South Africa: Raise your glass in Guguletu
Lungile Mbalo Co-founder Guguletu Wine Festival
SOUTH AFRICA, CAPE TOWN, GUGULETU, 8th MARCH 2011 – Well-known businessmen, Mzoli Ngcawuzele and Lungile Mbalo from Mzoli’s Place, are delighted to have hired the Soweto Wine Festival organising team to launch the first Guguletu Wine Festival happening on Friday 27th May and Saturday 28th 2011, on the roof-top of the Guguletu Square Mall in Guguletu, Cape Town.
Marilyn Cooper, co-founder of the Soweto Wine Festival and managing director of the Cape Wine Academy will be managing the wine estate exhibitors, whilst Hot Salsa Media, sponsorship and PR professionals for the Soweto Wine Festival, will manage the sponsorship, public relations and media VIP’s for the Guguletu Wine Festival.
Marilyn Cooper, Cape Wine Master, co-founder of the Soweto Wine Festival and managing director of the Cape Wine Academy, says “We are delighted to be in Guguletu. It is the next Soweto and we know it is an important market to introduce to the wine estates and it is just as important for the residents of Guguletu to meet their neighbours and experience the wonderful world of wine, in fantastical style, which is at their finger tips. We are very excited to be in partnership with professionals such as Mzoli and Lungile because they are committed to this event as regular Cape Town feature. So far we have had a great response from the wine farms.”
Lungile Mbalo, spokesperson and co-founder of the Guguletu Wine Festival, says, “Getting a professional team together seemed like the logical decision as we want to see this festival grow in the same vein as the Soweto Wine Festival. We have learnt that you only ever work with people that have the same passion as you. It is time to raise your wine glass in Guguletu. We have the beautiful people, the class, character and the desire to enjoy wine and its lifestyle.”
Co-founder, Mzoli Ngcawuzele, is best known as owner of the successful restaurant called Mzoli’s Place, located in Guguletu, and as a property developer constructing the very first shopping mall to be built for any previously disadvantaged community in the Western-Cape, known as the Guguletu Square Mall.
Lungile Mbalo says that the vision and objectives behind the festival is to create awareness amongst the broader population in the Western Cape with a view to expanding the wine base for wineries; the enhancement of Cape Town, particularly Guguletu, as a tourist destination; to create awareness amongst Black people in the Western Cape about the wine brands, consumption and availability of wine products in the market; attract different racial groups, including business persons, to view Guguletu as a tourist hub and as business-friendly; and lastly, to provide a favourable environment to the wineries and sponsors that wish to position their brands within Cape Town’s Black middle class segment.
Says Mzoli, “Now that we have hired the right people, we are moving in the right direction. We all have a passion for wine and professionalism in business. There will be approximately 50 wine exhibitors, wine lounges, big brand sponsors and around 2000 visitors over the two days. This is a glamorous affair of middle class residents, top businesspeople and celebrities in Guguletu and Cape Town and will become a hot event annually.”
The festival will have a large VIP area for invited VIP’s guests, captains of industry and VIP media with entertainment, fantastic food and plenty of free flowing wine from our world-class wine estates.
