With it being Rugby World Cup year, everyone in the country will be expecting that trophy returns home after the tournament in Japan but thanks to the help of Heineken, the Webb Ellis Cup will visit our shores earlier than we think! As part of an epic 18 nation journey, as it makes its way to Japan for the 2019 Rugby World cup, which kicks off in September, the trophy will be touching down on our shores this month. Heineken being a proud sponsor of this year's tournament will get first dibs when it lands in the Mother City, the world's most famous beer will host an exclusive viewing of the trophy at the Heineken's captain's dinner which will be held at the Nooitgedacht Estates in Stellenboasch.
Heineken wants consumers to be part of this historical rugby experience so they will be setting up three locations where you can catch the trophy and take a few pictures with it. Public display will be on the 22nd of February in the Mother City, Cape Town and takes place at the following times at the following venues.
Summer is here and there's nothing like getting you feeling festive like a good track that would be the soundtrack for the holidays and I think local pop sensation Kyle Deutsch nailed it with his latest track, Summer Love. Teaming up with award winning producers, Ganja Beatz, they giving us yet another reason to long for the heat of summer, this coupled with his Corona #ThisIsLiving tour across the east coast is the perfect way to kick off the summer vibes. Speaking to the Ganja Beatz, they had this to say about the track "This vibey alternative pop house feel is laydon with catchy melodies that will have you humming along all day" while Kyle had this to add "The track has the uncanny ability to make you feel nostalgic and optimistic at the same time. Either way you know its for the right reasons". The track is out on the various online streaming services and should make the radio waves pretty soon, we have the official music video for it below.
The main purpose of the BMW X3 xPlore tour was to give us more insight into the final product consumers purchase from BMW. We got a glimpse of the X Lifestyle Park which opens in November, and got to play in a few of the obstacles the course has to offer, we toured Plant Rosslyn to view the upgrades made and to see first hand, the production line of the new X3. We were given a tour of the brand new training facility and lastly, toured the Bio2Watt plant to find out how they generate renewable energy and in turn feeds 30% of Plant Rosslyn. All that was left to do was drive the locally made product and see how it compared to the ones we drove on the launch, which were fully imported.
BMW had planned a brilliant 2 day road trip which would see us travel through three provinces, on multiple types of surfaces, traversing through some of the best driving roads the country has to offer and not to mention the brilliant scenery along the way. For the trip, we had a choice between 3.0L Diesel or 2.0L Diesel engines to choose from, with the long journey ahead with some days consisting of 600km drives, diesel was the obvious choice for this tour. I'm a massive fan of BMW's diesel engines, light on fuel, plenty of torque, minimal lag and once they get going, there's no stopping them. First up it was a chance to get behind the wheel of the 3.0L, each car was also specc'd differently to the other, displaying some of the differences in styling options for both the interior and exterior of the car. The car came fitting with BMW's 21" multispoke rims which would made things interesting for the gravel roads.
One thing I have to say from the get go, the quality of the product was faultless, in fact if you had to take the locally made X3 and one assembled from another plant, it would be very very difficult to find a difference. So much has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the quality of product being delivered by BMW Group SA is top notch as these cars are to not only supplied to our country but also to most of Europe! The route for the journey encapsulated everything that is to love about our country as we meandered through breathtaking mountain passes and villages, but at the same time making us fall in love with the BMW X3 as it proved to be a match for every terrain, every obstacle that came in its way.
Day two saw us tour through Mpumalanga stopping at some of the popular tourists hotspots, one of them being the Three Rondavels and Blythe River Canyon, place I last visited as a kid a good 20 years ago, so visiting it again brought back some fond memories of my family vacations which harked back to the car. The X3 is the perfect vehicle for family vacations, it's a brilliant drive, very spacious, loads of luggage space and with the wide range of options available to suit anyone's budget and preference. While the price would put some off, you have to realise what you getting for your money is worth every cent, yes there are cheaper options available on the market but with these you getting inferior quality finishes and materials. On the way back we got a pretty basic base model 2.0L diesel and even in this, you cannot distinguished any comprise in quality. While it didn't have any fancy finishes, nor lots of options, it still gave you that premium feel and more importantly, that terrific drive.
Reflecting under the night skies of the Kruger,( where its so clear that you can actually see star belts with your naked eye!) of the past few days on tour, really gives you a sense at how far BMW SA have come, not only as a brand but as a company. Showing faith in our country, investing in it and it's people, and with that return of investment being this quality product. It still amazed me that Plant Rosslyn was BMW's first plant outside of Germany and that's a good heritage to hold, with over a million 3 Series being produced at the plant, I can only look forward to a million X3's running off the line in the near future.
Continuing from where I left off last week with the BMW X3 xPlore tour, after putting the locally made SUV's to the test at the X Lifestyle Park it was time to take a trip to see where these cars were put together, at Plant Rosslyn. Many don't know this but the BMW assembly plant at Rosslyn was the first BMW plant outside of Germany to produce cars for the brand. That alone shows you how much faith they had in South Africa from the get go. It was my second time at Rosslyn, the first was when we attended the media launch for the revised F30 3 Series range a few years ago and I can report that a lot has changed in that time! With BMW investing R6.2 Billion in the plant for upgrades and expansion to accommodate the X3 build, it was time for us to take a first hand look at what was done to the plant.
We started the tour at the brand new state of the art training center, built to give workers the skills and knowledge on the operations of the plant. From learning about robotics, to the electrical systems and a general understanding of how the plan operates, everything is taught here in this world class facility. The training center is also open to other manufacturers to get their staff skills brushed up.
Next up it was time to go into the heart of the beast, now Plant Rosslyn is massive, and while you could walk to where you want to get to, it's much faster for you to take a golf cart and in doing so we went to have a look at an area in the assembly plant where the frame of the new X3 is put together. It was like something out of a Sci-Fi movie with a maze of robots, pick up, turning and tossing these massive parts like they're toys. The various components which form the frame of the car, made with aluminium and steel are fixed together by welds and traditional nuts and bolts. While most of the hard work is done by the robots, there is a human element to this process, which makes sure everything is done perfectly.
We then skipped on over to the paint shop, where we got a briefing on what changes we made and the addition of a 6 story stacker which stores up to 120 cars at a time. There are various processes to BMW's paint techniques, obviously the finer details were not divulged but we can all agree that their paint work is truly extraordinary and some of the colours offered challenge even the most vast colour palettes. from then on we made our way to part of the plant which has its only extraordinary tale to tell. In this main assembly area where the cars are fitting with their interiors and mechanical components, the roof of the building had to be raised but what made this fascinating is that it was done while the plant was still functioning! By using modern engineering techniques like incremental launching, the contractors tasked with this job successfully managed to complete this feat while BMW were still building the 3 Series sedan. In this area, the cars drive train and engine are also married and lifted into the X3, it is quite an awesome sight to witness.
We were then taken to the Lego room, and that room means exactly what it reads. It's a room where a full scale model of the plant resides and it built completely from Lego! There is a reason for this, BMW felt that by using these popular children's toy, they could manipulate scenarios if they had to change things in the plant and they could gauge first hand how thing would pan out with this Lego model. It was very cool to see how everything was built to scale and the accuracy of it all. Lastly we were given the opportunity to walk down memory lane at Plant Rosslyn, with a corridor dedicated to the Plants and BMW's achievements over the years both locally and Internationally, including that amazing JD Power award which was handed to them in 2015 for Platinum Plant Quality.
A rather interesting stat that was given to us on our tour at Rosslyn was that in BMW's aim to make their premises more eco-friendly and adding to their already impressive green credentials of their Head Office in Midrand being 5 star green rated by the GBSA, 30% of the power supplied to Plant Rosslyn is generated from the Bio2Watt plant outside Bronkhorstpruit. The plant which lies on the premises of one of South Africa's larger feedlots, run by Beefcor and provides the facility with proximity to key fuel supplies, sufficient water and access to the grid. Power is generated at the plant with a mixture of cattle manure, mixed organic waste which is then left to sit in two anaerobic digesters in which biogas is produced. This gas then gets fed to a gas engine and electricity is produced and fed straight back into Eskom's grid. By the end of 2018, 100% of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn's electricity supply will be obtained from renewable sources - in line with the BMW Group's 2020 deadline for all group production locations to transition to fully renewable electricity supplies.
Last week I was invited by BMW South Africa to par-take in what would be an incredible 3 day journey across 3 provinces in the all new, locally assembled BMW X3. Called the X3 xPlore tour which involved a selected few media, mainly compromising of motoring journalists to experience what the first few models made locally by BMW at their Plant in Rosslyn were like as models that were used in the launch last year were all fully imported. It would be a good gauge to see if the locally made models compared equally to those which were assembled outside South Africa. With the plant being upgraded to accommodate the build of the X3, that would be one of the main point of interest in this 3 day tour, but as I soon found out that there was a lot more that BMW had up it's sleeve for us, which is why I decided instead of giving you one long post about my 3 day journey, rather I break it down into segments that are worthy of a story in it's entirety.
Day 1 started off at the brand new home of Auto Bavaria in Midrand, one of the flagship BMW dealerships in the country. It was a great way to see what the modern BMW dealership would look like, with a dedicated //M car show room, lifestyle section for BMW clothing and accessories, a big open show room floor with a range of the models, from sports coupes, sedans and the X range. We were addressed by BMW SA CEO Tim Abbott on the importance of this tour and what it meant to them as a company, as they have already had a great history with their Rosslyn plant, being the first outside Germany to contribute to the BMW coach works build and for the first time changing it's product line from the 3 series to the X3. There was a handing over ceremony, where BMW donated two of it's X3 test units, which were marked for destruction as per policy over to the Rhino Orphanage, a non-profit organisation, dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of rhino calves orphaned by poaching.
First up on the tour was getting a sneak peak at the upcoming BMW X Lifestyle Park, what is this you ask? Well its BMW's very own off road playground. Now I know what you all are thinking, "BMW doesn't make cars that can go off road", well that's where you're wrong. BMW's reason for building this is noting the shift in sales with more than 30% of BMW's global sales being made up by BMW X models. The XLP which compromises of a 1.3km off-road track .The X range of vehicles with xDrive are very capable as I soon found out. While it may not be a fully fledged 4x4, with BMW's xDrive system, the vehicle is more than capable to tackle the obstacles present at the X Lifestyle Park, most of which are pretty demanding.
The facility which will be open to the public in November will offer off-road Driving Experience courses from R2,750. Here customers can put their X models through its paces with various obstacles like hill descent, soft sand driving, water wading and rock crawl to name a few. Apart from the off-road track, the XLP will offer various family-orientated lifestyle experiences such as abseiling, zip-lining and park runs. Also on the site will be a BMW Lifestyle store with BMW accessories, a coffee shop and food stalls with it playing hosts to fitness activations.
Stay tuned to the blog as we will bring you more about our BMW X3 xPlore Experience.
With tickets for the Kevin Hart "What Now?" International tour almost sold out in South Africa, the guys behind the popular beverage are giving fans of the comedian another chance to watch the show but this time, in London!
Yes you read right, Savanna is giving you the chance to see the most sort out stand up comedian in London, all expenses paid! "With the South African shows practically sold out Savanna wants to give its fans another chance to catch the Kevin Hart What Now? Comedy Tour - this time live in London! Winners from our recent consumer under cap promotion will be announced per city in due course. The winners for the London trip can expect a great show as well as other authentic London experiences" - Marcel Swain, Savanna SA Marking Manager
For more information regarding this once in a life time opportunity, visit the Savanna Cider Facebook page before the 3rd of December and you could be in London, to witness Kevin Hart live at the O2 Arena on Sunday the 24th of January! Savanna will take care of all flights, accommodation and meals, and will assist all three winners with their visas, but you will need to have a valid passport to qualify.
If you not one of the lucky ones, don't forget you can still see Kevin Hart perform live in South Africa! His tour kicks off at the Grand Arena in Cape Town on 26 March 2016 followed by the Durban ICC on the 28th and ends off at the Dome in Johannesburg on the 30th of March. Kevin Hart What Now? Comedy Tour is promoted by Real Concerts with co-partners M-Net, 9.47, KFM and ECR.
Follow Savanna Cider on their various social media streams for more.
Grant's Whisky have recently annouced their collaboration with a trio of Photographers from Soweto. Twin brothers Innocent and Justice Mhkheli along with Vuyo Mpanthsa are budding photogrpahers who all share the same creative flair when it comes to capturing the perfect imagine. They formed the photo blog I See A Different You, which started off to showcase their combined their love for fashion, art and photography but from there they slowly drifted to showcase township life in a way outsiders have never seen before.
There is always this stigma of violence and danger when it comes to peoples perception of townships and with this venture they changed many peoples view of it by capturing and creating visuals of ordinary people in ordinary settings. Grant's Whisky stepped in to form a partnership with the three that has taken them on a nationwide journey, to photograph everyday South Africans who have stood by one another to achieve shared success.
Following the tour, the ISADY team are hosting a number of exhibitions around the country, where exclusive images will be displayed for viewing, this in collaboration with Grant's Whisky. Speaking on behalf of William Grant's & Son, Marketing Manager Lauren Kuhlmey had this to say, “With the recently launched Stand Together campaign, Grant’s Whisky acknowledges the people who have inspired and helped others on their journey to success, just as the William Grant family has done over 5 generations. No more so than in South Africa do we understand that ‘shared success’ is only
achieved by standing together. By collaborating with I See A Different You, we want to depict these
incredible moments of courage, support and solidarity, a demonstration of the rewards reaped
through collective achievement as opposed to the singular”.
