It was a year of big international names, major milestones — and a royal visit with a green message.
NYE with the rich and famous
The year kicked off on a high note when I got to spend New Year’s Eve with a couple of Hollywood stars in a luxury Clifton mansion owned by a mysterious billionaire known only as “FD”.
Transformers and Shotgun Wedding star Josh Duhamel and Rock Hoffman [best known as overly zealous lawyer Louis Litt in the hit TV series Suits] were part of the crowd taking in the 270-degree views of Clifton’s beaches at the Twelve Apostles mountain range at the private New Year’s Eve party.
“I f****ing love it here!” enthused Josh, who had just wrapped up filming scenes for an upcoming action comedy, London Calling, when I asked him about his stay in the Mother City.
Bassie’s birthday bash
Undoubtedly the party — or should that be parties? — of the year was Basetsana Kumalo’s three-day birthday celebration in Cape Town to mark turning the Big Five-Oh.
The golden jubilee festivities arranged by Bassie’s mate, designer and event supremo Gavin Rajah, took place at the end of February, 30 years after the high-octane star, philanthropist and businesswoman was the first black woman to be crowned Miss South Africa in our democratic era.
First up, a Friday night party with a nostalgic 1990s theme held at the chic Pigalle restaurant in Green Point, followed by a lavish “Gratitude Banquet” at Norval Foundation the following evening, and ending with a moving thanksgiving picnic on the Sunday.
“You could have been somewhere else, and here you are on this special occasion celebrating this amazing woman that I call my wife, the mother of my children, and the love of my life,” said Romeo Kumalo in welcoming guests who, over the three days, included Bassie and Romeo’s brood, her big sis Johanna Makgalemele, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Thuli Madonsela and Irene Charnley.
Don’t call them jeans, says Kenny
Sartorialists will tell you that style isn’t something you can buy in Sandton’s Diamond Walk. But not according to Kenny Kunene, who pointed out he wasn’t simply wearing jeans and a T-shirt when spotted at the Durban July.
“When someone drives a Corolla, you say he is driving a car, whereas when someone is driving a Ferrari you say he is driving a Ferrari, not a car. So don’t say jeans, I am wearing Gianfranco Ferré. The shoes I am wearing are Louis Vuitton. You can’t say I am wearing a jacket, I am wearing Amiri. You can’t say I am wearing a T-shirt, I am wearing Zegna,” explained the Patriotic Alliance deputy leader.
Err… mkay…
Goodbye Mamma Connie
Fond memories of the last time I spent time with acting luminary Connie Chiume, at the opening night for the Joburg Film Festival at the end of February at the Butcher Shop & Grill in Sandton City.
Connie, who always welcomed me with a warm hug and a beatific smile, went to town in interpreting the night’s “Sophiatown Re-Imagined” dress code with her tartan ensemble finished off with brown felt hat, check jacket and the most marvellous two-tone shoes with argyle socks.
The 72-year-old actress, whose film and TV career spanned five decades — and who got her second wind starring in Hollywood blockbusters Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — had previously spoken to me about plans to relocate to Atlanta to capitalise on international interest in her craft.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be, as the veteran actress and filmmaker passed away on August 6 this year.
Love with a silver lining
It’s been a big year for the second fastest African sprinter in history.
Akani Simbine scored his first Olympic medal as part of the South African men’s 4x100m who took home silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — and earlier this month, he and wife Terisa Webb celebrated their union with a lush white wedding in the Cape Town winelands.
The athlete introduced me to his pretty mother to their son, Mikai, at a Basketball Africa League party at The Leonardo in Sandton in March, a few months after the two had tied the knot in a traditional ceremony held in Johannesburg.
Golden hour
The most shimmering party of the year has to be this year’s SA Style Awards — not only because Jill Grogor’s annual shindig is the big night out for the country’s fashionistas but also because this year’s theme, “Shades of Gold”, allowed guests like reality star Blue Mbombo, actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa and controversial businesswoman Norma Mngoma to bring out the glitz.
The night saw Britain’s Got Talent star Musa Motha return to our shores to accept his award for Most Stylish Changemaker — but we had to make do with the whole Seethal brood show up to accept sister and daughter Tyla’s award for Most Stylish Performing Artist [I guess the Grammy award winner is so in demand that you can only guarantee she’ll show up locally if it’s a paying gig these days].
Ahem…
Can event planners normalise ensuring that proceedings start within a reasonable window of guests arriving — and that there’s something to snack on before the official programme kicks off?
Many of us come straight from a full day’s work, making the effort to show up on time and dressed appropriately, only to end up waiting aimlessly.
One of the repeat offenders has to be Jay Kayembe and his Fresh AF crew with their African Spaces parties. While this marketing agency has a reputation for tapping into Gen Z’s love for cutting-edge experiences, waiting in a corridor in the middle of winter for over an hour is far from “cool”.
The fourth edition of the Fashion Industry Association of South Africa Awards wasn’t much better, leaving fashionistas with rumbling stomachs during lengthy delays before finally starting the show. And then there was the Flavours of Africa launch, which also marked the reveal of this year’s Miss Soweto beauty pageant finalists. Despite having a maize meal sponsor on board, guests were left snacking on pretzels and crisps for two hours before being treated to a spread of pap-based culinary delights.
Eeek!
Prince Wil comes down to earth [with a follicle growth spurt] in the Mother City
In November, I got to witness a few promising new spurts in Prince William’s rather long and slow journey to growing a full beard.
The British heir to the throne was in Cape Town for a week of environmentally focused events, climaxing in the eco-gala for his Earthshot Prize, which champions clever ideas to help heal the planet.
Held in a specially erected structure in the shadow of the Cape Town Stadium, the British royal managed to draw an impressive guest list of local glitterati and international stars, including Nomzamo Mbatha, Heidi Klum, The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev [for her first public outing with Olympian fiancé Shaun White] and supermodel Winnie Harlow for the awards compered by Billy Porter and Bonang Matheba.
Shashi’s shocking cellphone snatch
With Shashi Naidoo now based in Dubai, it was a delight to see one of South Africa’s glamour gals grace the local social circuit during a recent visit.
However, for the model boss, actress and lad mag FHM’s Sexiest Woman in the World in 2011, the opening of the Okio nightclub and Bellucci luxury lounge will be a bittersweet outing after her phone was snatched as she climbed out of her Uber.
Particularly after it transpired that the cellphone thieves would later clean out more than R500,000 from her bank accounts after accessing her apps. A visibly rattled Shashi still looked like a million dollars, though, in her shimmering gold gown.
No claps for this culinary circus act
Pity the festivalgoers who forked out R4,950 per head for a five course meal [one of which comprised a lonely but tasty scallop on a white ceramic clam shell saucer floating on a plate of gift-box stuffing] with no liquid libation to wash away the culinary daylight robbery.
That’s what you got — albeit with a fantastic view of the stage — if you forked out for a seat in the Grand Dining Room marquee at the Luxurious Marble Circus, at the sprawling Ground estate in Muldersdrift.
Yes, this festival was a sensory delight for grown-up festivalgoers, and guests like former footballer Stanton Fredericks had a ball at the Royal Lounge next door, but here’s hoping ringmaster David Higgs and his team stop clowning around and come up with more bang for your gastronomy buck next time around.
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