Win a Vantage V8 Roadster with Hackett of London

Hackett London launched an integrated global campaign that offers one of the world’s most prestigious sports cars as the top prize, in a luxury brand tie up with Aston Martin, this week. Since 1 April, local consumers will have the chance to participate in Hackett’s international competition.

With a chance to win a soft top Aston Martin, the Vantage V8 Roadster, this competition celebrates the launch of Hackett London’s 2013 Spring/Summer collection, during Aston Martin’s centenary year. Devised and implemented by marketing agency B STREET London, the integrated global campaign will run in 14 markets, including South Africa, double the number of markets that participated last year when Hackett and Aston Martin first collaborated.

This campaign promotes the existing relationship between Hackett, Aston Martin and Aston Martin Racing and allows Hackett customers the chance to win exclusive and rare rewards in return for making a purchase. Based on sales basket analysis, customers have four entry levels linked to spend for the chance to win a prize.

On purchasing at the required level, customers will receive an entry card which contains a PIN code to enter on the multilingual microsite. Prize funds become more luxurious at each spend level. As these levels increase, customers will also be automatically entered into the prize funds below it. Customers spending R8700 or over have the chance to win the Aston Martin Vantage V8 Roadster.

At the R6400 level there are two Aston Martin weekend experiences to be won including a 3-night stay at a UK country house hotel with one of the latest Aston Martins to drive. At R4600 there are four VIP excursions to the Le Mans 24-Hour race to be won where winners can enjoy the thrill of Le Mans first-hand, side by side with the Aston Martin Racing team. And at the R2900 spend level there are ten Aston Martin Racing by Hackett Kit Bags to be won.

Hackett London’s Marketing Director, Mark Owens:
“There’s no denying the synergy and consequent strong appeal of these two luxury British brands in this campaign. The idea translates extremely well around the world, and thanks to the execution by B STREET, enhances brand values whilst at the same time encouraging strong sales. Last year, we saw a significant (20%) increase in spend at the top entry level as a result of offering our Aston Martin prize.”

Hackett London’s local Director, Moosa Mayet:
“The collaboration between the brands locally is growing from strength to strength with this campaign securing the bond even further. South Africa’s footprint in the luxury arena is enhanced by campaigns like these that allow us to compete with developed international markets such as the United Kingdom.”

B STREET’s Creative Partner, Kevin Exley, adds:
“The strategy behind the campaign is simple – to bring customers of the most quintessentially British style label the chance to win the most quintessentially British car. Working closely with international markets, the offer is being supported around the world with local language POS kits, promotional window display, digital advertising, a dedicated microsite and social media.”

The promotion is running in over 90 Hackett stores and concessions in the following markets around the world: UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Malaysia, South Africa, India, Belgium, Holland, Hong Kong, Philippines and Mexico.

To participate in this exciting competition visit the flagship store at the Protea Court in Sandton City or online 

 www.hackettastonmartin.com 

The promotion closes on 31st May 2013.

Luring Luxury Brands

The growing number of high-net-worth individuals in Africa offers a compelling opportunity for proprietors of luxurious brands seeking new markets.

The spate of oil and gas discoveries on the continent is fuelling economic growth and spawning a set of super-wealthy individuals with expensive taste in countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Ghana and Mozambique. According to Capgemini’s World Wealth Report 2012, the total investable wealth of high-net-worth individuals in Africa totalled $1.1-trillion by 2011.

Michael Lieblich, a contributing analyst at Euromonitor International, said with growth slowing in India and China, it was essential that other markets were explored. "As with any industry, being the first to offer a brand offers the opportunity to gain the much-coveted first-mover advantage," he said.

The rise of luxury travel on and to the African continent, and how safari tourism has moved upmarket. Read more...

With 60%, or about 71,000, of Africa’s millionaires in South Africa, the country has the continent’s most developed luxury retail sector. Late last year, global consultancy Bain said South Africa’s luxury goods market was expected to grow between 20% and 30% over the next five years.

Apart from South Africa’s affluent, rising fortunes in other African countries have also contributed to the sales uptick of luxury goods and services, as big spenders flock to boutiques in Johannesburg and Cape Town because their home markets are still comparatively small.

Claudia D’Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan, said South Africa would continue to attract international brands, and the potential for luxury players elsewhere on the continent was "big". Despite the complexities of doing business, logistical risks and the lack of suitable real estate, opportunities in Africa are still proving tempting for yield-hungry investors.

Bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship and luxury, high-end African brands are out to make a global impression. Read more...

 

Ermenegildo Zegna, which the makes made-to-measure suits worn by Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Robert De Niro, will open a store in Nigeria this year. German fashion house Hugo Boss already has a presence in several countries including Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa. Other luxury players such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Fendi, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo have stores in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

However, the upmarket trappings favoured by African consumers are not limited to clothing, handbags and "bling" — spending lavishly on alcohol and fast cars is also on the rise.

In 2011, Nigerians drank 752,879 bottles of bubbly, more than were consumed in Russia or Mexico, according to Euromonitor International. That made Nigeria, where most people live on less than $2 a day, the 17th-biggest market for champagne in the world. Porsche opened its first Nigerian dealership in Lagos this month. It also plans to open in the capital, Abuja.

Read more at Business Day

Cape Town's Iconic Gold Restaurant

The new venue is spread out over a number of floors; from the ground floor Ashanti Room, ascending into the Timbuktu and Kenyan rooms, and up to the Gallery, (featuring a collection of authentic African pieces) and the Kente room, so called thanks to its extensive use of the traditional cloth. The secluded rooftop garden has an evocative Moroccan theme.

The multiple award-winning, African–inspired GOLD Restaurant, has moved from its previous Strand Street premises to Greenpoint’s Bennet Street Venue. Previously home to Trinity nightclub, this new venue is a multi- functional space, close to The Foundry, and the Victoria Junction Hotel.

The moody, softly lit rooms juxtapose raw building elements such as exposed brick and timber beams with slick contemporary finishes and subtle architectural details, resulting in a dramatic backdrop for the ‘new’ GOLD Restaurant.

Says co-owner Jan van Huyssteen, “Our lease at our old premises was coming to an end and the venue had felt limiting for a while now, so when this opportunity come up we grabbed the chance to reinvent ourselves.” The result is a sexier, moodier GOLD Restaurant that is as impressive to whimsical locals as it is to travelers looking for a trusted authentic African experience in the middle of Cape Town.

GOLD is one of the few Cape Town restaurants that can accommodate small, intimate functions in its various dining areas, but can also accommodate 250 seated. With the use of the adjoining Bennett Street space, this number can be increased to 550 (seated), and 1000 cocktail style. As such, GOLD is a favourite with FI.T.’s (foreign independent travelers), hotel concierges, guest houses, event organizers, incentive houses, tour operators and corporate clients.

Despite no longer sharing premises with the Gold of Africa Museum, the GOLD Restaurant has a treasure trove of collectables that forms part of the décor experience. Unusual items include a multi-coloured beaded tunic from Chad, Fulani earrings from Mali, original Kenyan beaded collars and Nigerian bronze and cuffs, an Ashanti stool, gold-leafed Fulani calabash lights and Dogon doors.

From the commencement of the evening with interactive Djembe drumming, to the ritual hand-washing and a multi-course gourmet feast, guests journey through a menu of African sounds, sights and flavours. Cuisine ranges from Cape Malay to North African with many influences in between. The evening also features authentic live entertainment in the form of dancing Malian puppets, singers, dancers and musicians that perform in each dining area. A final performance by the entertainers and staff lets one feel the African heartbeat.

GOLD employs upward of 55 staff, and is proudly affirmative. Says co-owner Cindy Muller; “We involve everyone in the business decisions so all our staff feel accountable for doing their bit. Our management approach is inclusive and non-discriminatory but we demand the best of the best and focus on exacting attention to detail.”

It’s a philosophy that has made GOLD a thriving host over the years, entertaining celebrities, politicians, dignitaries and countless international visitors. But it’s also an absorbing experience for locals, especially as the food is Halaal. The new venue further extends the opportunity to utilize the experience for company gatherings, celebrations and corporate launches but is also at ease for a memorable dinner for two.

GOLD RESTAURANT HIGHLIGHTS

• Four times American Express Fine Dining Award winners (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
• Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award 2012
• On the Top 10 recommended restaurants list at most leading hotels in Cape Town.
• Chosen venue to launch the Timbuktu Manuscripts
• Host of the World Design Capital selection committee gala dinner in 2011
• Powered by an all-woman kitchen
• Subject of a Cooked in Africa episode with Justin Bonello on BBC Lifestyle - 2011 

 

GOLD Restaurant

15 Bennett Street, Greenpoint, Cape Town

021 421 4653 

www.GOLDrestaurant.co.za

The African Passion - A Gospel Opera

The world premiere of an exciting brand-new, original gospel opera

The African Passion

Baxter Main Theatre, Cape Town

Thursday 28 March at 8pm

This world premiere brings the Passion of Christ to life in a musical featuring original, innovative gospel-inspired songs. The story is based on the Gospel according to St John and will be a choral masterwork featuring close to a hundred voices on stage in every city. The tour begins in Durban and then moves respectively to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Soweto, Johannesburg, Mafeking and then back to Durban.

Featuring

Bonginkhosi ‘Faca’ Kulu as Jesus

Natalia da Rocha as his mother Mary

Sharon Dee as Mary Magdalene

Grant Jacobs as Simon Peter

Dewaldt Von Solms as Pontius Pilate

Caitlin Kilburn as Pilate’s wife

Blessing Xaba as Caiaphas

Aubrey Lodewyk as Annas

And a host of other superb singers featuring the isicathamiya group Young Mbazo. And a 60-strong local choir, the Shekinah Full Gospel Church Choir.

The libretto is written by Themi Venturas and the music is composed by Phelelani Mnomiya (celebrated and award-winning gospel choral composer) Anthony Govender (of Destiny Music) and the Young Mbazo (grandchildren of world-renown accapella group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo) and is the perfect way to celebrate Easter this year.

Under the direction of Themi Venturas the show features Bonginkhosi ‘Faca’ Kulu (The Lion King in New York) as Jesus, Natalia da Rocha (original Natasha in Jimbo) as his mother Mary, Sharon Dee as Mary Magdalene, Grant Jacobs (Durban actor now based in Cape Town) as Simon Peter, Dewaldt Von Solms (of the popular singing duo Von West) as Pontius Pilate, Caitlin Kilburn (remembered for her stellar performance as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha) as Pilate’s wife, Blessing Xaba (seen as Fatty in the movie of John van de Ruit’s Spud) as Caiaphas, Aubrey Lodewyk (last seen in Handel’s Messiah and the Mandela Trilogy) as Annas and a host of other superb singers featuring the isicathamiya group Young Mbazo.


The cast of 21 are supplemented in each centre throughout SA by a 60-strong local choir: the Umlazi Oasis Church Choir and the Clermont Choir in Durban; the Transnet Port Terminals and Bella Voce Choirs in PE; the Shekinah Full Gospel Church Choir in Cape Town; the University of Johannesburg Choir in Soweto and Jo’burg and the Moses Reid Memorial Choir in Mafeking.

The African Passion plays out against a spectacular audio-visual background using the latest in modern AV technology in costumes designed by Nompumelelo Mkhize. Choreography is by Daisy Spencer and vocal direction by Desireé Govender. Bookings are at Computicket throughout SA except for at the Jo’burg theatre – booking is through http://www.joburgtheatre.com/ Jo’burg Theatre ticketing call centre - 0861 670 670

The African Passion is produced by Catalina UnLtd in Durban has been funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Charities, churches and fundraisers are encouraged to use the show to raise funds for their organisations. Those interested should contact the national sales manager of The African Passion, Ailsa Windsor on 083 250 2690 or editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com.

The tour takes place as follows:

28 – 31 March Baxter Main Theatre, Cape Town (5 Perfs)

Thurs @ 20h00, Sat @ 14h00 & 20h00, Sun @ 14h00 & 18h30

Tickets R125 @ Computicket

5 – 7 April Soweto Theatre, Johannesburg (5 Perfs)

Fri @ 19h00, Sat @ 14h00 & 19h00, Sun @ 14h00 & 18h00

Tickets R130 @ Computicket

11 – 14 April Jo’burg Theatre, Johannesburg (5 Perfs)

Thurs & Fri @ 19h00, Sat @ 14h00 & 19h00, Sun @ 14h00

Tickets from R100. Ticketing call centre - 0861 670 670

18 – 21 April Mmabatho Civic Centre, Mafikeng (4 Perfs)

Thurs & Fri @ 19h00, Sat @19h00, Sun @ 14h00

Tickets R130 @ Computicket

26 – 28 April City Hall, Durban (4 Perfs) To Be Confirmed

Fri @ 19h00, Sat @ 19h00, Sun @ 14h00& 18h00

Tickets R130 @ Computicket To Be Confirmed