Tag Archives: credit crunch

Women’s Day weekend good for business

The Women’s Day long weekend has been good for business, with Whale Cottage Franschhoek, Whale Cottage Hermanus and Whale Cottage Camps Bay fully booked on most of the weekend nights.

The good bookings could be a signal that the worst of the economic crunch is over, and it is encouraging that the guest mix consisted of Italians (August traditionally is their holiday month, and they seem to favour South Africa as before), British visitors, and of  South Africans.

In Cape Town the Springboks played against the Wallabies at Newlands over the weekend, while in Hermanus the Kalfiefees and the Hermanus Food & Wine Fair took place.

Franschhoek was largely taken over for the long weekend by one of the largest law firms in South Africa, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, and Whale Cottage Franschhoek accommodated the band Watershed, which performed at the company’s function.   More than 300 staff and their families spent the weekend in Franschhoek, as the company’s way of thanking its staff for their contribution to its success.

The Whale Cottage guests celebrated the 13 th anniversary of the Whale Cottage Portfolio on Women’s day with the staff.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Cape Town scores Final Draw goal

The City of Cape Town and the FIFA Local Organising Committee (LOC) signed a Service Level Agreement this week, for Cape Town to host the FIFA Final Draw on 4 December, reports www.goal.com.   The Final Draw will determine which of the 32 teams play at which venues.

Mayor of Cape Town Dan Plato and LOC CEO Danny Jordaan agreed that the Final Draw will take place in the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and is to be attended by 2 000 guests and 800 media representatives.   The FInal Draw is expected to be broadcast in 200 countries. The ceremonial signing was accompanied by Minstrels.

“We can’t wait for the fourth of December and we can’t wait for 2010 to welcome all the visitors and spectators to our city. Cape Town is ready and prepared to deliver a memorable Final Draw and to provide unique visitor experiences for visitors and the soccer fraternity alike. The timing coincides with Cape Town’s festive season and all stakeholders are working together on integrated planning and preparations for the event,” the Mayor told reporters.    The Final Draw will capture the imagination of the football world and will be a week-long event featuring a number of activities staged by FIFA, the Organising Committee, the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government and all the local Host Cities, says Jordaan.  “There are two projects left in the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World, the Final Draw this December and then the tournament itself starting next June. The FIFA Confederations Cup has really shifted the mood world-wide. Where people once questioned and doubted, we’ve now reached a position where people are looking forward in anticipation and excitement to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa,” said Jordaan.  
“The Final Draw in Cape Town is a critical date and an important milestone for us. And we could not find a better city in which to host it. Cape Town’s a wonderful location and its Greenpoint Stadium is a landmark, one of the best in the world,” he added.      

“The impetus of expenditure and investment in infrastructure for 2010 could not have come at a better time to counteract the effects of the economic slump. While not every individual or suburb of Cape Town will benefit directly from the World Cup, improved facilities, services and infrastructure will benefit all indirectly,” said Plato. 

Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com/blog

Reubens opens Robertson Restaurant

Reubens opened a branch in Robertson yesterday, when The Robertson Small Hotel opened, with Reubens as its restaurant.   It is housed in the Zandvliet building, a National Monument built in 1909, reports wine.co.za. The hotel belongs to Tim Rands of Franschhoek, who is one of Reuben Riffel’s partners in the Reubens Franschhoek restaurant.

Another new restaurant set to open in October in the new Cape Quarter extension in De Waterkant is Vanilla, belonging to Nigel and Simon Newhouse of Tuscany Beach in Camps Bay.   Boldly they are opening a 180-seater fine-dining restaurant in the new top one-stop design and decor centre on Somerset Road.    Matthew Gordon, owner of Haute Cabriere and the French Connection and co-owner of Cotage Fromage, is the consultant chef for the new restaurant.  It will sport a baby grand, and will serve musical treats as well.

Balducci’s in the V & A Waterfront has radically amended its menu, now in a small magazine size format and carrying ads for its suppliers’ products, and has a strong Italian flavour, strengthening its heritage with more pizza (27 unique combinations to  choose from, ranging in price from R 59 – R 75) and pasta, retaining its antipasti starters and salads, its seafood, steak (R 130 for a fillet), and expensive desserts (R 49 – 59).    A non-Italian addition is a range of burgers, from R 55 for a classic to R 75 for a luxury lamb burger and guacamole, with other burger variations including ostrich, chicken, vegetarian, swiss cheese, bacon guacamole, and gorgonzola.   The new menu looks far less pretentious than before, and is more comfort food-orientated, to suit the credit crunch times.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Western Cape less affected by recession

The Western Cape has been less affected by the credit crunch than Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Free State, reports Cape Business News.

Since 2004 the Western Cape has shown the highest level of growth, and in the 12 month period ending February 2009 the economic decline in the region (- 7%) was lower than in Gauteng (-16%) and the Eastern Cape (- 15 %).

Factors to the benefit of the Western Cape are that it does not have a mining industry, which has been severely affected by the credit crunch; it has fewer job losses and a broader base of business sectors; its agricultural sector is diversified; manufacturing is diversified, with little involvement in the depressed motor industry; and last, but not least, the tourism industry is larger and stronger, and is attracting visitors from Southern Africa who are not travelling overseas this year.

Professor Wolfgang Thomas from the Stellenbosch Business School advises businesses “to not panic” due to the credit crunch, and sees it bottoming out soon.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com