Events reignite a joyful spirit in Jozi
29-10-2014
Johannesburg, Africa’s flagship city, will again be a beehive of activity in November.
As it has become customary at this time of the year, the city will be hosting a plethora of exciting and high-profile events, cementing its position as South Africa’s melting pot of cultural, sporting, lifestyle, leisure and business activities.
In fact, the mouth-watering lineup of these rich and diverse events kicks off as early as Wednesday October 29 when the eyes of the fashion world will fall on the Melrose Arch, where the city will be hosting the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
Presented by African Fashion International, the Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion Week, which runs until Friday November 1, is the continent’s premier annual trans-seasonal tailoring showcase that presents style innovations and trend-setting offerings from big fashion names such as David Tlale, Marianne Fassler and Carducci.
Another fashion spectacular that will grace Johannesburg in November will be the Soweto Fashion Week, which will take place at the Soweto Theatre in Mofolo from November 26 to November 29.
This is when Soweto’s hidden abundance of cutting-edge couture talent will be on display.
On the sporting front, hundreds of runners from all corners of South Africa and abroad are expected to take part in the popular new-look Nike Soweto Marathon on Sunday November 2.
What makes the marathon – which starts and finishes at the Nasrec Expo Centre – a favourite in the athletics world is that it takes runners along routes that showcase Soweto’s rich cultural diversity and heritage.
But what also makes the race more important is that it is in line with the City of Joburg’s programme to promote a healthy lifestyle. Through the programme, the City encourages its residents to engage in activities such as running and walking to boost their health and keep chronic diseases or conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart ailments at bay.
The iconic race – which will see the male and female winners of the full marathon pocketing a cool R100 000 each – will be followed by another equally important sporting event for the City – the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge on November 16.
Thousands of cyclists are expected to take part in the challenge, a gruelling test of pedalling endurance that offers something for everyone – from kiddies to mountain race bikers.
Besides promoting a healthy lifestyle, the challenge speaks to the City’s vision of creating a car-less and environmentally friendly city in which cycling will be the preferred form of mobility.
Only last week, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Parks Tau launched a R1 million 5km cycle lane in Orlando East, Soweto, as part of a broader programme to promote the utilisation of non-motorised transport in the city.
The Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup, Johannesburg’s premier horse-racing event, returns to the Turffontein Racecourse on 29 November.
The race offers visitors and race enthusiasts an unforgettable day of adrenaline, excitement, style and fashion.