SA Rocks

UPDATE:

The winners are:

Michelle Alexander

&

Lynn Fester

But worry not. I offer the readers a great consolation prize!

If you book your tickets through Computicket and use the special code: “Taste” you’ll get a 2 for 1 special! Correct, if you use “Taste” and book through Computicket you get a buy one get one free vibe. Its just that easy.

If you live in the gorgeous city of Cape Town and you are going to be around between 24-28 March and you’ll be near Rhodes High School, Mowbray then this is a competition for you!

SA Rocks is giving away two sets of two tickets to two lucky winners. Yes, that is a lot of two’s. I know!

A bit of background: 16 of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants will once again serve their fabulous signature dishes to those discerning food lovers.

Celebrated chefs from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek will be participating, promising an extraordinary experience for everyone. The Chef’s Theatre, Wine Route and Beer Academy will add to a delicious day – or night – out, sampling exquisite food and drink.

For all the festival information go to www.tasteofcapetown.co.za

To win all you have to do is place your answer to the following question in the comments section and a winner will be drawn from the correct answers!

The Question (it’s not a tough one):

Where is this years Taste of Cape Town event being held?

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Cape Town is featured twice in Airbnb’s list of the 40 coolest vacation rentals in the world.

The two places featured were:

A Camps Bay Mansion at $989 per night.

And

A Cape Town Bed and Breakfast at $185 per night.

Brilliant to see Cape Town keeping up its reputation as a very hot tourist hotspot in the world.

There were only 19 countries and 34 cities featured so it’s not a bad achievement!

You can see the entire list over at Airbnb.

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It’s taken me a bit of time to write about Silicon Cape at all, let alone on SA Rocks.

I do, however, feel that it’s about time that I gave this initiative its due on this blog.

Yesterday I was able to have a fairly long chat/debate with one Matthew Buckland (who Chaired the events at the Silicon Cape launch). He was able to talk me in to a firm supporter of Silicon cape.

Before I continue let me try to provide a brief overview of what Silicon Cape is, or is aiming to be:

The initiative is founded by Vinny Lingham and Justin Standford. But it is, at every turn, emphasized that the concept and organisation is owned and driven by the community of Cape Town. From SiliconCape.com:

THE VISION
The Silicon Cape vision is of an ecosystem in the Western Cape of South Africa, that serves to attract and bring together local and foreign investors, the brightest technical talent, and the most promising entrepreneurs, to foster the creation and growth of world-class IP start-up companies in an environment that competes with other similar hubs around the world against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful settings and pleasant places to live, work and play on the globe.

THE CONCEPT
The concept of the Silicon Cape is not owned or controlled by any single entity. It is a living community and an organic, ever-developing concept in the hearts and minds of every participant, which endeavours to catalyse the local IP entrepreneurial community. As a community member, come and be a part of the genesis of turning the Silicon Cape into reality.

THE INITIATIVE
The initiative aims to start a conversation — to plant a seed and foster the concept of the Silicon Cape in people’s minds and on their lips around the world as the emerging Silicon Valley of Africa, and to create an environment and a perception of the area as a world-class location and destination that is not only capable of delivering but already is. This will in turn create real benefits for the Cape and it’s residents and stakeholders, and assist in attracting further foreign direct investment into South Africa.

I approached Matthew with a few concerns about the concept of Silicon Cape. I wanted to know why it wasn’t being pitched as “Silicon SA”, I wanted to let him know that Silicon Cape was othering Joburgers with this initiative and I wanted to know “what next?”. In fact let me go so far as to say that I felt completed isolated by the tech industry in Cape Town and pushed out and pushed away by Silicon Cape. All of this simply because I live in Johannesburg. I don’t feel that this is right. I think there is great value in the various other tech-hubs in South Africa and I think that Silicon Cape as an organisation should have reached out to the other areas of the country and the other techies out there to attend and take part and contribute to the concept.

I think these feelings are still somewhat justifiable. But the point is simply that investors and geeks alike are attracted as much to quality of life as they are to a good business plan. The hope for Silicon Cape is that the combination of Cape Town’s stunning setting and the entrepreneurial minds and start-ups in that region will attract enough Venture Capital to make Cape Town the start-up hub of Africa.

Now nothing is ever as simple and clear-cut as it initially appears to be so I would like to offer some feelings of support and quiet concern. Don’t let this idea rise up with enthusiasm and die out just as quickly due to lack of follow-through. This is a reality but people need to understand that Silicon Cape is an organisation that is trying to facilitate effective ways of growing and developing a VC culture in Cape Town and invariably the rest of SA and Africa.

Congratulations to all of those involved in Silicon Cape, to all of those who will benefit and to all of those who are taking this idea seriously and running with it. Our country needs precisely this sort of faith from successful entrepreneurs who are willing to return to SA and invest in the country’s people, companies and landscape.

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If you live in South Africa there is almost no chance that you don’t know someone who thinks that Table Mountain is the bees knees. I think it’s pretty smart myself, but apparently the rest of the world is beginning to think so too.

TABLE MOUNTAIN TOPS EVEREST

Table Mountain is one step closer to being named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. South Africa’s iconic mountain, and its only official nominee, has been voted as one of the top 77 sites selected from over 261 participants from around the globe, it was announced yesterday by the New7Wonders foundation, Thursday July 9, 2009.

The much-loved landmark beat fellow category contenders Mount Everest, K2 and Mount Fiji in round two of the international competition that relied solely on votes from the public. Table Mountain needed to be ranked in the top 11 of its category – mountains and volcanoes. Other categories include seascapes, lakes, islands, ice formations, waterfalls and forests.

“We are thrilled at the enormous level of support and votes from the citizens of South Africa as well as from fans around the globe,” said Sabine Lehmann, CEO of Table Mountain Cableway, who formed an official supporting committee to promote Table Mountain as a nominee.

A panel of experts will now select 28 finalists to be announced on July 21, 2009, when the third and final phase of public voting will begin. The official New 7 Wonders of Nature will be revealed in 2011.

A number of South African celebrities and sports stars showed their support for Table Mountain’s New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign. The Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, comedian Marc Lottering, radio DJ Natalie Becker and the Proteas cricketers all cast their vote for Table Mountain.

The campaign is run by the New7Wonders Foundation which is based in Zurich, Switzerland and works to document monuments and conservation efforts worldwide.

For information contact the Cableway on 021 424 0015 or visit www.votefortablemountain.com

Head on

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Found this video over at Zoopy.

Very cool to see the Durban 2010 stadium looking as good as it does. Everyone keeps talking about the Greenpoint stadium but I personally LOVE the Durban stadium. Have a look:

Durban 2010 timelapse.

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I love it when a band like Snow Patrol comes to South Africa, loves it and makes the best of our stunning landscapes and scenery.

This video was filmed in Cape Town and has a distinctive feel to it. The words, lyrics and melody flow fantastically with the setting that Cape Town provides.

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Yes, WE won the award (Best Group Blog) because there are a fair amount of contributors to this site. Many of whom are once-off, some who stayed for a very long time and some who helped me in the very beginning to build SA Rocks over a period of time.

As Dave (best business blog) posted on his blog: “Over 4000 blogs were nominated in this year’s awards, and over 25 000 people voted”.

I’ve been blogging for ±4 years now and it’s great to win a blog award no matter how “Shrouded” in controversy they are, seem to be or really aren’t.

I personally want to thank Chris Rawlinson and Huddlemind for putting together an absolutely sterling event that was well attended, fully stoked with Corona, Carlsberg, Stormhoek, Butlers Pizza and many more goodies. Chris – you did a fantastic job mate. Also massive thanks go out to Miguel dos Santos for all of the crazy and tough work that he did this year. Good things.

I loved the venue too, Chevelle was phenomenal and a club that I will most definitely be heading back to when I’m in CT. That’s located at 84 Harrington Rd in CT. Get there. Wicked.

Thanks to everyone for all the congratulatory responses, sms’s, emails, tweets and phonecalls. It’s great to receive recognition in any form for something that you are passionate about and contribute much time to.

And finally to everyone and anyone who took the time to support SA Rocks in this years SABA’s by nominating and voting for this blog, thank you. The growth of the supporters of this blog keep me motivated.

Oh – And to Seth Rotherham, spot on mate, you deserve every award you won. I am on my to your side of the world, live the holiday.

All images in this post are courtesy of Brandon Golding!

And Finally a video from the very hard-working Glen Verran:

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I decided on whim to purchase my ticket to CT and will be leaving at 5pm today to make the incredibly long and difficult journey to the Cape whilst sitting in a seat, on a plane, watching “Bones” on my laptop.

I decided that after many years (in the only world, 4 counts as “many” years) of blogging it was about time that I head down for the Blog Awards this year. There are many people that I can finally meet in real life, really. And I think that all-in-all it will be a great party if nothing else.

I am not expecting and awards and am merely making the trip for the experience. If I win, that’ll be cool but I think it’s more about meeting many people and getting down to CT for me.

To every SA Rocks reader who voted I’d like to say thank you for firstly getting this blog through to the finals and past the nomination phase and then for voting for SA Rocks (if you did).

I will be sure to post all of the pics and vid that I manage to take on my Zoopy profile as well as here.

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People in Cape Town go absolutely mental over Table Mountain and it is no wonder to me why.

They use it as a navigational aid, they use it as justification for living in CT, hell, they even use it to predict the weather and speak of blankets emerging from behind the mountain and cover the top of the table with some sort of cloth (I think that is a reference to what other folk like to call “clouds”).

But let’s just be honest here for a second, Table mountain is, without the shadow of a doubt, one of the most incredible wonders of our world that is still standing, has not been destroyed and provides many people with an immense amount of joy and pride.

What better reason do you need then to go and vote for Table Mountain to become one of the new 7 wonders of the world.

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Those coffee-making mavens, Dave Donde and Joel Singer of Origin Coffee, have widened their beverage obsession to include tea with the launch of Nigiro Tea last week.

The Nigiro Teahouse (think tranquil Japanese temple rather than clotted cream scones and overdrawn tea with milk in an English seaside town) is located in Origin Coffee, in Cape Town’s Cape Quarter.

What really appeals to me is that this is intended to be a calm, restful, meditative experience, rather than a frenetic dash in, dash out, with your mug gripped in your hand. The idea is to spend up to an hour on the Japanese tea ceremony, led by Mingwei Tsai – I guess you’d call him the Emperor of Tea. Alternatively snack on some dim sum and enjoy a tea of your choice.

Mingwei himself points out Cape Town’s historical link with tea – all the tea being brought to Europe by sea from the East would have passed through the Cape of Good Hope. And of course South Africa is home to its own unique Rooibos tea – Mingwei calls it Golden tea, which does have a nice ring to it.

As for the tea itself… I have a word of warning.  Just like with Origin’s coffee, don’t drink this tea unless you want every other tea drinking experience in your life to be ruined forever. I mean this. It’s extremely annoying.

Who knew tea could taste so fresh and delicate and flavoursome, without a hint of the tannins that we think are par for the course with the normal dunked, garden-variety tea served up around the country. This was more like a wine tasting than a tea party!

Teas are sourced from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Argentina, Kenya, Germany, Malawi and South Africa and include white, green, oolong & black teas, as well as Rooibos, herbal & Joel’s specially iced fruit infusions. I loved the spiced Rooibos – which I think is going to become a winter favourite.

You can also grab a cuppa Nigiro tea at the Mount Nelson, and both Nigiro tea and Origin Coffee is set to be on the menus at maze and Nobu in The One & Only Resort, currently being built in Cape Town.

PS I am really sorry about the heading, I couldn’t resist!

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