Joburg Tourism presents Top 10 at Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival

Joburg Tourism will be utilizing the Soweto Wine Festival, taking place at the UJ campus from September 4-6 as a promotional platform to celebrate spring, Tourism and Heritage Month, as well as launch its latest campaign – Love Joburg – Explore, Experience & Enjoy!

The “Love Joburg” tagline is being introduced with the objective of instilling civic pride among locals, as well as promoting awareness of the city’s fabulously diverse tourism appeal, which includes not only tourist attractions, but a myriad of events on offer throughout Joburg.

“Joburg’s calendar of signature lifestyle events takes off in September, which is not only Tourism and Heritage Month, but also heralds the beginning of spring, when people get out of doors to embrace life Jozi style,” says Tshidi Mlaba, Deputy Director, Destination Marketing. “We will be using the Soweto Wine Festival’s 10th Anniversary to celebrate destination Joburg, entrench our top 10 sites and attractions, as well as our top 10 signature events.

“The number of events celebrating music, food, fashion, entertainment and living the good life is quite mind-boggling – and the pace is sustained until the end of summer. The Soweto Wine Festival, Arts Alive, Joy of Jazz, Joburg Day and the Joburg City Festival are just some of the events to look forward to in September, with plenty to follow! Joburg’s pace is hard to beat and September is wonderful time to remind locals and visitors that it is the most happening destination on the continent!

Background to the Tops at Spar Soweto & Lifestyle Festival

In its 10th anniversary year, the Soweto Wine Festival will see Joburg kicking off spring with a sparkling wine and lifestyle event – attracting winemakers, chefs, celebrities, international and national and local sponsors, visitors and media.

The Tops at Spar Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival has been a flagship event for the tourism unit since 2004, forming part of its strategic promotional platforms. The event has since grown, attracting both Cape Town and Durban Tourism to launch their tourism campaigns on this platform.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the festival has been showcasing emerging local winemakers, chefs and wine traders from South Africa and increasingly the continent. To date, the festival attracts over 500 local and international media, 200 wine exhibitors and five local tourism authorities. Over the three days of the festival, Soweto is abuzz with activities attracting over 10 000 local and international visitors, with direct and indirect contribution to the tourism value chain – accommodation, restaurants, tourist attractions, transport.

The Tops at Spar Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival programs include the following;

• Wine and Service Training for students to work at the festival

• Tours for wine makers, producers and exhibitors to existing restaurants, shebeens and hotels in Soweto to establish long-term partnerships and continued investment opportunities

• Wine and Food Pairing Classes with well-known chefs and winemakers

• Wine Trade Expo (Thursday night)

• Best Stand Awards: Most Popular Wine Awards

Group Communication and Tourism’s mandate is to position Joburg as the destination of choice for business and leisure tourism; but equally a leader in the lifestyle, shopping and entertainment offerings, setting the benchmark whereby other provinces are able to export the model. Hosting the Tops at Spar Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival plays an integral part in achieving the following City objectives:

• Reinforcing of Johannesburg’s positioning as the Africa’s hospitality and all year round lifestyle event destination of choice.

• Showcasing the City’s rejuvenation programs in areas such as Soweto and surroundings, contributing to social cohesion.

• Helping to stimulate Joburg’s economy by developing entrepreneurial skills and creating jobs through events like the Tops at Spar Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival.

• Showcasing City’s world class facilities as great host to mega lifestyle events.

• Attracting local and international visitors to Johannesburg and contributing to boosting the local economy with the financial spend on accommodation, restaurants, souvenirs, transportation and job creation.

How to Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg in 72 hours!

Joburg’s allure as Africa’s most exciting business destination and a vibrant, cultural hotspot is legendary. It truly is an all year round global destination for business, sports, leisure, lifestyle, design, the arts, fashion and film.

While the majority of visitors arrive for business reasons or events, ever increasing numbers are staying to sample and experience Joburg’s fascinatingly diverse, urban tourism and lifestyle scene.

JOBURG’S TOP ATTRACTIONS – DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING:

City Sightseeing Bus: www.citysightseeing.co.za

Travel with City Sightseeing’s hop-on hop-off red bus to all Johannesburg and Soweto’s top tourist attractions – one of the best ways to explore Joburg at your own pace.

Origins Centre: www.origins.org.za

A museum in Africa for the people of the world – offering visitors a unique experience of Africa’s rich complex and mysterious past.

Gold Reef City: www.goldreefcity.co.za

Experience Africa’s greatest entertainment Theme Park created around an authentic 19th Century Gold mine at Gold Reef Theme Park.

Johannesburg Zoo: www.jhbzoo.org.za
The Joburg Zoo is one of the most popular local and tourist attractions situated in the leafy northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Founded in 1904 and covering 81 hectares, Joburg Zoo houses over 320 species, totaling about 2000 animals; it is open to the public 365 days a year.

The SAB World of Beer: www.worldofbeer.co.za

The SAB World of Beer ranks as one of South Africa’s top two tourist experiences, offering nearly 50 000 visitors a year a uniquely memorable encounter with the magic of beer and brewing.

Montecasino: www.montecasino.co.za

Located in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, Montecasino is known for being Gauteng’s number one entertainment destination.

Apartheid Museum: www.apartheidmuseum.org

The first of its kind, this museum illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid. It is a beacon of hope, showing the world how South Africans are coming to terms with their oppressive past and working towards a future that they can all call their own.

The Struggle Route including:

• Mandela Family Museum: www.mandelahouse.com

• Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication: www.waltersisulusquare.co.za

• Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum: www.joburg.org.za

• Liliesleaf Farm: www.liliesleaf.co.za

• Constitution Hill: www.constitutionhill.org.za

For more information, please visit www.joburgtourism.com or www.joburg.org.za

Joburg Tourism is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .