Start spreading the news and plan for a wine-divine weekend of wine tasting, music, food and wine-education at the 3rd annual TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL taking place on Friday 24th May and Saturday 25th May 2013 on the rooftop of the Gugulethu Square Mall.Festival co-founders and local entrepreneurs, Mzoli Ngcawuzele from Mzoli’s place and Lungile Mbalo are promising visitors a divine wine festival whilst also celebrating Africa Day, which falls on Saturday 25th May 2013.

Says Mzoli Ngcawuzele, Co-founder of the festival and owner of Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu, “We look forward to this festival and invite all our Cape Town suburbs to come and learn something about our heritage wines and each other. This festival is beautiful, safe and an amazing experience. It is truly a mixture of colours and cultures all with something in common pulling us together. It is our love of wine and it’s amazing ability to make us see what is important in life.”

TOPS at SPAR, the festival headline sponsor and Friday VIP Lounge sponsor, have a great belief in this festival and audiences. Says Mark Robinson, TOPS Group Liquor Manager, “TOPS at SPAR is proud to headline the TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL. Our motivation in business is broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others; therefore a home-grown festival like this that encourages sustainable entrepreneurship is close to home at TOPS at SPAR. We are really looking forward to meeting our customers and friends at the festival too.”

Lucindi Branfield, SA Brand Manager for J.C. Le Roux says “The glamorous J.C. Le Roux lounge is the ultimate spot for fashionistas to live Le Good Life at the TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL. Visitors can choose from a stunning selection of Cap Classique and sparkling wines, from everybody’s favourite, Le Domaine, to the prestige cuvée, Scintilla. There will be prizes to be won and nougat tastings on offer, as well as the opportunity to have your picture taken at the J.C. Le Roux stand. Cellar Master Elunda Basson will be available to chat to J.C. Le Roux fans who would like to know more about how wines at South Africa’s leading home of sparkling wine are made”

MasterChef South Africa Judge, Pete Goffe-Wood will be appearing alongside Nederburg winemaker, Wilhelm Pienaar, at this year’s TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL. They will present the winery’s now famous Nederburg Taste Theatre, a fascinating journey of flavours.

Guests, accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis in the Taste Theatre within the festival venue, will be encouraged to interact with the presenters, ask questions, express their opinions and share their own experiences of wine and food pairing favourites and fiascos.The presentations will be staged at 17:30, 18:30 and 19:30 on the Friday, and at 16:30, 18:00 and 19:30 on the Saturday.

Festival Info

Venue: Rooftop @ the Gugulethu Square Mall, Corner NY 1 and NY 6, Gugulethu, Cape Town

Date: Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May 2013

 Time: 4pm-9pm (Fri); 3pm-9pm (Sat)

 Cost: R90 per person per night

 Tickets from: www.webtickets.co.za or at the door on the night.

 E-mail: info@gugulethuwinefestival.co.za

 Website: http://www.gugulethuwinefestival.co.za

Cooking shows are definitely not a new phenomenon in TV,in fact there are channels filled with cooking shows all day . What makes Sarah Graham stand out is that she cooks simple food that is big on flavour but not too expensive or labour intensive.

Sarah found her niche as a blogger sharing her ideas for wonderful meals with a South African twist that were easy to prepare. She soon gathered a large following consisting primarily of busy young professionals who wanted to eat well but needed fuss free food that could be prepared in a short amount of time.

This led to the publication of her nest selling cookbook Bitten. spurred on by this success Sarah has filmed the fisrt season of the TV show based on the cookbook. The first episide aired on Sunday 5 may 2013 on SABC3 and it was clear that Sarah is just as ease in fromt of a camera as as she is behind her keyboard. The relaxed conversational style of the book translates well to TV and the viewer felt like a welcome guest in her home. One of the items on the show was a bunny chow, a classic south African favourite with a twist. The other recipes were a sweet potato soup and a mouth watering dessert.

I definitely enjoyed the show and it seems like I was not alone: the hashtag #BittenTV trended while the show was airing. So Sundays now have a new reason to curl up on the couch and learn a few culinary skills.

Bitten airs on SABC3 at 4pm every Sunday. Follow Sarah on twitter @foodieliveshere

The weather might be getting chillier but the action is definitely heating up at Ford Motors. This week they launched the all new Kuga in Cape Town and I went along for the ride. There is a common view that SUVs are nothing more that soccer taxis for busy moms but this Kuga definitely stands out from the pack for all the right reasons. The first time you are aware this will be different is when you find out that the SUV stands for “Smart Utility Vehicle” And its not just an empty boast either.

Over the course of the morning we left the airport and took the scenic route to Hermanus . We went up Sir Lowrys pass and got to do quite a bit off off roading through some very steep passes in Elgin and the Kuga was equally at home on the road as well as on the slick city street. It started drizzling as well but there was no discernible difference in the drive.

In terms of look the new profile is sporty yet restrained.The one thing that is clear is that no sacrifices have been made in terms of safety to get to the very competitive price point the Kuga retails for. The car currently is considered the safest mid sized SUV on the market and has the 5 start Euro NCAP rating to prove it.

There are definitely two details that stood out for me. The first was the hands free boot opening which allows you to open the boot by waving your foot under the rear bumper. There is also the option to open and close it from the inside.

The second and most thrilling is the Active Park Assist which is a fancy way of saying the car parks itself!!! Really not only will it find the correct parking space the car will take over the wheel and maneuver the car perfectly into the parking space. It s a little bit weird the first time but the second time around I really started getting familiar with the idea.

This time around Ford has decided to extend the fun to everyone! Please keep an eye out on the JucyAfrica page next week as we will have an awesome competition giving away so great Ford merchandise. In addition there is currently a great competition running where you can win an extended test drive in the all new Kuga as well as a fantastic lifestyle experience such as quad-biking, hiking, drive in movies. go to www.hereandthere.co.za

There is an old song titled “What a difference a day makes” it could definitely have been the theme for this years Fiesta launch. When the colourful invite landed in my inbox the Ford team promised 24 hours of fun and boy they were not wrong!

We met up at Cape Town International airport and had a much needed caffeine boost. Then the fun element of the day started as we got to pick out a pair of brightly coloured Havaianas flip flops. With the addition of some jaunty panama hats we were all set! The cars were waiting in a shiny line looking like bright candies.

Before we sped off into the distance Yolani from Ford explained what made these rides so special and also gave us insight into the #Fiestagram competition that had been running for a few months and would culminate in the winner being presented with a car that evening. We were also allowed to join in on the competition fun as we were asked to snap pictures and tweet what we best thought represented Style, Sound, Starting, Handsfree, Clean and Sanctuary.

And then it was behind the wheel and off we went. First I would like to state that the Fiesta is definitely a car built for the 21st century! I had left home in a rush and forgotten my camera and after tweeting furiously at the airport my Blackberry battery was showing me the flames of life. Not only was I able to charge the phone and take dozens of awesome photos but I was also able to play music from my phone through the revolutionary SYNC system.

Then there was nothing but the open road in front of us and we really got a chance to put the car through its paces. Our destination was the picturesque town of Robertson and the cars really ate up the distance. There were a few stops along the way and I got an opportunity to drive most of the cars in the new Fiesta range.

Lunch was at a gorgeous cafe which definitely ticked off all the colourful boxes.

Luckily for me I had saved the best for last! On the final leg of the trip back to Cape Town I got to drive the Fiesta 1.0 with the Ecoboost engine. At this point I must point out that my past experiences with small engines has been less than thrilling so I was a little hesitant when I saw this was a one litre engine! I guess dynamite really comes in small packages because I was completely blown away by that little car! It drove like a race car, was very nippy and tackled hills with ease. And I was definitely grateful for the smooth handling and responsive engine as I had to overtake a lot of trucks between Robertson and Cape Town!

Needless to say I was dying to know more about the little engine that could and during the information session I found out about this awesome new Ford technology called Ecoboost. By making changes such as using cast iron instead of aluminum(for faster warm up) and most importantly direct injection into the 3 cylinder engine Ford has created this pint sized engine that effectively holds its own against bigger engines. Read more about EcoBoost here.

Jasna, Craig and Nia showing what Handsfree looks like!

After that it was on to the nights festivities. There was an exhibition of all the finalist entries for the #Fiestagram competition and it was very exciting to see how much creativity went into all the entries. In the end the well deserved winner was Reginald Sedibe and he got the keys to a brand new Fiesta.

I am so impressed by this car and am so happy the good people at Ford have promised me one to use for a week. Keep an eye on this space as I will be giving a full report back on what happened then.

For more pictures of the Fiesta launch check out the Ford Facebook page here

Yolisa is obsessed with the Fiesta right now. For more updates on other Ford launches follow her @TheBlackTieAffaire

It’s the first day of February and it’s the weekend!! Excitement levels all round, it happens to be pay day as well for many people. It is the busiest weekend for many socialites, as there are way to many events happening all over South Africa. First up, international, award winning hip hop artist Kanye West is performing at The Coca Cola Dome this Saturday. Castle Lite is bringing this rapper who is in true Dr Malinga style ‘a father to be’, Kanye who is expecting a baby with reality star Kim Kardashian is to put on a show for his die hard fans. Sizwe Dhlomo, Pearl Thusi and Loyiso Gola are some of the names expected to host this much anticipated show. Zakes Bantwini is one of the artists to open for Yeezy tomorrow night.

On the other side of town  Big Concerts is hosting The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, an American rock band with a strong emphasis on funk, punk and psychedelic rock. This Los Angeles band was formed in 1983 and has won seven Grammy awards as well as selling over 80 million albums worldwide. Founding members Anthony Kiedis and Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary, plus longtime drummer Smith and new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer will be supported by South African controversial zef rave duo Die Antwoord. This band is here for two shows, one at the Soccer City stadium, Johannesburg and another in Cape Town. Tickets for Johannesburg range from R315 to R715 and Cape Town from R215-R665

Cape Town is as busy as Johannesburg this weekend, with the J&B Met happening. This year this annual horse racing event is hosted by Top Billing duo Bonang Matheba and the equally sexy Jeannie D. The who’s who of South Africa will be there gracing this prestigious event. We look forward to seeing who will be wearing what, going with whom and all the hearing of all the drama and exciutement from all in attendance. The two hosts never disappoint in the beauty and fashion stakes.

South African soulful songbird, Thiwe is also taking on the stage this Saturday for her show at the La Passant Hotel in Sandton. For those who prefer it all local and bootylicious, Thiwe’s show is a must-attend. This Soulistic music signee who features on a lot of house songs is performing new songs from her up coming album, from 7pm. On the same breath, another Soulistic artist busy getting guap is Culoe De Song. After gigs in Thailand in the past week, he is back and spining around the country. His up coming album Exodus is much talked about on social networks. Tonight he is at the Kasi GP spot in Pretoria.

On the comedy front, David Kau and friends are taking over Garankuwa for the Medunsa Orientation Comedy Night tonight, bringing nothing short of laughter. Sifiso Nene, Skhumba, Tips/Shampoo and Chris Mampane are some of the acts that will be on stage tonight from 8pm. So to unwind after a long week, laughter is one of the best ways to do that. Still on David Kau, his Taxi Ride series premiers on Tuesday on Mzansi Magic at 9pm, channel 161.

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It is an entertainment packed weekend particularly for Joburgers, people are spoilt for choice. Go party with the stars this weekend and do it in style, also remember to dress like you will see your worst enemy .  To the guys with guys leaving their ‘persons’ at home, remember there are Zodwas out there who are eager to show you flames. I’ts the weekend, make it unforgettable.

By @BonnieMes. Bonnie Meslane is Entertainment and Fashion Blogger for Jucy Africa, who happens to have a degree in Public Administration and Politics. She loves everything colourful, fashion, music and beautiful.

On Saturday the 26th, Kulula.com hosted one of their many Boeing experiences where they hosted business people, celebrities and social media geeks, on their new aeroplane. Kulula flew us all over Gauteng, then back to the Lanseria airport for their Most SA Flight event.  It was a very colourful event which saw a lot of South Africans, from all walks of life come together and celebrate our uniquenesss. Some of the guests came out in beautiful traditional attires with others in their stilletos.

Their over-sized invitation was as flamboyant as the entertainers at the venue. Cape Town born rapper Jack Parrow performed for the guests. The Hosh Tokoloshrapper was to the delight of many, everyone was in stitches , I bet if I also understood what he said I would have been as thrilled, but bopping my head was enough to show my appreciation for his music.

A group of young gumboot dancers, who also sing beautifully left me mesmerized. There was also a very enthusiastic choir which gave us a well polished rendition of our National Anthem. Comedian and actor Kurt Schoonraad was the MC and he did a splendid job, he had everyone laughing to his jokes.

Celebrities on board included the ever so fabulous Sophie Ndaba who took photos with everyone. Top Billing presenter Simba Mbere was there, Selimathunzi presenter Lunga Shabalala was there, covering the event for his show. Sashi Naidoo also made an appearance dressed in a beautiful short dress and killer heels. Just Curious founder and Blogger Lelo Boyana was also present.

Delicious eats, including a Kulula inspired cake, ‘boere sushi, (biltong), ’mopani worms’ (sour worms) and many other awesome things which include a Kulula goodie-bag. We look forward to the next big gig Kulula throws our way.

Many thanks to Adriaan Roets for the photos. @RoetsAA

By @BonnieMes. Bonnie Meslane is Entertainment and Fashion Blogger for Jucy Africa, who also happens to have a degree in Public Administration and Politics. She loves all things colourful, fashion, music and beautiful.

On the significant occasion of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence, three young Jamaicans and cultural ambassadors are making a “50 days in Afrika” tour with the mission to explore and strengthen ties between Africa and the Diaspora. One of the main aims of the youth initiative sponsored by the Supreme Ventures Foundation and C.H.A.S.E. (Culture Health Arts Sports and Education fund), is to produce an investigative film, which will document the strategies and methodologies used in African film-making and highlight the positive contribution African countries have made to the global film industry. By extension, the ‘50 Days in Afrika’ initiative will investigate other art and entertainment industries such as music.

The film will also explore and in some cases challenge the imagery and content audiences have received in the Western world of the African story.

The young Jamaicans are half way through their journey to six African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. To date the team has completed their leg in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana and now, have just landed in South Africa to conduct interviews with local filmmakers, veterans in television production, actors/actresses, musicians, policy makers and the general public.

The “50 Days in Afrika” team includes Donisha Prendergast, granddaughter of Bob Marely and Mykal Cushnie who have both produced their own independent films, which they have been screening in the different countries. Part of the trio is also Kelissa McDonald, Jamaican reggae recording artist who is promoting the prelude to her debut album called ‘Rebel in Disguise.’ Kelissa has been performing and doing collaborative studio work in each country and will have the opportunity of sharing a stage with Femi Kuti at the annual ‘Felabration’ music festival in Lagos. Building on networks established during this initial journey, “50 days in Afrika” is intended to serve as a continuing platform for cultural exchange, networking, collaboration and business opportunities for youth on the continent and in the Diaspora.
“We are not African because we are born in Africa, We are African because Africa is born in us.”  – Chester Higgins Junior

We will have an interview with one of the trio who will give us an indepth explanation into the whole tour and what they have accomplished so far.

Lebogang is an intern at JucyAfrica. She is in her final year of Journalism studies and loves hip hop and playing with words.

Kulula Airlines launched their new spectacular boeing last Friday in Cape Town. Guests were flown from Lanseria International Airport Johannesburg in the morning to Cape Town and back in the evening. We  were treated to all pleasantries, great food, great people and very nice goodie bags all in celebration of Kulula’s milestone. From Johannesburg, we arrived in Cape Town after our delightful flight filled with great treats and entertainment. Actor and comedian Siv Ngesi was the MC, also present was our President’s look-alike also known as Zuma. We enjoyed a performance by an opera singer accompanied by a violin also appeared to mesmerized the guests!

The rainy Cape Town weather did not hinder the guests from having a great time. We were then were taken to the swanky, revolving- The Ritz restaurant, where were treated to a delicious meal and desert. Kulula CEO Erik Venter made a brief speech thanking everyone for their support. The place was buzzing with cameras, and social media personalities.

We then returned to Johannesburg in the evening. We thank Kulula for a breathtaking experience, being among the first to fly in the boeing was fantastic! Great event, well put together and great people all round!

Bonnie is an intern at Jucy Africa, she is into fashion, music and all things beautiful. On twitter she is @BonnieMes

Pictures by : Micheal Balkind @mbalkind

A few weeks ago I got an email from Mazda inviting me to a car launch to unveil their new CX-5. My last first hand experience of a Mazda was a dusty blue 323 that my friends mother used to drive in the 1980′s so I was quite eager to see how the brand had evolved over the years. The feeling of anticipation was heightened by the fact that Mazda kept all the details very hush hush. We were only told to assemble at the airport on Monday morning and bring overnight bags.

Feeling some of that James Bond swag I made my way to Cape Town International Airport at the appointed time.I tried to look for people in trenchcoats and hats giving a secret signal so I would know what to do next but it turned out we just had to go to the Vida coffee shop to wait. After a meet and greet we went to look at the cars. They made a beautiful sight as they stood with their new paint gleaming in an array of candy colours. The marketing manager for Mazda gave us a brief walk around the car and explained some of the outstanding features. She also gave us an insight into the Japanese Kodo design ethic which takes inspiration from nature and that the clean fluid lines of the car were testament to this. We walked around the car and viewed from a certain angle it looked like a crouching cheetah which gave a sense of the speed and sportiness before we even switched the car on.

Then it was time for the fun part: driving the car. There are two models and we drove the premium Individual 2.0 first. It features key less push start, fully adjustable seats, an automated sunroof and a touchscreen radio console.

The route was a scenic drive towards the winelands of Stellenbosch with a lot of hills and curvy roads that gave us the chance to really put the car through its paces.

Am happy to report that the car performed beautifully under all conditions. I am not normally a fan of automatic models but this one felt very smooth and we were later told the engine is designed to be intuitive and respond to your driving style. We arrived at the beautiful Delaire Graff estate just before lunch time. After admiring the spectacular view we were asked to go outside for a surprise.

It turned out we were going to meet a very special guest Joseph, a cheetah that was hand raised by the Spier Cheetah Outreach programme. I was initially hesitant to approach this beautiful creature because I have a healthy fear of wild animals no matter how domesticated they might appear. But Joseph appeared to be as tame as a really really big cat and nobody was harmed in the making of that production.

After a wonderful lunch we made our way back to the hotel for a presentation and technical talk about the car. We learnt that no detail had been left to chance in the design of this car. All the new models were fitted with the innovative SKYACTIV technology meaning a brand new design of the engine, transmission and chassis.

This SKYACTIV technology will be rolled out to all Mazda cars produced after this. Given the sky high petrol prices some might question the wisdom of buying an SUV as they are known as gas guzzlers. The good news is that not only is the Mazda CX-5 a class leader in terms of low fuel consumption it also has the lowest carbon emissions of any vehicle in this category.

The next morning the Cape Town weather turned quite nasty. While we were not thrilled about the cold or the early rain it did give us a chance to test the CX-5 in wet conditions. This time around we were driving the manual version the 2.0 Active. Even though the rain was coming down quite heavily visibility was good thanks to the superbly efficient wipers. In spite of the wet road there was no major difference between the morning drive and the previous days adventure. The car was very stable and felt just as solid on the rainy tar.

We got back to the airport in good time and parting with the cars was very difficult. In conclusion the Mazda CX-5 is the perfect car for the driver who wants a stylish ride that reflects their personality but still has a low impact on the environment and will not cost a fortune to fill up. The cars will be available from Mazda dealerships nationwide this month.

For more information go to www.mazda.co.za

Sometimes a day in the office for Yolisa consists of test driving shiny new cars, petting exotic animals and feasting like royalty. But thats only on Mondays.

Ladies, gentlemen and wine lovers of note: brace yourselves for this years instalment of the Gugulethu Wine Festival. The Jucy team had a fabulous time there last year and this year the organisers promise there will be even more to drink, taste, try and enjoy.

The 2nd annual TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival, happening on the Friday 25th May and Saturday 26th May 2012 on the rooftop of the Gugulethu Square Mall, is going to be bigger and better, with a touch of glamour, full of fun, with a celebrity or three in the mix, and over 300 great South African wines to taste and savour.Festival co-founders and high-profile local entrepreneurs, Mzoli Ngcawuzele and Lungile Mbalo from Mzoli’s Place, have promised visitors an impressive wine festival from the people for the people.

TOPS at SPAR are the Gugulethu Wine Festival’s headline sponsor for the second year running. Through their empowerment vision and values, they assist in making this festival a unique, impressive and sustainable event for all residents and neighbours to be proud of.This year, TOPS at SPAR will also be creating the ‘TOPS Food & Fun’ chill-out space for the festival. Within the marquee, there will be four local restaurants serving different food styles to cater to different tastes, plenty of seating, a live band and a cosy ambience to seal the moment.

Nederburg, the festival’s lead wine sponsor and host of the popular Nederburg Taste Theatre is bringing a significant highlight to the festival this year in none other than Masterchef SA Judge, Pete Goffe-Wood.

Says Nederburg spokesperson, Wencke Grobler, “The taste theatre isn’t meant to create more rules surrounding wine; if anything, the aim is the exact opposite. We want wine lovers to free themselves from the burdens of do’s and don’ts involved with wine and food matching. All we want is to show how you can enrich the pleasure of the wine you drink by offering you the experience of combining it in a way that brings compatible flavours together.”The Taste Theatre is open to festival goers on a first-come first-served basis. The presentation will be staged at 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00 on both evening in the main wine exhibitor marquee.

Sensational new Wine Lounges this year are J.C. Le Roux, Pongracz and 4th Street wineries. These popular wine brands in particular add lots of fun and flavour to festival visitors.Proud travel sponsor, South African National Parks (SANParks), will have a stand showcasing their incredible range of Parks and offering wine tasting from farms en route to and surrounding them.The formidable City Press, who recently celebrated their 30th birthday, is our loyal and influential Media Partner and always creates a big splash at this festival.

All visitors will receive a free branded wine tasting glass and the festival wine buying guide on arrival plus there will be lots of prizes to be won on the night. Tickets are R80 per person per night and are available online at www.webtickets.co.za or at the door on the night.

For more information go to – www.gugulethuwinefestival.co.za

Says Mzoli, “Our TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival belongs to the people; it is for the people because we have grown it from the seed of an idea to this amazing experience that uplifts everyone who visits it or is involved in it. Every person that has aspirations and a desire to experience the best things in life with a glass of South African wine in hand is welcome.”