Category Archives: World Design Capital

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 20 February

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   A new (yellow) frame for Table Mountain has been erected at Bloubergstrand, to showcase Cape Town’s icon for tourists and locals wishing to get a perfect picture, and to tie in with Cape Town hosting the World Design Capital 2014.

*   In what many see as surprise news, Facebook will buy WhatsApp for $19 billion. WhatsApp has 450 million users, growing by 1 million a day.  It is attractive to Facebook in reaching a younger audience and to improve its mobile communication reach.

*   Constantia Fresh Fine Wine and Food Festival will be held this weekend.  On Saturday 22/2 wines from Constantia can be tasted as can be canapés prepared by Chefs Brad Ball from Steenberg’s Bistro Sixteen82, Bertus Basson from Overture, Edgar Osojnik from Buitenverwachting, and Peter Tempelhoff  from The McGrath Collection, all available at Buitenverwachting, from 15h00 – 20h00.  The cost is R400 and tickets can be booked via Webtickets. Tomorrow a themed tasting will be held by Jörg Pfützner, from 18h00 – 19h30, at R990 per person.  The Annual Constantia Fresh Dinner will be held tomorrow at Klein Constantia, and will be cooked by Chef Bertus Basson. Cost is R990.

*   The Cape Winemakers Guild has put together an amazing auction lot for the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, which will be held at Delaire Graff on 15 March.  The lot includes Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 15/16 February

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   70% of the economic activity of the Western Cape is focused in Cape Town, says Wesgro.  In the period July – September last year the trade, investment, and tourism promotion agency attracted R219 million in investments to the province, which led to the creation of 2000 jobs.

*   ‘Long lazy lunches, huge servings of artisan chocolate and wine, lavish estates and emerging wealth are what this booming area is all about‘ is how journalist Rachel Olding from the Sydney Morning Herald Traveller describes the Cape.  She visited Thelema, Delaire Graff, Plaisir de Merle, Huguenot Fine Chocolates, The Tasting Room, Vergelegen, the Constantia Wine Route, Solms-Delta, and La Residence as a guest of SA Tourism.

*   Delaire Graff’s new Tretchikoff acquisition ‘The Chinese Girl‘ will be on display at the Cape Town Art Fair 2014 at The Pavilion in the V&A Waterfront,  from 28 February – 2 March.

*   The redesign of the 50 year old Naspers Centre is a World Design Capital 2014 Continue reading →

100 Bicycles wins World Design Capital 2014 first ‘Pitching’ presentation!

WDC 2014 100 Bicycles Whale Cottage PortfolioHaving felt very removed from what Cape Town is doing as host of World Design Capital 2014, I decided to attend its first Pitching session at the German Club yesterday.  It was an interesting collection of presentations, aimed at pitching to the audience and the World Design Capital operation company Cape Town Design NPC for R10000 seed money to start the business of their dreams.  Out of thirteen presentations, the judges chose to allocate their money to 100 Bicycles.

The German Club venue was quite contradictory to what one associates with design, but one could say that being so old it had some charm and could be described as retro design, with odd camouflage wall effects, and panels of pink fibre glass visible on one side.  It must have been an attractive venue to the organisers in having seated at least 100 interested design persons, and a quirky element was the R50 entrance fee buying one a Birkenhead beer or BOS tea, and a packet of popcorn.  There were some technical hitches with video presentations, and the quality of presentations varied vastly, from amateurish to sophisticated and high tech.  All in all, the event was contradictory to what one expected of and associated with World Design Capital 2014.

The unifying factor of the event was the passion of the presenters, all having a dream project they Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 11 February

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   While Africa has 15% of the world’s population, it only receives 3% of the world’s tourists, says a report of the inaugural African Tourism Monitor, prepared by the African Development Bank, Africa Travel Association, and Africa House at NYU.  The report found a weakness in transport infrastructure on the continent, requiring better airline connections and better roads and railways required, as well as open borders, and more marketing to adventure and eco travellers.

*   The District Six Museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a year-long program, reports The Cape Towner, which includes the annual memorial walk.

*   Flights between OR Thambo, Cape Town, and Plettenberg Bay will take off from 28 March onwards, operated by CemAir and flying on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

*   Graham Beck is a proud MCC sponsor of Cape Town hosting the World Design Capital 2014, saying it will add ‘sparkle to the international design community and to Cape Town itself’.  Its sponsorship Continue reading →