The
11th annual Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival, happening from the 4th
to 6th September 2015 in Soweto, is set to impress in a spectacular
fusion of boutique wine brands and high-end fashion, food, creativity and art entrepreneurism.
Constantly
thriving to innovate, the organisers have changed the venue, changed the
festival open times, brought back boutique sought-after wine brands, and have
included a wide range of SMME lifestyle brands. Think beautiful boutique wines
and a wide range of food, décor, art and fashion all homed within the
magnificence of a new venue steeped in history.
Moving the venue
after 10 years to the historical Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in the
heart of Kliptown, Soweto, is a major development, and opens up many
possibilities with large spaces, high ceilings and beautiful finishes allowing
form and function to seamlessly flow in spectacular rhythm. This move is perfectly
timed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the
Freedom Charter on the Square.
Friday and
Saturday are open from 6pm to 10pm, and for the first time in history, the
festival will open on the Sunday - 2pm to 6pm - because over the past 10 years,
our research has indicated that this is what the people want.
There has also been a major shift in the wine brands
exhibiting this year. The festival is focused on bringing in more sought-after boutique
wine estates whose wines are more suited to this market. Boutique wineries also
make exceptional varieties for the more discerning palette. Our visitors are
becoming fastidious in their taste for wine with more substance and less
glitter.
Inviting upmarket food, travel, art, decor
and fashion SMME’s to exhibit in the new festival format is to showcase the
best creative entrepreneurs in Soweto and South Africa alongside the best
boutique wines from the Cape, to the large brand-conscious trend-setting
audience that this festival attracts in the thousands. Creating a 5-star
platform in which wineries and trendy lifestyle brands can network and sell
their wares to visitors is fuelling economic growth and development, job
creation and opportunities for the SMME sector.
Hosted by Joburg Tourism, the festival
is also launching the highly-anticipated Soweto
Street Food Experience in collaboration with Gauteng Tourism to showcase
the best tastes in the region. There will be a sublime array of carefully-selected
foods, baked goods, drinks and coffees, and a handful of trendy food trucks,
which organisers anticipate will bring new ideas into Soweto, and within the
next few months we will see these ideas germinate into more SMME’s. This is how
the festival has grown businesses from grass-roots 11 years ago into mushrooming
lifestyle brands today.
Says MMC, Ruby Mathang, Member of the
Mayoral Council, Dept of Economic Development, “The City of
Johannesburg and Joburg Tourism are proud to be associated with the 11th
Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival, a prestigious and stylish lifestyle event,
setting the tone for all the activity to follow during the wonderful spring and
summer seasons in Johannesburg. Speaking from a tourism perspective, it’s
significant that the event takes place in September, which has been designated
as tourism month in South Africa. This is a time to focus on the
importance of tourism to the economy of South Africa, which is becoming
increasingly significant.
Indeed, from a City perspective – and guided
by economic development objective - it’s our mission to continue positioning
Johannesburg as one of the world’s leading cities: - an all year round
destination, not just in its capacity as the continent’s financial hub and
leading business and business events destination, but also as a vibrant,
cosmopolitan centre for lifestyle, leisure, heritage, the arts, culture,
entertainment, sports and mega-events.”
The Soweto
Wine and Lifestyle Festival has always kicked off September’s busy Tourism and
Heritage month, thus opening the door to major travel destinations bringing
their city lights, glamour and relaxation packages to stressed-out Johannesburgers.
Durban Tourism and Cape Town Tourism will be at the festival in full force
launching their summer campaigns with glam and substance.
A number of
South Africa’s top online influencers will meet up with Soweto’s most connected
online personalities during the festival to share the unique stories of South
Africa’s most happening destination with the world through an exciting digital
campaign called #72hrsSoweto. The campaign was developed in association with
South African Tourism and Gauteng Tourism to showcase Soweto as a place to
visit, explore and stay.
Says Mnikelo Mangciphu, festival co-owner
and owner of Morara Wine & Spirit Emporium, Soweto’s first wine shop, “We
are very excited about festival. The trend-setting Soweto Wine and Lifestyle
Festival continues to pioneer innovation to grow and integrate South Africa and
South Africa’s food, fashion, art and other lifestyle products with the
etiquette of the best wines the Cape has to offer. Wine is not an island but
connected by the aspirational dots of life. It is a perfect fit.”
2015 SOWETO WINE FESTIVAL REVOLUTION Dates & Times:
·
Friday, 4 September 2015, 6pm – 10pm
·
Saturday, 5 September 2015, 6pm – 10pm
·
Sunday, 6 September 2015, 2pm to 6pm
Tickets available at webtickets.co.za or at the door.
Friday – R130
Sat & Sun – R150
VIP ticket – R400 (2nd floor VIP lounge with free food,
drinks, premium wines and live music)