THE CHILL ZONE

guest: Makhosi Masikhakhane

Sakhumzi Maqubela has gradually out-grown the image of simply being a successful entrepreneur rather has evolved into a role model for many youth as well as professionals itching to start a business. In an era of BBEEE wherein many youth perceive wealth creation as entitlement/free shares by large corporations or tenders by govt

Guest: Sakhumzi Maqubela - Owner Sakhumzi Restaurant

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Mr Neil Robert Tovey was born in July 1962 in Pretoria. He is a renowned soccer player and a coach. He holds the record for most appearances in the National Soccer League (NSL). He made his professional debut for Durban City in 1981 and won the 1982 and 1983 NPSL titles under Clive Barker and played 176 league games.

Guest: Neil Tovey –  Former Bafana Bafana captain & Soccer Coach

South Africa's wine industry has been soaring to new heights, receiving accolades and commendations from wine critics around the world. According to recent ratings, South African wines have consistently impressed with exceptional quality, earning a well-deserved spot on the global stage. In fact, a recent study[i] has revealed that South Africa is the eighth biggest wine producer in the world. The Local Wine Expo provides the perfect opportunity to taste and experience the excellence firsthand

Guest: Mr. Eustace Mashimbye Chief Executive Officer  - Proudly South African

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Guest: Dr Lillian Dube -  South African veteran actress, Social media

https://www.instagram.com/lillian.dube/?hl=en

PLOT:  We speak with a seasoned actor, inspirational speaker, grandmother, and feminist in our first SA Legends feature. Someone we all grew up watching on television and who has a lot of clout in the entertainment industry. Lillian Dube was diagnosed with breast cancer and is now a cancer ambassador who inspires cancer patients. This evening, we talk about our careers, fighting cancer, and being grandmothers.

Ms Lillian Dube is a 72-year-old veteran actress with a bubbly personality, renowned for her role as the matriarch and matron Sister Bettina in the health communications drama Soul City. Her work carries a message that mirrors social ills in various communities.

She started her acting career in the 1980s and has excelled in capturing the audiences with her many characters – from comedic to serious delivery of the message.

In 2007, Dube survived a serious battle with cancer. This escalated her community involvement in raising awareness through ‘Celebrities for Good Causes’, where she galvanises celebrities from the arts, sports and other fields to come together in an effort to draw attention to issues that negatively impact the lives of children, women and youth within communities.

Dube has formed strategic alliances with organisations involved in these areas, and celebrity power will be used to champion these causes in a meaningful and sustainable manner, thus making a difference in the lives of South Africans through the active promotion of these good causes and projects.

She also established a casting company, Lillian Dube Casting Agency, in Johannesburg. She nurtures the talents of young people and encourages them to chase their dreams.

In 2014, Dube was honoured with a Lifetime Achiever Award from the Theatre Guild. She starred in Curl Up and Dye, a theatre production that toured Scotland and Germany in 2009.

In 2007, Dube was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been in remission as of 2008. The cancer returned again in 2015

In 2017, Dube was awarded an honorary doctorate in Drama and Film Production at the Tshwane University of Technology.

USURPA stakes its claim as the bold new name in African art, living up to its name, which means to acquire a position of authority or prominence by force. A collective exhibition called The New Medium had its debut on May 4, 2023 at the USURPA Gallery in Riviera, Johannesburg. Twelve South African artists are represented in this unique blend of great art and technology. USURPA has brought the rather unsettling concept of digital art out of the limits of computer or phone displays and into a physical location, showcasing exactly what digital art can offer on the transparent Samsung Frame Technology, in an effort to engage artists and art fans with the new medium.

The  twelve South African artists – Seth Pimentel, Baba Tjeko, Naledi Modupi, Sinalo Ngcaba, Mncedi Madolo, Nene Mahlangu, Mark Draws, vonMash, Oliver Pohorille, Terence Maluleke, Samurai Farai and Navel Seakamela.

USURPA's main goal is to support established and emerging African artists by introducing digital art as a contemporary form of fine-art investment through a decentralised platform.

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NFTs (non-fungible tokens, or digital assets based on blockchain technology) may not be what you associate with fine art, and yet, at its core, an NFT is just a digital certificate of ownership of art — just as you could own a one-of-a-kind physical painting such as the ‘Mona Lisa’, therefore an NFT is the ownership of a piece of digital fine art. The provenance of each work can be captured on the blockchain, and secured through individual smart codes.

Adding a new dimension of desire to the concept of fine art, The New Medium will feature works by the twelve artists that have been adapted from either a physical or a static digital form into dynamic artworks that breathe life into each line, hue and expression. The exhibition is a masterclass in African optimism driving a narrative change in both the concept of art and how African art can be projected to the world.

Unlike GIFs or clips, the dynamic artworks aren’t just animated loops — rather, they subtly introduce meditative movements that enhance the original piece. As USURPA CEO Steve Tanchel explains, ‘Imagine you have a stunning image of a lake on your wall and, just once a year, a sea creature makes an appearance in the lake, there are now so many more layers of the artist’s narrative that can be explored’

USURPA’s sole mission is to empower established and up-and-coming African artists through a decentralised platform that introduces digital art as a modern form of fine-art investment. Tanchel, together with USURPA co-founders Adam Trope and multidisciplinary artist Kay Kay Ribane, assembled a unique team comprising CFO Michael Salomon, artist and creative director Zelé Angelides and software engineer Devon Jacobson to steer this initiative to bring fine art to the digital space.

So set aside any trepidation you may have about the new wave of digital art with this exhibition, which will open your mind to the future.

The New Medium will be on show at USURPA from 4 May to 1 June 2023. The gallery is open to visitors from Tuesday to Friday between 10h00 and 17h00, and by appointment only on Saturdays.

Guest: Lehlogonolo Peega, Festival Director, Social media

In honour of Africa month, who’s theme is about promoting and appreciating knowledge in and from Africa. We take a look at The Festival of Arts and Culture, or FESTAC Africa 2023, a historic occasion that dates back to the 1960s. Founded with the intention of using a cultural event as a platform to bring Africans together by the continent's young leaders of the time. The biggest event in Africa will take place from May 21 to May 27, 2023, in the lovely city of Arusha, Tanzania.

This is Africa Biggest festival and is a celebration of cultures and Heritage in the form of: Arts, Fashion, Music, Story-telling, Poetry, film, short stories, Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Food, and Dance through live performances from various countries in Africa and across the world sharing and showcasing their richness in their culture

Travel and Tourism

During the festival week, you can explore Arusha and Tanzania and get a taste of Africa through travel and tourism. Visit or arrange a walk up the renowned Mount Kilimanjaro, the lovely Ngorongoro Crater, Visit Serengeti National Park on a safari tour, Visit Zanzibar, the Spice Island, and get to know Dar-es-Salaam, the Tanzanian business district. Visit the Tanzanite Experience Centre to discover everything there is to know about the precious stone that is only mined in Tanzania. Discover Arusha through Travel

More Information

http://www.dac.gov.za/content/africa-month-festival-ideas-and-cultural-exchange

https://festacafrica.org

“2022 FESTAC AFRICA promoted trade over the course of the 7-day festival, they included 87 exhibitors who displayed their goods. The 21 cultural groups, which performed and promoted Zanzibarian culture as the festival's main feature each night, were represented by 217 people. Over the course of the 7 days, over 90 people received small jobs that helped them in some way”.

Guest: Marc Pendlebury - Founder Of Whiskybrother

WhiskyBrother opened its doors in 2012 with one retail store in Hyde Park and today owns two additional in Bryanston and Bedfordview. They launched Johannesburg’s first dedicated whisky bar in Sandton which has over 1500 exclusive whiskies to taste, and have an online store that delivers nationwide, with the largest selection of premium whiskies for purchase, including frequent limited editions and exclusive releases.

Their exclusive whisky releases are one of the offerings that set WhiskyBrother apart in the South African landscape. Selected by the team directly from the casks, the whiskies are not available anywhere else in the world and offer local whisky lovers unique whiskies that would otherwise never have been bottled.  Currently, WhiskyBrother release on average 20 single casks each year and are on track to reach its 100th release milestone in the next 12 months.

They are a whisky vendor with the widest assortment in South Africa; they do not produce their own whisky. They travel abroad, create a whisky that doesn't already exist, and sell it exclusively in South Africa.

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In a first for South Africa, specialist whisky retailer, WhiskyBrother has been awarded as the Global Multiple Outlet Retailer of the Year at the 2023 Icons of Whisky announced in London by Whisky Magazine.

The South African retailer competed against retailers from across the world including Scotland, America, Ireland, Japan and Europe, in two rounds of judging, for this prestigious accolade.

In a first for South Africa, specialist whisky retailer, WhiskyBrother has been awarded as the Global Multiple Outlet Retailer of the Year at the 2023 Icons of Whisky announced in London by Whisky Magazine.

The South African retailer competed against retailers from across the world including Scotland, America, Ireland, Japan and Europe, in two rounds of judging, for this prestigious accolade.

Known as the Oscars of Whisky, the annual Icons of Whisky awards international industry leaders, producers, promoters and retailers, judged by an esteemed panel of experts.

This is the second international award for WhiskyBrother – the first in 2021 when they were awarded as the Global Single Retail Outlet by the same competition, presented online due to COVID-19. 

In addition, due to customer demand, they now have a full-time brand ambassador who hosts an average of four tastings each week nationwide, and organise The Only Whisky Show, a yearly whisky festival in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

An ecstatic Marc Pendlebury, founder and co-owner of WhiskyBrother, is humbled by the recognition.

“It is hard to believe it all started from a simple whisky blog and Twitter account in 2009 to further my whisky knowledge and share my experiences with fellow South African whisky-lovers. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect the brand and business to grow to this extent, to the point where it has established itself on the international stage and can bring home global awards!”

Marc believes that the success of WhiskyBrother is a result of never losing sight of why they do what they do.

“Whisky is what we love - the amazing products, the people that produce and enjoy them, and the wonderful places and stories from those distilleries. And as much as the business has grown over the last decade, this passion and love still serve as our ‘why’ and drive our team to offer world-class knowledge and service. This makes everything we do authentic, which has clearly resonated with local whisky fans, who have seen the value we offer and have chosen to support us in all our whisky endeavours.”

“Doing business in South Africa is not easy, and there have been some very tough operating years, but we are proud to say we have quite literally overcome floods, fires and global pandemics, and have not only managed to survive but grow. I am personally so thankful for my wonderful team and our amazing customers. None of this would be possible without them.”

WhiskyBrother is currently working on a soon-to-be-announced project that will see the business expand into its first international market.

Guest: Lerato Ntwampe – A Social Media Legal Consultant

Social media

Think Conversation -  How do you rebuild from cancel culture