15 May 2012 – Due to popular demand by local and international guests,Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate, Franschhoek is pleased to announce that The Owner’s Cottage now offers a Bed & Breakfast rate.

The luxurious 5-star graded Owner’s Cottage has previously only been available to guests on an exclusive-use basis. However, due to such a high level of requests it was decided to also offer an individual Bed & Breakfast rate for the Angels Suite and four en-suite bedrooms. Winter Bed & Breakfast rack rates range per room from R4150 to R5810 per night.

The Owner’s Cottage welcomes guests to unsurpassed luxury boutique accommodation – comprising five beautifully appointed bedrooms (including the honeymoon suite), a spacious lounge, designer kitchen and a conservatory for dining. This is further enhanced by a manicured garden with a loggia, swimming pool and an elevated spa pool overlooking the vineyards.

For all enquiries and rates please contact Nicole on 021 876 8600 or reservations@grandeprovence.co.za.

Gerard, former chemical engineer and formidable mining financier, is one of 14 new members inducted into this prestigious organisation.

Recognition by the Commanderie cements the dedication of Holden Manz to uphold great wine standards and exceptional quality for Bordeaux-style red wines on South African turf.

The Commanderie de Bordeaux was established in 1952 and includes chapters reaching from New York to Hong Kong. The South African chapter was established in 2011. For more information, visit www.commanderiedebordeauxsouthafrica.com.

The Holden Manz tasting room is open daily from 10h00 to 17h00. Call 021-8762729, e-mail wayne@holdenmanz.com, visit Holden Manz on Facebook or www.holdenmanz.com. To reach Holden Manz, turn right at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek and follow the signs for two kilometres.

GPS coordinates: Latitude: 33° 56’ 7” S; Longitude: 19° 6’ 54” E.

Photo caption: Gerard Holden, co-owner of wine estate Holden Manz in Franschhoek, was inducted into the Commanderie de Bordeaux en Afrique de Sud, the South African chapter of the worldwide Commanderie de Bordeaux, at a dinner held at De Grendel wine estate. From left to right are Jenny Prinsloo (Franschhoek Wine Valley), Neil Pendock (Director of Public Relations for the Commanderie in South Africa), Gerard Holden (Holden Manz) and Migo Manz (Holden Manz). Photo credit: Tinus van Niekerk

The day kicked off with a VIP Luncheon, which was held to thank the generous sponsors and private donors who made the event possible with their donations and sponsorships. The day then opened to the public at 2pm, with performances kicking off the rest of the day’s activities. Some of the day’s acts included a fashion show by Jenni Button and Hilton Weiner, spectacular acoustic sets by Louise Day and Just Jinger’s Ard Matthews, a comedy stand up performance by Mark Palmer, and a moving Xhosa musical item by Lusanda Gwayi and Basha Magwape. The event also saw the final match of a weeklong polo tournament hosted by Val de Vie Estate. Guests were treated to an exciting game of polo while also indulging in the day’s live performances and charitable activities with good food and wine.

The Art & Life Initiative was set up to support and develop the arts in a dynamic way in order to contribute to the creative, and intellectual, prosperity of South Africa. A view also shared by the associate sponsor, Absa, who is the largest corporate patron of the arts and has the largest South African corporate art collection in Southern Africa.

The 5 child centred beneficiaries of this year’s event included The Cyrus Trust Prochorus Crèche Support Programme; the ‘I Was Shot’ Photography initiative; Ryk Neethling’s Pathways Foundation; the Yabonga HIV Aids Charity Organisation and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. The five charities were presented with cheques amounting to R220, 000 by the Art & Life Charity Initiative. The VIP luncheon saw a high profile art auction with pieces by artists, designers and photographers such as Chrys Mammous, Gordon Clarke, Martin Osner, Nikolas Michael and Sasha Muller.

The event also served as a platform for both established and up and coming local artists, designers, performers and musicians. Two art competitions were also held through the Initiative. The first was the Art & Life Student Art Competition, which was administered via the ‘Art and Life Charity Initiative’ Facebook Page. The competition was directed towards emerging young artists from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at UCT, the Andrew Owen School of Art, the Ruth Prowse School of Art, and other tertiary art institutions of study in the Cape Town area. On the day four winners were chosen from the 15 Student Art Competition finalists who each received a R5000 cash prize.

The second competition was a photography competition sponsored by Nikon, which saw the ‘I Was Shot In Cape Town’ initiative’s young photographers taking photos throughout the course of the day. The winning prize was a Nikon COOLPIX S5100. The participants of this competition making the statement that the event was “the best day” of their lives, as reported by the ‘I was shot’ Charity founder, Bernard Viljoen.

The guests in attendance enjoyed this fun and charitable day out in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, an event that is sure to become an annual date in the diary not to be missed. For more information on Art&Life, visit www.artandlife.co.za

Benefits may vary based on membership type and category and are subject to change as a result of on going management decisions.

Marketing:

• Management and Custodianship of the FWV Brand
• Free directory listings in official FWV marketing publications
• Free descriptive listing on the FWV website, including photo gallery and contact details
• Use of the FWV logo on publicity material – subject to approval of FWV
• Access to stocks of maps and promotional materials
• Access to members email database
• Display brochures at tourist information centre
• Participation in FWV festivals & events
• Festivals & events organisation and promotion, bringing feet to the Valley
• Press releases and media campaigns promoting the Franschhoek Wine Valley
• Newsclip monitoring service to measure the value of FWV media campaigns
• Research and statistical analysis, surveys to improve our customer service
• Representation at local and international tradeshows
• Social Media marketing – listings and competitions, Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest
• All FWV members are automatically also members of Wesgro/Cape Town Routes Unlimited.  This includes representation on their website and through their offices.

Savings & Discounts:

• Discounted commission rate of 10% on reservations from FWV Info Centre and website compared with other booking agencies (20%)
• 15% discount on BnBSure policies from Incompass Insurance
• 10% discount on advertising in the Franschhoek A-Z directory
• 5% discount on glassware orders over R500 from Chrystal Direct
• Discounted participation in tradeshows & exhibitions under FWV Brand, e.g. Indaba, Winex, Vindaba etc. (FWV handles all administration & generic Franschhoek branding)
• Discounted advertising opportunities in selected publications, e.g. newspaper features

Services:

• Free access to the services provided by the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Stellenbosch Chapter, via FWV’s membership of the Chamber
• Free telephonic advice from our Human Resource Consultant e.g. hiring, contracts, maternity leave, etc. also discounted personal consultations
• Membership Forums, Bi-monthly presentations and networking sessions on value-add topics e.g. fraud prevention in your business, the importance of digital marketing, “green” grading for accommodation establishments, etc.
• Electronic members newsletter, with organisational, industry & regulatory news
• Participation in specialist groups (e.g. Wine Ambassador’s & member sector meetings)
• Staff training opportunities, e.g. wine steward and hospitality training,  sales training for cellar door staff

Statement of Purpose

Management and custodianship of the Franschhoek Wine Valley brand.

FWV exists to

• Develop and implement marketing plans to profile the Franschhoek Wine Valley
• Arrange and advertise events that support the Franschhoek Wine Valley brand image and which encourage visitors to the Valley
• Represent the business interests of our members to the Stellenbosch Municipality
• Aggregate the combined buying power of our members to leverage economy of scale benefits from service providers
• Coordinate free advisory services and discussion forums to support our member’s businesses

FWV is able to deliver these objectives through our

• Brand management capabilities and knowledge of marketing practices
• Understanding of visitor and tourism trends
• Ability to gather industry-specific thought leaders into our governance structures
• Local administrative structure

FWV understands that our objectives will only be delivered

• By the retention and development of suitable skilled staff
• With the support and understanding of all our stakeholders.

The strategy illustrates the National Department of Tourism’s commitment to the development of rural economies in general and rural tourism in particular.

“The strategy can greatly contribute to the alleviation of pressure in areas that are often characterised by poverty and underdevelopment,” he said.

The main problem areas that are hampering rural tourism development have been identified.

•    Tourism has been inadequately resourced and funded in rural areas.
•    A number of key rural tourist attractions are located in rural areas and are not receiving the benefits stemming from the tourism industry.
•    The limited involvement of local communities serves as a major constraint in developing tourism in rural areas.

To address these challenges, the strategy aims to facilitate the co-ordination of rural tourism development initiatives among relevant stakeholders; create an enabling environment for rural tourism development to stimulate job creation; and identify and recommend strategic areas/nodes for tourism development in rural areas within the sector.

To access the full article, please visit the Southern African Tourism Update website.

The wine writing community of South Africa is invited to submit one wine-related article per journalist. The articles will be anonymously judged by an independent panel of local and international judges. The panel is chosen by the organisers, and this year includes John Platter (founder of the internationally respected Platter’s South African Wine Guide), Matthew Jukes (wine columnist, voted the UK’s most influential wine writer in 2011) and Bruce Jack (Flagstone Winery cellarmaster, and winner of Wine of the Month Club’s Winemaker of the Year award in 2011).

The Wine Writers award was initiated in 2009 in acknowledgement and celebration of the literary art of wine writing in South Africa. It is presented annually by the Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourist Association (FWVTA), in association with the Franschhoek Literary Festival, and carries a R25 000 cash prize, and a custom-made artwork. The award was won by Tim James last year, who was also the winner in 2010, and by Joanne Gibson in 2009.

The purpose of the award is to celebrate the art of wine writing, and the articles will be evaluated on both technical accuracy and literary quality. Articles should be submitted in the original language of publication. If necessary, they will be translated into English for judging purposes.

The articles will be forwarded anonymously to the panel of judges in an electronic PDF format.

After all three judges have agreed on a winner, he or she will be announced at the Franschhoek Literary Festival over the weekend of 11 – 13 May this year. The judges’ decision is final.

The closing date for submission is Thursday 12 April 2012. Entries need to be submitted in MSWord format to gilly@thefamousidea.co.za. The following information needs to be supplied: author, publication, date of publication, article title and author contact details.

Ends

About the South African Wine Writers Award

Established in 2009, the South African Wine Writers Award celebrates the literary art of wine writing in South Africa. It is presented annually by the Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association, in association with the Franschhoek Literary Festival.

About the Franschhoek Literary Festival

The FLF has gained an international reputation as a respected celebration of books and writers, with the focus on promoting South African writing and reading, and well supported by the local community. The aims of the Franschhoek Literary Festival are to appreciate and encourage writers and writing at informal events in a village setting, to foster a vibrant culture of reading that will excite children about reading and writing, and to raise funds for community and school libraries in the Franschhoek Wine Valley so that appropriate books are available to all.

ISSUED BY             :        THE FAMOUS IDEA TRADING CC

ON BEHALF OF        :        THE FRANSCHHOEK LITERARY FESTIVAL

CONTACT               :        GILLY HEMPHILL

TEL:                       :        011 446 7061/46

CELL                      :        082 820 8584

EMAIL                    :        gilly@thefamousidea.co.za

Celebrate the best tourism entities, products and the people behind them

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS/ENTRIES

The Mayoral Tourism Awards celebrate the achievements of the Cape Winelands tourism industry role players and showcase the best tourism entities, products, service excellence and the people behind them. The purpose of these awards is to acknowledge those entities, products and people that excelled and continue to surpass expectations within the Cape Winelands tourism fraternity. All nominations eligible for these awards must be located within the Cape Winelands District Municipal boundaries.

The closing date for submissions is Tuesday, 15 May 2012. Winners will be announced during the month of September 2012 at a Gala Evening. The various categories for nominations are as follows:

CATEGORIES

1. New tourism business of the year

This award is bestowed upon a tourism business that has been in existence for less than three years. The business should demonstrate a positive impact on tourism (through increased arrivals/customer numbers, revenue and employment opportunities created) and the potential to generate future tourism growth.

The submission should include a general overview of the nature and history of the nominee’s tourism business, including how this new business activity has promoted and benefited tourism within the Cape Winelands region beyond race, class, gender and social hierarchy.

2. Best visitor’s information & services of the year

This award is bestowed upon a Local Tourism Association (LTA) or privately run tourist/visitor information service that best promotes the town in its respective geographical area, providing visitors with the best local experience possible. Nominees must demonstrate a comprehensive approach to increasing tourism revenue into the region.

The submission should include a description of the nominated body, i.e. its history and mission, and appropriate examples of how it has brought or increased tourism revenue to the region. In addition, examples of promotional projects and their impact on the region and all of its tourism business beneficiaries should be part of this submission.

3. Tourism business of the year (3 years and more in existence)

This award is bestowed upon a tourism-related business that successfully introduced new campaigns and special projects in the region. Potential nominees include accommodation, attractions, museums, private associations, camping grounds, recreational areas and other tourism businesses.

Nominees must have a proven track record, as well as projects and campaigns that increase tourism visitation and revenue.

The submission should include a detailed history of the nominee, its projects and campaigns as well as the degree of innovation and creativity. In addition examples of project documents, promotional material, press clippings, revenue information, target audiences, etc. should be part of this submission.

4. Wine tourism destination of the year

This award is bestowed upon a wine estate or distillery offering a unique tourism experience. It is not a wine/beverage award, but does recognise wine estates/distilleries attracting increased business through special promotions with a specific emphasis on tourism related activities.

The submission should provide a general overview of the nature and history of the nominee’s tourism winery. It should also elaborate on how offered services and/or facilities enhance the tourism experience for visitors to the region.

5. Adventure, outdoor and or ecotourism business of the year

This award recognises excellence in the packaging and delivery of experiences that effectively demonstrate sustainable tourism practices.

The submission should describe the nominee’s service, and its association or connection to natural, cultural and historic sites or resources, or other special places linked to the region’s natural environment.

It should outline specific business practices that are unique or serve to demonstrate the nominee’s leadership in the chosen area. The submission should also describe the specific social and/or economic and/or cultural benefits resulting from the nominee’s business activities.

6. Tourism-related event/festival of the year

This award is bestowed upon those business entities that run special events, festivals and other activities that attract large crowds of people into the Cape Winelands. Tourism-related businesses include accommodation, attractions, museums, private associations, camping grounds, recreational areas and other tourism-related businesses. Nominees must have a proven track record of projects and campaigns that increase tourism visitation and revenue into the region.

The submission should include a detailed history of the nominee, its projects and campaigns as well as the degree of innovation and creativity in promoting tourism and tourism development in the region. Samples of projects, promotional material, press clippings, budget information, target audiences, etc. will serve as an added advantage in this category. All relevant supporting materials should be included with the nomination form.

THE WINNERS

The Award winners will be presented with a prize that is unique to the region. Each prize will be special in its own way – it will have its own personality and a unique story to tell – just like the person or team that it will be awarded to. Winners will be profiled in the media and all finalists will receive a commemorative certificate signed by the Executive Mayor of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.

NOMINATION FORM

Nomination forms can be collected at the different offices of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.  Please note that the Afrikaans and isiXhosa version of the forms are available at our offices.

Stellenbosch: 29 Du Toit Street
Worcester: 51 Trappe Street
Montagu: 56 Bad Street
Robertson: 46 Van Reenen Street
Ceres: 27 Munnik Street
Paarl: 194 Main Street

One form per nomination – photocopies of the nomination form will be accepted. To submit a nomination, simply complete this nomination form and forward it to: Cape Winelands District Municipality: For Attention: Ms. Bongiwe Nzeku/Ms. Joh-né Poole, Postal Address: 46 Alexander Street, Stellenbosch 7600 or 29 Du Toit Street, Stellenbosch 7600, tel. 021 888-5100, fax. 021 887-4797 or email: bongiwe@capewinelands.gov.za, or joh-né@capewinelands.gov.za

M MGAJO

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

No. R. 264
30 March 2012

TOBACCO PRODUCTS CONTROL ACT, 1993 (ACT NO. 83 OF 1993)

REGULATIONS RELATING TO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES AND CERTAIN OUTDOOR PUBLIC PLACES

The Minister of Health, intends to, in terms of section 2 and (4) of the Tobacco Products Control Act, 1993 (Act No. 83 of 1993), as amended, to make the regulations as set out in the Schedule.

Interested persons are invited to submit any substantiated comments or representations on the proposed regulations to the Director-General of the Department of Health, Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001 (for the attention of the Director: Health Promotion), within three months of the date of publication of this notice.

SCHEDULE

Definitions:

1. In these regulations, ‘the Act’ means the Tobacco Products Control Act, 1993 (Act No. 83 of 1993), as amended, and any expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall bear such meaning and unless inconsistent with the context:

“entrance” means the point of access to a public place and includes any adjoining covered surrounding area. ;

“outdoor eating or drinking area” means any outdoor area, including, but not limited to streets and sidewalks, which is available to or customarily used by the public or an employee, and which is designed, established, or regularly used for consuming food and / or beverages;

“outdoor event” means an organised public gathering attended by people in an outdoor public place for purposes of musical, dance, theatre, drama, entertainment, education, sport, performance or a community fair, parade, market or event;

“playground” means any part of a public area for use by children that has play or sports equipment installed or has been designated or landscaped for play or sports activities.;

“reasonable distance” means a distance that ensures that any person present in an area in which smoking is prohibited is not exposed to smoke created by any person smoking outside the area. This distance shall be a minimum of five (5) metres;

“service area” means any area designed to be or regularly used by one or more persons to receive or wait to receive a service, enter a public place, or make a transaction whether or not such service includes the exchange of money including, but not limited to ATMs, telephone kiosks, ticket lines, bus stops, railway platforms and taxi ranks.;

“service line” means an outdoor queue in which one or more persons are waiting for or receiving service of any kind;

“ventilation inlet” means the part of a mechanical ventilation system designed to allow air into the building;

“window” means an operable window.

Prohibitions

2. (1) No person may smoke any tobacco product in any public place.
(2) No person may smoke any tobacco product in the following outdoor public places:
(a) stadiums, arenas, sports facilities, playgrounds, zoos;
(b) premises of schools, or child care facilities;
(c) health facilities;
(d) outdoor eating or drinking areas;
(e) venues when outdoor events take place;
(f) covered walkways and covered parking areas;
(g) service areas and service lines; and
(h) beaches where public bathing is permitted, not less than 50 metres away from the closest   person near the demarcated swimming area.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-regulation (2) a person in control of an outdoor public place may designate outdoor smoking areas subject to the provisions of regulation 4.

(4) (a) No person shall smoke any tobacco product within a 10 metre distance from a window of, ventilation inlet of, doorway to or entrance into a public place.

(b) This prohibition does not apply to any person who is temporarily within the area while  actively passing through such area.

3. (1) The owner of or person in control of a public place, or employer in respect of a workplace shall ensure that no person smokes in violation of the provisions of these regulations.

(2) The owner of or person in control of a public place, or employer in respect of a workplace shall ensure no ashtrays are placed within any area where smoking is prohibited.

(3) The owner of or person in control of a public place, or employer in respect of a workplace shall conspicuously display a “No Smoking” sign at each entrance and in appropriate locations and in sufficient numbers to ensure that employees and the public are aware that smoking is not permitted in the area or place.

(4) The sign referred to in subregulation (3) shall:

(a) have a white background and a graphic of a no smoking symbol, consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a red circle with a red bar across it and shall be at least 14 cm in diameter; and

(b) carry the warning: “ANY PERSON WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PROSECUTED AND MAY BE LIABLE TO A FINE.” written in black letters, at least 2 cm in height and 1,5 cm in breadth, on a white background.

Designated outdoor smoking areas

4. (1) The owner or person in control of a public place or employer in respect of a workplace may designate part of an outdoor area of the premises as an area in which smoking is permitted.

(2) Smoking shall be permitted in that area only and in no other part of the public place.

(3) The owner or person in control of a public place or employer in respect of a workplace shall display a notice at the area stating that -

(a) the area is a designated outdoor smoking area; and

(b) no person under 18 years old may be present in the area; and

(4) More than one designated outdoor smoking area may be permitted at the premises.

(5) The parts of an outdoor area of the premises that may be designated outdoor smoking areas shall be clearly demarcated

(6) A designated outdoor smoking area shall-

(a) not be adjacent to an entrance to the premises; and

(b) be in a position that minimises smoke from the area entering any area where smoking is prohibited; and

(c) be set aside exclusively as a smoking area; and

(d) not be adjacent to walkways and other areas where persons generally congregate or walk.

    Requirements for a designated outdoor smoking area

    5. The owner or person in control of a public place or employer in respect of a workplace of premises at which there is a designated outdoor smoking area shall ensure that, in the designated outdoor smoking area-

(a) no person under the age of 18 years is present;

(b) no food or refreshment is served;

(c) no entertainment is provided;

(d) ashtrays are installed and the area regularly cleaned; and

(e) smokers are discouraged from remaining in the area longer than is necessary to smoke a cigarette.

    Smoke-free public place or workplace

    6. The owner or person in control of a public place or employer in respect of a workplace may totally prohibit smoking on the premises of that public place.

    Repeal

    7. The Notice Relating to Smoking of Tobacco Products in Public Places, No. R. 975 as published in Government Gazette No. 21610 of 29 September 2000, is hereby repealed.

(Signed)

DR A MOTSOALEDI,

MP MINISTER OF HEALTH

DATE: 1/3/2012

Download: Franschhoek Wineries open over Easter

Please contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley office on +27(0)21 876 2861 or email info@franschhoek.org.za if you need more information.