southafrica

Exclusive Supercar Country Club in South Africa

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Real Estate Developments

Roads keep getting more treacherous, and cars keep getting faster. That's a bad combination, especially in Johannesburg where car-jacking is at an all-time high. The solution? A country club catered specifically towards exotic supercars and their owners. Similar to the Monticello Motor Club that opened last summer near New York City, the Imola Race Resort will offer well-heeled South Africans a place to play with their expensive sportscars without fear of consequence. Replicating the layout of the vaunted Kyalami circuit that once was home to the South African Grand Prix, the track at Imola (which takes its name from another grand prix circuit in Italy) does away with unyielding safety barriers and replaces them with vast fields for run-off areas for those times when wealth exceeds driving skills. And to help exchange the former for the latter, there'll also be an advanced driving school on site, along with luxurious facilities for both car and driver. Situated on the grounds of the Waterford Golf & River Estate, membership at the Imola Race Resort will be limited to prevent overcrowding, and will undoubtedly command a high premium to join.

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Tags: imola, imola race resort, ImolaRaceResort, johannesburg, kyalami, south africa, SouthAfrica

Small Splurge: A Selection of Summer Wines

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

In times of prosperity many people like to splurge on fine wine. Discerning drinkers will find however that a tighter budget need not mean sacrificing the pleasures of enjoying the fruit of the vine. New York-based Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., a national independent importer and marketer of fine wines and spirits, has put together a list of six great summer wines from around the globe, ideal for various cuisines and all priced under $20. Here's the rundown:

From Nederburg, the most award-winning name in South African wine, comes Lyric (above left), a new blend of Sauvignon blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Freshly cut grass and green peppers meet aromas of peach and apricot to create a wine that is crisp, fresh and beautifully acidic, perfect for pairing with anything from fresh fruit to seafood. SRP: $10.99

Château de Campuget's Tradition Rosé (center left) is a crisp and fruity rosé wine from the up-and-coming Costières de Nîmes region of France, made using roughly 30% Grenache Noir and 70% Syrah. The color is obtained through a short maceration of two hours which gives it its distinctive shiny hue. Perfect with spicy and ethnic foods. SRP: $10.99

Enrique Foster is a top-flight operation with the objective of producing the best Malbec in Argentina, which is to say the best in the world. Ique (center right) is fresh and young with fruity characteristics and a ruby-red color. Its firm structure and soft tannins make it the perfect counterpart for ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. SRP: $11.99

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is one of our all-time favorite wines. Geisen's bottling (above right) has all the ripe fruit and the crisp, green and lively components associated with the wine, aromatic, flavorful and genuinely refreshing. Perfect with a light fish with a citrusy sauce. SRP: $14.99

Tags: Argentina, Dreyfus Ashby Co., DreyfusAshbyCo., France, New Zealand, NewZealand, Oregon, rose, smallsplurge, South Africa, SouthAfrica

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Christian Slater Stays At Richard Branson's South African Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Charity

Actor Christian Slater was recently given the honor of the inaugural stay at the latest lodge to open at Richard Branson's Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa. Cliff Lodge is located at Ulusaba's Rock Lodge and has two one-bedroom suites. The larger of the two suites is a one-bedroom with two additional small pull-out beds, an en-suite bathroom, separate kitchen, private dining area, a bar, a spacious lounge, outdoor deck with a braai area and a large swimming pool. It also has a smaller second bedroom/study which can accommodate one adult or two small children. The second suite has a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, lounge area with fireplace and an outdoor deck with Jacuzzi. Access to the Cliff Lodge is via a wooden walkway from the main house of Rock Lodge giving guests who stay in Cliff Lodge added privacy. The two suites in Cliff Lodge can be booked exclusively accommodating a maximum of five adults and four children. Exclusive use includes the use of both suites, a private game drive vehicle and a chef. Rates start at around $1.350 a night for this unique getaway.

Slater's stay wasn't all pleasure, he was there in support of Virgin Unite, the nonprofit foundation of the Virgin Group, to visit a new classroom built at the Jeremiah Creche, which he, Branson and guests of Ulusaba and Leopard Hill's Lodge jointly funded. The creche is supported by Pride 'n Purpose, the charity arm of Ulusaba, and will benefit over 60 disadvantaged children living in the communities adjacent to the reserve. Ulusaba offers a 'Day in the Life' village tour for guests, which looks into some of the charitable projects Ulusaba supports.

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Tags: richard branson, RichardBranson, south africa, SouthAfrica, ulusaba

The Wildest New Hole In Golf

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

There are lots of selling points to the new Legend Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa. Each of the eighteen holes was designed with input from a different tour pro, including Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington and native sons Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman. The course and the encompassing resort lie within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy, in a malaria-free zone of Limpopo Province about three hours north of Johannesburg by car. The big five--elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo--roam just on the other side of a perimeter fence from the golf course, while friendlier fauna like giraffe, zebra and antelope can be found grazing the rough.

But it's Legend's so-called Extreme 19th hole that's generating most of the buzz. The tee sits on a ledge of Highlip Mountain--more than 1,400 feet above the grassland and bush below; players take a helicopter to reach it. From that lofty perch, they can see the distant outline of the green, which is shaped like the African continent, complete with a grassy tuft for Madagascar surrounded by sand off the front-right portion.

The hole, by traditional measure, is 500-plus yards long. But given the steep drop, the putting surface is reachable by a roughly 300-yard carry or a 200-yard drive that catches a favorable bounce on a funneling tongue of fairway. Coolest of all may be the amount of hang time produced by a decent strike: up to 25 seconds. That's more than enough time for each player, after teeing off, to radio to spotters on the ground to tell them which direction the ball is headed. The Extreme 19th costs 3,500 rand (about $385) to play--but it comes with the promise, however remote, of a $1-million prize for a hole-in-one.

Words go only so far in describing the spectacle. Check out video of the hole after the jump.

Gallery: Legend Golf & Safari Resort

Tags: Entabeni Safari Conservancy, EntabeniSafariConservancy, Legend Golf Safari Resort, LegendGolfSafariResort, South Africa, SouthAfrica

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Zagato's New Perana Z-One in Person at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Of all the countries in the world producing sportscars, South Africa may not spring to mind first. A small sportscar-maker called Noble operates there, and we recently reported on the new Barnard, but at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show this year, a new player called Perana popped onto the scene with the Z-One. Designed by venerated Milanese styling house Zagato - the same people who brought us the one-of-a-kind Ferrari 575 GTZ, the Spyker C12 concept car and the $1.7m Bentley Continental GTZ - the Z-One was perhaps the most beautiful new car presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show...and that's saying a lot. Power is provided by a Corvette-sourced V8 engine, and prices start at 50,000 euros. Not chump change for most of us, but a steal nonetheless for one of the most breathtaking sportscars money can buy. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Zagato Perana Z-One

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Tags: geneva, geneva 2009, geneva motor show, Geneva2009, GenevaMotorShow, perana, perana z-one, PeranaZ-one, south africa, SouthAfrica, zagato, zagato perana z-one, zagato z-one, ZagatoPeranaZ-one, ZagatoZ-one

Barnard, the South African Supercar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

South Africa is shaping up to be the newest source of relatively affordable supercars, it seems. On the heels of the Perana Zagato Z-One we wrote about the other day comes the exotic looking Barnard (above). Priced at only about $110,000 with deliveries slated for later this year, the Barnard will be capable of 0-100km/h in under four seconds with a top speed in excess of 300km/h. It's designer Chris Barnard has a "deeply rooted passion for endurance racing and had always envisaged building a Le Mans style race car," MotorAuthority reports. Therefore it doesn't include such frills as power steering, vacuum-assisted or anti-lock brakes, traction control, or electric windows. Its chassis is made from high-tech steels and its body is almost entirely composite. Under the hood it will have a souped-up twin-turbocharged V8 sourced from Porsche.

Gallery: A Supercar Named Barnard

Tags: Barnard, Le Mans, LeMans, Porsche, South Africa, SouthAfrica, Supercar

One&Only Cape Town Opening With First African Nobu

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

In April One&Only Resorts will open their latest luxury property, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa, defying the downturn with aplomb. The lavish 131 room retreat features two marquee celebrity chef restaurants, Gordon Ramsay's maze and the first African outpost of Nobu, in addition to a 6,000 bottle tri-level wine loft boasting the largest collection of South African vintages in the world. Situated on the stunning Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the resort's rooms have views of Table Mountain, a 13,000-square-foot exclusive spa island. To celebrate the opening, the hotel has partnered with South Africa's premier luxury safari lodge, Singita Game Reserves in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park, to offer an exclusive travel package including luxe upgrades through the end of September.

Tags: Africa, Cape Town, CapeTown, Gordon Ramsay, GordonRamsay, Nobu, One and Only, OneAndOnly, OneOnly, Safari, South Africa, SouthAfrica

Oprah Winfrey To Auction Off Cars For Charity

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

I had no idea that Oprah Winfrey had a car collection but she does and she's auctioning off three vehicles from her private collection: a red 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing formerly owned by the DuPont family, a 1988 Rolls-Royce Corniche II Convertible given to her by John Travolta and a 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante to benefit her school in Africa. The action will be held by by Gooding & Company and will take place at Pebble Beach on Saturday, August 16th and Sunday, August 17th. The auction catalogs are available for $100, which includes viewing and auction admission for two, while general admission is set at a price of $40 per person.

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is estimated to sell for $600,000-800,000, the 1988 Rolls-Royce Corniche II Convertible is estimated at $70,000-100,000 and the 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante is estimated at $50,000-65,000. Of course, because of the celebrity provenance, it is Oprah after all, these cars could sell for more. The vehicles will be on display August 13th through August 17th. The cars will be sold without reserve and 100% of the proceeds go to her school in South Africa.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa, is located in a suburb outside Johannesburg and provides education for girls. It opened in January 2007 and offers a private learning and residential environment for approximately 450 girls in grades 7-12, Oprah has already donated more than $40 million toward the creation of the Academy.

[Thanks, Ashley]

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Tags: auction, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, pebble beach, south africa, SouthAfrica

We Are Together, Charity of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Charity of the Day

We Are Together is a film about children living in the Agape orphanage in Africa. It chronicles their lives, individual personalities, and incredible journeys through life. They are also all part of a choir and have recorded an album that coincides with the film (absolutely beautiful music!), with profits from the both the film and CD going to benefit children in South Africa.

There are lots of ways to support the cause, including joining their email list (which includes getting a free music track download), donating money, or simply by purchasing the CD and watching the film (coming soon to HBO).

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Tags: africa, charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, children, south africa, SouthAfrica, we are together, WeAreTogether

Nelson Mandela's 46664 Foundation, Charity of the Day

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity, Charity of the Day

The 46664 Foundation, named after the number former South African President Nelson Mandela wore while imprisoned for 27 tears, aims to raise awareness and to educate people about the global HIV/AIDS crisis. The campaign began in 2003, when Mandela realized that to reach the youth of the world he needed to engage the support of the people who most appeal to them. Mandela, supported by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, and Bono (natch), persuaded more than 30 of the world's top artists to come together to perform at a global awareness concert for HIV/AIDS in Cape Town.

Mandela will be 90 this year, and to celebrate, as well as to raise funds for 46664, there will be a global launch of limited-edition 46664 wrist bangles during the birthday celebrations in London on June 27. The goal is to create jobs as well as bring at least R1-billion (R=South African Rand, equal to $0.12587 on June 23) to the fight against HIV/Aids. Offered will be 90 platinum bangles (at the cost of R135 660 each), 90 24-carat gold bangles (R67 260), 466 18-carat gold bangles (R54 948) and 46,664 silver bangles (R1 995). The initiative will be a South African effort using metals from local suppliers, the skills of local craftsman and domestic suppliers from the tooling, machining and packaging industries. At least 60 percent of revenues from the sale of bangles will go to the 46664 HIV/Aids prevention campaign.

You can donate directly to 46664 here.

Tags: 46664, aids, aids awareness, aids in africa, AidsAwareness, AidsInAfrica, charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, hiv, HIVAIDS, Nelson Mandela, NelsonMandela, south africa, SouthAfrica

Russell Simmons Speaks at JCK Las Vegas on the Diamond Empowerment Fund

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity

Greetings from the JCK Jewelry Show in Las Vegas. The show is one of the jewelry world's major events where manufacturers and wholesalers show their latest wares to retailers and industry professionals. The keynote speaker this morning was Russell Simmons, the hip hop impresario behind Def Jam Records and Baby Phat and now Simmons Jewelry and the Diamond Empowerment Fund. Simmons first became interested in the jewelry business a couple of years ago. He began thinking about jewelry when his then wife, Kimora decided it would be a good idea to make jewelry. His initial response was that he would never buy her fur coats or diamonds, two things he associated with hurt and damage to others.

He changed his mind after doing more research with the Clinton Initiative and other groups and taking his own trip to Africa where he met with Nelson Mandela and learned that while diamonds have caused a lot of pain and suffering they also can do good in the world. He found that in some areas people would starve without the sales of diamonds. This led to the formation of the Diamond Empowerment Fund. DEF works to promote higher education for Africans and so far has raised $9 million for a school in South Africa, the CIDA school which serves 3300 students, It is a four-year school,which is basically a college to teach students and send them back to the townships as teachers. It offers liberal arts education and business classes and the students do all the work at the school except teaching.

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Tags: diamond empowerment fund, diamonds, russell simmons, RussellSimmons, south africa, SouthAfrica

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Luxury Houses: Holiday Escapes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

Hotels are fine as far as they go. For a really luxurious vacation however, renting a private house or villa is much the better choice. Of course the prices at the top-end can be astronomical. If money is no object, however, a new book called Luxury Houses: Holiday Escapes is a perfect guide to the best high-end hideaways around the globe. One of the standouts is Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld's former villa in Monaco (pictured here), which can be yours for a mere €30,000 per week. For that you get six bedrooms, panoramic views of the ocean and the mountains from an enormous terrace, a pool, Jacuzzi, game room and a tent on a private beach. The interior is described unironically as "quasi royal."

Also on display is the Birkenhead House in Hermanus, South Africa (about $7,000 per night) with eleven bedrooms and three pools, dominating a steep cliff above Walker Bay where whales frolic; and Villa Indigo in the Caribbean Sea within a protective reef in Anguilla with two pools and a private beach and sandbar, for $16,000 - $38,000 a week depending on the season; as well as dozens more ritzy rentals from ski chalets in Switzerland to modern palaces in China.

Gallery: Luxury Escapes - Villa Karl

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Tags: Anguilla, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld, Luxury vacations, LuxuryVacations, Monaco, Private villas, PrivateVillas, South Africa, SouthAfrica, Switzerland

Winespring South Africa Tours

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Combine wine with anything and it just gets better. Winespring offers two tours this November that include both wine tasting and a safari in South Africa. WineSpring -– together with Cape Town-based luxury tour company Southern Destinations – have created a tour that includes the presence of award-winning wildlife photographer Alex Bernasconi on the photo safari part of the journey for six days in the African wilderness. The journey also includes a wine component with vineyard tours and wine-tasting exclusives at prestigious wineries like Vilafonté, Raats and Lanzerac (shown above). Deluxe accommodations includes stays at Cape Grace, Sabi Sabi Lodge, Londolozi camps, and Singita Ebony Lodge. The total cost is $12,495 per person and includes accomodations, breakfasts, lunches and dinners but not airfare. The tours will be open to just eight people each time.

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Tags: photo safari, safari, south africa, SouthAfrica, tourism, travel, trip, vacation, wine

Singita Luxury Game Camp

by Matthew Collins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If traveling to Africa to spend time with wild animals is your idea of fun, but your partner is more interested in making sure that the hotel has more than mosquito nets keeping out the wildlife, have I got the place for you. Singita is a private game reserve in South Africa that brings urbane style and plops it down in the Krueger National Park. Daily game excursions to check out the wildlife leave on your timetable and be prepared to come face to face with elephants, rhinos, and lions. Afterwards, you can lounge in private pools or get a massage, the choice is yours.

The resort is actually composed of several lodges spread out amongst the different settings of the park. The Sweni Lodge overlooks a river and is finished in dark hues and greens. The Lebombo Lodge is airy and situated on top of a rock ridge. Such variety of setting makes a trip to this Relais & Chateaux property a perfect glimpse into the different wilds of Africa.

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Tags: game reserve, GameReserve, south africa, SouthAfrica

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