Latest news with #SunCity
Mail & Guardian
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
Celebrity Drive 2025: Celebrating local talent in true luxury
The 2025 edition of Celebrity Drive delivered a weekend of unforgettable experiences. Under the theme 'Celebrating Local Talent,' the event brought together South Africa's brightest stars, global luxury brands, and social changemakers in a spectacular fusion of style, substance, and service—hosted at the lavish Palace Hotel in Sun City. The journey began in true elegance as VIP guests were chauffeured from Gauteng to Sun City in luxury vehicles provided by BMW Menlyn. From the moment they arrived, guests were immersed in world-class hospitality and opulence. Every celebrity guest received a timeless watch from the French luxury brand Herbelin—a gesture of appreciation and sophistication. The atmosphere was elevated by Lascento, who scented the evening with elegance and gifted guests with exclusive Xerjoff perfumes, one of the world's most prized fragrance collections. J'adore Champagne ensured the celebration sparkled from start to finish, offering premium bubbly in every suite, on the red carpet, and throughout the Gala Dinner. The Gala Dinner became a spectacle of art and fashion, as Gert-Johan Coetzee unveiled his latest Fashion Week collection in a dazzling runway show. SYNC Models brought each piece to life, while Lungstar Creations transformed the space into a visual dreamscape. Guests enjoyed every moment with a glass of Glenfiddich whisky, tasting the range that defined timeless craftsmanship. Adding to the evening's elegance, Uniq Brows showcased the artistry of brow perfection. Brand Manager Natalie Naidoo delivered an inspiring speech about the brand's commitment to enhancing natural beauty and empowering confidence through their innovative brow solutions. The evening featured heartfelt speeches, including remarks from Sun City's General Manager Brett Hoppe, alongside other supporters who shared why they stood behind the vision of Celebrity Drive. It was a moving tribute to the power of local talent and the responsibility of influence. On the following day, guests were treated to a morning of wellness at Royal Spa, followed by a deeply emotional charity drive to a local HIV-based care home in Rustenburg. Joined by McDonald's and the Mmakola Foundation, the team donated school shoes and sanitary pads. Many celebrities pledged personal support, reinforcing that glamour means little without impact. With coverage from SABC and national media, Celebrity Drive 2025 not only trended—it touched lives and reminded the country that our local talent deserves platforms of excellence and generosity. As we wrap up our second edition, Celebrity Drive is more than an event—it's a movement. A celebration of who we are, where we're going, and what we can do together. We look forward to Celebrity Drive 2026, where once again, Luxury will meet Legacy—and Local Talent will lead the way. For media inquiries, interviews, or partnership opportunities: CelebrityDrive2025 #CelebratingLocalTalent
Mail & Guardian
06-06-2025
- Mail & Guardian
A weekend to breathe in
Lefika Villas at Sun City (Photo supplied) Some weekends arrive just in time — like a quiet drumbeat in a noisy week, beckoning you to pause and breathe. That was exactly the rhythm of our escape to Sun City this past weekend, where my partner and I surrendered to the warm embrace of Lefika Villas — Sun City's latest ode to luxury, heritage and rest. Set against the majestic backdrop of the Pilanesberg's rugged hills, Lefika Villas feels like something ancient and intimate. 'Lefika' means stone in Setswana, and the name does more than pay homage to the land — it speaks to the soul of the place. You feel it when you arrive: the scent of the earth, the stillness of nature, the whisper of ancestry carried on the wind. The architecture draws from Itlholanoga, the heritage site not far from there — believed to be the original Lost City. Here, walls speak in stone and silence. We arrived in the golden hush of late afternoon. Our villa, a three-bedroom beauty carved with intention, welcomed us like an old friend. Inside, light danced on handblown-glass pendant lights, while bead chandeliers hung like gentle storytellers above us. The space is all about touch and texture: dark wood furniture, jute fabrics and natural hues that seem to blur the line between indoors and the land beyond. But let's talk about the kitchen for a moment. Sleek, open-plan and home to a Nespresso machine that was definitely too high-tech for me at first (thank you, YouTube), it's the kind of space that makes you believe you could host a cooking show — if only for a weekend. The lounge, with its folding doors, opened onto a private patio complete with a built-in braai. You're not just in a villa; you're in a cocoon of comfort cradled by mountains. The villas are positioned with surgical precision. From each room, you see the landscape undisturbed — rolling hills, a wandering bird, silence. Privacy isn't just preserved here, it's celebrated. Each bedroom is its own narrative, en-suite and individually themed to reflect South African identity. My favourite detail? The bathrooms. Think textured tiles, diffused lighting and enough space to twirl if you're the dancing-while-drying-off type. It's luxury without the shouting — everything whispers. What won me over, though, is the villas' gentle commitment to sustainability. The stone walls, aside from being gorgeously robust, double as natural insulators. Energy-saving fixtures, solar-powered systems and water-wise fittings reflect an understanding: luxury can be kind. It must be. Of course, sanctuary comes at a price. A stay at Lefika Villas is structured like an investment. The villa we stayed in carries a price tag of R88 825. But before your heart skips a beat — this isn't the nightly rate. It's the cost for a 10-year plan, giving you 10 holiday stays over a decade. It's time, packaged beautifully. There's even an option to pay in monthly instalments, starting with a deposit of R8 883 followed by 10 payments of R7 994, though prices may vary. Luxury, like heritage, asks you to see the long view. But we didn't stay in our villa, no matter how tempting. Sun City called. From the Gary Player Golf Course to the Valley of Waves, the resort is a playground for all seasons. For the more adventurous, Segway tours and hot-air balloon rides lift you out of the everyday. And for those who believe good food is a holiday essential, dining options abound — from Leloko's elegant menu to a comforting R60 burger from one of the classic chains. Yes, you can eat fast food in high-end luxury and still feel like royalty. That's the magic. What I loved most about Lefika Villas wasn't just the space or the design or even the views. It was the feeling. The quiet of a place that understands where it stands. A villa that respects the land it rests on, that honours the stories carved in stone and handed down generations. On Monday morning, as we packed up in a rush for the rat race, the hills turned gold as the sun came up. Not flashy gold — but that soft, knowing gold that comes just before twilight. And I thought to myself: 'This wasn't just a getaway. It was a return to something older, grounding. Real.' Whether you're a couple needing time to reconnect, a family looking for new traditions or a solo traveller chasing stillness, Lefika Villas offers more than just a stay. It offers space to breathe, reflect and be.
TimesLIVE
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Inaugural Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival celebrates traditional music, culture and fashion
The SABC and Sun City are excited about the inaugural Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival, an eclectic celebration of traditional music, culture and fashion. The groundbreaking collaboration sees Sun City partner with the SABC's nine African language stations. 'Ziyakhala' is a slang term that roughly translates to 'it's happening', or 'the party's on'. The festival is taking place on June 28, featuring traditional maskandi music artists Mthandeni Sk, Sjava, Qadasi and Maqhinga. The event promotes authentic local music from artists Ringo Madlingozi, King Monada, Cassper Nyovest, Dr Nothembi Mkhwebane, Makhadzi, Lwah Ndlunkulu, Ntate Stunna, Gen Muzka and five-time Grammy award-winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The selection of artists will allow South Africans from all cultures to experience the nation's diverse musical offerings. Nombuso Buthelezi, Sun City's head of events, said: 'We are excited that this truly unique partnership will allow us to touch all corners of the country and reach lovers of traditional SA music who will experience a one-of-a-kind cultural celebration at Sun City Resort'. Thinasiphelele Sixaso, SABC general manager for public service radio, said: 'The partnership will allow a seamless and authentic amalgamation of leading voices in the entertainment space to speak directly to their audience and share their love for South African music and culture with them. 'The SABC is the custodian of the country's cultural expressions and music heritage, therefore our role is to tell the creative industry stories through our African language stations, which are the perfect platforms to enrich the cultural heritage of SA. We are excited that our stations play a critical role in supporting traditional artistic expression through partnerships such as this.'
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival pulls musical heavyweights for first showcase
The event will take place next month. Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival is a celebration of traditional music, culture, and fashion. Picture: Instagram/Screenshot The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), in partnership with Sun City Resort, is gearing up to launch the inaugural Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival—a celebration of traditional music, culture, and fashion. The event will take place next month, on Saturday 28 June, at the Sun City Superbowl in the North West. The festival is a collaboration between Sun City and all nine of the SABC's African Language radio stations. The SABC's General Manager for Public Service Radio, Thinasiphelele Sixaso, said this partnership reflects their ongoing commitment to celebrating tradition through music and media. 'The SABC is the custodian of the South Africa's cultural expressions and music heritage, therefore our role is to tell the creative industry story through our African Language stations, which are the perfect platforms to enrich the cultural heritage of South Africa,' Sixaso added. ALSO READ: R&B is alive and well: Sasha Keable and GoldLink join festival line-up in South Africa Ziyakhala Mo Sun City Festival: A weekend of heritage, sound and style The festival has pulled Mzansi's musical heavyweights for the line-up. From maskandi to Afro-soul and hip hop, the line-up includes some of the biggest names in local music: Mthandeni SK, Sjava, Qadasi & Maqhinga, Ringo Madlingozi, King Monada, Cassper Nyovest, Dr Nothembi Mkhwebane, Makhadzi, Lwah Ndlunkulu, Ntate Stunna, General Muzka, and the internationally acclaimed Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Beyond music, the event also promises a weekend of cultural and fashion celebration. Nombuso Buthelezi, Head of Events at Sun City, said this is not just a festival, but a curated cultural experience. 'This truly unique partnership will allow us to touch all corners of the country and reach lovers of traditional South African music who will experience this one-of-a-kind cultural celebration at Sun City Resort.' NOW READ: 'A faithful God': Oscar Mbo and partner welcome their first baby
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kansas and America share important history with apartheid and the nation of South Africa
Former senator Nancy Kassebaum served as chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs and helped develop sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector) During my 1980s college years, our student group urged the university to divest from any South African interests. Many campuses nationwide saw students protesting that country's legalized system of racial oppression, apartheid. In that era, roughly 30 years from the civil rights movement, the fight against apartheid had gained traction in politics and in popular culture. The 1985 protest song 'Sun City' played on a loop on video music shows, while President Reagan seemingly coddled the regime. Most people, however, may have forgotten the role of Kansas and the United States in this winding human rights saga. First, some perspective. White South Africans represent 7 percent of the population but own 72 percent of the land. Black South Africans represent 81 percent of the population but own 4 percent of the land. White South Africans are not oppressed, though the late comedian Robin Williams once rhetorically asked the white minority there: 'Does the name Custer mean anything to you?' Apartheid, which means 'apartness,' mirrored American racial segregation. A person's race determined where people could live, where they could work, and whom they could marry. This month, President Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a White House meeting, peddling a false narrative of 'white genocide' there. Trump, while aggressively deporting immigrants of color, recently welcomed 59 white South Africans who he claimed were fleeing oppression. If there is a genocide, why are only 59 people trying to escape it? It's important to note that truth matters little to this president. What is important is the continued building of a false, white grievance narrative for his base. He's reassuring them that he's for them. Always. The more news media press him about this, the deeper and wider his base's roots of loyalty strengthen and spread. Nevertheless, Kansas and America had an interesting connection with South Africa, apartheid, and with the jailing and eventual release of Nelson Mandela, who would eventually rule the nation that imprisoned him. Former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassabaum, then chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs, helped develop sanctions against the apartheid regime. President Regan vetoed the legislation, but Congress overrode his veto. The sanctions, along with international pressure, helped dismantle that system. A Kansan stood watch over apartheid on its deathbed. President Clinton dispatched Ronald Walters, the noted political science expert and co-architect of the historic Dockum sit-in, to South Africa to monitor elections that would spell the end of apartheid. Walters, also an architect of the Congressional Black Caucus, knew Mandela, who phoned the Walters' home in 2010 after Walters died. Another Kansan, Gretchen Eick, now a retired professor of history and award-winning author, lobbied against apartheid for 30 years and was part of the final 1986 passage of comprehensive sanctions over Reagan's veto. 'A stunning experience!' Eick wrote via email. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who researched apartheid as a Harvard student in the 1980s, told The Wichita Eagle years ago that he'd grown interested in South Africa because its issues had reached that campus. Kobach said then that he didn't oppose sanctions, but he thought disinvestment removed American companies from fight. Those companies, he said, could form a powerful anti-apartheid bloc. He reportedly wrote his senior thesis at Harvard about how South African businesses had become politicized. Kobach based that report, for which he won a campus award, on research conducted during a 1987 visit there. Harvard professor Samuel Huntington advised Kobach's work, and reportedly believed South Africa should pursue a 'policy of simultaneous reform and repression,' said a review in The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper. Black South Africans faced brutal repression, and the U.S., under President Kennedy, helped imprison Mandela. NPR, in a 2016 interview with a former CIA official, reported Mandela's 1962 capture happened because of a U.S. tip to South African officials. That capture and arrest led to Mandela's nearly 28-year imprisonment. According to Time magazine, when the South African government released Mandela in 1990, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted a 'senior CIA operative' regarding Mandela's capture. Within hours of Mandela's arrest, operative Paul Eckel said: 'We have turned Mandela over to the South African security branch. We gave them every detail, what he would be wearing, the time of day, just where he would be. They have picked him up. It is one of our greatest coups.' Our country played dual roles in Mandela's life. It delivered him to his captors but also lobbied South Africa not to hang him for treason and later applied political and economic pressure to end apartheid. And our 'Free State,' played a small role in Mandela's and in that nation's liberation. Mark McCormick is the former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and former deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
