South Africa Blog

We are so proud that Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar in Longmarket Street, Cape Town, was voted one of the “Best New Bars in 20 Cities” in the Condé Nast Traveler’s list (published in the July 2012 issue of this international magazine). Tjing Tjing ranked fourth on this inclusive list, which is about searching the world for the best drinking and party hubs to have hit the scene since the previous year.

Tjing Tjing describes themselves as “a unique urban rooftop bar.” The eclectic style, set within and atop a building that is almost 200 years old, gives it a retro look that is really different, and makes for a trendy hotspot for drinks, cocktails, snacks and a good dance. Being situated in the City Bowl of the Mother City means that Tjing Tjing is accessible and close to a host of other eateries, guest houses, attractions and activities.

The Condé Nast Traveler’s list included Tjing Tjing for its vibrant ambience, great music and varied menu and wine list. The music that regulars can expect ranges from Indie to electronic, attracting an irresistibly cool crowd. The red, black and white Tokyo-inspired décor provides the perfect ambience in which to enjoy this trendy hub.

The menu is fairly brief, but includes something for everyone. Foody options include cheesy quesadillas, beer-battered angelfish, sticky Asian pork belly sandwiches and a local cheese and charcuterie platter. The wine list is considerably more assorted and ranges from 2009 vintages (at R350 per bottle) to easy-to-drink varieties that cost only R77 per bottle. Lots of cool cocktails are available to refresh you on a balmy summer’s afternoon or warm you up on a chilly winter evening.

Tjing Tjing makes for a fab event venue. Every Wednesday, this award-winning bar is the host of wine tastings. Each tasting showcases wines from suppliers off the wine list; familiarising the tasters with new flavours and traditional favourites and giving these suppliers a platform on which to show their labels off in the best light.

Tjing Tjing is open from Tuesday to Friday from 16h00 to late and on Saturdays from 18h30 to late. If booked in advance, Tjing Tjing takes exclusive bookings for a Monday night.

See more: www.tjingtjing.co.za

For more than 200 years the annual Oktoberfest in Munich has been a defining part of Bavarian culture and has grown to become the world’s largest festival, attracting more than five million people from around the globe to Germany each year. Attending the Oktoberfest is on the ‘bucket list’ for many, but this year South Africans will not have to travel abroad for the experience, as Oktober Bierfest is coming to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

“Oktober Bierfest is a recreation of traditional Bavarian beer festivals,” says Andrew Douglas, Director of The Entertainment Group (TEG), producers of the event. “Halls will be draped in traditional style and guests can enjoy an array of Bavarian cuisine supplied by the finest local purveyors of German food, be served by Fraulein while listening to an entertainment lineup, including live Oompah bands.”

In order to bring the taste of Germany to Oktober Bierfest, founding partner The South African Breweries Ltd (SAB), will be brewing beers exclusively for the event. “We are committed to supporting the growth of the beer category as a whole and are looking forward to brewing three special limited edition Bavarian-styled beers. For the first time ever, South Africans can enjoy Royal Bavaria Oktoberfest Bier, King Ludwig’s Munich Dunkel and Protea Edelweiss Krystal Weiss,” says Diarmaid De Burca, General Manager of Newlands Brewery, the SAB’s flagship brewery.

With the added involvement of the South-African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the event, the Oktober Bierfest promises to be an authentic Bavarian festival.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as the host venue for an event steeped with such rich history and tradition,” says Steve Howell, General Manager of Montecasino. “South Africa itself is a melting pot of cultures and traditions brought together by a common love of beer, and Montecasino’s Outdoor Events Area is the perfect venue to accommodate these beer-lovers of every demographic in large numbers. The inclusion of an authentic Bavarian Oktober Bierfest is a welcome addition to the annual Jozi social calendar.”

Oktober Bierfest will tour to Cape Town from 29 September to 1 October 2011 on the Village Green, Newlands Brewery and to Johannesburg from 27 to 29 October 2011 at Montecasino’s Outdoor Event Area. The event is open to both corporate functions and the public alike. For ticket sales or more information email bookings@oktoberbierfest.co.za or visit www.oktoberbierfest.co.za.

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Cape Town is gearing up for festival season with many carnivals, creative and music events coming up later this month and throughout March.

Infecting the City, an annual public arts initiative, presented by The Africa Centre, offers free performance art happenings in public spaces in the City that are relevant to the theme and significant for Cape Town. This year’s theme, Treasure, engages its audiences with free street experiences such as Xhosa stick-fighting, a Goema Symphony, Ratiep, and flash mobs by inspirational artists from 21 – 26 February 2011. (www.infectingthecity.com)

Cape Town Pride, the City’s next ‘pink’ festival is scheduled for 24 February – 6 March 2011 with an eleven day celebration incorporating events such as a Mr. and Ms. Cape Town Pride pageant, a Pink Ball and the Pride Parade. The different aspects of this combinative event will take place across the city from Cape Town Stadium and gay-friendly suburb, De Waterkant, to Mzoli’s in Khayelitsha. (http://capetownpride.org)

Amongst many community festivals presented by the ‘One City, Many Cultures Project’ during the month of March, the annual Cape Town Festival is set to take place from 19 – 21 March 2011 in the Company Gardens. The Cape Town Festival is in its twelfth year of celebrating National Human Rights Day with music performances by diverse local bands over the three-day period. (www.capetownfestival.co.za) (more…)

Cape Town is gearing up to be inspired by all genres of design and an abundance of creativity in the days to come. The Design Indaba Conference and Expo is recognised the world over as a top design and trend event. Drawing the likes of speakers such as Alberto Alessi, Mark Shuttleworth, and Michael Wolff, Design Indaba 2011 is set to add stimulating conversation and a fresh take on creativity and design. The conference runs from 23 – 25 February, with the Expo open to the public between 25 – 27 February at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The 2010 Design Indaba Conference and Expo events attracted approximately 37 300 international delegates, media, buyers and members of the public and reinforced Cape Town’s positioning as a design-focused, creatively inspired destination. As part of the annual Design Indaba series of events, the Design Indaba Filmfest 2011 runs from 18-27 February at the Freeworld Design Centre Auditorium. (more…)

The Cape Town Festival’s (CTF) multi-dimensional street festival Night Vision is back by popular demand on Saturday, 12 March from 6pm till midnight.

It will take place at the newly revamped Cape Town Station Forecourt, extending festivities into Adderley Street between Strand Street and the fountain. The CTF, incorporating the One City, Many Cultures (1CMC) Project, is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).

After a three-year break, Cape Town’s nocturnal urban street festival, Night Vision, is back with a bang, only this time bigger and better than ever before! Night Vision promises to dominate the city night life with a party-thumping arts and entertainment extravaganza. The event will lead up to a climax of explosive live on-stage performances by iconic bands such as High Voltage Collective featuring EJ Von LYRIK, Theba Shumba and D.form; 340ml; The Dirty Skirts and headline act, 2010 SAMA Award Winners, Big NUZ who will take the party well into midnight. (more…)

Known for its creatively-inspired accommodation offering, The Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town recently redecorated its restaurant with the help of interior decorator, Tania Reddering. The result is a casual, easy-going eatery for hotel guests and Capetonians to enjoy.

King proteas, light wood and white surfaces, scatter cushions and cool turquoise touches give the open-plan space a re-energized feel that nods to the building’s colonial heritage. The clean, light-filled look is a match for the daytime-focus of the restaurant. The menu has also been revised to include easy-going classics and a lovingly crafted burger that is likely to draw rave reviews.

Now serving a hot breakfast from 6h30 till 12h00 (and a continental buffet until 10h00), The Restaurant has an accessible lunch time menu of crowd-pleasers and an early evening dinner seating on Friday nights. A selection of imported teas from Teabox (teabox.co.za) add intrigue to the teatime experience with the strong aromas of strawberries and rooibos, white peach – and spicy chai pervading the air as guests enjoy a tea ceremony with a personalised teapot that filters the tea directly into the cup.

Kids (ten years and under) will also be able to enjoy a menu especially created for them. Patrons will also be able to connect to the internet on their personal laptop with a free 20 MB voucher compliments of Skyrove. As Skyrove only requires the user to insert their cellphone number, no codes or permissions are required from a waiter.

The Restaurant is fully licensed and opens at 06h30 from Mondays to Sundays. It closes at 17h00 from Mondays to Thursdays, 21h30 on Fridays, Saturdays at 19h00 and at 14h00 on Sundays. As with the hotel’s other spaces (The Venue, Daddy Cool, The Airstream Trailer Rooftop), The Restaurant can be hired or incorporated into a total event package.

The Grand Daddy is proudly associated with Jaci’s Lodges in the Madikwe Game Reserve and Cheetah Plains Lodge in Sabi Sands

Having tantalised tastebuds in Cape Town for the past two years, the Taste of Cape Town festival is back from the 24 – 28 March at Rhodes High School, Mowbray (follow signs from Liesbeek Parkway into Durban Road). This stylish event will once again bring together the city’s most acclaimed restaurants and carefully selected exhibitors to attract Cape Town’s most dedicated and sophisticated foodies.

Celebrated chefs from 19 of the Cape’s most renowned and awarded restaurants will join together to serve their fabulous, trend-setting signature dishes to an audience with a taste for unbelievable food. Taste of Cape Town is a fantastic opportunity to try new destinations, explore different cuisines and plan a whole year of dining out!

Justine Drake, Taste Festival Director, comments: “Taste of Cape Town is a much awaited highlight on the city’s social calendar. It’s a one-stop shop for the best food, wine and gourmet goodies the Cape has to offer.” With nine new restaurants, top chefs and exciting features, the reputation of Taste of Cape Town has grown into the most celebrated food festival the Mother City has ever experienced. “Each Taste festival is better than the last and this year will be no exception,” she says.

This year’s show has so much for you to taste and experience including:

The Pick ‘n Pay Fresh Living Chef’s Theatre
Fun, fabulous and informative, this is an opportunity to see the Cape’s top chefs showcased and in action on stage, featuring demos, culinary challenges, entertaining tutorials and enlightening Q&A sessions.

The Checkers Wine Route
Back by popular demand, this year’s Checkers Wine Route Taste Experience is set to rock Cape Town. Clive Torr, along with some of South Africa’s leading wine makers, will be hosting a selection of wines from more than 80 top wine estates in South Africa. The Checkers Wine Route will feature a daily programme of wine tastings, tutorials and advice on wine and food pairing.

The Grolsch Beer Academy
Featuring Beer Masterclasses by a renowned brew master followed by a quenching of the ‘thirst buds’ in the comfortable and stylish surrounds of the outdoor Grolsch Beer Experience area.

Fresh Producers Market
This new feature will showcase some of Cape Town’s local food heroes. From delicious, hand-made cheeses, biltong, sweets to exotic ingredients, herbs and chocolates – to name just a few – the Fresh Producers Market at the Taste of Cape Town is guaranteed to inspire and tantalise with real, wholesome, fresh foods and produce.

Johnnie Walker Whisky Theatre
This year at the Festival, The House of Johnnie Walker invites you on a journey to explore the flavours of the world’s greatest whisky house. Taste the bold, vibrant, Red Label, the deep and smoky Black Label, the flagship House of Johnnie Walker blend, and the enigmatic natural flavours of Green Label blended malt whisky.

Taste and Buy Experiential Exhibitors
You’ll discover a mouthwatering array of gourmet food suppliers at Taste of Cape Town. Browse the stalls and try delicious speciality food and ingredients to buy and enjoy at home.

Kidz Zone
We haven’t forgotten about kids at this year’s Festival. Clamber Club will ensure that the young ones are entertained with a host of activities for all ages. With professional entertainers keeping kiddies busy and happy, parents can relax and enjoy the festivities that Taste of Cape Town has to offer.

Make a date with Taste of Cape Town – a world-class event where visitors who are passionate about food and drinks can indulge in their passion in the company of like-minded individuals.

There are a limited number of tickets available and bookings are advised. Book through Computicket on 083 915 8000 or www.computicket.com. Entrance is free for children under 12.

R80 Standard ticket – Entrance and free access to P’nP Fresh Living Chef’s Theatre, Checkers Wine Route wine and cheese tastings, Grolsch Beer Academy and various other features at the Festival.
R170 Premium ticket – Including the above plus R100 worth of Taste of Cape Town CROWNS.

Festival times
Wed 24th March 2010: 18h30 – 22h30
Thur 25th March 2010: 18h30 – 22h30
Fri 26th March 2010: 18h30 – 22h30
Sat 27th March 2010: 13h00 – 17h00; 18h30 – 22h30
Sun 28th March 2010: 12h00 – 17h00

2010 Participating restaurants
Bistro Sixteen82
Cape Colony at The Mount Nelson Hotel
Ginja and Myoga
GOLD restaurant
The Restaurant at Grande Provence
Il Leone Mastrantonio
Jardine Restaurant
Le Quartier Francais and Bread and Wine
Maze by Gordon Ramsay
Nobu Cape Town
Overture
Signal at Cape Grace
Reuben’s and Reuben’s @ The Robertson Small Hotel
Societi Bistro
The Greenhouse
Wang Thai

100 artists have been selected for The Africa Centre’s art biennale, the Spier Contemporary 2010, which opens at The Cape Town City Hall on 14 March 2010. The mammoth task of selecting the finalists from over 2 700 entries at selection centres across the country was undertaken by the five member curatorial team.

Mwenya Kabwe, a member of the curatorial team, says; “There was an enormous amount of art. Making the selection entailed endless hours of debate between our team members. Whilst we were enriched by our journey through South Africa’s creative landscape, it was exhausting!”

Digital art and photography emerged very clearly as popular mediums for this year’s competition, which also includes strong sculptural and performance arts dimensions. Says, Jay Pather, from the curatorial team; “Contemporary art is a measure of our society. A lot of the work reflects the search for identity – it suggests that we are a nation in crisis. Themes of cynicism, fear and a lack of faith in our leadership are definitely present. We did not seek to narrate or shape this reflection. It is what it is and often art speaks to us because it echoes our truth.”

Within the soul-searching, there are however many moments of wry humour, playfulness and some extraordinary musings on human nature. Soccer commentary also emerged as a strong theme, with many artists questioning the hype and absence of real community benefits surrounding the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Work has begun on the Cape Town City Hall setting, where the first stop of the exhibition will be shown. Commissioned architect, Nabeel Essa, will be designing the exhibition within the crumbling grandeur of the Edwardian building to create an interpretive space quite unlike the white cube. A total prize money of R1.2 million and six artist in residency programmes (to places as far afield as South Korea and Brazil) will be awarded to the finalists and winning artists. Winners will be announced on the 13 March 2010.

The Africa Centre presents the Spier Contemporary 2010 with the generous support of Spier.

Dates & Details:
The Spier Contemporary 2010 Exhibition at The Cape Town City Hall
14 March – 14 May 2010
Daily 10am till 6pm
Entrance is FREE

To arrange interviews with members of the curatorial team, project managers, qualifying artists and Spier Contemporary’s producer, The Africa Centre – please call Brenda on + 27 21 447 3198

ABOUT SPIER CONTEMPORARY 2010:
The Spier Contemporary has been conceived to provide a platform for visual and performance artists to show their work, uncompromised by the limitations of technology, space and access. Artists in South Africa work under extremely varied conditions and see from radically different perspectives. These differences are what define our collective identity and unique social and cultural landscape. The Spier Contemporary provides a platform for exploring our diversity, giving audiences insights into our complexity and thus contributing to our understanding of difference.

ABOUT THE AFRICA CENTRE
The Africa Centre is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary African arts and cultural practices. In addition to the Spier Contemporary, the Africa Centre conducts three annual festivals in Cape Town: Infecting the City (performance art), Badilisha Poetry X-change (poetry) and the Pan-African Space Station (music); as well as an artist-in-residency programme based in Senegal, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa – SPARCK – Space for Pan-African Research, Creation and Knowledge.

How about ending the year off with a bang?

Hout Bay is one of the picturesque places to visit in Cape Town and is a must see for many of the visitors to Cape Town and during the Hour Bay Harbour Festival weekend the community is expecting an influx of visitors from in and around Cape Town, South Africa and even some foreign visitors.

The festival is organised by the Hout Bay Business Opportunities Forum and they have done a great job. You will be able to taste an assortment of seafood from the many restaurants in the area or purchase locals arts and crafts. How about watching some of the local theatre productions or listen to some good music. Take a swim in the sea, a ride on a fishing boat or attend a major angling event or for something different why not watch the ladies vlekking snoek.

Something for everyone can be found at the festival, make sure you don’t miss out.

For more information telephong +27 (0)21 791-1177
When: Friday, 11 December 2009 to Sunday, 13 December 2009
Accommodation: Hout Bay Accommodation

Grammy award winning, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, lend their voices to World Aids Day

This event is formal with a touch of red and is the biggest event on the African continent commemorating 21 years of World Aids Day. The event has been hosted since 2005 by the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University.

This year, Ladysmith Black Mambazo joins American born singer Jimmie Earl Perry to celebrate this 5th Annual World Aids Day Gala Concert. Perry is both producer and director of this event and as a former broadway performer he will bring something special to this event. Joseph Shabalala, the lead vocal of Ladysmith is delighted to join this project and to collaborate on such a necessary event to continue the fight against HIV/Aids

Venue: Artscape Theatre
Time: 19h30
Dress Code: Formal with a touch of red
Tickets: Computicket
When: Tuesday, 01 December 2009
Accommodation: Foreshore Accommodation

Brought to you by the Wedding Expo!

The Wedding Expo knows that planning a wedding can be time consuming and stressful! Attending our bridal show will give you the opportunity to meet face to face with quality suppliers.

This is a must for all Cape Town brides to be, if you are newly engaged, in the middle of planning your wedding or looking for those last minute details then you cannot afford to miss out on a visit to the The Wedding Pavillion.

And what is also great is that your entrance fee gives you access to both the The Women’s Show and Natural and Organic Products exhibition!

Show Times:
Friday 19: 10h00 – 18h00
Saturday 20: 10h00 – 18h00
Sunday 21: 10h00 – 17h00

Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre
Tickets: R50 per person for entry into 3 expo’s
When: Friday, 19 February 2010 to Sunday, 21 February 2010
Accommodation: Foreshore Accommodation

A spectacle of lights and artistic performances at Spier!

Spier will celebrate the festive season with a dazzling display of lights and a diverse collection of artistic performances in the Festival of White Lights on 4 December 2009. The festival will be a journey across the estate led by an ‘Angel of Light’ on stilts and a penny-whistler.

Before the procession, festival-goers will enjoy award-winning Spier wines and a picnic on the lawns next to the Eerste Rivier to the soothing gospel and Christmas songs of the Abgondisi Brothers (Brothers of Understanding), a ten-member acapella-style music group established in the township of Kayamandi near Stellenbosch.

The journey through the estate will reveal numerous light installations with highlights including a dance piece choreographed by the renowned Jay Pather, a burning sculpture, and a display by FireTribe—a group of spectacular fire-dancers (in)famous for their gatherings on Clifton Beach in Cape Town.

Along the way, each participant will be given a balloon with a light inside it and a piece of paper tied to it. Festival-goers will be encouraged to write a message of goodwill and all the balloons will be released together, creating a spectacular effect, and spreading positive vibes around the area. The Festival of White Light is an annual event, and Spier’s way of celebrating the essence of the festive season.

Venue: Spier Wine Estate
Time: 20h00 – 22h00
When: Friday, 04 December 2009
Bookings: Computicket
Cost R100 for adults (includes glass of Spier wine), R60 for children, under the age of 12
Accommodation: Stellenbosch Accommodation

City Sightseeing Open-Top Tour, Table Mountain Cableway and Two Oceans Aquarium have joined forces to launch the Go Cape Town Card, an all-inclusive ticket for the three popular tourism attractions. The card will be available from Tuesday December 1, 2009. Visitors pay only R360 per card, which includes a return trip on the Table Mountain Cableway, a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium and a ride on an open-top City Sightseeing Bus. Children under 18 years pay R180 per card.

“The beauty of the card is that visitors no longer have to stand in queues at any of the attractions; as well as the three-month validity, allowing for more flexibility in planning your itinerary,” said Jillian Grindley-Ferris, brand and business manager of Two Oceans Aquarium.

Sabine Lehmann, CEO of Table Mountain Cableway, believes the Go Cape Town Card encourages visitors to experience all three attractions at a reduced rate making it an affordable and stress-free outing.

Claus Tworeck, of the City Sightseeing Open-top Tour, says the open top bus is the perfect connection between the Aquarium and Table Mountain Cableway with regular departures leaving every 20 minutes.

The Go Cape Town card can be purchased at any of the three attractions, the Cape Town Tourism offices or online at www.webtickets.co.za from Tuesday December 1 this year. The cards are valid for three months from date of purchase. The Cableway operates weather permitting. For information please contact any of the three attractions or Cape Town Tourism.

Cape Town Tourism 021 487 6859 www.capetown.travel
City Sightseeing Open-top Tour 021 511 6000 www.citysightseeing.co.za
Table Mountain Cableway 021 424 0015 www.tablemountain.net
Two Oceans Aquarium 021 418 3823 www.aquarium.co.za

Come and join us at the Durbanville Race Course for a fabulous Summer Festival. Summer is here and what better way to celebrate than to join in the fun. So come on down to the Race Course to celebrate the beginning of a new season. There will be water slides for the adults as well as kids, jumping castles, clowns, live music, food and other stalls such as craft and great food and fun ideas for summer.

Don’t forget to carry your swimming gear and sun block for some fun in the sun.

Venue: Durbanville Rugby Stadium
When: Saturday, 05 December 2009 to Sunday, 06 December 2009
Times: Friday 12h00 to 20h00, Saturday 09h00 to 20h00 and Sunday 09h00 to 19h00
Cost: R5 per person, children under 5 years are free of charge
More info: Telephone Natasha on +27 (0)78 700-6815
Accommodation: Durbanville Accommodation

Cape Town Central, a living work of art

This year the theme for Infecting the City is Human Rite. Where artists from all around the world will investigate this theme through performance works, art installations, choreographed pieces and public interventions all dealing with and questioning the knots, scars and wounds of the Cape Town CBD. These are no ordinarty shows as the venues are the streets and public spaces of Cape Town.

Audiences are invited to attend a series of evocative works of ritual healing – a transformative journey that celebrates our fundamental right to be human.

Venue: In and around Cape Town Central
When: Saturday, 13 February 2010 to Saturday, 20 February 2010
Where: Cape Town Central
Accommodation: Cape Town Central Accommodation