A heavy downpour and a headliner no-show would’ve put the dampener on any other do, but despite the rain and the absence of Thuli Phongolo on the decks the Brutal Fruit You Belong fragrance launch last Saturday set the bar for what a memorable occasion should be.
Think a bouquet of glam girls (not the usual suspects) in a dreamy setting with delicious food and a line-up strong on perfumed power.
Let’s start with the venue: Kleine Rijke in Hartbeespoort, about an hour’s drive north of Joburg, is one of those wedding album-perfect places.
Disembarking from shuttles that bussed many of us in, we trudge down the path on the farm once owned by Boer leader Andries Pretorius to where hostesses check our vaccination status before handing us blush-coloured satin face masks.
Past the main building in classic Cape Dutch style, I head through an arch and accept a flute of the brand’s sparkling apple spritzer as I make my way into an open glass marquee set with plush loungers, tables and chairs and festooned with roses, both real and the paper variety.
I say hello to Simphiwe Ngema, who tells me she’s had a busy festive season.
The actress had been on the set of a film titled Inhlawulo — which also stars Mike Mvelase (you might recognise him as Tau’s butler in Generations many moons ago) — which is set to be shot in Nigeria next month.
“She’s very glamorous,” says Simphiwe, dressed in a lilac pantsuit featuring gold buttons, about her character.
Then on to saying hello to someone who oozes Instagram over real life charisma — social media queen Mihlali Ndamase, wearing slacks with a floral blouse.
Next, I catch up with Mbali Nkosi, who came to fame back in 2013 when she took part in that year’s season of Big Brother Mzansi.
Up comes a vision in sequins, lace and tulle: multi-award winning singer Cici Twala who arrived with her niece Nosipho Silinda.
Fluffing up the fabric of her Reggie Star-designed dress to give photographer Thapelo Morebudi a striking shot, Cici reveals that a single from her album Sukulila will be dropping soon.
Then I encounter two spunky young things who it would be nice to see more of on the social whirl — Scandal actresses Sihle Ndaba and Nomvelo Makhanya.
“I’m vlogging for my YouTube channel,” explains Nomvelo when I ask her about the mini videocam she is holding. I’m more interested in how she is coping with her gruelling role, which has seen her controversial character Lindiwe head down the road to addiction.
“This has been a lot to carry, but it has also opened up my mind to mental health,” says the Nkandla-born actress.
On stage, bubbly TV personality Nomalanga Shozi welcomes us all.
“I think that, save for the rain, it is an absolutely stunning afternoon,” says the BET presenter and Gagazi FM radio DJ who, intriguingly, doesn’t sip from the flute of Brutal Fruit spritzer she dangles.
It later turns out that there’s a valid reason — Nomalanga is expecting.
We are treated to an evening that features mellow crooner Keziah Zoë Meyers, who goes by the name Lordkez, (I was particularly taken by her moody tune Glory). So-hot-right-now Thabsie’s anthemic African Queen was a fitting follow-up.
Sofaya belted out This Is Me from musical The Greatest Showman, which was a tad schmaltzy, but when a troop of dancing ladies of every shape join her and the fireworks go off, the influencers in our midst have plenty of content to post.
The grub?
Canapés tended to be on the vegan side, but the individual lunch boxes — filled with melt-in-your-mouth chargrilled rump steak, pine nut-buttered potatoes, toasted mielie segments and a refreshing melon salad — hit the spot.
The dessert, gold leaf-dusted glazed doughnuts, a wicked chocolate torte and macaroons were worth the calories.
You’ll want to know about the fragrance that brought us all out — I quite liked the aroma of light citrus with wooded undertones.
As for Thuli’s no-show? No word from the organisers but, with crowd-pleasing DJ PH (the only bloke on the line-up) cooking up his beats to close off the night, the actress-cum-disc spinner was hardly missed.
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