Media release – 07 December 2021

Basketball South Africa to host Road to the BAL Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East)

Basketball South Africa (BasketballSA) in association with Brand South Africa, will host the Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East) at Wembley Basketball Stadium in Turfontein, Johannesburg from 7-11 December 2021. Due to the increasing COVID-19 positive cases and associated variants, the event will be held without spectators, with all the games livestreamed on the FIBA YouTube Channel – The Basketball Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtInrnU3QbWqFGsdKT1GZtg

The schedule for the Road to the BAL Elite 16 Tournament is as follows:

The Cape Town Tigers, representing South Africa, remained unbeaten in the first round of the qualifiers held in UJ Soweto Campus in October 2021. The Tigers will have a chance to clinch one of the three spots of the East Division to participate in the prestigious Basketball Africa League (BAL) next year.

The president of BasketballSA, Mr Sanele Mthiyane, believes that South Africa has the talent to compete with the best on the continent and hosting this tournament at home should give SA the home court advantage to advance to the main tournament. Just by getting to this stage, the Cape Town Tigers have already inspired players in SA to want to play on the biggest stage in Africa. “Basketball needed the catalyst to grow the sport and BAL and the Tigers provided exactly that” says Mr Mthiyane. He says, now the focus is to grow formalized clubs, create competitions and promote good governance at all levels of the structures led by the national federation itself.

Jimmy Ranamane, Acting Head of Global Markets at Brand South Africa says that there is an alignment between Basketball SA and Brand South Africa’s core mandate. “Our objective is to market South Africa to both domestic and international audiences, positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination, and inspiring and instilling active citizenship amongst South Africans. Sports provides us with an opportunity to drive social cohesion, appreciating that as African, we have the responsibility to develop the continent in a holistic manner. We are looking forward to strengthening South Africa’s proposition as a host of key international events,” he said.

When asked about their preparedness for the Cape Town Tigers for this upcoming tournament, Tigers’ co-owner Mr Raphael Edwards said “I believe the team is fully prepared for the BAL Elite 16 tournament. We are playing at a high level, our energies are synced and aligned, but most importantly, the chemistry amongst the players is amazing. Everyone is very excited and determined to go into this tournament to dominate and make South Africa proud”. The Cape Town Tigers have never lost a game since the formation of the club.

The BAL, a pan-African league and partnership between the NBA and FIBA, builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA has organized in Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America. The league’s inaugural season, featuring 12 of the top club teams from 12 African countries, was held at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, from 16-30 May, 2021. On 30 May, Egypt’s Zamalek defeated Tunisia’s US Monastir 76-63 to win the inaugural BAL Championship. The Inaugural season was broadcast in 215 countries and territories in 15 languages.

For more information, please contact Cabby Magongwa at [email protected]

Issued by Basketball South Africa

-End of article-

DeLeón Tequila joins Nelson Makamo for the opening weekend of his exhibition with art-inspired cocktails

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, globally recognized and collected artist Nelson Makamo opens the doors to his first solo US exhibition titled ‘BLUE.’ The exhibition brings 44 of Makamo’s works stateside, making this impressive new body of work the largest collection he has ever showcased. The artwork explores the emotive range of the color – blue summons an age of recognition, transition, and development; it is overflowing with opportunities because it is undoubtedly of a feminine resolve.

DeLeón He(art) is one of the innovative art-inspired cocktails designed after “Blue’s” color palette and Makamo’s favorite flavors.

DeLeón Tequila is showing up in an unpredictable fashion to support Makamo during the opening weekend of his exhibition, which commenced on October 6 with a private dinner of curated VIP guests who received a first look at the collection. The spirited evening included a performance, coursed dinner, and DeLeón Tequila art-inspired cocktails that embodied the creative inspiration behind BLUE through the show’s color palette and Makamo’s favorite flavors.

“DeLeón Tequila recognizes and supports the artistry and craftsmanship of cultural architects like Nelson,” says Ingrid Best, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Marketing, Spirits, Combs Enterprises. “When I heard about his US exhibition, I knew we had to support this history-making moment in a real way. DeLeón is honored to join Nelson as he continues to capture the world with his talent. And we look forward to celebrating other artists, like Nelson, who break boundaries with their art.”

DeLeón Tequila will serve art-inspired cocktails during the opening weekend of Nelson’s exhibition [October 7 – 10]:

DeLeón Blanco Paloma Azul
DeLeón Reposado Gotta Have He(art)
DeLeón Añejo Pop Art
‘BLUE’ will be in residency through November 20 at 1242 Palmetto Street in Los Angeles, California. Please email [email protected] to make an appointment.

Link to event and cocktail images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n3uex5kxqwpsxrg/AABqyNe5cfCZvTyAg8kTJHHpa?dl=0

NELSON MAKAMO| b. 1982 Modimolle, Limpopo
Johannesburg based Artist Nelson Makamo is best known for his charcoal and oil paintings that redresses decades of images that have portrayed African children in destitute. Makamo’s career spans sixteen years. Based in Johannesburg, he has managed to solidify an iconic signature and a subject matter that has steadily placed him on a global stage, making him one of the worlds young and most sought-after visual artists of our times. Makamo has exhibited in South Africa, USA, France, Italy, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Finland. His work is featured in prestigious public and private collections. Nelson Makamo’s artwork speaks to changing the global mindset of what it means to be an African child. His portraits have strong emotions that every young African possess, from conviction, to prowess and determination, you cannot help but resonate with every piece. Makamo’s famous portraiture can capture these strong emotions which draw you inward. His mix media style, and a unique mark-making technique that breaks the scholarly rules is a very distinct signature.

DELEÓN TEQUILA
DeLeón® Tequila is made from our finest 100% Blue Weber agave and sourced from the rich earth of the Los Altos region of Jalisco, the agave is hand-selected for ripeness before harvesting and yields sweet piñas to achieve the unrivaled smoothness of DeLeón Tequila.

DeLeón Tequila was initially created in the Guanajuato region, home to the town of Leon and the town of Purisima del Rincon. The DeLeón Tequila brand launched in 2009 to an elite following in Hollywood and the U.S. music industry. Purchased in 2014 by a joint venture between business mogul and international icon Sea n”Diddy” Combs and Diageo North America, Inc., part of DIAGEO – the world’s largest spirits and beer company, DeLeón Tequila defies conventions to establish a new standard of luxury in tequila. Perfected through a blend of traditional and innovative tequila-making processes DELEÓN® Tequila curates exquisite smoothness and abundant character.

For more, information visit: www.deleontequila.com and https://www.instagram.com/deleontequila/?hl=en

COMBS SPIRITS
Combs Spirits (CS) is a privately owned, premium spirits company created by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2013. The company co-owns DeLeón Tequila and is responsible for all strategic marketing for CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, both in partnership with Diageo. CS is focused on delivering high impact growth driven product development strategies that promote a healthy business structure while highlighting social responsibility – and has become known for its bold business moves, energetic marketing and history-making success.

SOURCE DeLeón Tequila

On 1st October 2021 during Paris Fashion Week, LUXURY CONNECT AFRICA held its annual African Luxury Heritage Awards, which recognises the outstanding contribution of African luxury brands and designers to the creative and business spheres of the African luxury economy. The event was a dual awards ceremony for 2020 and 2021 due to the covid pandemic and was held in collaboration with the South African Embassy in France at the residence of the Ambassador of South
Africa to France and Monaco. The Award for “African Luxury Heritage Brand of the Year 2020” was given to the haute couture designer Imane Ayissi, whose expert crafting of African traditional textiles into haute couture creations led him to become the first designer of Sub-Saharan African origin to be invited to the prestigious French haute couture body, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2019.

The Award for “African Luxury Heritage Brand of the Year 2021” was given to the women’s and men’s ready-to-wear designer Laduma Ngxokolo who created the brand Maxhosa in 2011 to celebrate the centuries-old creative and cultural heritage of his Xhosa origin. Maxhosa has since attained global renown including seasonal presentations at New York Fashion Week. The two awards were presented during an intimate luncheon by His Excellency, Tebogo Seokolo, the South African Ambassador to France and Monaco, with the participation of Uche Pézard, Founder & Chief Curator of LUXURY CONNECT AFRICA, and in the presence of notable media and fashion personalities, including fashion legend Suzy Menkes, star stylist Jenke Ahmed Tailly and designer Thebe Magugu.

In his keynote speech, His Excellency, Tebogo Seokolo stated that “Fashion has always been an important part of the human cultural experience since antiquity. In Africa in particular, it’s a medium of artistic expression and cultural identity. It is through African fashion that Africa’s rich regal culture has been represented over the ages, demonstrating both African heritage and luxury. The recipients of today’s award have not only demonstrated excellence in their craft but are the embodiment of luxury heritage in fashion. For that, we honour them. By producing their own African luxury brands that compete on the world stage, they’re also contributing to the wider continental agenda of repositioning Africa in the world, a priority that is central to my country’s foreign policy.”

In her introductory speech, Uche Pezard remarked that “Africa’s rich creative and cultural heritage, which has excelled through skilled craftsmanship for centuries is today being propelled on the world stage by the extraordinary designers and creators who we are proud to know and recognize through this award. The excellence of their craft is transforming Africa’s present and will safeguard Africa’s future. We’re very proud of them and continue to be inspired by them.” In his thank you remarks, Imane Ayissi stated “I’ll like to thank everyone who has brought some spotlight and support to my career in fashion. The road has been quite long, and we continue to strive to bring another facet of Africa’s know-how to the attention of the world. In the process, we celebrate African fashion and Africa’s beautiful stories because our continent is full of energy and talent and it’s our duty to elevate this for the world to appreciate.”

In his thank you speech, Laduma Ngxokolo stated “Thank you to you all for recognizing our work through this platform. May African luxury grow from strength to strength, not just through the glamorous side of fashion but especially through economical development within our continent. May we grow our export
industry and make Africa a great continent again as it should be.” The African Luxury Heritage Awards was launched in 2018 and is given annually to the African luxury
heritage brand that has shown the most consistency in projecting its African heritage; the highest level of excellence in its creativity and craftsmanship; the most innovative output in its products and services; and the richest representation of diversity and sustainability in its brand DNA. African Luxury Heritage Awards
is proudly supported by the Embassy of South Africa in France in its mission to promote South Africa and
Africa’s fashion excellence in the fashion industry.

The social impact documentary film ‘Sisters of the Wilderness’ [Video] starts principal photography this May in the iMfolozi wilderness, in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’s oldest game reserve. It tells the story of five young underprivileged women on a life-changing wilderness journey.

‘Sisters of the Wilderness’, which started shooting in 2016 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, takes a fresh and unusual look at human and Nature interconnectedness and the power of wilderness to empower young people and develop a new type of leadership based on compassion and respect.

The passion project of London based, Ronit Shapiro, Founder of One Nature Films, will tell the story of a group of young women from disadvantaged background who aspire to elevate themselves beyond challenging life conditions and become a force for good in their communities. They embark on a life-changing journey, within and without, into the wilderness of Zululand where they experience true wild Nature for the first time.

“A journey into wilderness is an intense experience where one can expect to undergo a personal transformation. It can enhance personal growth and leadership development; and it is also a soulful experience that has the capacity to heal…” says project’s creator and producer Ronit Shapiro who experienced it herself on a wilderness trail few years ago.

The women will walk and sleep in big game country, totally surrounded by free roaming wild animals such as elephants, rhinos and lions. Exposed to the elements, and carrying on their back all they need for the journey, they will have to cope with emotional and physical challenges, and learn the practical skills of survival in the wilderness.

Women’s empowerment and leadership development; and the value of wilderness to our wellbeing are observed through the individual and collective stories of the women and their guides.

The film’s location, the iMfolozi Wilderness in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is home to one of the biggest rhino population in Africa. “I chose this location to highlight the plight of the rhino whose numbers keep plummeting due to the illegal hunting for its highly-value horn; and the threat to this unique wilderness area and the surrounding rural communities from intensive mining.

This is a place which has so much potential to enrich us but at the same time it is greatly vulnerable and threatened by man’s greed and his forces of destruction.”

The project which has a long term social impact vision aims to re-connect audiences with Nature in the light of the growing disconnection between man and Nature; and the deteriorating state of the planet. The global impact plan includes the development of a multi-platform immersive audience engagement experience which will combine an interactive website, app, virtual reality and a multi-media art installation.

Whilst locally in South Africa, Ronit is working closely with schools and organisations that work in areas related to the wellness of people and the environment to develop interactive community engagements and screenings. In addition, each one of the young women will have a twelve months mentorship and leadership development program beyond the film with the goal of creating a positive ripple effect which will benefit their families and communities.  This is Mrs Shapiro’s debut documentary after a career change she embarked on few years ago. “I bring to the project many years of marketing and project management experience; and my deep passion for the wellness of people and the environment. There is a wonderful committed team working with me on the project and we all have faith in this timely and important story.”

Ronit has recently launched an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign to raise money to cover the costs of the social impact elements of the project and to build relationships with potential audiences. “We are delighted to collaborate in this campaign with many like-minded organisations and businesses who work across a wide range of environmental, community upliftment and women empowerment projects. We are honoured to have amongst our collaborators: The Bateleurs, The Mantis Collection, Thula Thula Game Reserve, The Wilderness Leadership School, Zuza Trading, Africa Ignite, In the Company of Horses, Royal Gypsy, Fezufunda and Planet Afryca .”  “By supporting our Indiegogo campaign one can make a real difference to young women’s lives and help us revive Nature in people’s imagination.”

For additional information about ‘Sisters of the Wilderness’ please follow this link: INDIGOGO

Contact: Ronit Shapiro, Producer – ‘Sisters of the Wilderness’ / Founder – One Nature Films on tel: +44 (0)7971 196446

NOTES:

About One Nature Films:

One Nature Films is a social impact film production company based in London, UK, founded by Ronit Shapiro in 2011. Our vision is to create engaging high quality films that inspire, connect and make a difference. We believe in the power of film to make social and environmental impact. One Nature Films has a deep-rooted passion for the environment, the natural world and human society. Our name ‘One Nature’ reflects our belief in the oneness of humanity and the interconnectedness of all things. We strive to be ethical and socially responsible. One Nature, beyond film-making, is a social enterprise focused on the wellness or people and the environment. Our aim is to bring about social impact in any project we develop.

About Ronit Shapiro:

Ronit’s career spans more than twenty years in marketing, communications, event production and project management. Ronit headed global marketing and branding projects in both public and private organisations and had her own event and marketing consultancy which focused on initiatives relating to the wellbeing of people and the environment. In 2011 Ronit founded One Nature Films with a vision to create high quality social impact films. She is a self-taught filmmaker and gained experience as an independent producer, executive producer, researcher, screenwriter and director whilst working on the adaption of the book ‘Zulu Wilderness: Shadow and Soul’ by Dr. Ian Player into a narrative feature film. The ‘Sisters of the Wilderness’ documentary and social impact project is a natural progression from ‘Zulu Wilderness’ and carries similar themes and messages. It is also set in the same location. Ronit conceived the project and drives it forward.

Wilderness Leadership School

The Wilderness Leadership School was the first non profit organisation in Africa dedicated to providing a pure wilderness experience for people of all backgrounds, races and nationalities. Steeped in a rich environmental history, The Wilderness Leadership School was founded in 1957 by the legendary Dr Ian Player who, together with his friend and mentor Maqgubu Ntombela, recognised the necessity for people to connect with the environment. Today The Wilderness Leadership School continues to provide an educational experience to thousands of South African youth and overseas visitors.