South Africa featured in WallPaper (again)
Once you’ve paged through all 17 pages of adverts that open this month’s edition of Wallpaper (such is the life of a print magazine – at least they’re sexy ads) and hit the introduction to the November feature – 200 Terrific Reasons to visit 10 countries – you’ll be delighted to see South Africa in there with the other 9 hipster countries to visit. Summed up by the mag as ‘The regenerators, rooms with a view and the World Cup’s design legacy: With a successful World Cup on its CV, South Africa has a spring in its step. There’s a can-do attitude that is seeing once-edgy neighbourhoods transformed, infrastructure laid down and national spaces created.” The 20 (design) reasons to visit SA mention some of Represents friends (we know the ous babies!) including Gallery Momo, always inimitable Black Coffee and future-forward LoveJozi. Go on, buy it and keep it in a place of...
South Africa, the world loves you. Much Love, Editorista
As many of you may know, I, Editorista, currently reside in Belgium and have been living here for a while now. I have to tell you that right now, everywhere I look, whether it be a corny advert on TV(see below), a 20 page spread in a music magazine (see below below), the front cover of a holiday brochure or the clothing rack in a supermarket, South Africa is EVERYWHERE. Or should I say, Afrique du Sud. I have been documenting all the places I see our name on my twitter feed @sisiwami – please do follow me to stay in touch. Today, however has taken the cake, or should that be ze gateau! While strolling through the park in my city, I was handed a can of Fanta, and guess what the flavour was??? See the photo! South Africa.Exotic. I kid you not, see CocaCola Belgium’s website here. So… how do we taste you may ask? Pretty damn Schweet! Forget the naysayers, the world loves South Africa and many people recognise our young democracy as somewhere really special. A friend said to me the other day: “what’s it like to come from a place that’s on everyone’s lips – in a good way”. I tell you what, it feels freaking awesome. Now if only ALL South Africans could adore our country as much as we do. Here’s to a successful World Cup, I know we’re gonna prove them all right. I’m so glad I’ll be there. See you soon! Bisous! May 19th: La nouvelle revue d’histoire also have South Africa on the front cover http://bit.ly/boPhJe May 19th: Dutch publishers have done an entire special edition of their mag on Zuid-Afrika this month http://bit.ly/c1fsjT May 16th: here is the ridiculous advert playing every day here in Belgium with the guy ‘speaking in & dancing Zulu’ http://bit.ly/dnVTkF rofl&smh May 15th: In Monocle this month: Ready for kick off – South Africa http://bit.ly/bZ6IzN May 20th: still speechless. DL creates special world cup sauce… South African Jambo. Isn’t that swahili? Cheap shot....
LIKWID TONGUE on Saturday @ the Drill Hall
It’s for charity. Just do it. Oh and there’s an open mic. Get all over it. * HOSTED BY QUAZ, VALLENTINE AND FLO * 24 APRIL 2010 * DRILL HALL * 13 TILL LATE * R20 or HALF PRICE WHEN You donate clothing or non-perishable goods * Bring YOUR MUG FOR COFFEE AND TEA (if its...
Sony’s Earth F.C., a formidable team to be on
Sony is stepping up to the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) plate with the launch of their impressive campaign “Earth F.C.” , a major social investment initiative anchored around the FIFA World Cup Football tournament taking place in South Africa in less than 3 months (woopee!) … let’s not forget Sony is lucky enough to be an ‘official partner’. We’ve had a look at their offering and we must say we approve, it’s creative, well thought through, meaningful, through-the-line and at the same time fun. Good job Sony. Represent! The campaign is made up of three main elements, first, the “Public Viewing in Africa”, a series of awesome public screening areas planned for the colourful West African countries of Ghana and Cameroon (both qualifying countries) where access to TV is limited but soccer is everything. “Sony employees have teamed up with UNDP, JICA and local NGOs [so] our caravan of vehicles can move around the country, setting up big screens in public places like village squares and schools. The live broadcasts will primarily be for matches involving African teams.” Sony have also incorporated an HIV/Aids education drive into the program, offering ‘education, counseling and testing can be offered before the matches and at halftime’. ‘A trial run co-sponsored with JICA in Ghana last year delivered impressive results: 7,200 people took part in the event (five times the normal JICA figure in rural areas) with 1,100 of them getting tested for HIV test (3 times the normal figure). Clearly this approach can increase the reach of HIV/AIDS education.’ JICA and GHANA you can also read more about the Ghana trials here. The second prong consists of a bunch (1000) of ‘ highly durable yet environmentally conscious vegetable-based Join the Team plastic footballs‘ that have been designed by Sony’s engineers with the aim of creating robust footballs suitable for the African terrain and conditions. Sony is hoping to get a million clicks – with every 1000 clicks a ball will be donated. It’s simple, go here and click on Join the Team and play some virtual soccer ball passing around the globe (FYI we were pass number 9359 and 9 balls so far have been donated (it’s the 1st of April 2010)… ) The third part of the program is a little closer to our hearts, as it’s about giving out 15000 tickets to South African kids between the ages of 12 and 15 who would otherwise never be able to afford the matches, we’re not sure how they’re managing this but they will be transporting and looking after them and of course dressing them in specially designed Sony bandanas 😉 There’s...
Donna Karan you’re so two and a half years ago
“The Black Coffee everyonecanbeadesigner dress – designed 2.5 years before Donna Karan’s infinity dress…”Need we say more? Actually, yes. Johannesburg-based (yes, that’s in South Africa) design team Jacques van der Watt and Dannica Lepen, otherwise known as Black Coffee, launched their superb concept dress known as “everyonecanbeadesigner” to market in 2007. Not that it’s needed, but we can testify to this date as it was the year I got married and Jacques’ partner had proposed I wear one for my wedding dress… I wish I had now, as I’d have had a photo of me looking oh-so-2007 to tie down the facts (actually, when I look at the photos now, my hair was clearly plucked out of a childhood dream hairstyle ergo ’89). Anyway, the point is, Black Coffee’s byline was ‘a new way of looking at clothing’ and the campaign around the dress was a gorgeous 360 concept that included a video showing you all the ways you could wear the dress. Just go see the site. Come 2010 and suddenly we see a very similar looking dress rehashed as a ‘Donna Karan’s Infinity dress’. Pfft. Something seriously fishy going on people, what you reckon? Coincidink? I don’t know how you feel, but in general, I’m getting a little bit tired of the ‘big overseas chiefs” helping themselves to African goodness, minerals, inspiration…and scuttling off. For how many centuries will we be their buffet table? We sit perched on the end of our struggling continent just minding our business and producing high quality, exceptional work and then get stomped over by a big western made-in-china foot. Genoeg is genoeg. Africans, it’s really enough now, time to STAND UP and of course I’m talking about everything here… I’m so chuffed the World Cup Soccer is taking place in South Africa so we don’t have to make movies to prove what a sublime place we live in… and so that the 1 million visitors who would never have stepped foot in Africa before, can get a hands-on real time lesson and go back and re-educate their brethren about Africa, and in particular Southern Africa and just how much we rock. But of course, just the thought of going up against a US mega-icon like DKNY to say ‘i had that idea first!’ must be freaking daunting… this tiny little speck of dust from Africa daring to lay claim to genius that was born outside of the U S of A. We say STUFF THAT – go for it…! We support you and of course ♥ you long time Black Coffee. If you are tired of bullshit too – let your...
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