundu Zambezi River Lodge, the meeting place of the Chief, is a place of absolute solitude and unspoilt beauty, where nature is untouched. It’s a destination where guests can journey back in time, explore David Livingstone’s backyard and discover the wild essence of Africa.

Nestled in dense riverine foliage on the basalt banks of the mighty Zambezi, with white water rapids protecting it up and downstream, Royal Chundu consists of ten secluded mainland villas and an additional four island villas, built on stilts, on the private island of Katombora, overlooking

the majestic watercourse and surrounding bushveld. Together with the support of neighbouring communities, Royal Chundu strives to enhance the conservation and unspoiled footprint of this land, river and its islands, ensuring it will be enjoyed by future generations.

On the mainland, each thatched villa is complete with a spacious open-plan lounge, dining area, glass-walled showers and private decks offering commanding views of the Zambezi River and savanna terrain, allowing guests truly to experience their natural surroundings. Teak walkways link each villa with the main lodge, which features an indoor restaurant, library, TV

lounge, boma, infinity pool and indulgent spa facilities. About 4km upstream, at Katombora Island, the four private island villas also include a spacious lounge, separate dining area, glass-walled showers and a private deck with an open-air bath and plunge pool revealing superb sightings of the Zambezi surrounds, as well as breathtaking sunsets. An indulgent floating spa is soon to be launched at Royal Chundu offering guests a chance to relax and be pampered amidst the natural surroudings of the Zambezi.

International cuisine can be savoured at Royal Chundu’s indoor dining restaurant.

This sophisticated dining room is large

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and spacious with an ethnic and elegant ambience. The viewing deck in front of the restaurant is ideal for outdoor meals, providing a tranquil setting with the Zambezi River in the forefront. The chefs take pride in preparing dishes that mirror the rich heritage of the region and the hospitality of the Zambian people. Choose to dine indoors in true colonial splendour while enjoying full silver service, or experience open-air dining in the Chief ’s Boma, where you will be treated to an authentic African barbeque and traditional song and dance.

Interior fabrics and fittings reflect a bygone era of colonial elegance blended with African charm. Some of the stylish features include shell-embellished chandeliers and tailored netted drapes enveloping king-sized beds, creating a romantic and majestic African paradise where guests can absorb the nocturnal sounds of Africa.

Hidden from civilisation and the trappings of the modern world, Royal Chundu allows guests to come in contact with the essence of Zambia and its people, whose authentic cultural traditions and customs remain unchanged. Guests will be fascinated by the Chundu people’s accounts of myths and legends.

The Zambezi, unequalled in sheer Premier

magnificence, has a unique value, with its abundant natural resources and riverine woodlands supporting wildlife such as buffalo, giraffe, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, bird life and interesting fish species, including cichlids, catfish, tigerfish and yellowfish.

The natural surrounds offer unforgettable and thrilling experiences, from game drives, boat cruises and canoeing trips to walks, fishing trips and bird safaris to name but a few. It’s a must for those with an adventurous spirit.

About 50 km downstream from Royal Chundu, guests can discover the spectacular Victoria Falls – a heritage site and the ‘Seventh Wonder of the World’ – and witness the magnificent convergence of two countries. Named by Dr David Livingstone (a Scottish missionary explorer) the Victoria Falls is an unforgettable location for picnics and excursions.

Other than encountering Katombora Island by foot, discovering the feathered treasures and African wildlife of the region, guests can also venture on a day trip to world famous Chobe National Park in neighbouring Botswana. Chobe boasts impressive elephant and buffalo populations and, with these incredible animals in abundance, guests will experience

some of the best game sightings on the African continent.

Situated in the Kazungula Province of Zambia, Royal Chundu is 50km upstream from Victoria Falls and Livingstone Airport, an hour and a half flight from Johannesburg.

Transfers are offered from airports, hotels and lodges in the Livingstone, Victoria Falls and Kasane areas, or any other location within 80 km of the lodge.

Mantis is a partner of Preferred Boutique™ Hotel Group southern Africa.

For more information on Royal Chundu Zambezi River Lodge please contact Mantis Central Reservations on +27 41 407 1000 or email reservations@mantiscollection.com or visit www.mantiscollection.com

Flying

High From a young age Grant DuncanSmith always wanted to fly. In creating his business, Subiaco Photography, he combined his two passions - flying and photography.

Text & Images: Š Grant Duncan-Smith

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rant is an aerial photographer with several photographic platforms ranging from helicopters or microlights, to tower cranes and skyscrapers. His strengths include attention to detail combined with strong communication skills and the ability to provide his clients with unique images that they can utilise for marketing and advertising. He makes use of an extensive infrastructure of over twenty airports and airfields for operations across South Africa, and has built up an extensive client base. His company has grown exponentially over the last three and a half years.

For Grant, an average day could

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entail climbing a 70-metre crane above a 2010 World Cup Stadium, followed by flying along a Lesotho mountain pass photographing a new road for an Engineering Company, or meeting a Development Director about adver tising of a golf estate built on a river island.

Grant says that recent highlights in his career include a photo shoot with Sepp Blatter at Soccer City and taking aerial photos of all ten 2010 Soccer World Cup Stadia for FIFA. His work has appeared in a range of publications, from Foschini Magazine to the front page of the Cape Argus. He has several overseas clients, including companies in Ireland, Switzerland and the USA.

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November 2010

PREVIOUS:

A South African Air Force Mirage F1AZ pulls a high-G manoeuvre during the AAD Air Show 2006 at Ysterplaat Air Force Base

BELOW:

A South African Air Force BAE Hawk displays its canopy and pilots

RIGHT TOP:

The Mazda Zoom-Zoom Team Extra 300s in tight formation during the Virginia Air Show in Durban

RIGHT MIDDLE: A Naturelink Embraer 120 releases flares during a Civil Aircraft Missile Defence System demonstration at the Test

Flight and Development Centre outside Bredasdorp

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RIGHT BELOW: A Bell Jetranger from Base 4 Helicopters approaches the V&A Waterfront during an air-to-air shoot

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November 2010

Views:

Our Name Says It All Mantis Property, Views Boutique Hotel is perfectly positioned directly overlooking Wilderness beach, with the warm Indian Ocean waters playing at its feet on a beach that stretches for miles.

Text & Images: © The Mantis Collection

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deally situated, Views is an idyllic paradise from which to unlock the secrets of South Africa’s famed Garden Route, Oudtshoorn and the Klein Karoo. It is a mere 20 minutes from George airport, which has regular connecting flights to and from Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Views in Wilderness is the perfect spot for a relaxed beach holiday, a nature-filled Premier

break or a vigorous outdoor adventure.

With so many things to do and see, it’s the perfect place to create special memories.

The maritime climate with moderate summers and mild, sunny winters ensures pleasant weather all year round. It has the most sunshine and least wind of all coastal regions in SA. Noted architect, Harry Burger, designed Views Boutique Hotel & Spa to maximise

its magnificent setting on the Indian Ocean, where the sapphire surf and ruby sunsets are spectacular. At every turn, the eye is met by glorious views.

Inside, chic, contemporary interiors

by Lulu Ridgway are styled for comfor t and luxury with clean-lined, smar t furnishings that were designed and made exclusively for Views. Water and light are themes that flow through each aspect of the design, from custom-made lighting systems to a three-storey rotating aquarium showcasing handcrafted glass fish and life-sized glass seagull sculptures suspended in the Sea View lounge. Guests are invited to relax on the rooftop cocktail deck hideaway overlooking the beach and sea. Here, alfresco meals can

more casual bistro-styled restaurant with terraced decking that provides uninterrupted sea views and sunsets.

Two guest lounges offer spacious areas for relaxation where complimentary house wine and soft drinks are served.

One is the Sea View lounge where a complimentary business desk is available, while the Library lounge is located on the mezzanine level directly under the swimming pool, which is fitted with glass floor panels to allow light to filter through the pool above.

The 18 suites range from the mountain-facing Deluxe Suites and the romantic Honeymoon Suite to the stunning Penthouse Suite – all offering five-star quality. Four of these suites can be

rooms, including one for couples with its own hydro bath. There is also a tylarium herbal sauna, a floatation room, a vitality pool and a Moroccan-style rasul chamber.

The gym offers a range of cardiovascular equipment including treadmills, cycles, an elliptical cross-trainer, vibration plates and a hydraulic strength circuit.

The hotel offers guests complimentary services including movies on demand in all suites and in the movie room, Wi-Fi throughout the property and a games room, as well as use of the vitality pool, sauna and gym.

For special offers please contact Mantis central reservations on +27 041 407 1000 or email reservations@mantiscollection.com or visit website www.viewshotel.co.za

be enjoyed or guests can simply relax with a book or look out for whales and dolphins passing by. Behind the cocktail deck lies the pool deck with its solarheated rim flow pool that is reserved exclusively for hotel guests.

There are two restaurants on the property – a fine dining venue where guests are served breakfast with a view of the waves tumbling below; and another

combined with an adjoining classic room to form a two-bedroom Family Suite, complete with private entrance lobby.

All rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise the ocean and beach feel.

Bathrooms have underfloor heating, heated towel rails, a separate bath and shower and indulgent amenities.

A sumptuous Spa has been created with four multifunctional treatment

Views in Wilderness is the perfect spot for a relaxed beach holiday, a naturefilled break or a vigorous outdoor adventure.

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November 2010

DNA

A new spin on the war against weight

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t goes without saying that people respond differently to different diets – what works for one may have little effect on another. As a result, countless fad diets have appeared and disappeared over the years. The reality is that, regardless of which diet you swear by, once it is over, you are bound to regain the weight even quicker than you lost it. So is the latest DNA Diet just another yo-yo fad or does it have scientific grounding?

Until relatively recently, most scientists thought that food had one basic function: to provide energy through being metabolised.

Years of research has since shown that the reaction of dietary metabolism is far more complex. Nutrigenomics is the emerging study of the relationship and interaction between nutrition and genetics.

In essence, your metabolism and how your body responds to various food types is largely the result of your genetic make-up, or more specifically a small selection of the approximately 20 000 to 25 000 genes present in human DNA. Using nutrigenomics gives you the opportunity to understand how to optimise your health by adjusting your diet and lifestyle to your own unique set of genes.

According to Dr Meyersfeld, molecular biologists at DNAlysis have unlocked the secret to identifying specific genes that determine how you can effectively lose and manage weight. He claims the DNA Diet is based on research done over the

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If it holds true that “you are what you eat,” then the new DNA Diet may well be the answer to the war against weight. So claims South African molecular biologist Dr Daniel Meyersfeld, founding CEO of DNAlysis and pioneer in the field of nutritional genomics and dietetics.

Text: Bronwyn Burns • Image: © iStockphoto.com

past decade and is by no means a fad.

“Over the past few years, our research team has identified eight key genes linked to weight loss and weight-loss resistance,” he explains.

Their research is based on the result of the ground-breaking Human Genome Project, a 13-year study by scientists from leading institutions around the world to identify every single gene present in human DNA. Although the Human Genome Project has now reached culmination, analysis of the data will undoubtedly continue for many decades to come. Yet DNAlysis has already developed a set of DNA tests that are among the first of their kind in the world able to personalise diet, exercise requirements and nutritional supplementation to the specific needs of an individual.

DNAlysis launched the DNA Diet in March this year and it seems the days of one-size-fits-all diets are out. We are now entering the era of “intelligent dieting” and the process is easier than it may sound. For a fair fee, you sign up for the diet online and in turn receive a DNA diet test kit with instructions, a lifestyle and health questionnaire and a sterile swab contained in a tube, which is used to obtain a sample of your DNA. Fill in the questionnaire, sign the consent form, rub the swap along the inside of your cheek, seal it in the tube provided and post it in the prepaid envelop to the

laboratory.Two weeks later, you will receive notification that your report is ready and waiting for you online. Your test results will tell you what foods to avoid and what foods are beneficial for you to lose weight, as well as what type, intensity and duration of exercise will give you the best results.

It may seem ironic that such a personalised weight-loss programme can be done without undergoing a formal consultation with a dietician, and perhaps some caution would be wise. Many dieticians have already caught wind of the DNA Diet and are incorporating it into their weight-loss programmes. Liz Mare, a dietician based in Pretoria, says, “The DNA Diet has fast become our most successful weight-loss and weight-maintenance programme. We are finding particular success with clients who have struggled to lose weight in the past, especially those with a history of yo-yo dieting and following unhealthy and damaging fad diets.”

Perhaps it is best to discuss the DNA diet with your dietician first and bear in mind that the personalised results ultimately suggest whether a low-carb, low-fat, low-GI (moderate carb, low fat) or healthy balanced diet will work best for you.

On the other hand, the old adage “everything in moderation” needs no scientific basis – just an awareness of what and how much you eat, and a good dose of will power to get out and do some form of exercise that you naturally enjoy.

Dream Team 40

The

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To get the look of your dreams, you need the ultimate team to pull it together.

Text: Nicola Weir • Images: © The Dream Team

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he Dream Team is South Africa’s hottest new makeover phenomenon and they have quickly made a name for themselves with their live, on-stage extreme makeovers.

Women from all over the country flock to their shows for fashion, hair and make-up advice and, of course, for the chance to experience their now famous, extreme makeover.

Led by renowned stylist and designer, Eric Way, the Dream Team has quickly risen to fame not only for their makeovers but for their fashion shoots as well. Their success is a result of their combined expertise and a unique creative vision. After meeting them at various events, Eric brought award-winning hair stylist Jan de Beer, wellknown photographer Adele Moolman and visionary make-up artist Cecilia Kaufman together and told them his idea of creating the Dream Team. “I wanted to put together a group of people who could perform and do extreme makeovers and do amazing photo shoots and always do this cohesively, so that you can always get a consistent look from them, and the success of the makeovers is always guaranteed,” says Eric, “I said to them I have this idea, I want to form the Dream Team.”

They work as a team, in every sense of the word, says Eric. “What you must remember is the reason why people clash when working in a group like this is because they don’t have a leader and I fill the role of director in the group, and while I don’t necessarily tell everyone what to do, I make sure that we are all going in the same direction. We know exactly what we have to do and we all work together towards creating the same look.” According to Jan they all complement each other, which is important because carrying out their makeovers in front of a live audience can

be extremely stressful.

For this reason Jan says, they do prefer the fashion shoots. “On photo shoots we have more time so we can be a lot more creative. You can see the picture before it’s taken, you see the glamour in it which is very inspiring.” On the other hand, Adele says that you take something different from each type of work - “You get a different kind of satisfaction from doing makeovers.

When you see the look on the person’s face after the makeover – that is what truly inspires me.”

Their style philosophy stems from a combination of working on the glamorous photo shoots and the inspiration they draw from the makeovers. Doing makeovers can be quite emotional and each member of the team has a part to play in the transformations that they do. “The woman who come to us for makeovers have been through a journey, and we are the final step. We create a new outside that matches their new inside,” says Eric.

According to Jan, his role is a tricky one as people often have difficulty in making changes to their hair. They will do their best to accommodate candidates as far as possible but Jan explains that Eric will step in if necessary. “He will ask a client ‘why are you here today? Because you want a change in your life, you have to be open to it.’ The most important thing though is to talk to the client and find out what they are looking for because we also don’t want to give any of our clients a makeover that they won’t be able to maintain.” For Adele seeing the before and after photos is extremely satisfying and she always tries to capture the happiness that women feel when they see their final look. “Every woman is beautiful, it’s the photographer’s job to bring that beauty out in a photo.”

For Cecilia it is about having a client who

is not just happy, but thrilled with her new look. “I want my clients to not be able to stop looking at themselves in the mirror,” she says.

Eric says that glamour inspires him both in the makeovers and the photo shoots that they do. “We strive for ultimate glamour.

Our photo shoots are always centred on evening wear because we want the reader to imagine what it would be like to wear that amazing dress and take that magical photo.” They also apply some of this magic to their makeovers, says Eric –“The transformation starts from the inside and goes all the way to the outside where we put the cherry on the cake.”

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November 2010

Dynamic Duo Towerbosch Restaurant’s

Westley Müller & Carmen van der Merwe Chefs and life partners, Westley Müller and Carmen van der Merwe, give the concept of ‘down-toearth’ cooking a magical charm at Towerbosch, the enchanting earth kitchen at Knorhoek Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch, where ‘ouma’s kos’ defines their old-fashioned culinary bliss.

Text & Images: © Towerbosch

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estley’s unconditional love for natural flavours, tastes and textures started way back on the farm in the Swartruggens area of North West Province where he was brought up, and became accustomed, from an early age, to foods of a long-gone era that other children would not even look at.

It is here where fresh lamb livers and putu pap (for breakfast!) and the freshest fruit and vegetables from the land formed the backbone of his cooking philosophy of keeping food simple, fresh and unpretentious, while respecting the ingredients and sticking to the basics.

After school, his passion for nature saw him following a career in photography and game ranging but, after a month in the bush, Westley soon realised that it was his cooking that not only caught his co-workers’ attention, but made him acknowledge his desire to cook for others.

Fuelled with a natural verve for cooking the way in which, according to

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For us it is all about creating a memorable meal, built on the passion and vision of people who love the way they live and want to share it with you. him, South Africans used to cook, thanks to his upbringing by his mom, granny and grandpa – all well oiled in the art of traditional cooking – he decided to turn his natural knack with the pots and pans into a professional career.

“Welcome to the Institute of Culinary Ar ts! What a bittersweet experience that was. The hard work, strict discipline and cruel judgements after slaving for hours behind the stove fortunately did not deter me from having the best years of my life, doing what I love doing best,” shares Westley.

The career highlights he shared with his soul mate and Knorhoek kitchen companion, Carmen van der Merwe, included working in some of South Africa’s finest kitchens (Terroir, Barnyard Brasserie & Tapas Bar, Die Eethuis and Beluga Restaurant) as well as overseas. But it was their homesick yearning for true South African ‘samesyn’ with family and friends over a languid ‘Sunday-style’ lunch that eventually brought them to Towerbosch restaurant where they truly relive their yesteryear memories.

At Towerbosch, Westley’s cooking remains loyal to his South African roots, ‘salt-and-pepper’ food, and the lessons learnt from his mentors Harald Breschelschmidt of Aubergine, Michael Broughton of Terroir. and Louis Leipoldt books.

Other hobbies shared with the love of his life, Carmen, include fishing, the outdoors and hunting, but most of all cooking things they have caught or produced themselves.

A master of fresh flavour combinations in slow, home-cooked food which gives grandma’s family recipes a new lease on

life, Carmen van der Merwe’s passion for simple, traditional South African fare is as fiery as the colour of her hair.

“I have loved spending time in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. I was always the one who baked everyone’s birthday cakes, but it was in high school that my curiosity for the culinary world really got the better of me. You simply could not peel me away from the TV Food Channel,” shares this bubbly redhead who believes that the secret of cooking lies in the seasoning.

Sunday lunches were always her favourite meal of the week, with their home filled with family and friends and enough food to feed an army. And it is precisely these cherished memories of family meals spent together that she skilfully recreates at Towerbosch restaurant.

“For us it is all about creating a memorable meal, built on the passion and vision of people who love the way they live and want to share it with you. Towerbosch takes you back to a nostalgic, old-school dining experience of days gone by,” shares Carmen, who graduated from Silwood School of Cookery in 2005 after which she joined Westley on their local and international culinary journey.

Carmen steers away from French terms, fusions of any kind and heavy, drenching sauces and cooks her honest, homely food, bursting with natural flavours, with the best local ingredients and the smallest carbon footprint.

“I have truly found my home away from home at Towerbosch. A place to cook freely, eat and laugh whilst reliving the heyday of family Sunday lunches,” adds Carmen.

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Towerbosch Restaurant adds magical charm to Knorhoek Estate

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ere on their farm tucked away in a corner of the majestic Simonsberg where lions once roamed, is where the Van Niekerk family have tapped into their romantic surroundings to transform a ramshackle, thatched-roof lapa into a mystical white space reminiscent of an enchanting forest retreat.

In a feat of recycling wizardry, Neil Stemmet of Koncept Design & Architecture, who specialises in the creation and transformation of fresh yet timeless spaces of restaurants, hotels and private luxury residences, used raw materials salvaged or hand-crafted on the farm in the renovations and decor.

“My inspiration came from my carefree inner child and love for natural artistry. I decided to steer clear of artificial, modern luxury to make room for an unassuming, homely, eat-out destination where the senses are transported to a faraway, enchanting fairytale, almost back to one’s childhood, while indulging in a languid, home-cooked meal,” shares Neil.

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This cosy atmosphere, with its bright white detail against dense thatch, weaves a spellbinding touch of timeless elegance with its definitive decorations of antique bric-a-brac and rustic chic. Towerbosch captures the eye and imagination with a bespoke ceiling chandelier installation made of farm twigs painted white and draped with vintage treasures, old crockery and family trinkets.

A particular highlight of the restaurant is the hear t-and-soul food from the kitchen, giving life to grandma’s family recipes by serving wholesome feasts from the larder and the land. Towerbosch combines a taste for the traditional and the simplicity of modernity. A firm Towerbosch favourite is the Vicky Wes Lamb Shoulder, slow-cooked for 10 hours and flavoured with coriander seeds and cloves. Desser ts that will put any sweet tooth under a spell include sago with a grilled sugar crust or a traditional Jan Ellis pudding, and preserved guavas with homemade custard.

On Sundays, Towerbosch, surrounded by a forest and stream, lights the fire for their Asado lunch which is especially popular among families with children of all ages. This alfresco, open braai next to the pool, is a typical, laid-back, Argentineanstyle braai, which starts with empanada (filled pastries) on arrival followed by fresh breads and a myriad of succulent meat indulgences with delicious accompaniments, including fat-roasted potatoes, cinnamon ‘soet pampoen’, slaphaakskeentjies (pickled onions) and tomato and onion salad.

Towerbosch earth kitchen is open for lunch from Wednesdays to Sundays (from 12h00 till 15h00) and for dinner on special request or for private functions with a minimum of 15 guests. The restaurant invites any celebration, whether it is a fairytale wedding or an intimate lunch affair with friends.

Bookings essential, contact: +27 21 865 2958 towerbosch@knorhoek.co.za www.knorhoek.co.za

Paris

Motor Show Glitz and Glamour

As one of the world’s oldest motor shows, the annual Paris motor show, has been around for some 112 years.

Interrupted only by world wars, military occupation and recessions, Paris has become the epitome of shows for those companies that need to showcase their concept cars and new technologies. We bring you the top 10 reveals from the 2010 show.

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Text: Bernard Hellberg Images: Š quickpic.co.za & mondialautomobile.com

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Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

Jaguar C-X75

Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show PMotor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Sho Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Motor Show Paris Motor Sho Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor ShowParis Motor Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Pari Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show Paris Motor Show

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November 2010

2011 BMW X3

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Range Rover Evoque

Range Rover Evoque Among the famous names who use Paris for this purpose, Range Rover stands out from the crowd. Their ground-breaking (in the figurative sense of the word) Evoque is claimed to be the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever built.

Sporting a 2-litre turbocharged engine producing 175 kW, the Evoque also offers permanent all-wheel drive and a massive panoramic sunroof.

Lotus Elise

Lotus Elise

The brand that everyone either loves or loathes – Alfa Romeo – took Paris by storm.

At the other end of the scale, where twoseater sports cars reign supreme, the Lotus Elise is destined to outperform many more powerful (but heavier) rivals. With its 235kW, 2-litre Toyota engine, it tips the scales at just over 1,000 kg, and is capable of reaching 268 km/h. The Elise may be destined for South Africa – but then only in 2015.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta The brand that everyone either loves or loathes – Alfa Romeo – took Paris by storm. Their line-up included the 104 kW Giulietta, regarded as one of the safest compact cars in the world, and the increasingly popular MiTo with two new models on show. The 70 kW MiTo, their so-called ECO version, is being punted as being economical to the tune of 4 litres/100 kms. Performance levels, it is claimed, remain unaffected, with a top speed of 180 km/h.

BMW - the German Invasion

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The German “invasion” of Paris was spearheaded by the BMW Group with Premier

their 6 Series Coupé Concept. This was joined by the 2011 X3, as well as a 5 Series Touring, and other X-Drive all-wheel drive models.

Ferarri California Paris would be a boring non-event without the presence of Ferrari – iconic maker of super spor ts cars and Formula One racing machines. The Ferrari California, which debuted in Paris, is, somewhat controversially, apparently aimed at the American market. It’s an aluminium-bodied hardtop – which keeps the weight down – and a 340 kW V8 provides shove. It even offers seating for one or two passengers.

Jaguar C-X75 Now Indian-owned by the giant Tata conglomerate, Jaguar added to the show’s drool factor with their C-X75 concept.

Running on electric propulsion, the Jaguar has four electric motors producing 578 kW and grotesque torque figures of 1,600 Nm.This makes the Jaguar capable of a 320 km/h top speed and a 0-100 km/h sprint figure of 3.4 seconds. Not too shabby for a concept that also features a micro-gas turbine for a range of 900 kms. Running on purely electric propulsion, the C-X75 can manage 110 km from a full charge of 6 hours.

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Audi-owned supercar maker Lamborghini has apparently turned its back on steel and aluminium for the Sesto Elemento’s body. Made almost entirely of

carbon fibre plastics, the 5.2 litre V10 churns out 423 kW – with the added benefit of propelling a car which only weighs 999 kg.

Stunning performance is inevitable with a 0-100 km/h figure of 2.5 seconds and a top speed that has been described as well over 300 km/h. Add all-wheel drive, and you have a supercar with superior handling and better braking. The entire car is minimalist, with the formed seats forming a unit with the body shell. Seating is adjustable, as are the steering wheel and the pedals – rather essential for those of us with short legs.

Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale Another Italian supercar (and one that is not owned by some German group) Maserati debuted with the GranTurismo MC Stradale. Forget the fancy name

and concentrate, instead, on a 4.7-litre V8 producing 325 kW. The MC Stradale features an upgraded front end with a sharper grille and lower bumper. It’s scheduled for launch in the UK in spring (SA) 2011. Hopefully, local Maserati fans will also get their names on the waiting list.

Porsche’s two new offerings German sports car maker Porsche has always favoured Paris. They used the show to debut two new 911s. This means that buyers now have a bewildering choice of 147 911s in the catalogue. The new offerings are the 911 Speedster and the 911 Carrera GTS. The GTS stays with Porsche’s proven 3.8-litre flat six – good for 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds, while emitting that whiny, soothing flat-six sound

so beloved by Porsche fans.

Audi Spyder & Quattro Concept Audi, Lamborghini’s big daddy and cousin to Porsche, came to Paris with their e-tron Spyder and Quattro concept. The Spyder drew admiring glances with its sexy topless stance, while the concept, with its turbocharged 2.5-litre 5-cylinder, offers 300 kW, and the latest state-of-the-art all-wheel drive which has been an Audi tradition for the past 3 years – only a few years less than Subaru.

This, then, was Paris 2010, a show that takes place every two years and which, in 1898, was derided by the President of that time who, after opening the show, expressed his reservations about this new invention, and departed in his horse-drawn carriage.

Surrender Sweet

The first thing that visitors to Delaire Graff Estate see as they arrive is an Anton Smit sculpture – a strikingly lifelike sandstone figure with its head thrown back and arms outstretched as he surrenders himself to the sheer magnificence of his surroundings. This is what every guest can expect to feel before they greet the statue again on their way out.

Text: Nicola Weir • Images: © Delaire Graff Estate

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elaire Graff Estate represents a legacy of excellence.

Delaire, one of Stellenbosch’s finest vineyards, was acquired by Laurence Graff, Chairman of Graff Diamonds, in 2003.

Graff was determined to transform the estate into one of South Africa’s premier wineries and hospitality destinations. The estate was put through a complete rebuild and was reopened as Delaire Graff Estate in June 2009.

The estate is known for its stunning natural surrounds and, thanks to an ambitious team of experts working under Graff ’s guidance, it has its own breathtaking architecture that blends in perfectly with the stunning vistas visible from its perch in the Helshoogte Mountain Pass.

Keith Kirsten of Keith Kirsten Horticulture is the landscaping genius behind Delaire Graff ’s stunning grounds.

He ensured that the estate merged perfectly with its surrounds by using indigenous and naturalised exotic plants and trees to create a spectacular backdrop to the vineyards themselves, and a soothing atmosphere for visitors.

This atmosphere will capture the soul of even the most stressed out Johannesburg

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executive as scents of frangipani, hibiscus and budding roses tease your senses while you stroll through the winding gardens.

Complementing Keith’s work are creations that were specially commissioned from some of South Africa’s leading sculptors.

The winery was extensively rebuilt and a spectacular new cellar capable of holding 230 tons was constructed, making Delaire Graff Estate’s winery one of the most advanced in the Southern Hemisphere.

The vineyards also received their share of attention and underwent an extensive replanting program. Their vision was that by working with the best fruit, Delaire Wines would reach their true potential.

Under the guidance of experienced South African winemaker, Morne Very, this is sure to become a reality. Morne’s belief is that the road to vinous perfection has to start with the optimal fruit. He explains by saying, “Capital investment alone cannot guarantee superlative wines. But when you start off with the finest clones of the most suitable cultivars, plant them on the optimum soils and slopes, and manage your vineyards vigilantly, then you’ve created the best possible platform for the art and science of winemaking to co-join in

The Estate has its own breathtaking architecture that blends in perfectly with the stunning vistas visible from its perch in the Helshoogte Mountain Pass.

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A year after the estate was reopened, in June 2010, Delaire Graff proudly announced the launch of its luxury lodge and spa.

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a display of celestial magic.”

The delights of the gardens and a visit to the winery are certain to whip up an appetite, necessitating a visit to one of Delaire Graff ’s two restaurants. Indochine, which is located at the lodge, offers modern Asian Fusion cuisine married with western cooking and presentation techniques. Only the freshest ingredients are used and almost 90 per cent are locally sourced and organic.

The Asian tea ceremonies at Indochine are so enjoyable that they may even take precedence over the dessert menu.

The Delaire Graff Restaurant is located at the winery and here, guests are offered the option of dining either on the terrace, under a canopy of tall trees, or inside the restaurant where they can enjoy both the imaginative interior and breathtaking views of the Stellenbosch valley and mountains.

Executive Chef Christiaan Campbell uses fresh local produce to create his ‘sunshine cuisine’ and he says that by using these ingredients he is able to produce exceptional food that is perfectly paired with Delaire’s gorgeous wines. This unique approach to food is echoed by the restaurant’s unique interior design. It was conceived by David Collins from London and combines indigenous African architectural influences Premier

with the local Cape Dutch Style. The execution of these influences is perfectly displayed by the custom-made pieces of furniture that David commissioned from local artisans. These beautiful handcarved creations more than hold their own amongst artworks representing some of South Africa’s finest contemporary artists. The paintings, which were carefully selected by Laurence Graff himself, from his personal collection, include works by the likes of William Kentridge, Lionel Smit and Deborah Bell.

A year after the estate was reopened, in June 2010, Delaire Graff proudly announced the launch of its luxury lodge and spa. French architect, Pierre Bories conceptualised the architectural style for both the lodges and spa. He worked in conjunction with David Collins and, in a feat of sheer brilliance, they managed to create a complete architectural style that blends perfectly with the vineyards and surrounding landscape. The lodge and spa buildings nestle into their surroundings to create a feeling of tranquil seclusion as each individual lodge is surrounded by camellia and jasmine hedges providing total privacy.

The lodges consist of ten individual villa-like suites conveniently positioned

around the main building, which means that guests have easy access to the restaurant, meeting facilities, gymnasium and spa. The lodges are certainly not short of space, with the smallest being 80m2 and the largest 175m2 and each boasts a private, heated infinity pool.

The full-service spa is available to both hotel and estate guests and consists of four luxury treatment rooms, each with its own outdoor massage terrace and hydro-massage bath. The spa’s luxury offering extends to the sauna and steam room, heated outdoor pool, hair care studio and state-of-the-art gymnasium, including a pilates reformer machine with fully qualified instructor. For all treatments, products from Aromatherapy Associates and Swiss Perfection from La Prairie in Switzerland are used to ensure that every guest’s stay is complemented by a luxury spa experience.

Delaire Graff Estate: +27 21 885 8160 info@delaire.co.za www.delaire.co.za

Gardiner’s

Big Five “There are no short cuts in business,” says multi-award-winning founder and CEO of Mantis Group, Adrian Gardiner. In a time when business leaders now strive for the triple-bottom line, Gardiner is one of the few who have actually achieved it.

Text: Bronwyn Burns • Image: © Adrian Gardiner

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ut of a desire to rehabilitate abused and eroded farmland almost two decades ago, Gardiner has built a niche in the tourism and hospitality industry. Yet he certainly took the scenic route in his quest to the top.

Gardiner started his career as an accounting assistant at a Spar head office in Cape Town until he moved to Port Elizabeth. There he went on to start numerous franchises including KFC, pool construction, plant hire, crane hire and transport broking.

His success took a turn in 1979 when he fell prey to bad debts and rising inflation. “I lost everything,” says Gardiner, “and simply had to start from the bottom again.” At the core of Gardiner’s nature is the determination never to give up, so he worked through the hard times and gradually bought back the companies he had lost, until a yearning for his own patch of Africa took hold.

It was this yearning that led to to the birth of Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape – once a small piece of farmland, degraded by overgrazing and drought that Gardiner has since restored to a 25 000 hectare oasis of reintroduced game and natural ecological balance.

Today, his company, Mantis Group, has over 43 properties worldwide in its portfolio,

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including boutique hotels, game reserves and residence properties.

Shamwari remains the flagship, and it is here that Gardiner’s zest for wildlife and environmental sustainability is revealed.

As part of the game reserve, Gardiner established three differentiators: the Wilderness Foundation headquar ters, the Born Free Foundation Education and Animal Rescue Centre, and the Stenden University Wildlife Campus – which has a main campus in Por t Alfred and stands as the only institution in South Africa that offers a degree in hospitality and tourism management that is recognised around the world.

Mantis is renowned for prestigious lifestyle destinations, such as The Last Word boutique hotels along the Cape coastline, Draycott in London or Hotel Keppler in France, but where else will you find a development and management consulting service for others seeking to build their own game reserves? Gardiner has extended beyond the luxurious to the sustainable with Mantis Wildlife, a consultancy that offers expertise for the development of game reserves, including all aspects of infrastructure, carrying capacities, animal introductions, ecological mapping, required legal permits and proposed staffing.

Gardiner relates his success to his own concept of the Big Five: hospitality,

marketing, development, conservation and education. “Development is the turnkey in a country where the majority of the population have been deprived of education,” he says, adding that “success is the ability to empower others.”

Creating profit centres out of sustainable businesses that also give back to the community may be business as usual for Gardiner, but this philosophy has also earned Gardiner his place as a business leader with a legacy.

Earlier this year, Mantis received a string of awards at the African and Indian Ocean Travel Awards, including two top brand awards. Last year, Gardiner walked away with the prestigious Tourism Business Leadership Award. In the same month, his prestigious game reserve, Shamwari, received the World’s Leading Safari & Game Reserve Award as well as that for the World’s Leading Conservation Company at the World Travel Awards held in London. In 2008, Gardiner was acknowledged as the SAB Environmentalist of the Year.

These are but a few and the list of accolades is long, tracing the years since Gardiner first established the Shamwari Game Reserve, thinking that a weekend getaway would be his little patch of Africa.

Fall Back in Love with

South African Food

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uring the World Cup we were all filled with national pride but that all seemed to fade quite quickly after the event was over, and now the question that comes to mind is – have we fallen out of love with our beautiful country? One woman is changing that. Hanli Fourie opened Bites and Sites with a vision of sharing our wonderful country and its food with visitors from abroad, and of reacquainting South Africans with all of the ‘bites and sites’ that we have come to take for granted.

Based in Stellenbosch, Bites and Sites gives visitors the option to explore different influences on South African cuisine and the areas these foods are indigenous to by offering both food tours and cook-and-eat experiences. Throughout the tours Hanli provides interesting information on the origins of various foods and information on life in the Cape when the early settlers first arrived. The food tours literally take you from place to place guided by the foods on offer. If you have a morning to spare in Stellenbosch and would like to experience an introduction to South African food, then the Cape Classic walking tour is a good option.

Walking through its historic streets is the perfect way to see Stellenbosch, as beautiful

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Bites and Sites food tours take you on a journey through traditional South African cuisine and let you rediscover the remarkable food that we have all come to take for granted.

Text: Nicola Weir • Images: © Christine Meintjies

views and delightful surprises can be found around every corner. The Tour starts with traditional beskuit and a choice of rooibos, honeybush or ceylon tea.You then move on to taste some biltong and droëwors before sitting down for lunch at the 1802 restaurant, situated in D’Ouwe Werf Hotel, the oldest building in Stellenbosch. Lunch consists of classic bobotie and chicken and mushroom pie, but leave space for dessert as you will be treated to koeksisters, melktert and malva pudding! A visit to Oom Samie se Winkel is the cherry on the cake. The oldest shop in Stellenbosch, it is filled with the smells of aromatic spices and teas and there are treasures tucked away in every corner. For locals, this shop will invoke the nostalgia of a South African childhood and is the perfect complement to the food.

The cook-up experiences involve travelling to the area in which a particular dish originates and then having an interactive experience as local experts demonstrate the preparation and cooking that goes into every dish. The warmth and friendliness of the locals creates a relaxing atmosphere and reminds you that you are part of a diverse and wonderful culture that has a great deal to offer, and this is what Bites and Sites is proudly sharing with the world.

Bites & Sites Tours: Classic Cape Cuisine walking tour Sweet Surrender walking tour Dine & Vine tour Rainbow Nation ‘Cook & Eat’ Xhosa ‘Cook & Eat’ Cape Malay ‘Spice & Eat’ Proudly South African ‘Braai & Eat’ French-speaking tour guide available on request Number of people per group for all tours: 2 – 8 (bigger groups will be split up) For more information and bookings call +27 21 8875626 or visit www.bitesandsites.co.za

Pretoria’s Resident Historian A scholar in the true sense of the word, Pretoria resident, Eric Bolsmann, is an accomplished writer, painter and historian. His long, successful career has given him extensive exposure to South African culture, which he intends to one day publish in his 26th book.

Text: Nic Joubert • Images: © Eric Bolsmann

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lthough he is German by bir th, Eric is proudly South African and has dedicated enormous amounts of time to uncovering the history of Pretoria and, in par ticular, its ar t. A prolific author, he has published 25 books on ar t and history and has penned over 150 ar ticles on these topics for various publications. He is also a successful ar tist, having sold about 241 paintings over the past 19 years, and is still receiving commissions from abroad.

He has also held several solo exhibitions which resulted in several diplomats buying his work. “I have been very for tunate in my career,” he says, “many of my works have been taken overseas and some are even still displayed in the Arcadia hotel.”

He worked for many years in the hotel industry before embracing his passion for the creative pursuits of writing and painting, and now, he says, he is lucky enough to spend his life doing what he enjoys most. “I have the ideal life,” he says. His painting has a distinctly realistic style showing that he is a highly accomplished ar tist. He has several

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themes that he prefers working with, “I like flowers and architectural scenes cityscapes and buildings,” he says. He accounts for his preference for cityscapes by comparing them to having two daughters. One may be less beautiful and accomplished than the other, but for some reason, you favour the daughter who struggles, “you can’t help but like one more, and that’s how I feel about my architectural scenes. They may seem a bit uglier but for some reason I am always drawn back to them.”

He has a unique outlook on life which is echoed in the style of his paintings.

Realistic and for thright, he challenges people’s opinions on what constitutes a true work of ar t and also what it truly

means to be an ar tist. “I had a launch for my book Contemporar y Artists of Pretoria and there was a lot of debate over the ar tists I had chosen to include. This made me really sit down and think about what makes someone a true ar tist.” He believes that the concept of an ‘ar tist’ has changed over the past few years and so he questions what this term truly means in today’s society. “Is a chef who can create beautifully detailed ice sculptures not an ar tist? Today people are too occupied with the idea behind a painting to notice whether is perfectly executed or not.” Eric believes that it is the passion and precision behind a piece that truly makes it a work of ar t, not what society may believe it to be.

a weekend at the

Franschhoek Champagne Festival

Head down to Franschhoek for the annual Champagne festival and spend the weekend, popping corks, filling flutes, sipping bubbly and enjoying delicacies prepared by some of the valley’s gourmet masterminds. The festival takes place over the weekend of the 3rd to 5th of December, and for the fifth year running, this social calendar highlight is sponsored by Investec Private Bank.

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Check into Franschhoek Country House and Villas, which offers several accommodation options. The Villas are perfect for couples seeking a romantic retreat or for groups of family or friends travelling together. This is perfect as a base for enjoying the delights of Franschhoek and the champagne festival. After you check in, relax with a glass of champagne before enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by Chef Arno Engelbrecht. You will be ready for a day at the Festival after a refreshing night’s sleep and an impressive FCH breakfast. You may even be tempted to leave the festivities and sneak back to FCH and laze next to the pool or enjoy a relaxing salon treatment. If you are going to partake in the champagne delights, it is recommended that you make use of their complimentary shuttle service. Contact Franschhoek Country House and Villas on +27 21 876 3386 or visit ww.fch.co.za for more information.

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Text: Nicola Weir • Images: © Franschhoek Country House and Villas, La Motte & Smart Communications

Saturday After a delicious breakfast at FCH, it’s time to head over to the Franschhoek ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique and Champagne Festival.Taking full advantage of the Cape’s glorious summer evenings, the festival will be open from 6pm to 10pm on Friday the 3rd, and then between 12pm and 6pm on both the 4th and 5th. The theme for this year’s festival is black and white, with a prize being awarded to the best dressed couple.

A best dressed couple will be selected every day of the festival.

An entrance fee of R180.00 per person gives you access to the festival and you will also receive a free tasting glass and a complimentary booklet of tasting coupons, thereafter all tastings will be charged on consumption. Tickets can be purchased through www.webtickets.co.za, but hurry, as tickets are limited – once the marquee is full no further patrons will be admitted. Walking around the festival can whip up quite an appetite and, being one of SA’s favourite gastronomic destinations, Franschhoek has no shortage of eateries to please any palate.

Sunday Before heading home, spend the day getting lost in Franschhoek’s many delights. There are so many stylish boutiques to choose from that any shopaholic will be in their seventh heaven! This is the perfect opportunity to pick up some Christmas presents. Don’t forget that many stunning gift options will be available at the festival and if bubbly is not to your taste, then head to La Motte wine estate. Having gone through an extensive revamp, the redefined La Motte estate is a gorgeous way to end off your weekend. After a wine tasting with La Motte’s exceptional staff, linger there long into the night, enjoying some of SA’s best wine and the delectable food from the Pierneef à La Motte restaurant. Contact La Motte on +27 21 876 3119 or visit www.la-motte.com.

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A Trio of

Merlot Merlot seems to have a bad reputation in South Africa due to its tendency to ripen too early and the fact that it grows out of control if not properly tended to. There are, however, a few producers who know how to work with this varietal and achieve great results.

Text: Nic Joubert • Images: © Kyle Krige

Circumstance Merlot 2007

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This wine is produced by Waterkloof wine estate, a magnificent new winery completed at the end of 2009. The heat wave experienced in 2007 resulted in the grapes being harvested twice to ensure that only the best fruit went into this wine.The Circumstance spent a total of 20 months in oak, with most of the oak (up to 60%) being second-fill oak barrels and 30% being new oak. While this is a fair time to spend in oak, the first time I tasted the wine I would never have guessed it to have spent this amount of time in the barrel. It is exceptionally elegant, with rich black plum and redcurrant favours up front, with a long, soft finish and silky tannins.

Radford Dale Merlot 2008

Rust en Vrede Merlot 2009

This winery takes merlot so seriously, that after their 2005 merlot, they did not produce one for the next two years because, they reasoned, they had produced a perfect merlot.

Due to the fact that they experienced mild weather and less heat in 2008, they had a longer ripening season which resulted in the ideal conditions in which to produce another ‘perfect’ merlot and only the best fruit was handpicked to go into this wine.This is a pure merlot with numerous dark fruit characteristics.

The oak is perfectly balanced as it does not dominate the palate, which permits the fruit flavours to come through.

While merlot only accounts for 10% of Rust en Vrede’s total, it is one of their most sought-after wines.

This particular Merlot is the first of their 2009 vintages to be released.

The wine only spends 14 months in French oak, which is a much shorter time given in oak compared to Rust en Vrede’s other reds. This allows it to be more approachable upon release – while another 2-3 years of further maturation would also be perfect.

Initially it has plum and cherry aromas infused with a soft spiciness and hints of blueberries which are combined with a mouthful of soft, plush tannins that allow the fresh berry flavours to stand tall.

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A Woman of

Many Talents Kariena Kolisko is a successful artist, and an accomplished ballet dancer who has dedicated herself to sharing these wonderful gifts with others.

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Text & Images: Š Alice Art Gallery

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African Mona Lisa

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he Alice Art Gallery has discovered yet another multifaceted and talented artist to add to their long list of exceptional local artists! Born in Rome, Italy, Kariena grew up in Australia and moved back to South Africa with her parents in 1971 as her father was a South African Diplomat. Kariena has been painting since she was a small child and has sold well over 120 paintings in various media, including oils, watercolours, acrylics, pastel, ink and drawings. She studied art extramurally at school and subsequently through Unisa, also attending classes for several years with various teachers, including Michael Schur who specialises in oil painting, Estelle Valkenberg who specialises in drawing techniques, and Stella Smit. She was also a student in Walter Voight’s Masterclass of Oil Techniques.

Recently, Kariena was one of 15 fine artists selected from approximately 300 applicants for the New Signatures 2010 art exhibition at the Alice Art Gallery in Johannesburg. Her work was displayed during a two-week exhibition which ran from July to August earlier this year. Kariena now shares her beautifully accurate work

Himba in Shadow

Kariena counts herself lucky to be able live out her passions every day and says that she has been very blessed in her private life as well.

by taking commissions from photographs, which she is able to render in either pastel, charcoal, oil or acrylic.

Her extensive artistic talents do not end at drawing and painting however.

After obtaining her Ballet Diploma at the UCT Ballet School, she took part in several productions with the PACT Drama Company. In 1984, she decided to share her love of dancing and opened her own ballet studio. For over 27 years, she has been a Royal Academy of Dance ballet teacher in Northcliff, Johannesburg. She teaches under the name Kariena Olivier School of Ballet and has worked with thousands of children, entering numerous examinations and dance festivals. She also successfully founded the “Ballet Bugs Theatre Company” and has produced many accomplished dancers, several of whom are dancing professionally for local and international dance companies.

Kariena counts herself lucky to be able live out her passions every day and says that she has been very blessed in her private life as well. She married the love of her life, Tom Kolisko, and together they have two children, Gina and Jeffery.

The Little Polish Girl

Kariena Kolisko will holding a solo exhibition at the Alice Art Gallery in March 2011.The Alice Art Gallery can be found at 217 Dryf Avenue, Ruimsig, Roodepoort. For more information, e-mail aliceart@global.co.za or call +27 83 337 8466/+27 83 377 1470.

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Stop

Stare & The overwhelming natural beauty of Hermanus will envelop you as you take in its spectacular views from The Marine Hermanus, another five-star experience brought to you by the Liz McGrath Collection.

Text & Images: Š The Liz McGrath Collection

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he Marine Hotel Hermanus, a 5 star Relais & Chateaux Hotel, is unique in its position perched atop the cliffs in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Southern Africa. Hermanus offers some of the best land-based whale watching in the world and at The Marine you don’t even have to get out of bed to experience these amazing creatures!

With its understated luxury and sophisticated décor, the hotel boasts 42 luxury rooms and suites. Spectacular views can be captured from your bedroom window, including the best land-based whale-watching in the world.

The Sun Lounge and Bar is chic and sophisticated and the perfect place to enjoy tea or sip fabulous cocktails with nothing between you and the South Pole, other than 3,000 miles of ocean. Liz McGrath’s inspiration for The Seafood at The Marine came about after a chance visit to the seafood counter at Harrods in London.

The style is informal and busy, with the emphasis on the freshness of the fish from Walker Bay, great style and friendly service.

Head Chef, Delia Harbottle has served her delightful cuisine to many a celebrity that include celebrity TV chef Rick Stein,

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Amanda Coetzer, Arnon Milchan, the US Secret Service, Brad Pitt, Ruby Wax, Brian Turner and Sir Anthony Sher.

The Pavilion is relaxed and informal, with an understated elegance and offers one of the finest dining experiences in Hermanus. The décor is glamorous and encompasses the beautiful views over Walker Bay. “We have created a style of food which reflects the amazing produce found in the Walker Bay region. Using seasonal ingredients to their full potential and combining subtle flavours and textures to match the stunning wines of the region” says Peter Tempelhoff, Executive Chef for The Collection by Liz McGrath.

The Collection Boutique offers an extensive range of gifts and curios. The team at the Traveldesk is on hand to maximize your South African experience to the fullest extent with their wealth of local knowledge and experience.

Pamper yourself at The Carchele Health and Beauty Spa, enjoy the heated courtyard pool or swim in the tidal pool situated below the hotel where whales are at times just 100 metres away.

For reservations and more information, call +27 28 313 1000 or visit www.collectionmcgrath.com

enjoy tea or sip fabulous cocktails with nothing between you and the South Pole, other than 3,000 miles of ocean.

Samsonite Sends You Packing For more than a century, Samsonite has been at the forefront of luggage innovation and design, creating high quality items for every need. Their luggage experts share their tips on how to pack like a professional.

Text & Images: © Samsonite

Plan Before You Pack: • Check your destination – the weather, special clothing requirements, available laundry facilities?

• Activities – are there special events or excursions, do you need special clothing or equipment?

• Check your airline’s website for the number of cases you can take, luggage weights as well as size restrictions regarding hand luggage.

Bulky items are often subject to special regulations. Strict safety regulations determine what can be included in your hand luggage.

Choose the Right Luggage: • Size is important – too big means crumpled clothing, too small means more creases!

• Hardside cases protect as they are durable and scratch and shockresistant.

• Softside cases are best if you’re pushed for space. Many expand and have lots

of pockets.

• A lightweight carry-on case is best for short visits and business trips – you won’t waste time collecting baggage.

• For heavy luggage, choose a case with sturdy wheels.

• When travelling long distances between airports and hotels with

heavy luggage, go for a four-wheel spinner case. Samsonite’s ergonomic grips prevent wrist strain and fold-away handles provide comfort and convenience.

• Adventurers, hikers and backpackers need durable, lightweight luggage that is designed for comfort.

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What You Want Versus What You Need: • List items you’d like to take and then tick off the ones you can’t do without. Compare and compromise if you can.

• Create a capsule wardrobe – the rule is to mix and match, so choose one or two colour palettes that will enable you to create a variety of outfits. Look out for items that you can either dress up or dress down.

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• •

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• Fabrics that don’t crease and don’t need ironing are first prize.

• When it comes to toiletries, you can take smaller containers. Remember that most hotels provide soaps and shower gels.

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• Are towels supplied?

• Which electrical appliances will be on hand? You might not need to bring a hairdryer.

• Cut down on clothing by taking along a small container of handwash detergent.

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• Pack evenly from the base of the case upwards, rather than piling everything up against the side. Pack larger, heavier items first so as not to squash any delicates. Ensure that you have flat, level surfaces to avoid creasing.

• Be innovative. Use sarongs or beach towels to create layers and to section your suitcase so that you can easily find something in a hurry.

• Place shoes in plastic bags or shoe bags so they don’t dirty clean clothes. You can push smaller items such as socks or underwear into your shoes to save space.

• Wrap electrical items in non-crease items to protect them in transit.

• To roll or to fold? Rolling clothes is best when using backpacks and holdalls. Usually rolling works well for trousers, skirts, shorts and jerseys while items like shirts are better folded.

• A divider pad and/or cross ribbons help you to organise your suitcase Premier

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• •

and allow you to keep your clothes in place when your case is not completely filled.

Small items that may get lost between clothing can be stored inside pockets.

Socks and underwear are good for filling any gaps in the case.

Use the top part of your suitcase to store delicate items or separate dirty laundry.

Shirts and blouses will wrinkle less if you insert a sheet of tissue paper between the individual layers of clothing ‘Interweave’ tailored items like skirts, pants, coats and jackets to prevent creases – drape them with the ends hanging over the sides. Then put the rest of the clothes/soft items (T-shirts, jerseys, etc) on top. Finally fold over the trousers and hems hanging out over the side of the case and smooth them out Leather belts are less likely to be damaged if you lay them out along the inside walls of the case Keep ties smooth by rolling them up.

Place toiletries that can leak or goods that need to stay dry (hairdryers, electric shavers, books) in plastic bags or vanity cases.

Travel Safe: • Always put valuables, important documents and fragile items in your hand luggage.

• Have two identity tags on your case – one on the inside and one on the outside – just in case one gets ripped off.

• Write your name, number and where you are staying on the label when you leave. Using your home address can draw attention to the fact that you will be away.

• Choose a sturdy lock – TSA locks are a good option, especially when travelling abroad.

• A quick hook accessory enables you to attach a second, smaller piece of luggage to your upright case.

To locate a stockist near you, visit www.samsonite.com or call + 27 31 266 0620.

Equity Employment

A Matter of Course The Employment Equity Act (EEA) is an oftenmisunderstood piece of legislation because of its seemingly burdensome and intrusive nature. It is, however, a salient piece of legislation that should be valued and understood by employers because, if implemented correctly, it can lead to substantive transformation in the South African economic landscape.

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Text:Thomas Coggin • Images: Š iStockphoto.com

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he EEA applies generally to employers who employ over 50 employees, or who employ fewer than 50 employers but whose annual turnover is over a certain threshold. The EEA mandates that affirmative action measures are implemented which aim to redress inherent inequalities experienced by designated employees – including black persons, women and disabled persons.

The phrase ‘affirmative action’ has assumed a negative connotation in South Africa today because of its association with a superficial application of black economic empowerment. However, affirmative action, as originally understood, is a positive measure, and recognises that due to our exclusionary history, certain sectors of society continue to come from a position of inherent advantage. By contrast, other sectors remain in a cycle of exclusion and marginalisation – a cycle that is often difficult to escape.

The EEA thus requires employers to engage in a process of evaluating conditions in the workplace, and specifically those conditions which negatively affect designated employees. The idea is to create a workplace that values diversity, and ensures that employment conditions that create employment barriers do not exist. These could include glass ceilings preventing women from attaining management positions, or workplaces that do not provide wheelchair access.

Affirmative action does not mean that an employment policy can provide an absolute barrier to prospective or continued employment for persons not from a designated group. Therefore a firm

cannot advertise a position available only to people from previously disadvantaged groups, but these groups can nevertheless be given preference over other groups.

Similarly, dismissal for the purposes of affirmative action is given no protection.

Affirmative Action furthermore means that people appointed have to be suitably qualified. This does not mean that the best candidate should always be hired, but it does mean that if a less-qualified candidate who is nevertheless suitably qualified for

The idea is to create a workplace that values diversity, and ensures that employment conditions that create employment barriers do not exist. the position applies, then such person should be preferred.

The question then arises how to implement employment equity. Ideally, such a process should be spearheaded by a labour expert, or a law firm itself. Briefly, however, what is required is consultation with employees. It is unclear what precisely is required in this regard, but ultimately the overriding principle of reaching consensus with employees on the process of achieving employment equity should be of

paramount importance. Thus in a smaller firm, simply emailing a plan to employees and keeping the plan open for comment by employees for a certain period may be sufficient. Within the plan itself, the employer is required to set out a number of concrete goals, which include affirmative action measures, numerical goals to achieve equitable representation, and procedures for monitoring the plan.

Plans must be submitted on an annual basis if employing more than 150 employees, and if employing less, once ever y two years. An employee is entitled to aler t the Depar tment of Labour to a failure by the employer to comply with EEA procedures, whereupon a Labour official, after conducting an investigation into the firm’s employment practices, may issue a compliance order against the firm.

An employer should, however, comply with the EEA as a matter of course. Even though the process might be burdensome, the process not only results in a happier, ergo productive workplace, but also results in a more inclusive and equal society.

Hooyberg Attorneys is a boutique legal practice located in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. Its dynamic, professional and experienced team provides a range of innovative and comprehensive counsel. Areas of expertise include Commercial and Corporate Law, Property Development, Conveyancing, Litigation, Labour Law, Insolvency, Family Law, Estates and Trusts.

For more information, contact Jessica Schoass on +27 11 684 1111 or email Jessica@hooyberg.co.za.

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Garmin ForerunnerÂŽ

Your no-excuses training partner From basic fitness watches to GPS-enabled trainers that measure time, distance, pace and heart rate, a Garmin Fitness device will take your training to a whole new level.

Text & Image: Š Garmin

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ur newest Forerunner units feature innovative wireless technology that automatically sends your workout data to your computer for later analysis.

Others go from bike to wrist in seconds, making them ideal for multi-sport training and performance.

GPS-Enabled Trainers Forerunner 405CX The evolution of GPS-enabled training from Garmin, the FR 405CX features heart rate-based calorie computation, and tracks your distance, pace and heart rate, then wirelessly sends the data to your computer.

FR 305

Multi-Sport Trainers Forerunner 310XT Designed especially for triathletes and adventure seekers, this advanced GPSenabled device accurately tracks time, distance, pace, elevation and heart rate for running and cycling.The FR 310XT is waterresistant to 50 metres and has a battery life of up to 20 hours. With a quick-mount release mechanism, the 310XT goes from wrist to bike in seconds, and is compatible with optional speed/cadence sensors and ANT+ enabled power meters.

Forerunner 305

For runners who appreciate form and function, the FR 405 features a touch bezel that allows you to select features on the run. The FR 405 also synchs wirelessly with Garmin Connect, allowing you to upload and analyse workouts with ease.

The rugged FR 305 calculates time, distance, pace, calories and heart rate, and has a high-sensitivity receiver which offers improved performance, even when running on trails with heavy tree cover.

The FR 305 is ideal as a multi-sport trainer when paired with optional speed/cadence sensors for cyclists.

Forerunner 110

Non-GPS Fitness Watches

Ideal for running and walking, the Forerunner 110 tells you exactly how far and how fast you have moved. Using GPS to accurately record your workout time, pace and distance, this sleek unit also keeps track of calories burned. No setup required, just press start and go.

Compatible with Garmin Connect.

Perfect for people who like to run or cross-train indoors. This sleek and easy-to-use fitness watch tracks your time, calories burned and heart rate.

An optional foot pod enables you to track distance indoors or out, and the device communicates with ANT+ fitness

Forerunner 405

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FR 405CX

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Forerunner 60

FR 310XT

equipment, like treadmills and fitness bikes. The FR60 automatically sends data wirelessly to your computer, allowing you to monitor your fitness progress online via Garmin Connect.

Accessories Make the most of your training with Garmin Fitness accessories. The lightweight foot pod measures speed and distance, allowing you to get the most out of your device, both indoors and out. Other accessories, like the speed/cadence sensor and bike mounts, can extend your running device into a cross-training tool.

Get Connected Join a worldwide community of cyclists, runners and outdoor sports enthusiasts at Garmin Connect, our website for data analysis and sharing. Garmin Connect tools let you analyse core metrics, create reports and set goals to see how your performance improves over time, plus you can share routes or search from a worldwide database of data contributed by other Garmin Fitness device users.

Garmin fitness products and accessories are available from key sporting retailers throughout South Africa, including Cape Union Mart, Due South, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Total Sports. For more information on products and accessories visit www.garmin.co.za

The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of

Coco

Chanel How Coco Chanel built her empire, ruined it, and rose from the ashes Text & Images: © Megan Helstone

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hen the word Chanel is uttered, a certain image springs to mind: stylish black dresses, minimal design with maximum beauty, chic, style and class.

Coco Chanel was the woman who made little black dresses famous by daring to take the colour associated with mourning and turning it into the ultimate symbol of elegance. She was the one to take women’s fashion and make style comfortable and functional as well as beautiful. Always one to practise what she preached, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was the trailblazer who wore men’s trousers and ties in a time when women were still wearing bustles, bobbed her hair when the feminine ideal included wearing a lifetime’s worth of hair tightly coiled, and refused to marry in an age when a woman had to rely on her husband for her livelihood. She had many Premier

opportunities to wed various famous lovers, but, as Coco once said when asked why she refused to marry the Duke of Westminster, “There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel.” It was also this brash attitude and disregard for social convention that nearly cost Chanel her empire.

The house of Chanel had its inauspicious start as a hobby of Coco’s. As a child, she had watched her aunt Julia buy plain hats and refurbish them with whatever decorative odds and ends she could find, creating stylish modern designs on the cheap. Intrigued, Coco tried her own hand a few years later while living with Étienne Balsan as his mistress. Well kept but without any way to entertain herself or make her own money, Coco began to buy plain straw hats and refashion them. An actress friend of Étienne’s admired Coco’s

work, and before long she was wearing Chanel hats on and offstage. A reputation was beginning to develop.

This was not enough for Coco. She wanted her own shop, and she wanted this shop in Paris. Étienne, content to stay in the countr y with his horses and estate, laughed at Coco, calling it a passing fancy.

Boy Capel, a friend of Étienne’s, took Coco seriously, and offered not only to provide the star tup costs for her business, but conver ted a ground floor flat he owned in Paris into her storefront.

In 1910 Chanel Modes opened, her first shop, and Coco soon had more business than she could deal with. She was becoming a star in Paris. Her dream was finally coming true. By 1915 she had three shops, and by 1919 she was an officially registered couturière.

Business went so well that when World

Coco Chanel was the one to take women’s fashion and make style comfortable and functional as well as beautiful.

War II broke out in 1939, she decided that war was no time for fashion and closed shop. While war raged around her Coco was safely housed in the Hôtel Ritz Paris, and even built a house on the Riviera. But her money and name couldn’t protect her from the vicious rumours that began to swirl as she stayed on in Paris during the Nazi occupation: it was said that she was having an affair with German officer Hans Gunther von Dincklage, who made her stay in Paris as comfortable as possible.

The rumours became steadily worse, and by the end of the war Coco’s personal reputation was severely tarnished. She was accused of being a collaborator with the Germans and of arranging the Nazi capture of a long-time friend. It was her closeness with the Royal Family, resulting from her affair with the Duke of Westminster, that ended up saving

Coco, and the charges against her were quietly dropped before she could face trial. Keeping her head low, Coco Chanel moved to Switzerland for 10 years.

In 1954 Coco returned to Paris and opened shop once again, but her business suffered. The French saw her as a traitor who sold out her friends and country to stay safe in occupied Paris and refused to support her. Chanel’s saving grace was the suddenly rich Americans who had profited from the war and were charmed by the classic European elegance of her designs, as well as the more forgiving British.

Working every day until her death at age 87 in 1971, Coco Chanel’s persistence and continuing innovation finally won back the admiration of her fellow countrymen, built a lasting legacy of timeless design and effortless elegance, and proved that there was indeed only one Coco Chanel.

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Sure Travel and Bbagzz in the Fight

Against

Luggage Pilfering Pilfering and damaging of luggage while in transit is a global problem, and one that is a constant concern for travellers. Sure Travel has found a unique way to counteract this common problem, by offering a complimentary insurance benefit for all existing travel insurance policies through Bbagzz, a luggage enclosure that offers the ultimate in luggage security solutions.

Text & Images: © PR Worx

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he insurance is an additional stand-alone product, providing cover for your luggage while in transit. The cover insures items either lost due to pilfering or ruined by damage up to R 1 000 per item. In addition, delayed luggage is also covered up to R1 000 per item, while R5 000 coverage is provided for total loss of luggage, with a R250 excess.

Bbaggz seals off your luggage entirely, including all locks and zips. Sure Travel CEO Vanya Lessing says that the introduction of Bbagzz into the market is an ideal solution to the widespread problem of pilfered and damaged luggage. “For a long time pilfering, damage and tampering with suitcases while in transit has been a major problem for the travel industry. Bbagzz enclosures will assist greatly in overcoming this problem not only by providing visible suitcase protection, but also providing insurance against any sort of tampering,” she says.

Each Bbaggz enclosure has its own unique identification number, and travellers will need to carry separate Bbagzz for their luggage for each leg of their journey.

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Sure Travel CEO,Vanya Lessing

Every time a Bbagzz enclosure is used the insurance needs to be activated through SMS using the unique code found on each bag. Standard SMS rates do apply when doing so, but free smses are also accepted.

Sure Travel is currently the only travel company offering Bbaggz for travellers looking for piece of mind wherever their journeys may take them. Lessing says that it is a great privilege to partner with Bbagzz, and that this is certainly a mutually beneficial relationship.

Bbagzz CEO Roger Mar tin, who developed the Bbagzz seal five years ago after his own luggage had been pilfered, echoes Lessing’s sentiments. “We are extremely excited about this new product, and even more excited that we are initially able to distribute it through a respected travel company such as Sure Travel,” he says.

Lessing says that Bbagzz will offer travellers several security benefits. “The product will decrease the prospects of criminals attempting to steal luggage.

Further, it eliminates the possibility of items

going missing, and dramatically reduces the risk of pilferage and tampering in transit.

The unique Sure Travel-branded packaging results in luggage being more easily identifiable on the carousel when picking up your bags, as the majority of suitcases are usually black. Any form of tampering, whether it is the removal or insertion of items, will immediately be evident when collecting your luggage,” she says.

Additional benefits of the packing are that it protects your luggage against both liquid damage and zip failure. Lessing concludes that the product will provide air travellers with an assurance that they did not have before.

“The security of your luggage is one of the concerns associated with modern-day flying. This insurance is, therefore, essential, not only for peace of mind, but also for practical security. It will provide a reliable safeguard against an all too common threat,” concludes Lessing.

The Ultimate in

Comfort and Convenience Cape Royale Luxury Hotels and Residence is a five-star oasis that will whisk you off the busy streets of Green Point and into its grand entrance hall, where its hospitable staff wait to welcome you into the hotel’s luxurious splendour.

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Text: Nicola Weir • Images: © Cape Royale

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et against Cape Town’s stunning scenic backdrop, Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence boasts views of Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and the new Cape Town Stadium. Guests are offered a choice of three restaurants when they want to emerge from the comfortable living areas in their suites, as well as the world-class Equinox Spa and fitness centre. For those who happen to be travelling for business rather than pleasure, Cape Royale couldn’t make it easier to fit in a little down time with the new state-of-the-art conference suites and boardrooms, all with internet facilities on site to save you as much time as possible.

Starting with a warm and professional greeting upon arrival by their complimentary butlers, the Cape Royale staff are trained to cater to your every whim. The hotel’s decor is also specially designed to welcome travel-weary guests. Your stress will simply melt away as soon as you step through the impressive facade and entrance hall and travel up the elevator to arrive in the tranquil silence of your designerfurnished suite.

The hotel offers 95 suites, each with contemporary decor and luxurious finishings, which create a feeling of tranquillity that quietly sets in every time you return to your suite. Thoughtful attention to detail further enhances your experience as you discover that the highly efficient air conditioning is reset for you at night, or that only the most luxurious fabrics have been used on the generous queen-sized beds.

Accommodation options at Cape Royale begin with their 65m² Deluxe suites, which offer views over the city and Atlantic Ocean, and provide ample living and entertainment areas. The bedrooms are graced with queen-sized beds with silk-filled duvets and 300 thread count, Egyptian cotton linen, and lead into sumptuous, granite-finished en suite bathrooms. Each suite’s dining room is fitted with a glass chandelier. The magnificently styled two-bedroom Family Deluxe suites have breathtaking views of Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront and offer dining room seating for up to six guests, as well as an ample entertainment area which leads onto the Juliet balcony through double-glazed swing doors. The master bedroom contains a queen-sized bed with an en suite granite and porcelain bathroom equipped with a separate bath and free-standing shower. The second bedroom features a twin bed with an en suite bathroom fitted with either a shower or bath. All Family Deluxe suites are a minimum of 115m² in size.

The 180m² Penthouse suites offer three bedrooms and are ideal for either families travelling together or long-stay business travellers. Each Penthouse suite is equipped with two bedrooms with queen-sized beds and en suite bathrooms, each with a separate bath and shower. A third bedroom contains a twin bed and its own en suite bathroom with either a bath or shower.

These suites also offer a dining room fitted with a glass chandelier and seating for six guests, an open-plan lounge with a Juliet balcony and double-glazed swing doors and

ample living and entertainment areas.

The luxurious Presidential Suite has four bedrooms and offers the ultimate in understated elegance. It is equipped with two queen-size bedrooms both with en suite bathrooms and separate bath and shower, and two twin-bedded rooms with en suite bathrooms fitted with a shower or bath. The dining room seats eight guests and the open-plan lounge features a Juliet balcony and double-glazed swing doors.The suite is at least 220m² in size with ample living and entertainment areas.

All of this comfort would not be complete without convenience. A mere 30 minutes from the airport, the Cape Royale makes a perfect base for people who need to hurry to business meetings, or for those who are there to explore Cape Town and its many pleasures and surroundings.

The hotel is only five minutes from Cape Town’s CBD and is also in close proximity to Clifton Beach and Camps Bay, and, of course, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and offers complimentary transfers within a 5km radius of the hotel.

No matter what your reason is for travelling to South Africa’s charming mother city, the Cape Royale is truly the best possible choice for accommodation that is beyond comparison.

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From Past Heritage to

Future Creativity

Empowering South Africa’s Soul The Ifa Lethu Foundation has used the repatriation of items representing our heritage, such as visual art works from abroad, to inspire and develop the country’s future creative entrepreneurs.

Text: Bette Kun • Images: © The Ifa Lethu Foundation

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uring apartheid’s dark years; the 60s, 70s and early 80s, local black and so-called township artists were not allowed to exhibit their works of art in white galleries or public places. Deemed to have ‘no commercial value’ and to be inferior to white artists of the time, they struggled to make a living for themselves and their families. Similarly, ‘black’ music was confined to the no-go areas of the townships. But jazz-loving diplomats and foreign business executives risked arrest to hear the exciting rhythms and beats they knew could be experienced if you were brave enough to risk going into the ‘locations’.

Gradually, visual artists brought their works to these musical events and many were bought by art lovers for small amounts of money. Indeed, diplomats like Australians Bruce Haigh and Diane Johnstone were entranced by the vivid colours and images depicting everything from township life to the ongoing struggle for freedom.

Fast forward to 2004 when local journalist Tom Nevin contacted the two now-retired diplomats back in Australia Premier

with the idea of repatriating this missing link from our heritage to share with the nation and the world. This idea, fully supported by Bruce and Diane, resulted in the generous donation of their extensive collections and Ifa Lethu was born.

Meaning “Our Heritage”, Ifa Lethu, under the steady, guiding hand of then chairperson Dr Mamphela Ramphele, has been on a mission to identify and bring home these unique lost pieces of struggle art.Today the collection features more than 330 pieces from countries such as Spain, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France and many others. The works are regularly featured at small events as well as the new world tour exhibition “Home & Away: a return to the South” – recently held in Johannesburg and attended by over 4,000 people from numerous countries during the World Cup. Currently on show in Cape Town, it moves to Durban in January 2011 before embarking on a world tour to Chile, the USA, the UK and Australia.

The Next Generation Over the past three years, Ifa Lethu has used struggle-era works to inspire and train young creative entrepreneurs on how to improve their artistic skills, and to gain business skills in order to take their works to market and sustain themselves and their families. Says CEO Dr Narissa Ramdhani, “Our development programme has already produced income-earning young entrepreneurs in both the fashion and arts sectors.”

The new Ifa Lethu Art Incubation Studio will open in Soweto at Ubuntu Kraal in November 2011 and welcomes visitors to see these young people at work and buy investment pieces.

Ifa Lethu has not only brought an important part of our cultural history and heritage home, but has used the inspiration of previously unrecognised artists to spur a new generation of talented youth to take their places on the local and world stages of art, fashion and culture.

Please visit www.ifalethu.org.za

Bosman’s Sheer Culinary Class

A complete harmony of flavours – neither too strong nor too “soft”, combined with the freshest, seasonal products and blended with the knowledge that one cannot make magic from a bad product. These are just some of the ingredients which Executive Head Chef, Roland Gorgosilich believes maintains Bosman’s Restaurant at the Grande Roche Hotel, Paarl, at the top of the Cape’s culinary class.

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If those ancient walls could talk, they would reveal that while times may change, the values of authenticity, style and having the leisure to enjoy a gourmet meal slowly, continue at a place such as Bosman’s at the Grande Roche Hotel.

osman’s restaurant is a highly acclaimed gourmet experience in the winelands and Roland is again making gourmet history after Bosman’s was acknowledged as the number one fine dining restaurant by SA Tourism.

It also has one of the Cape’s most dramatic settings for fine cuisine, as the view from within the dining room of the old Manor House looks out over the tall palms on the front lawn and sweeps over the mountains beyond, while inside, the décor reflects an enchanting period ambience. Under Roland’s guidance, guests are assured of classic cuisine infused with modern imagination and innovation.

Amongst other locations, Roland’s CV reveals work as a Chef Tournant at the three-star Michelin Ritz Carlton Restaurant, Aqua, in Wolsburg and the Villa Hammerschmiede, and as Sous Chef at the Hotel Schloss Fuschl near his native Salzburg, Austria. He has also presided over Bosman’s restaurant’s nomination in the prestigious Eat Out Awards 2010 (to be announced later this year).

“In my experience, a top restaurant understands the importance of focusing on the produce you are working with,” says Roland. “Using top quality, fresh produce allows one to change the menu on a seasonal basis. Preparation is also critical, as are teamwork and the desire to deliver 120% every day.”

As for Bosman’s menu, Roland reveals a “fresh, seasonal, classic, ‘new’ style with combinations and creations influenced by South African and European flavours.”

In this you can count magical dishes such as Cured Salmon, fennel compote, avocado cream, pickled ginger and lemon dressing; a Ravioli of Sweetbread on braised root vegetables, and Pavé of Kinglip with braised chicory and sweetcorn cauliflower purée with a green peppercorn vinaigrette; Beef fillet with glazed beetroot, fondant potatoes, confit onion and bordelaise sauce; Potato Velouté with braised white leek as a vegetarian option, and a

Melktert and Amarula combination with raspberry sorbet.

“Our menus offer combined South African and European styles with wonderful vegetarian options,” adds Roland. “In addition, our professional team of sommeliers offers assistance from our award-winning wine list.”

Indeed, with wine and food pairing becoming popular in South Africa, Roland has also devised a six-course tasting menu, matched with peerless wines. He is quick off the mark when asked why Bosman’s is such a great culinary venue. “We offer our guests a complete experience where you can relax in a wonderful ambience and enjoy a journey of culinary expertise. Perfect service combined with a perfect kitchen makes for a truly great gourmet venue.”

With one of the only accredited sommeliers in South Africa, Josephine Gutenoft, Bosman’s has been honoured, for the third consecutive occasion, with the ‘Best of ’ Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world. Bosman’s also recently shared the award for South Africa’s best wine list in the Diner’s Club Winelist Awards 2010.

This is in addition to The Grande Roche Hotel’s impressive list of awards, including 4th Best hotel in Africa on the Condé Naste Traveler Gold List 2010 and the Fodor’s Guide acknowledgement of The Grande Roche as the best hotel in Africa.

Perfect in which to walk off lunch or dinner, the gardens at Grande Roche are filled with palms, roses, ferns and fynbos.

The paths and footbridges wind their way through the plantings to reveal serendipitous spaces, including swimming pools and the beautiful old chapel, which has been carefully restored to its 18th Century legacy.

If those ancient walls could talk, they would reveal that while times may change, the values of authenticity, style and having the leisure to enjoy a gourmet meal slowly, continue at a place such as Bosman’s at the Grande Roche Hotel. www.granderoche.co.za

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Take a

Load Off!

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Our goal is to eliminate the stress related to travelling and to provide convenience to travellers who are forced by circumstance to travel with excess amounts of luggage.

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new service targeted at both the business and leisure traveller has been introduced into the South African market. The service, which is called Porter Plus, provides the traveller with a convenient and easy to use, personalised collection and delivery service for their luggage. The service has been born out of the fact that travelling with more luggage than your airline allows has become both expensive and cumbersome. Porter Plus aims to provide convenience and hassle-free travelling by proverbially “taking a load off ”.

Porter Plus has identified a few niche areas for travellers. For instance, should you visit Stellenbosch and decide to buy a case of wine directly from a wine farm, Porter Plus will organise collection of the wine and deliver it directly to your door.

This service is available both domestically and internationally. Specialised packaging is provided for customers to ensure that the delivery experience is a positive one.

“There is nothing more frustrating and stressful than lugging around your weekend wine purchases and trying to get them loaded with your luggage when you check in at the airport” says Geoff Milton, M.D. of Porter Plus.

Another niche area targeted by Porter Plus is the collection and delivery of golf

Imagine having a porter who could assist you with any type of luggage, from anywhere in the world!

Text & Images: © Media Express

clubs and sporting equipment on a doorto-door basis; they will even collect your golf clubs from The Golf Course Pro Shop and return them to your home or forward them on to the next golf course or hotel on your trip. Porter Plus will even deliver car seats and other child-related necessities.

In addition to these niche collection and delivery services, Por ter Plus also offers travellers an online courier service where they can request or send items worldwide from the comfor t of their home office, study or workplace. Por ter Plus’s pricing is dependent on time sensitivity – which impacts the service required – as well as the mass and relative size of the consignment and the collection and delivery locations. The easy-to-use website assists travellers in obtaining a quote, and all transactions can be concluded securely online. Alternatively, travellers can contact the call centre and an operator will guide you through the process. Payment can also be made via EFT for your convenience.

Our goal is to eliminate the stress related to travelling and to provide convenience to travellers who are forced by circumstance to travel with excess amounts of luggage. Porter Plus can be accessed via www.porterplus.co.za or via the call centre on 0860 439773.

Hands On On Site with

South African companies invest extensively in the wellness of their employees by focusing on issues such as personal health, fitness and stress recovery.

Corporate massages, designed to fit into the business activities of the company, should be an integral part of this approach.

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ome of our clients have a standing arrangement whereby we go to their facilities two, three or four times a month,” says Martina Laurie, CEO of Hands On Treatment, an innovative wellness company.

“An example is a multinational company where we go to both their corporate offices and their factory every month. The benefits of corporate massages are equally real for white and blue collar workers. Ultimately, companies use corporate massages to enhance staff motivation and increase staff productivity.”

“The best way to deploy corporate massages,” Laurie explains, “is to have the therapists move from workstation to workstation. They are trained to move unobtrusively in the background and we do not use oils or creams. That way there is no disruption to the running of the office or the factory and all employees get a massage. Some employees sit back for the neck and shoulder massage while others just keep on with their tasks, but no-one refuses a massage!”

Corporate massages are also an innovative idea for events such as wellness days, golf days and even baby and bridal showers. Again, the best way is to have the therapists move between the guests, but sometimes it is better to set up a station where people can go for their massages. Hands On Treatment also provides one, two and three-hour mobile pamper services.

Hands On Treatment supports clients regularly in most of South Africa’s major centres and also provides call-out services countrywide. Examples include a threeday assignment with six therapists at a trade show in support of a major South African company; an assignment to the retail branches of a major bank; and a telecommunications company where

corporate massages were provided to the staff working inordinately long hours to roll out a major new product line.

Spa Breakaways, a corporate communication option with a difference, is available at Hands On Retreat, a four-star guest house and spa. It works in the same way as a hospitality suite would at a major sporting event and companies can book a private facility at the spa. The deck, on the bank of the stream that flows through the middle of the park-like gardens, is very popular with corporate groups, and up to 30 people can be hosted at the same time.

Hands On Retreat also provides corporate accommodation in a setting with the tranquillity and natural beauty of a faraway spot in the country, yet it is just a short hop from the Sandton CBD and the Hyde Park shopping centre.

For more information contact: info@handsontreatment.co.za +27 11 326 0066 www.handsontreatment.co.za.

Some employees sit back for the neck and shoulder massage while others just keep on with their tasks, but no-one refuses a massage!”

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compulsory reading

Steeped In Blood – The Life and Times of a Forensic Scientist Conversations with Myself

By Nelson Mandela

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An unprecedented personal portrait of one of the great leaders of our time, Conversations with Myself allows, for the first time, unhindered insight into the human side of Nelson Mandela. A singular international publishing event, Conversations with Myself draws on Mandela’s personal archive of never-before-seen materials to offer unique access to the private world of an incomparable world leader. Journals kept on the run during the anti-apartheid struggle of the early 1960s; diaries and draft letters written on Robben Island and in other South African prisons during his twenty-seven years of incarceration; notebooks from the post-apartheid transition; private recorded conversations; speeches and correspondence written during his presidency – a historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation is brought together into a sweeping narrative of great immediacy and stunning power. An intimate journey from Mandela’s first stirrings of political conscience to his galvanising role on the world stage, Conversations with Myself illuminates a heroic life forged on the front lines of the struggle for freedom and justice.

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By David Klatzow as told to Sylvia Walker Bloody crimes of passion, political assassinations, sinister poisonings, investment fraud and mass mining disasters – Dr David Klatzow has seen it all. During his twenty-six-year career as South Africa’s foremost independent forensic scientist, he has investigated countless high-profile and notorious cases. Steeped in Blood provides gripping accounts of dozens of these matters, including the infamous deaths of Brett Kebble and Inge Lotz, the Helderberg aeroplane crash and the frustrating investigations of the brutal apartheid years.

This book exposes a demanding and sinister world where the rewards are equalled only by the frustrations, and where the truth is always elusive. Dr David Klatzow is an internationally recognised forensic scientist and Sylvia Walker is a marketing manager in the financial services industry with a passion for writing and a keen interest in the world of crime.

Labour Law in Practice

By Andrew Levy In Andrew Levy’s Labour Law in Practice, Levy and his co-authors, Jackie Kelly and Daniel Levy, share their vast experience of South African labour law for the benefit of business people and human relations managers who are not labour law experts.

They decode the legal jargon and explain how to implement good labour practices in business. Levy and his co-authors prove that, with the right guidance, South African labour law is not as daunting as it seems.

They explain that all a manager needs to do is to understand the context in which the law operates, and apply the principles fairly and consistently. The book is written in an easy-to-read style and recommends a non-legalistic approach to labour relations practices.

SMS & WIN Premier Magazine and CNA are giving away five copies of Conversations with Myself.

To stand a chance to win, SMS your NAME and MANDELA BOOK GIVEAWAY to 35131. Competition closes on 30th November 2010. Terms And Conditions apply.

worth watching

The Nutcracker

The South African Ballet Theatre (SABT), the country’s largest professional ballet company, is pleased to announce its return to Pretoria with the all-time family favourite The Nutcracker at the Opera Theatre from 19th November to 19th December. Since its first performance in 1892, The Nutcracker ballet has come to embody the festive season and SABT’s year-end season continues this tradition. The Nutcracker appeals to audiences young and old, and continues to grow with each passing year. Join Clara as she is magically transported to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of the Sweets; travel with the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy and meet a dazzling array of colourful characters in a fantasy land. Root for the Nutcracker Prince as he battles against The King of the Rats and escape to a dream world with the lyrical and well-known score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which will be performed by The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Allan Stephenson. Tickets available at www.computicket.com

Scratch That!

Arguably South Africa’s most successful comedian, Trevor Noah is taking his unique brand of comedy on the road with his Scratch That tour, which is back for a second run due to popular demand. Following his Durban and Cape Town performances in October, he will also be performing at the Guild Theatre in East London from 1st to 2nd November and the Johannesburg Theatre from 23rd November to 5th December.The show has been described as a real back-to-basics comedy experience and includes completely new material that will have you roaring with laughter! If you want to find out more, you will have to visit his website - www.trevornoah.co.za or his Facebook page. Tickets are available at Computicket.

Spud: The Movie

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The film version of one of South Africa’s most beloved books, John van de Ruit’s Spud, will open at cinemas this November.The film takes place in South Africa during the early 1990s and chronicles John “Spud” Milton’s first year at an elite, boys-only private school. Cursed with parents from well beyond the lunatic fringe, a senile granny, and a dormitory full of strange characters, Spud has to forge a new life for himself in this foreign and sometimes hostile environment. Surrounded by names such as Gecko, Rambo, Rain Man and Mad Dog, Spud takes his first tentative steps along the path towards manhood. Armed with only his wits and his diary, Spud takes us from illegal night swimming to the cricket field and invites us into the mind of a boy whose eyes are being opened to love, friendship and complete insanity.

The film features some of SA’s top talent including Troye Sivan, Tanit Phoenix, Jason Cope and veteran British star John Cleese as The Guv. This highly anticipated movie release is set to be the comedy hit of the year!

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and another thing…

It’s kind of a funny story

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hey say you can tell how a woman will cry by the way she laughs. I am obviously only a very good impersonation of a woman.

The pressure limit on my heart’s safety valve is set unusually low and the frequent releases could fuel a hydro-electric power station, but my laughter has not always been as forthcoming. Recently, however, I have started to realise that if I can learn to laugh at myself, I will be in a continual state of amusement rivalling that of a mosquito in a nudist camp.

The saying goes that adversity introduces a man to himself. I’d like to argue that adversity introduces a woman to her sense of humour. Because I have

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only made big mistakes in my life, I find I have a wealth of material from which to draw potential amusement.

A good way of accessing this material seems to be by perusing old journals because the only thing more amusing than reading a lot of nonsense is reading a lot of solemn nonsense. The cereal box sentiments, the moral indignation, the rhyming poetry – it’s hard to read an old journal with the same earnestness with which it was written. I find the phrase ‘I often think of ’ particularly amusing in my journals, because I know that usually, when I indulge in it, I have really only just had the thought, but that it suddenly makes me sound like a rather profound individual.

The past month has not been the best of my life, but it has provided a multitude of journal entries from which to draw retrospective amusement. My favourite include the following realisations, which I stumbled upon whilst revisiting these ramblings: 1. It really is a pity that human beings cannot exchange problems, because we all know how to fix everyone else’s.

2. Confessing your parents’ shortcomings is a wonderful way of correcting your own faults. My father is obviously half the reason I ended up the way I did, and my mother is the other half.

3. Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

4. It takes me a long time to lose my temper, but once it’s taken off it’s rather hard to find again.

5. It is possible to be so paranoid you think the person in front of you is following you the long way round.

6. I will really only have learnt everything by the time I can no longer remember any of it.

7. Self-reproach is a luxury – when we blame ourselves, we don’t think anyone else has a right to blame us too.

8. I prefer blessings undisguised if I happen to be the person being blessed.

9. When I start looking at people through a fork and imagining them in jail, I know it’s time to revisit some unresolved anger issues.

10. Normal is a setting on the tumble dryer.

I know that ruthlessly deconstructing the oddities of one’s serious self is much easier said than done (and, like most things, even easier said in retrospect). It would be easy to view life as one tremendous comedy, if only we did not have to play a part in it. When you’ve got pain sitting on your chest like a sumo wrestler, it’s often very hard to brave a giggle. But as the wise Roger Rabbit once pointed out, laughter really is sometimes the only weapon we have – we can’t change the way the world turns, but sometimes a bit of humour can provide a quick means of getting out of the way so at least we don’t get run over when it does.

Lara Potgieter