Velvet Sky, A New Airline?

The rumour mill is working overtime that a new airline by the name of Velvet Sky is gearing up to begin business.

Few details are available at this stage, but it seems the airline will be based in Durban (head office adjacent to Gateway) and initially look at flying the Durban-Johannesburg-Cape Town route. A website has been registered at velvetsky.co.za, which links to a site where recruitment is being done for cabin crew, B737 pilots and other staff.
Well, Airtime Airline was the last airline which threatened to start operations from Durban – I hope this turns out better than that saga.

Source: Travel Wires

Southern Right Whale Rescued

A Southern Right whale was disentangled from rock lobster ropes near Dassen Island, north of Cape Town, the SA Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) said on Friday.


“At 10.30am the SAWDN launched two sea rescue craft from Yzerfontein harbour to search for a 12 metre Southern Right whale entangled in rock lobster rope and floatation buoys,” spokesman Steven McCue said.

The whale was first spotted by rock lobster fishermen at about 8am who reported it to the Transnet National Ports Authority which then contacted the SAWDN. On finding the whale McCue said it appeared to be “exhausted and distressed and was hardly moving.”

“We anchored the small sea rescue craft to the tail end of the whale and worked our way from the head, to the mouth, to the torso and finally the tail, gently cutting rope, using poles with specialised cutting knives. Once freed the whale swam off confidently, appearing to be healthy and vibrant.”

SAWDN is a specialised unit made up of volunteers from the National Sea Rescue Institute, the department of environmental affairs, SA National Parks, the police, and other organisations.

Source: Sapa

Six Months To Go As Gautrain Construction Rides Into 2011

Construction of the R26-billion Gautrain rail project has entered its last few months, with the full system expected to be operational at the end of June.

The first phase of the system – OR Tambo International Airport to Sandton – is already up and running, with the second phase, linking Sandton to Johannesburg, and Sandton to Pretoria, now the last bit of the 80-km puzzle to fall into place.

Residents within the borders of the Tshwane metropolitan area can already see the Gautrain running up and down the track as the rail cars and the system undergo extensive testing before the service starts.

The last unit of the rapid rail link’s 96-strong rail car fleet arrived at the public transport system’s Midrand depot in December. Eighty-one of the cars were assembled at the UCW Partnership plant, located in Nigel, with the initial 15 units coming from Bombardier Transportation's Derby rolling stock plant, in the UK.

Source: Engineering News

Seychelles, SA Join Hands To Market To South Americans

In conjunction with Argentina´s leading boutique outbound specialist in South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands destination wholesaler - Sundance Tours - the provincial tourism marketing entities of Cape Town Routes Unlimited (Cape Town and the Western Cape), Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency, and the National Office of Tourism Seychelles have formed a joint destination marketing venture, pooling their marketing resources in what is a first-ever campaign in South America.

These prominent and progressive entities have joined together to inaugurate the campaign by way of the delivery of a travel industry seminar promoting a series of six set itinerary programmes under the banner of ‘Unforgettable Places’ to the major retail travel agencies in Buenos Aires.

This campaign will encapsulate both travel trade and consumer marketing initiative and is expected to deliver substantial new business in what is South Africa´s closest international tourism source market outside of the African continent.

“With Cape Town as South America’s natural gateway, a mere seven hours and 15 minutes flying non-stop from Buenos Aires, and with demand for destination South Africa peaking after the coverage that the World Cup brought to the nationwide football fanatical Argentine population, the timing could not have been better for launching such an ambitious, creative, all encompassing regional tourism marketing campaign,” said the Seychelles Tourism Board in a statement.

The Unforgettable Places campaign is aimed directly at giving the Argentine traveller and the travel trade compelling reasons to visit and combine the regional destinations of Cape Town and the Cape Garden Route, Mpumalanga´s natural wonders such as the Blyde River Canyon and world-beating safari activities through the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve and the globally iconic Kruger National Park, plus the relaxation and lure of the Seychelles with their pristine white sandy beaches, distinctive Creole culture and cuisine together with a natural eco-system.

“This campaign is the realisation of creative destination marketing combining the unique beauty and cosmopolitan lifestyle of one of the world’s globally iconic cities and regions with some of Africa’s top safari experiences together with an idyllic tropical island destination boasting some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and marine environments,” says David Frandsen, Executive Manager for International Marketing at Cape Town Routes Unlimited.

The Unforgettable Places campaign began in November 2010 and will run initially through to the end of May, with the likelihood of its being extended, based on and measured purely on the success and results of the first seven months’ marketing returns.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Stanford Wines Stand Proud

Platter Ratings for Stanford:



Brunia: 2009 Shiraz 4 Star
Springfontein: 2008 Johnathans Ridge Pinotage 4 Star, 2009 Jil's Dune Chenin 4 Star, 2007 Red 4 Star, 2009 Terrior Selection Chenin 4 Star
Jacksons: 2009 Pinotage 4 Star
Sir Robert Stanford: 2009 Sauv Blanc 4.5 Star, 2009 Hansom 4.5 Star
Misty Mountains: 2010 Sauv Blanc 4 Star
Raka: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon 4 Star, 2008 Malbec 4 Star, 2008 Merlot (Barrel) 4 Star, 2008 Biography 4.5 Star, 2007 Figurehead 4.5 Star
Boschrivier: 2007 Shiraz 4 Star

CONGRATULATIONS STANFORD WINES, YOU MAKE US PROUD!!

Wet Weather Does Not Dampen A Wimpy Breakfast

Famous Brands, which owns the Wimpy, Steers and Debonairs brands, fared well over the festive season, despite the Christmas rush being far later than usual.
Famous Brands chief executive Kevin Hedderwick said yesterday: “It does look like sales will be nicely up on the previous year with real growth of between 4 % and 5 % in December.”

But the holiday season was a mixed performance for the group as inclement weather and a late exodus to the coast meant beachside outlets did not fare as well as those in shopping malls.
Hedderwick said: “Jo'burg took a long time to empty out.” Where the group has a high density of stores, trade was brisk up to Christmas, but slowed for sites on major motorways until December 26, when it picked up. Hedderwick said one of the best performers was Mugg & Bean, which also benefited from the wet weather. Four Mugg & Bean outlets along major routes to the coast “astonished us as to how well they have done”, Hedderwick said.

For other businesses banking on the festive season, early indications point to a better performance in December 2010 compared with 2009, but the gains appear to be modest. Abri du Plessis, the chief investment officer at Gryphon Asset Management, said although retailers had not yet commented in detail on festive season sales, it was expected that food and liquor would have outperformed other categories.

Dennis Cope, the chief financial officer at Pick n Pay, said trading during the festive season was reasonably strong, particularly the last two days before Christmas. He added that consumers were treating themselves again, encouraged by lower interest rates and low inflation. In food categories, convenience and fresh products fared well while clothing and audiovisual equipment showed good growth.

Woolworths said trade over the festive season has been in line with expectations. Top sellers were convenience foods such as the ready-to-eat cooked gammon and un-iced round Christmas cake. Other popular items were toys for toddlers, Christmas décor, crackers, gift wrapping products, gadgets and beauty products.

Source: Cape Argus

Something Fishy Holds Hope For Angolan Tourism

Post-war Angola may not stand out as a top African tourist destination but adventure anglers fishing for the giant tarpon look set to put the country back on the visitors map.

The powerful game fish, which can weigh more than 100kg, is mainly found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a prized catch among avid sport fishermen. The area around the mouth of the Kwanza River, which spills into the Atlantic, has been bracing for a flurry of activity since the fishing season got under way in November. Adventurers and fishing enthusiasts travel from as far as Namibia and South Africa to Angola, in search of the ultimate catch -- a major boost for a lethargic tourism industry crippled by almost three decades of civil war. "People come here for only one thing: to catch the tarpon. That is every fisherman's dream, it is a catch of a lifetime," said Many Milner, the manager of Kwanza River Lodge, south of Luanda.

Although the fishing season only lasts for about five months, Milner says the influx has created a peak season for the fledging tourism industry. "Fishing requires patience and there is no guarantee that you are going to catch anything on your first or second day. So visitors stay for a minimum of two to four weeks," said Milner.

Source: M&G