A catch-up with spirited women in an elegant glass conservatory overlooking manicured gardens and a chat with a top Western envoy not shy to ruffle diplomatic feathers was in the offing this week.
First stop was Burkleigh House, set on an acre-sized rolling green plot in the Randburg suburb of Ferndale, for the launch of Talk Your Worth, a podcast from huge French beauty brand L’Oréal Paris.
Slightly hesitant to attend as there was scant information on what exactly it was all about — or who might show up — I was relieved when in walks someone who has remained a household name for four decades and counting.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka, wearing a radiant African print dress, arrives with pretty “granddaughter” Nyiko Nyambi (she is husband Tiny’s sister’s grandchild) and plonks down on a chair in the garden near a gently gushing fountain.
The conversation moves to music and the Princess of Africa shares that she’s headed to Ivory Coast at the weekend to engage with CAF African football top brass to ensure that musicians whose songs are blared at soccer stadiums in the country during the tournament are given the royalties they deserve.
The Umqombothi and Thank You Mr DJ singer will be there in her capacity as a vice-president of Cisac (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers). Artificial intelligence is also on the radar of the France-based network of authors’ societies so we discuss this week’s hot topic in music — Universal Music’s announcement that it is pulling its huge library from TikTok over fair payment to artists and protection from AI-generated music.
As waiters offer canapés such as smoked salmon roses with herb crème fraîche, mini filo pastry quiches and deconstructed beef wellington bites, it’s hello to reigning Miss SA Natasha Joubert before a chat to Thembi Seete about baring all on racy Showmax series Adulting’s second season.
“I knew you’d want to ask me about that!” says Thembi about the intimate scenes between her character, frustrated housewife Portia, and Vuyani, played by Luthando Mthembu. “There was a lot of preparation — a lot of guiding. And also, a lot of discussion of what is comfortable or not. ‘Can I touch you here, or here?’ Not just, wake up and go on set.”
Looking like a dream in a flowing ensemble by Imprint is the night’s host, broadcaster Poppy Ntshongwana, who later on stage assures the smattering of menfolk also in attendance that she’s “40 and frisky”.
Mind you, I don’t think Poppy needs to look too far for romance: she and neighbour Kwenzo Ngcobo of The Wife would make a cute coupling.
Next to an eye-catching House of BNG display is the bar, where I am offered a flute of Graham Beck Brut before heading over to the L’Oréal cosmetics station where Bonang Matheba is retouching her already flawless makeup.
“I love their products ... and I love L’Oréal because of the experiences they have given me. I think last year in Paris [where she walked the runway in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower] was a dream come true!” said Queen B, who a decade ago scored her first major beauty partnership, then with cosmetics monolith Revlon.
Who else showed up? A glowing K Naomi, chic former reality TV star Blue Mbombo and friendly eNCA news anchor Abigail Visagie.
When the official bits get under way, Poppy welcomes us before Ayanda Mackay, the brand’s marketing manager, comes up to explain that the podcast is “about upliftment and understanding people’s continuous journey about self-discovery”.
A discussion led by Poppy with panellists Yvonne, Natasha, Thembi along with seasoned broadcaster Leanne Manas and former Miss SA Liesl Laurie-Mthombeni ensues before we are entertained by R&B singer/songwriter Elaine.
The next evening it was off to the NuMetro cinema at Pretoria’s Menlyn Mall on the invitation of US ambassador Dr Reuben E Brigety II for a film screening of The Color Purple.
This is the new filmic iteration of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker reimagined as a musical drama with an impressive cast led by Taraji P Henson and featuring breakout star Colman Domingo and singer Fantasia Barrino in her film debut.
The embassy was putting on the flick to mark the start of Black History month, an annual observance in the US, and drew a crowd of Yanks and their friends, like Alana Foster, the president of the American Society of SA, pretty Ethiopia-born Meron Demisse, former BBC presenter and talk-show host Lerato Mbele and Nonceba Losi (yes, she is picman Masi’s cousin) who was there as SA’s chief of state protocol.
I though, am more interested in meeting America’s number one in the land, especially after that Lady R incident.
However, instead of discussing the docking of the Russian cargo ship in Simon’s Town in the middle of the night back in December 2022, I zoom in on the ambassador’s fondness for neckwear, this time a rather dapper purple bow tie which Reuben tells me he picked up at Beau Ties in Vermont.
And, considering that the US state department’s website points out we remain America’s largest trade partner on the continent “with a total two-way goods trade of $17.8bn in 2019”, I wonder how our relations are going these days.
“They’re good. We’re talking,” is the polite answer.
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