It was the year of the social stumble, of stops and starts on the party scene, with masks and mini bottles of sanitiser the must-have accessories.
And even though big-ticket events like the Sun Met and the Durban July shut out the crowds, the few times we got together in more intimate gatherings we all treasured the chance to fleetingly connect outside of phones laptops — albeit with a little apprehension.
Pre-registration at the start of the year to assist with contact tracing gave many guests peace of mind, it was heartening to see some planners going the extra mile to ensure their events were as safe as possible.
At Ricoffy’s 50th birthday celebration in September in downtown Joburg, a tent was erected outside to administer rapid tests on all guests before they were allowed in.
And while it rained on the originally scheduled date for Gauteng’s top horse race, the organisers for this year’s Summer Cup in Turffontein earlier this month deserve a trophy for allowing only vaccinated racegoers near the track.
TANG COMES UP TOPS AS THE SOCIAL BASH OF THE YEAR
You have to hand it to former polo player-cum-restaurateur Nicky van der Walt for having the chutzpah to open a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic. And while the year brought both highs and lows in his personal life, he was the year’s shining star when it comes to adding glam to the Joburg dining scene.
The opening in May of Tang, Nicky’s sexy Pan-Asian offering set on prime real estate overlooking Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, would have been a standout affair in any given year, with the who’s who of Mzansi all pitching up to check out the Tristan du Plessis-designed spot.
They included Norma Mngoma, fresh from testifying about that Gupta cash machine at the Zondo commission; Cape Town real estate queen Denise Dogon; cigarette baron/Julius Malema landlord Adriano Mazzotti and his glam wife Analisa; recently single Johanna Mukoki ; grand dame of the social scene Peta Eggierth-Symes; and political firebrand Tony Yengeni.
Sadly, the opening was also the last time I saw Chris Coutroulis, the respected nightclub owner and husband of Vanessa Carreira, who was hospitalised days later and died on November 30.
SAD TRIBUTE TO A LEADING ART COLLECTOR
It was in a sombre mood that I found myself stepping through the doors of an impressive Houghton, Joburg, mansion on a Tuesday in October to view the remarkable collection of the late art collector, Nwabisa Xayiya.
Nwabisa, who would have turned just 40 that week, had passed away from cancer and her husband, business tycoon Mikki, had decided to auction the works she had lovingly collected over the past decade. The VIP viewing before the auction handled by Aspire Auctions drew an elite crowd of business heavyweights, including Discovery boss Adrian Gore, Letsema founder Isaac Shongwe and Barloworld CEO Dominic Sewela.
In a testament to Nwabisa’s taste, many of the works fetched prices above their estimates. The hammer fell on an early William Kentridge at just over R2m, a mixed-media work by Nicholas Hlobo set an auction record for the artist, while an ink-and-pastel Ernest Mancoba fetched six times more than its highest estimate.
OOH LALLA
While I was quite fond of her hunky model ex, it was good to see the Japanese-South African TV presenter, actress and DJ Lalla Hirayama turn up with a new squeeze at the Tang launch. The lucky guy? Ross McIlroy , the co-founder of SA’s leading online auto marketplace when he’s not catching waves in the Maldives.
BOITY AND THE BEAU
Also lucky in love are actress and rapper Boity Thulo, who turned up at the SA Style Awards judges’ dinner in November in the arms of Legacy star Anton Jeftha.
DECOUPLING
Not as lucky in love as he is in whipping up lavish gowns — and dressing the world’s most well-known doll — was designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, who called it quits on his seven-year marriage to Vicky Visagie a few months ago. While Gert and Vicky say their split is amicable, the same can’t be said for the implosion that was the short-lived nuptials of TV personality Somizi Mhlongo and and actor Mohale Motaung, which trended on social media after a leaked audio tape lifted the lid on what was going on behind the scenes.
SMASHING THE CURFEW
I’m probably one of the few folk grateful for the curfew — particularly because these days functions start bang on time and finish early enough to ensure we can all get to bed before we turn into pumpkins.
Unfortunately, the family of Robbie Malinga didn’t get that particular memo.
Arriving at the event to pay tribute to the late, great musical legend, I knew something was amiss when I witnessed staff mopping floors and putting the finishing touches to the event décor.
Special Investigating Unit spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago and I were left scrolling through our phones for over an hour because the Cellophane wrapping over the party snacks remained firmly in place and the bar was still being set up.
The night’s saving grace would have to be singer Musa Sukwene taking us on a melodic journey which lifted our spirits, particularly when he belted out Mthande, the hit single that Robbie produced and also appeared in the video.
SAY, WHAT?
You’d think the man known as Tokyo Sexwale’s right hand would be in the loop about the businessman and former Gauteng premier’s claims of a trillion-dollar fund and the quadrillions stolen from our public coffers. But when I asked Mark Willcox at the Tang launch if he’d met Godwin Webb, the mysterious figure behind the fund, the Mvelaphanda Holdings CEO shook his baseball-capped head.
“Never. Or Leong Boey [the apparent chair of the fund],” Mark said matter-of-factly.
Hmmm ...
THULI’S CRAPPY QUIP
At the fireside chat that formed part of this year’s Fairlady Women of the Future Awards, I did a double take when I heard the country’s leading corruption buster calmly utter a rude word in the company of some of the country’s top businesswomen.
Thuli Madonsela, the former public protector, now a professor at Stellenbosch university, was retelling a story from Melo’s Kingdom, the children’s book she co-authored, in discussing her take on ethics.
“BS will get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there,” she explained, summing up a proverb about dung, antelope and a leopard.
DRESSING DOWN
I get that the pandemic has allowed us to revisit our wardrobe choices — comfort over style — especially now that we spend so much time indoors. But scoring an invite to what is often the year’s chicest event calls for more of an effort. I’m talking to you, Ama Qamata — who I named one of my A-listers to watch earlier this year, but didn’t step up to the plate after pitching up to the SA Style Awards judges’ dinner in an underwhelming check blazer and jeans.
“I thought this was going to be a casual judges’ dinner,” claimed the actress.
