IN PICTURES | Celebrating life with Zakes and Co

No matter that the invite came hardly 24 hours earlier, or that it was a long-johns-under-clothes sort of night, when one of the nicest blokes in the music biz throws a black-tie birthday do, you clear your schedule and gladly brave the cold.

That’s how I found myself slipping on my thermals and tux to head to Zakes Bantwini’s 40-something “life celebration” on Wednesday night.

Now, if truth be told, a simple Google search will tell you that Zakes is 42 and his birthday is in May.

But why be a stickler for the rules when the birthday boy is the sort of guy who handed Tbo Touch 100 long-stemmed roses when he returned to the Metro FM hot seat, and who turned up at the launch of entrepreneur Lekau Sehoana’s new venture to give him Louis Vuitton swag as a token of thanks for inspiring others through his burgeoning empire.

It was held at The Venue conference centre at the Houghton Hotel, that swish spot in the leafy Joburg suburb of the same name.

Walking in, with the reception area decorated with a flower wall at one end and a Johnnie Walker statue (a nod to the night’s whisky sponsor) at another, the only recognisable face I spot is that bespectacled man about town, Maps Maponyane.

Maps, who, like me, is a bit of a stickler for punctuality, had arrived half an hour earlier to find himself in a roomful of wait staff and no guests.

“I think you might have received an earlier draft of the invite,” I suggest.

As I wait for a bartender to whip me up a cocktail blended with Scotch whisky, the room starts filling up.

I spot DJ Sbu, Robert Marawa, kwaito legend Zwai Bala and Arnold Forman, group CEO of the complex which also includes a spa and golf course.

I say hello to Adam Byars, joint CEO and partner at Grid, the creative agency behind the MTN rebrand, and greet former SuperSport CEO Happy Ntshingila.

Next I catch up with songbird Shekhinah, who tells me she’s expanded her repertoire from singer-songwriter to include recording studio owner — she recently purchased highly regarded Figure of 8 Productions in Sundowner, Joburg.

On to shaking hands with rapper Da L.E.S. before greeting Boity Thulo (who remains the most popular woman celeb on Instagram with a whopping 5.6-million followers) and her actor beau, Anton Jeftha.

Boity looks striking in a white Ryan Keys cocktail dress while Anton sheepishly admits he is wearing the same brocade suit jacket I spotted him in at the SA Style Awards judges dinner last year.

In walks Zakes — who musically is experiencing his second wind, having secured an impressive seven nominations at this year’s South African Music Awards (Samas) — and his actress wife, Nandi Madida, who, like Boity, is wearing Ryan Keys, only hers is a sequinned gunmetal-coloured gown with matching crown.

We head into the conference room to take our spots for the official part of the night as Bonga Ntozini, the young DJ known as  Karyendasoul who collaborated with Zakes on his other Sama-nominated hit, iMali, performs.

I decide to perch in a plush lounge section in one corner of the room, only to be told that it was reserved for “Zakes’s family”, who, when I look over my shoulder later on, might come from, shall we say …  the paler side of the brood.

Back to the happenings on stage, and former Idols SA winner Khaya Mthethwa steps up as the night’s host to welcome us.

We learn, much to Zakes’s surprise, that his anthemic track Osama has gone four times platinum as a plaque is rolled out. Meanwhile, his iMali collab receives a gold plaque.

A touching moment is when Zakes admits he almost gave it all up, unsure he would match the heights of success of his earlier hit, Clap Your Hands.

Osama changed that — and an even more touching moment is when Nandi reveals that the couple’s daughter, Nefertiti, who is autistic, inspired the lyrics for the song, which BBC1 Radio in the UK lists as an essential dance song.

Back to the party, and when Zakes hits the decks, the crowd takes to the dance floor where I see someone who looks vaguely familiar.

It turns out he is Tumi Ramaphosa.

I can’t not talk décor with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s son, so I have to ask Rama jnr if he also stores money in his furniture.

“No. Only bitcoins,” he says, a reference to his fondness for blockchain technology.

While the Houghton Hotel has brilliantly attentive staff, the food is never worth mentioning. What I can tell you is that instead of belated birthday cake, the mini lemon meringue tarts and white and dark chocolate mousse shots we had weren’t bad.

The next day I couldn’t think of a more stylish way to celebrate Youth Day than attend the showing of Laduma Ngxokolo’s latest collection for his MaXhosa label.

This is a designer close to my heart.

Back in the day when I compiled the fashion pages for this newspaper, I selected a bold Xhosa-inspired jersey by a little-known Eastern Cape fashion design student as my pick for the “most beautiful object in SA” at the Design Indaba.

I also beseeched convener Ravi Naidoo’s team to invite the young lad who knitted it on the family’s knitting machine to the conference.

It proved to be a pivotal moment because Laduma would be asked to deliver a short talk to the design cognoscenti, enamouring the audience which included global trend seer Li Edelkoort, who would go on to sing his praises.

His signature weaving of Xhosa traditions and beadwork have appeared in Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther, been feted by Beyoncé and garnered a local following by many, including the late artist and fashion trailblazer Riky Rick.

Fast-forward to Thursday afternoon, on the edge of downtown Joburg in City Deep where an audience mostly clad in Laduma’s signature knits applauded his latest range, titled Alkebulan.

Who turned up? Didi Mogashoa, the stylish philanthropist and mindfulness advocate whose lanky son, Seagi, modelled in the show; brand guru Thebe Ikalafeng; and Bianca Naidoo, Riky Rick’s widow, who brought along their children Malik and Jordan to attend the presentation, which culminated in an homage to the award-winning hip-hop artist.