ULTRA SOUTH AFRICA 2019 Final Line Up

ULTRA South Africa lands in just one month, with six stages and an incredible showcase of (100) artists, featuring some of the hottest acts in the world on the most spectacular stages in both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Here are the stages along with the Phase 3 artists.

Main Stage local support includes the best of the best, from Ultra SA veterans Dean FUEL, Fresh and Euphonik – each massive celebrity DJ’s in their own right, to the new Prince of SA Dance Music, Max Hurrell, as well as No Method on the back of a massive 12 months with the lauded release of both City Lights and Wasted Love. They are all prepared to bring some serious heat to Ultra SA, getting the crowd going ahead of international legends including: The Chainsmokers LIVE, Martin Garrix, Infected Mushroom and many more.

RESISTANCE is bringing Black Coffee and his most talented friends to delight your eardrums, along with Thor Rixon LIVE, MKLY, Vicmari, Pierre Johnson and Dwson in Cape Town and Lemon & Herb, Aero Manyelo B2B Bruce Loko and Avi Subban in Johannesburg. Expect hypnotic, deep and dirty sounds from RESISTANCE, keeping fans dancing all night long.

Johannesburg has TWO additional stages: Until Until and Samsung Galaxy.

Samsung Galaxy will feature local celeb DJ’s including 5FM’s Roger Goode, Das Kapital and Kyle Cassim as well as Kyle Watson, Apple Gule, Timo ODVand many more.  This will be the biggest Samsung Galaxy stage to date with some exciting new features, including it’s new space at Nasrec to accommodate its size.  Samsung is always pushing boundaries, and their stage, lineup and overall experience at Ultra SA 2019 will demonstrate just that. 

Until Until, Joburg’s coolest party promoters, have their own stage again which will feature the hottest local hip-hop talent in the country, guaranteeing a fully rounded festival experience.

Dj’s on the stage will include Major League, DJ Spontaneous, Banques, Frank Casino, Menzi XL, Lubonk and many more.

Set times are soon to follow, remaining tickets are limited, make sure you get your tickets today at UltraSouthAfrica.com/tickets

Ultra South Africa 2019 is Presented by SAMSUNG and 5FM.

TICKET PRICING

Cape Town —

General Admission:

Tier 1 – SOLD OUT

R650 – Tier 2

R750 – Tier 3

VIP:

Tier 1 – SOLD OUT

R1250 – Tier 2

R1500 – Tier 3

Johannesburg —

General Admission:

Tier 1 – SOLD OUT

R800 – Tier 2

R950 – Tier 3

VIP:

Tier 1 – SOLD OUT

Tier 2 – SOLD OUT

R2000 – Tier 3

VVIP:

R3000 – Tier 1

R4000 – Tier 2

Johnnie Walker launches new campaign inspired by iconic and pioneering South Africans.

South Africa is filled with many powerful stories of ordinary and extraordinary people who create change for themselves and their communities. Johnnie Walker is proud to announce its new brand campaign commemorating South African achievement and progress. It’s an evolution of the iconic whisky brand’s drive to inspire progress.

Nelson Makamo, Motheo Moeng and Enhle Mbali

The world-famous adjure to ‘Keep Walking’ is particularly meaningful in a South African context. Consumers no longer want to be dictated to and are looking for brands to partner with them in how they are represented and tell their stories in an authentic way. The ‘Keep Walking’ campaign is a push to move forward with optimism and celebrate every milestone reflective of real, inspiring stories.

“Johnnie Walker as a brand exists to inspire personal progress and this campaign has tested our ability to really connect with our local audience under this mission” says Zumi Njongwe, Marketing & Innovation Director at Diageo.

The brand has brought together the likes of South Africa’s most famous media export Trevor Noah, the country’s first black female pilot Refilwe Ledwaba , actress and businesswoman Enhle Mbali and Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos as part of the faces of this campaign.


Enhle Mbali

“In tune with the growing importance of authenticity in storytelling and finding people in different fields who truly embody the brand, we specifically selected South Africans who have had impact both locally and globally in their respective fields. As a brand we realise that South Africans are ambitious and determined. We want to salute those who have taken their steps today, to be an icon tomorrow. A multitude of people, progressing with purpose” says Njongwe.

Other recognizable faces featured in the campaign include fashion designer Thebe Magugu, artist Nelson Makamo, businessman Ze Nxumalo, cinematographer Motheo Moeng and leading female trombone player Siya Makuzeni.

Ze Nxumalo, Refilwe Ledwaba and Nelson Makamo

Njongwe believes that the brand is succeeding in its quest to dispel the stereotypes that exist around whisky lovers and the ‘old boys club’. “Beyond the number of powerful and accomplished women featured in the campaign, we enlisted one of the country’s leading directors, Dani Hynes from Egg Films to help us connect with a broader, previously untapped audience” says Njongwe.

The result is a campaign that pays homage to moving forward together, led by a global champion of ambition and perseverance in the form of Trevor Noah.

The campaign is an important addition to the South African progress narrative.

‘’We chose to shine the spotlight on prominent South African achievers who have contributed to a nation’s growth through times of transition and uncertainty,’ she explains. ‘Every South African – whether they are in the public eye or not – has a role to play and a story to share. By honouring our heroes, and remembering how far we’ve come, we hope to inspire South Africans to always “Keep Walking” Njongwe concludes.

Stay connected with the House of Walker on @johnniewalkersa (Instagram), @johnniewalkersa (Twitter) and Johnnie Walker South Africa (Facebook) #KWSA

How influencers celebrate their Valentine’s Day

Influencers are now at dominating the conversations in marketing boardrooms as of late. Marketers are consistently trying to find ways of understanding influencers and how to use them. In an article published on BizCommunity Sylvester Chauke (CEO of DNA Brand Architects) posed a question on whether influencer marketing is still relevant. The answer is very much so, especially with continued rise on the use of social media.

Influencers are also people, they have needs and they care about the people around. Valentine’s Day is one of those days where people tend to show affection toward the things and people that they love. Also it is a big commercial day for most brands just like Christmas Day. Brands go all out to promote their Valentine’s Day special and in some of their promotions strategy they use influencers.

IndaHash – a popular platform that links brands and influencers conducted a study to understand how influencers celebrate Valentine’s Day. The study was conducted using surveys and just over 1000 influencers partcipated, globally. The aim of the study was to give brands a broader overview of their brands’ advocates behaviours as well as their competitor landscape.

The study discovered some really interesting insights. One of the major findings is that influencers do celebrate Valentine’s Day whether they are in a relationship or not. 91% of the influencers that participated in the study said they celebrate Valentine’s when they are in a relationship whilst 50% of single influencers said they do celebrate Valentine’s Day.

According to the report below is how single influencers celebrate Valentine’s Day:

  1. Celebrate with family (10%)
  2. Treat themselves to gifts or experiences (40%)
  3. Celebrate with friends (50%)

When it comes to shopping for gifts, the study found that 72% of influencers are most likely to be influenced by other influencers and women are as twice as likely to shop on a brand’s website than man.

The question is how will you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Leave your comments.

LifeStyles Condoms to support Youth against AIDS In Southern Africa

Leading specialist consumer packaged goods distributor, ACDOCO SA has announced that it will be donating R1.00 (One South African Rand) for the next 2 years for every pack of LifeStyles Condoms sold in Southern Africa to Youth against AIDS (YAA).

Rising rates of HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies are a primary reproductive health concern for the youth, and thus awareness and education around National Condom Week is a high priority in South Africa. According to the United Nations Development Programme the youth are most affected by HIV. 430,000 youth per year are infected with the disease in East and Southern Africa, however HIV education and awareness remains below 40%. STDs continue to grow at an alarming rate including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis which also can increase one’s risk of contracting HIV. Over 120,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 became registered mothers in 2017 according to Statistics South Africa.

YAA is one of the leading youth-led initiatives that provides awareness campaigns and sex education in schools & youth facilities across the world. Focussed on talking about sexuality, HIV, and other STDs in their workshops, the organisation provides a safe space for young people to gain knowledge and get educated free from exclusion or fear of stigma.

“YAA are involved in many innovative initiatives across Southern Africa including a pilot for condom vending machines in high schools. Their peer-to-peer approach is perhaps the most important, where youth engage with youth and tackle the biggest challenge which is open, candid conversation to consummately drive desperately needed education and awareness. ACDOCO SA and LifeStyles Healthcare plan to get even further involved leveraging its commercial and state networks in addition to digital and social media augmentation,” states Jason Frichol, ACDOCO SA’s Managing Director.

“At LifeStyles we are committed to work with local partners to help prevent the spread of HIV and support the millions of people living with HIV in our local communities & around the world by doing our part to raise awareness about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. Joint collaboration with YAA and ACDOCO SA is a natural extension of our efforts in South Africa,” comments Jeyan Heper, CEO of LifeStyles Healthcare.

“We are the generation which can end AIDS, so it is now up to us to make the difference. Together with ACDOCO SA we want to make an impact in the global HIV response. With local partners we tackle the biggest challenges and realize with our peer-to-peer approach and condom vending machines in schools first important steps in our common fight against HIV/AIDS”, concludes Daniel Nagel, Chairman & CEO of Youth against AIDS.

Corona SunSets Festival returns to Cape Town in 2019

During 2018 Durban and Johannesburg hosted the full Corona SunSets Festival experiences with sophisticated sun-celebrating events at the Shongweni Polo Club and Val Bonne Estate respectively.  Corona also toured their Chasing SunSets parties across the coastlines and urban havens of SA last year, delivering magical moments and mystical sunset memories to Plettenburg Bay, Knysna and St Francis. 

The Mother City however has been holding her beautiful breath waiting for her turn, and it hasn’t been in vain; the Corona SunSets Festival Cape Town is back in April 2019.

Date: Saturday 6 April 2019

Venue: The Bungalow and Oval Field, Victoria Street, Cape Town

Time: 12PM – Midnight 

Tickets on sale at corona.howler.co.za

The same venue that wowed everyone that attended the first ever Corona SunSets Festival in SA – the Bungalow and Oval Field – will host the return of this mystical event that celebrates good music, happy, shiny people, and the molten glory of the sunset moment. 

The festival lineup will be coming soon but you can count on an incredible musical programme with a blend of beautiful live, acoustic artists and some of the worlds’ best DJs and stellar local support acts.

As if anyone needed more enticing, the show will also present locally sourced and organic craft food, art and local food vendors as well as Corona merchandise for sale. 

Corona is globally focused on doing its best to offset their carbon footprint by greening their events and uniting their customers to have a positive environmental impact for a better future for all, so expect a plastic-free festival and other environmentally-friendly festival tactics to ensure that you’re partying with a conscience, knowing that you’re doing your bit to protect Mother Earth. 

Ticket prices:

Sunrise (early bird): R250

Sunshine (tier 2 tickets): R350

Sunset: (tier 3 tickets): R450

Eclipse (tier 4 tickets): R550

All tickets exclude booking fees.

Tickets are exclusively available from corona.howler.co.za

For table bookings please contact events@kovecollection.co.za

For more information on the event visit: facebook.com/events/523001038209585/ and follow #CoronaSunSetsZA on social media. 

STRICTLY NO UNDER 18’s ALLOWED, AND ALL ATTENDEES WILL REQUIRE IDENTIFICATION TO ENTER THE EVENT – ONLY ORIGINAL ID BOOK/CARD, DRIVERS LICENCE CARD OR PASSPORTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Heavy K and Moonchild Sanelly set the Bacardi House Party Sessions stage alight

The summer party season for dance and music lovers started off with a bang this past Saturday – 15 December as the Drumboss, Heavy K together with dance and electronic music sensation Moonchild Sanelly hosted their Bacardi House Party Session in Johannesburg.

Hosted on the rooftop of one of the most popular venues in Braamfontein, Thirteen Venue, the African themed party was filled with young and old who enjoy moving to the rhythm of authentic South African hits. Moonchild Sanelly most famously known for her verse on DJ Maphorisa’s Midnight Starring, graced the stage with her unique style and infectious personality, while Heavy K banged out hit after hit behind the decks.

Bacardi’s passion to celebrate self expression and shine the spotlight on local musical talent was evident at the party. All the selected artists on the line up brought their unique flavour to the stage; Bonj Makaza, Indie group Darkie Fiction and house DJ, Cubique showcased their unlimited creativity, artistic intelligence and love of music. The crowds were on their feet all day, grooving to the sounds of organic South African talent brought to the stage by Bacardi.

The collaboration

Much like the Bacardi House Party Sessions before (Da L.E.S and Flame and Speedsta and Yung Swiss) Heavy K and Moonchild Sanelly debuted their new collaboration track at the event. The songs beat is iconic to Heavy K, filled with African beats and sounds that are complimented by Moonchild Sanelly’s one-of-a-kind voice.

The new track and music video created in partnership with the Bacardi House Party Sessions will debut to the public in early January 2019 so look out for it on the artists’ social platforms as well as music streaming services. You can also see both artists together with the other Bacardi House Party Session artists perform live at the Bacardi Holiday Club taking place next March.

What’s next?

If you missed this session, don’t despair the fourth and final Bacardi House Party Sessions of the season will take place on the 26th of January 2019 with Nadia Nakai and Priddy Ugly kicking off the new year in style. All of the Bacardi House Party Sessions will culminate in an epic 36 hour music festival from 8th-10th of March – The Bacardi Holiday Club (tickets on sale now – http://bit.ly/BHC2019Tkts)

A surprise pop-up puts a fresh spin on festive season drinking and driving/walking in South Africa

Social Media went abuzz when a teaser for a “first-to-SA” pop-up store situated on William Nicol Drive, was revealed to be a drive-through bar, aptly named #OneOnNicol. Some civil rights groups were appalled by the teaser and wanted pre-empt the launch of the bar.

The controversy around the drive-through bar has forced South Africans to actively re-think their drinking habits and thought patterns when it comes to getting behind the wheel or walking home after just one drink ahead of the festive season.

The #ReThink activation forms part of a broader festive season campaign headed up by the
Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (aware.org), in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). The initiative is a bold bid to shift the conversation around drinking and driving, and drinking and walking, in South Africa.

“There is a propensity for people to shrug off the responsibility of road safety when they’ve only had a few drinks,” says Ingrid Louw, CEO of aware.org. “They’ll say ‘I’m fine to drive’, or ‘I’ve only had one or two’. But the fact is that even one drink can affect our ability to make good decisions on
the road, no matter our size or how accustomed to alcohol we are. But do we really know our limits or when we’ve had enough?”

“If we want to change public’s thinking on responsible consumption of alcohol before driving or walking home, we need to change decades of habits and culture,” continues Louw. “Twenty years of festive ad campaigns haven’t seen the impact we require to shift perception, so it was time for a new approach that we hope will cut through the clutter to get a desensitised public to engage in a debate of drinking and driving and drinking and walking, but more importantly get the public to re-think their own behaviour when they’ve had even one drink. This activation was a way to get the public to actively engage in the conversation around drinking and driving or walking at a time of the year when it is top-of-mind and relevant for everyone on the road.”

As the alcohol industry’s collective commitment to responsible alcohol consumption, aware.org has several active programmes in place to help reduce the harmful effects of alcohol abuse in South Africa. While concerns around drinking and driving has received a lot of attention over the years,
the lesser known issue of drinking and walking is equally, if not more devastating. As such, #ReThink is being activated on both a national and community level to help educate and create awareness around the dangers of alcohol use and misuse, particularly at this time of year.

This campaign also spans the issues of the scourge of underage drinking, binge drinking and drinking whilst pregnant. “Much of the engagement we have seen on our social media platforms reveals a misunderstanding of why drinking and walking is of such a great concern,” explains Louw. “So, it is important to us that we speak directly to communities to drive behavioural and cultural change. This is a collective effort to realise safer environments and public spaces for all. Our aim is to be both empowering and responsive in addressing this issue. We are working with government, industry, civil society, traders and communities in addressing a problem that has been ignored for too long and that affects each
and every one of us.”

The partnership between Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and aware.org is a
strategic balance between road safety and enforcement while driving awareness and education.

Aware.org has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with RTMC to implement relevant road safety programmes, campaigns and initiatives. This is to demonstrate our collective efforts in ensuring that the partnership extends beyond the festive season. We believe this partnership will make South African roads safer for all commuters.

“We are 100% committed to affecting real and lasting change in the reduction of fatalities on South Africa’s roads,” said Adv Makhosini Msibi, CEO of RTMC. “To achieve this, we have to tackle the issue of alcohol misuse and the use of the road.

It is estimated that 60% of road traffic fatalities on our roads are related to alcohol. The World
Health Organisation highlights the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships, publicity and highly visible law enforcement as some of the key interventions that can have assist in reducing road fatalities in the world. It is in this context that the RTMC has joined forces with aware.org to educate South Africans about the dangers of drinking and driving as well as drinking and walking.

We recognise that we need to get the public’s attention in a way that engenders real change in order to reduce the number of road deaths and make our roads safer for everyone.”

This is a brilliant campaign by the Aware Org and it definitely gets a Pat. If you drink and drive you will get a Slap!

Tortured Soul Return To South Africa! By Popular Demand

Last year, Tortured Soul performed live in Johannesburg for one night only at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, to a sold out show.

Due to popular demand, Bassline Live in partnership with Kaya FM and in association with Brentwood Africa, decided to bring this accomplished soulful house group back to South Africa.

This groove centred act jumped at the opportunity not only because of the demand, but because of their love for the country and their love for their fans in South Africa.

In an interview with NuSoul Hub Radio, Lead vocalist, John Christian Urich is quoted as saying:
“People live and breathe house music in South Africa. It’s like air or water. It’s visceral and palpable. Going to a house music event in South Africa is different than any place else I’ve been to in the world. It’s really like oxygen. You are in a biosphere that runs on house music. One lives house music in South Africa. It’s an amazing experience and existence.”

From this statement alone, it was a no brainer for Bassline Live to bring them back. This allows those who saw them last year the opportunity to watch them again, and for those who missed it last year – here is your chance to experience something remarkable!

The band will be performing for one night only at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City on the 15th December 2018. The Show starts at 8pm and tickets are on sale at Computicket from R250.

Buy your tickets at https://online.computicket.com/web/event/from_the_usa_tortured_soul_back_by_popular_demand/1265406703/0/90159743

Hope to see you there!

Johnnie Walker Is Now Pocket-Sized

How could you possibly make enjoying great whisky with great friends even easier? Johnnie Walker has the answer – Johnnie Walker Pocket Scotch – the new portable and stylish whisky that’s ready to go anywhere with you.

Johnnie Walker Pocket Scotch is a compact new look for Johnnie Walker Red Label and Johnnie Walker Black Label – a 20cl bottle of whisky that fits in your pocket and is perfect for sharing. It is the same award-winning Scotch created from single malt and grain whiskies drawn from across the four corners of Scotland, just pocket-sized. Johnnie Walker Pocket Scotch is the ideal accessory for taking along to spontaneous summer get-togethers or for sharing with friends at ‘Bring Your Own’ events or festivals.

Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Jim Beveridge, says that Scotch has always been about sharing and Johnnie Walker Pocket Scotch makes that even easier: “We’ve been making exceptional whisky for nearly 200 years and, in that time, our whisky has travelled from the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world. Today, Pocket Scotch gives people who love to make the most of life’s spontaneous moments a new way to share and enjoy our award-winning Scotch, wherever their adventures take them.”

Johnnie Walker Pocket Scotch Red Label/Black Label is bottled at an Alcohol by volume of 43% and will be available in South Africa from November 2018 with a recommended retail price of R69.00

Black Friday: Do’s And Don’ts

As you might have seen on TV and/or social media or you might have heard on radio or read in the newspapers or your inbox. Black Friday is probably one of the biggest days on many brands’ and retailers’ calendars. Many consumers will be flocking into shopping malls to buy what is perceived to be ridiculously discounted prices. Some retailers have gone to the extent of increasing their trading hours on the day to accommodate more customers.
Although, Black Friday is perceived to be the best for consumers to go on a shopping spree, there are some people who have mixed feelings about Black Friday and its origins. Some people link it to the original black Friday where slave owners in America would sell off the slaves who had the least value to them for low amounts of money. Whether this is true or not the reality is that many people will be partaking in this shopping craze.
For those that will be taking part in black Friday, below are the Do’s and Don’ts for Black Friday.

Dos
Asks yourself whether you need or you want the product
Many financial advisers warn consumers not to be impulsive buyers. There is a difference between wanting something and need something. More often than not people end up buying stuff that they don’t need just because it is on sale. You can want an expensive sneaker but need good quality running shoes. You need to know the difference.

Research Products
If there is a product that you’ve always wanted to buy, do some research on the “normal price” and its features. Most products that the retailers would put on sale during Black Friday will be those with limited features for example electronic products. Also check the expiry date because there is no point of buying large quantities of the products that will expire in the next month.

Shop around
Before making a big purchase it is advisable to shop around and compare prices. The beauty of having smartphones you can use it to check prices whilst in-store

Set a budget
It is easy to get carried away in buying things just because they are discounted. If you have set a budget for spending on Black Friday, stick to it or else you will have regrets later.

Be aware of your surroundings
As much as you are out to shop for bargains just keep in mind that some people will be on a mission to strike when you let your guard down. Make sure you look after you belongings, try carry as little cash on you as possible and be alert at all times.

Don’ts
Don’t fight other people
If there’s a person who got their hands on the item first don’t fight over the product. We have seen instances where people fought over items in the shops. For your safety and peace refrain from engaging from such activities.

Don’t force yourself into the store
If the store is closed don’t bang the door and force yourself into the store. You don’t want to be a meme or find yourself in jail for damaging the store’s property. You will also risk getting hurt.

Don’t steal
A caller on the Fresh Breakfast Show on Metro FM said the only reason why he will be going to the shops on Black Friday is that he wants to steal. Just because there will be a lot of commotion in the shops, this does not mean that security won’t be on high alert, you will get caught!

Don’t bite more than you can chew
Again, it is easy to get carried away buying tons of things that you won’t be able to carry home or store. If you don’t space for it in your house don’t buy it. You buy a big TV set because it’s on sale but it can’t fit your car then you end paying more for delivery.

With all that said remember that retailers are in a business to make money so don’t fall prey for their tactics. Hence it is important to do your research and have a plan. Lastly, there’s life to be lived and bills to be paid after Black Friday.

What to expect at the Absolut One Source Live

As we get closer to what promises to be the biggest creative explosion in the continent – One Source Live. One Source Live is a festival like no other, it is where music meets art, fashion and photography. If you admire African creativity 1 Fox Street , downtown Jozi is the place to be this Saturday – 17 November as creativity will be going back to its source.

Sho Madjozi set to slay …

Sho Madjozi

Taking collaborations to the next level, the feisty Sho Madjozi will compose three tracks with what will undoubtedly be a masterstroke of creative genius featuring producers Tboy da Flame, Master KG and Makwa. She’s also roped in rappers Big Hash, Dee Koala and Jovie Jovv, along with singers Makhadzi, Nelisiwe and Mthandeni ft Gcokama Elisha.

The Return of Absolut Creative Revolutionaries

The One Source Live creative revolutionaries Khuli Chana, Trevor Stuurman and Osborne Macharia will be returning to the festival with new installations and musical
collaborations.

On the bill…
BET award winning Zulu rooted and global star S’JAVA; the Hip-Hop maverick SHANE EAGLE, DJ PH, the inimitable Nigerian musical sensation, D’BANJ and the leaders of the Gqom nation, DISTRUCTION BOYZ. Topping it all with an unmissable throwback to a unique time in the African pool of creative excellence are Kwaito legends, TROMPIES.

Trompies

The return of the creative revolutionaries
The ONE SOURCE LIVE creative revolutionaries Khuli Chana, Trevor Stuurman and Osborne Macharia will return to the festival with new installations and musical collaboration.

Multiple Stages and Platforms

ONE SOURCE LIVE will unfold over multiple stages and platforms in a multimedia festival that celebrates African Creativity as a driver of positive change in the world:
• The ABSOLUT ART BAR, the epicenter of the festival, is a curated art and performance space by day, transforming into the headline stage after dark.
• The DISCOVERY STAGE has Sho Madjozi hosting a specially curated set of performances and live recordings of new collaborations with budding artists; building on her amazing material from the first festival.
• Creativity goes back to its source in the STREET ZONE with art installations, food trucks, a street performance stage, fashion pop ups, and street photographers.
The African Creative Revolution continues, join and celebrate the power of African creativity at ONE SOURCE LIVE.

Tickets cost R200 and are available now at Webtickets (tel 086 111 0005)
Follow the conversation on social media @AbsolutSA #BeAbsolut.

Hope to see you there 😉

What To Expect At The UJ Big Data Symposium

I am honoured and privileged to announce that I have successfully graduated with an Mcom Business Management with specialisation in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg. The title of my study is “USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BIG DATA BY SOUTH AFRICAN RETAILERS TO SUPPORT MARKETING DECISIONS. This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t through the support of my family, friends and everybody who contributed to my studies. A special thank you goes to my uncle – Shadrack Jiyana and his beautiful wife Sabi for raising me and instilling the importance of education in me.

As seen on social media, myself, Pat and Musa Kalenga will be hosting a symposium on the topic of big data and I will also be sharing the findings of my study. For those who have been asking me what a symposium is, according to the Oxford dictionary a symposium is conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject. And for those who have been asking what big data is, attending the symposium will give you the opportunity to understand what big data is and its role in decision making. It also an important topic as the University of Johannesburg and South Africa gears itself for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

A little bit about Musa Kalenga

Musa Kalenga is an author, marketer and entrepreneur. He is a lauded speaker and strategist who was recognized as one of the Top 200 young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian. Kalenga is an enthusiastic entrepreneur who is passionate about using technology to empower the digitally invisible.

As CEO and Founder of Bridge Labs, Musa addresses the problem of gaining access to appropriate online tools for entrepreneurs and Small to Medium Businesses by building technology to support growth in emerging markets. As a respected thought leader in the marketing industry, he is the Chief Future Officer at the House of Brave Group and he advises on future fit business strategy for organizations in a new digital world.

In attendance, will be the Director of the School of Tourism and Hospitality, Dr Diane Abrahams, Director of the School of Consumer Intelligence Prof Mercy Mpinganjira and other esteemed academics from the College of Business and Economics at UJ.
The symposium will take place on Tuesday, 8 May (9am -11:30am) at The School of Tourism and Hospitality – Kerzner Building, Bunting Road, Auckland Park. To attend, RSVP here.

Pat On UJ FM

Dear #PatOnBrands followers.

I come bearing some good news. Pat On Brands will be on the airwaves.  Starting today (Thursday, 16 February 2017), #PatOnBrands will be joining the #TheUrbanBrunch team on UJ FM every Thursday from 10am to 10:30am. The feature will be very informative and entertaining as the articles we post here. Brands, will still be getting “Pats” and “Slaps”. And will also be adding new elements such as weekly giveaways . Its going to be fun! Please do tune into UJ FM 95.4 and watch live on Instagram (@PatOnBrands) and Facebook (Pat On Brands).

Thank You,
#PatOnBrands

#BrandsExperience Dîner en Blanc

My first #BrandsExperience took place this past weekend at Le Dîner en Blanc, all thanks to Valpré. The aim of #BrandsExperience is to share with you the experiences that I will be having with various brands.
On Saturday, 18 March Johannesburg hosted Le Dîner en Blanc for the fourth time and this year’s “secret” location was the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
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Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and some friends, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. The pop-up dinner party is held in over 70 cities in 25 countries and has gained well over 100,000 new friends worldwide. Each event is headed by passionate local organizers who fell in love with the concept and who wanted to bring it to their city, adding their own local flair while respecting the event’s core values. Along with Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Montreal, Sydney, Singapore, Mexico City, Johannesburg held its very first in 2013.
PatOnBrands DEB
The exact location of the event is a closely guarded secret until the very last minute. For me, I only had an idea of where the dinner might be when we took the Grayston Drive off-ramp on the M1, from Coca-Cola’s HQ in Parktown, where we assembled along with other attendees.
On our arrival at this all-white party, we were given baskets containing picnic food, Graham Beck, Steenberg Wine and of course Valpré kept us elegantly hydrated. Fortunately, our table was already set up when we arrived, as other guests had to bring their own white décor.
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What I learned about this exclusive event is that elegance is the order of the day. The attendees went all out to showcase their taste for fashion and fine dining that got the bystanders looking. The music was also great as we had a live band entertaining us and in between the DJ blazed some hot local tunes that got us dancing and singing along.
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A big Pat on the organisers of Le Dîner en Blanc Johannesburg and Valpré for such an amazing experience.