The move to
relocate is perfectly timed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of
the signing of the Freedom Charter on the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication
and - taking place in early September - is the perfect event to kick off a
Spring Celebration in Soweto. It also gears the festival up to take its place
as Africa’s largest wine and lifestyle event.
Another
significant change to this year’s festival is the opening times. Feedback from
previous editions of the Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival have prompted the
following changes: the festival will no longer launch on a Thursday, Friday
kicks off from 6pm to 10pm, Saturday 6pm to 10pm, and for the first time in
history will be open on Sunday - 2pm to 6pm.
Says Marilyn
Cooper, festival co-founder, “Moving to the historic Walter Sisulu Square allows us to introduce
a new format that will increase the festival’s capacity to create a
multi-tiered platform for visitors, wineries, food and lifestyle brands. This
includes the launch of a magnificent premium wine floor with VIP tickets for
sale to the public for the first time in our ten-year history. Those brands
looking to present their wines to an exclusive audience of VIPs are now able to
do so in a most beautiful setting.”
Over the
past decade, the Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival has established itself as
the benchmark for success for township wine festivals, attracting thousands of
visitors to Soweto, positioning Soweto as a tourist destination and business
hub, and inspiring the launch of sister wine events in Gugulethu, KwaMashu and
Mozambique. The festival itself encourages continued investment in Soweto and
secures in excess of R10 million annually in positive AVEs across media
platforms worldwide, whilst many of South Africa’s leading brands have used the
festival to launch products and campaigns.
Over the past ten years the Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival has been highly influential in growing the “emerging” black wine consumer market, creating a large new wine-loving market that corporate sponsors now have easy access to.
Festival Highlights:
Soweto-based businesses and entrepreneurs ensure that the festival provides a showcase of the Best of Soweto with the Best of South Africa for #72HoursInSoweto.
Host City, Joburg Tourism, will be showcasing the city’s top events, from Joy of Jazz to the Sansui Summer Cup.
VIP Host, Durban Tourism, will be launching their summer campaign to media, tourism stakeholders and key partners in a VIP night filled with music, wine and entertainment from the City of Sun. Festival visitors can once again expect to find the Best of Durban on display.
A number of South Africa’s top wineries will be offering tastings, wine classes and activations.
Visitors to the festival can buy the best South African wine at cellar door prices; an ideal opportunity to grow your own wine collection to enjoy at home and impress your friends with.
Into a new
decade of growth
Soweto is
the largest “township” in the world; however, it is the vision of the festival to
position Soweto as the largest, most vibrant city in Africa; the source of all
trends – from fashion, lifestyle events to innovation in tech, green solutions
and pioneering urban developments.
The Soweto
Wine and Lifestyle Festival’s new #72HoursInSoweto campaign developed
and run in association with Destinate, aims to get Sowetan entrepreneurs more
involved as well as encourage visitors, exhibitors and stakeholders alike to
stay in Soweto for the duration of the festival. This will have a real positive
impact on the local economy by attracting tourism and direct investment into
Soweto.To this end, the move to the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication meets an
end-goal, as exhibitors and visitors are encouraged to stay in Soweto and
experience the vibrancy of life in this iconic city. The four-star Soweto Hotel
is offering a special deal to all festival exhibitors.
The campaign
will also provide pre-event activations for wine, food and lifestyle brands to
get involved in networking with captains of industry. These include a range of
premium lifestyle events hosted in Soweto, including a golf day, cyclingexperiences
and a jazz afternoon, all located within the festival’s new home in the
Kliptown precinct.
Join us in a
wine revolution as we embark on a new decade of growth, bringing new events and
entrepreneurs into the economic hub of Soweto – the Walter Sisulu Square of
Dedication.
To showcase
your wines at the 2015 Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival, email Heinrich
at heinrich@sowetowinefestival.co.zaor visit www.sowetowinefestival.co.za.
2015 SOWETO WINE
& LIFESTYLE FESTIVAL Dates & Times:
- Friday, 4 September 2015, 6pm - 10pm
- Saturday, 5 September 2015, 6pm - 10pm
- Sunday, 6 September 2015, 2pm - 6pm
The 11th
Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival is taking place from Friday 4 September to
Sunday 6 September 2015. Opening times are Friday: 6pm to 10pm; Saturday
from 6pm to 10pm and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm.
More info:
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www.sowetowinefestival.co.za
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https://twitter.com/sowetoloveswine
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www.facebook.com/SowetoWineFestival
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https://instagram.com/sowetowinefestival/
Written and distributed by Hot
Salsa Media on behalf of the Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival
Wineries – email Heinrich
at heinrich@sowetowinefestival.co.za
Food & Lifestyle Exhibitors – email exhibit@sowetowinefestival.co.za
Sponsorship – email Sharon at sharon@hotsalsamedia.co.za
Media &
PR – email Viv
at viv@hotsalsamedia.co.za