Judith Sephuma | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

At the media launch yesterday of the 15th Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the Cape Town International Convention Centre Mayor Patricia de Lille said that the goal of Cape Town is to become the Events Capital of Africa, and with it the Capital of Jazz in Africa, attracting 37000 Festival goers. An exciting line-up of international and local jazz artists was announced at the launch.

The launch was addressed by a number of speakers. Billy Domingo, the Chief Operating Officer of espAfrika, the events company organising the Jazz Festival, was a witty MC for the event. Rashid Lombard organises the musical side of things, and announced that since ticket sales opened last month, all two-day passes have been sold,. There are about 500 day tickets available for each of the two days. The event is a team effort, within their company (of mainly ladies he joked) and also with the City of Cape Town. They want to create a legacy through the event, which includes a training and development programme which has already seen six students study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the USA. Job creation is another goal. Lombard proudly shared their Social Media statistics, having more than 14000 Twitter followers, close to 9000 Likes on Facebook, and 140000 YouTube views.

Lombard also presented the eagerly awaited line up for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which includes top international jazz artists Level 42, Shakatak, Eryka Badu (but not mentioned in the media release), and Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya. Other international artists are Andreya Continue reading →

The Easter weekend looks to be a busy one for the hospitality industry, a welcome last burst of business until the dreaded winter lull commences after the weekend.

Three major events take place this weekend: the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in Cape Town, and the KKNK in Oudtshoorn. These events are estimated by Cape Town Routes Unlimited to generate R 780 million in income for the Western Cape, reports Southern African Tourism Update.

The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon will be run for the 40th time in Cape Town today, with a 56 km ultra marathon, a 21 km marathon, and 5 km and 2,5 km fun runs creating a choice for the 26 000 participants.

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is in its 11th year, and its economic benefit is estimated at close to R 600 million. The star of the Festival will be George Benson, who performs at the Kippies venue at the Cape Town International Convention Centre tonight. His show will be a tribute to Nat King Cole. Judith Sephuma, Toots Thieleman, Jason Moran, La Melodia, Jonathan Butler, TKZee, MiKaNiC, Regina Carter, Melanie Scholtz, and Bilal are some of the 40 artists and bands performing today and tomorrow. Billed as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering” and rated as the fourth best jazz event in the world, the Jazz Festival is expected to draw 32 000 jazz fans over the two days.

The KKNK (Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees) runs until 8 April, and is a feast of mainly Afrikaans music and theatre. Experimental plays usually are first performed in Oudtshoorn. Award-winning ‘Die Naaimasjien’, with actress Sandra Prinsloo, will be the highlight. Musically, David Kramer will entertain with ‘David Kramer se Kaapse Breyani’. Other musical stars include Elsabe Zietsman, Amanda Strydom, Karen Zoid, Coenie de Villiers, Chris Chameleon, Koos Kombuis, classical guitarist James Grace, and the inimitable Nataniel.

March was a bad month for business, severely down on previous years, and it is evident that hospitality businesses are concerned about the winter ahead, given the impact that punitive increases in petrol, electricity, municipal rates and other municipal charges will have on consumers. The only counter to these cost increases is the decrease in interest rates by 0,5 percentage points, reducing the costs of car and bond repayments. A number of restaurants may not survive the quiet period ahead, and the reduced bookings for the World Cup may not bolster their earnings enough for them to survive the winter.

Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, said as follows:”The industry went through a rough patch over the last 18 months because of the global economic recession. It is therefore very reassuring to know that our destination plays host to events of this calibre. They certainly support the Western Cape Government’s objective of growth, job creation and poverty reduction and will help to build a long-term, sustainable tourism industry”.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com