It promised to be one of the most star-studded affairs on the social calendar: the launch of a new tipple by an esteemed cognac house atop the third-tallest building in Africa, featuring Afrobeat superstar Davido and attended by the creme de la creme of local entertainment.
However, Wednesday evening’s shindig for Martell’s Blue Swift turned out to be the social equivalent of a watered-down drink, with hardly any notable names. The US-born Nigerian hitmaker preferred to tap his phone rather than connect with guests and a cold, wet Highveld night meant most proceedings were staged in the lobby rather than on the rooftop of the towering Leonardo building in Sandton as originally planned.
I should have realised something was amiss when I arrived at the Lego-block shaped building in Sandton and a security guard directed us to the third rather than the 57th floor of the building.
However, amped-up to meet the man behind the memorable lyrics — Money fall on you/Banana fall on you/Prada fall on you/’Cause I’m in love with you — to which I have bopped on many a dance floor, I happily headed inside.
At 8pm, it was a late start for a launch. However, entering the property’s plush reception area, I was impressed that many heeded the invite’s “blue & gold” dress code.
No sight, though, of the Grammy-winning DJ, the award-winning former TV presenter turned social media star or the local rapper with a knack for filling up stadiums, all of whom PR company DNA Brand Architects had assured me had “confirmed” their attendance.
Instead, I spotted a hunky actor who recently drew more attention for getting caught with his pants down. That’s Zamani Mbatha, looking dapper in a black and gold suit.
On to greeting one of my TV favs, Nomalanga Shozi, who last year welcomed a baby with Bandile Mbere, one half of the hugely successful Major League DJz duo.
The BET Africa TV presenter, looking like a Hollywood starlet in her cerulean blue gown from D’Ore, shared some surprising news.
“I am a single hot mom, coming for everything,” she announced.
I sip on one of the drinks offered — a South Sour comprising the brand’s cognac, lemon juice, vanilla syrup and a few dashes of Angostura, which was quite refreshing — as I roam the room in search of familiar faces.
However, aside from two musical identities — Themba Nkosi (formerly known as DJ Euphonik now called DJ Themba) and Lethabo Sebetso (the rapper who goes by Focalistic) — it felt like an Oscar party hosted by Will Smith.
I found solace in snacking on such fare as yummy lamb bao buns and beef wagyu sliders as we waited … and waited for the man of the hour to turn up.
In between, Nomalanga went up to the podium to greet us with: “Good evening to all the swift ones who have graced us on this gorgeous, rainy Joburg evening.”
While the actress, radio DJ and TV personality was the perfect bubbly host to keep our spirits high, I was a little floored that Martell’s official local reps, marketing director Nthabiseng Motsoeneng and brand ambassador Tanealé van der Merwe, looked like they had ignored their own dress code.
About two hours later Davido, the hitmaker behind If and When, finally decides to join us.
But first, he plonks himself onto a sofa to twiddle on his phone and look bored before he decides to join Nomalanga to address us.
Davido, whose latest album Timeless dropped this week, tells us he is thrilled to be part of the campaign for Martell’s new beverage because “it’s my favourite drink”.
By this stage, I decide I prefer to listen to Davido on the dance-floor, so I make my exit.
I also regret cutting short my engagement earlier in the evening.
That was the oh-so-cool S Mag cover party, which was held at newish Rosebank nightspot Opera Bar Lounge (which is not to be confused with the Opera café up the road at the Rosebank Mall).
S Mag is the funky lifestyle magazine that is published quarterly as an insert in the Sowetan newspaper and happens to be edited by my good friend Emmanuel “Manny” Tjiya.
The mag’s beauty issue features a double cover of either Connie Ferguson and her daughter Lesedi Matsunyane-Ferguson or Azania and Shamiso Mosaka, while the inside S Man “cover” features actors Warren Masemola and Wanda Zuma.
While not all Manny’s cover stars turned up, I spotted Warren (wearing an amber “Boys of Soweto” tee with matching chinos) and Lesedi, along with a few Joburg funky young things such as Candice Modiselle and actress Nefisa Mkhabela.
The cocktails at the spot, owned by nightlife king Stephane Cohen who is also the brains behind the champagne-bottle-popping dens of Montana and Sumo across the road, flowed.
Champers was on the menu the following evening when lovers of those sleek and addictive devices with the easily recognisable bitten apple logo congregated in Bedfordview, in Joburg’s east.
Now, while Eastgate shopping centre isn’t my stomping ground, it is one of the most lucrative malls in the land — so no surprise that the folk at Apple’s authorised distributor in this part of the world decided it was ideal to roll out their first Apple Premium Partner store.
To the ordinary eye, the store isn’t dissimilar to iStores around the country, but it is sleeker and more engagement friendly, features in-store repairs and a strong business focus.
Hosting duties on the night fell to Kgosi Rankhumise, the e.tv Morning Show host, who didn’t do a bad job. iStore CEO Chris Dodd told us the store had been a year in the making and its location “was an obvious choice for us”.
“I am always staggered by the numbers we do at this mall,” he explained.
Who showed up? Tech blokes such as Aki Anastasiou, hip kids such as YFM presenter Teboho “Caddy” Tsotetsi (so cool he can wear shorts at night), glamour in the form of Rosette Ncwana, Taryn Louch and Poppy Xaba, and a bit of beefcake thanks to Dr Fezile Mkhize, who besides making a turn in the racy Showmax series Adulting, also has a new film called Jozi by the talented blokes behind Jozi Films in the pipeline.
I also got to meet a bright radio spark, 947’s Msizi James, and catch up with actress Weza Solange, who came along with her fiancé Keith Sibiya.
Who I didn’t get to see was DJ Prince Kaybee, who was booked to spin discs at the store way after many of the guests had already left.
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