Please take note that this competition is more suited to readers who reside in the EASTERN CAPE
Location: Sundays River Valley, Addo, Eastern Cape
PRIZE 1:
Nataniël @ The Co-op: 2 tickets (value R 580) for any of the 3 shows – Saturday 30 October at 15:00 or 19:00, or Sunday 31 October at 15:00. This is Nataniël’s first-ever performance in Addo, in the spacious venue of The Co-op, allowing for Covid-safe gathering and entertainment. Singer, entertainer, story-teller, cultural commentator and host extraordinaire, an hour or two in Nataniël’s company will lift the Covid blues!
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PRIZE 2:
Classical Combo: 2 tickets to 2 events (value R520):
Firstly, experience Saint-Saëns 100, a tribute to the much-loved French composer Saint-Saëns on the 100th anniversary of his death, with an ensemble of classical musicians on piano, strings, French horn and trumpet performing his charming music from the Romantic era. Not limited to, but also including extracts from, his most well-known work Carnival of the Animals.
Secondly, listen to 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, 176 Keys as classical pianists and friends Kobus Buys and Mathilda Hornsveld realise a long-held dream of playing side-by-side on two grand pianos, performing the music of Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Saint-Saëns, Strauss and Grainger. A choice of performance times on Saturday 30th or Sunday 31st October, at Hopefield Country House.
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Ama-Zing Addo brings the world to Addo, and Addo to the world
Agri – Art – Adventure | 29-31 October 2021
A weekend of wine, food, diverse musical styles, gardens, wellness, outdoor adventures, and interactive masterclasses awaits visitors to the Sundays River Valley for the Ama-Zing Addo experience from 29 to 31 October.
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Headline music performers include entertainment icon Nataniël, alternative Afrikaans music legend Koos Kombuis, renowned classical and jazz pianist Charl du Plessis, and Gqeberha a capella quartet The Creed, while 20 of South Africa’s top wine estates will present tastings and the Addo Polo Fayre showcases homegrown and handmade local products.
Visitors can also experience Addo’s wildlife, nature and some energetic adventure thrills with ziplining, quad-biking, sand-boarding, a mountain hike or half-day guided Addo Elephant National Park safari.
Covid-19 and restrictions on travel and gatherings have severely impacted the tourism and hospitality sector in the area, which relies largely on international tourists, so local businesses and organisations have teamed up to tap into growing domestic tourism demand and attract new local and national visitors to Addo with a basket of events that showcase the diversity of the area and its vibrant local culture.
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Addo is famed for the citrus industry, the Addo Elephant National Park and game drives, but the organisers aim to show visitors that there is much more – a wealth of diverse wildlife and safari experiences, unspoilt nature and biodiversity, archaeological heritage going back to the Stone Age, luxurious country houses and pampering retreats, fine dining, country hospitality, working farm stays and exhilarating outdoor adventures.
“Ama-Zing Addo brings together our local hospitality and talents, and hosts some of South Africa’s icons of food, wine and performing arts, for a weekend of a wide variety of events, inviting visitors to Addo to experience the charm, vibrancy and diversity of our village and surrounds, and giving our local entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their wares. The Ama-Zing Addo Festival has something for everyone and anyone,” said organiser Kobus Buys.
An “event for a Covid-conscious world”, Ama-Zing Addo will be decentralised rather than concentrated in one area, Buys said, with venues specifically selected with an emphasis on space and open air, and all venues fully compliant with Covid-19 regulations as well as event health and safety legislation.
With a vision for a future calendar of regular and annual events, Ama-Zing Addo aims to be a catalyst for a thriving and sustainable Addo, and to offer South African tourists a wider variety of reasons to visit the area.
Buys said the event placed strong emphasis on using local suppliers, hiring local workers, and supporting local businesses, and the organisers were investing in upgrading infrastructure to improve Addo’s ability to host future events of all kinds.
Ama-Zing Addo is also a “green event”, implementing environmental best practices in all aspects of the event, including making use of digital tickets, programmes, venue maps and information leaflets to cut paper usage. The organisers have partnered with The Waste Trade Company to minimise and recycle waste at all venues and raise awareness amongst exhibitors, hosts and visitors.
Highlights of the weekend include:
The Vine Verandah at the Elephant House: 20 leading South African wine producers offering tastings and masterclasses, including De Wetshof, De Grendel, Le Lude, La Motte, De Krans, Ormonde, Zevenwacht, Stark-Condé and Bon Courage. There will be a tapas restaurant and outdoor seating.
The Polo Fayre located at the Addo Polo Club, is the place to find handmade and homegrown produce, arts and crafts and tuck into local foods in the open air or visit the tourism and agricultural exhibitions. There will be a supervised children’s play area and plenty of parking at the Addo Polo Club.
Three of Addo’s top-rated guesthouses – Addo Dung Beetle Guest Farm, Addo Wildlife and De Old Drift – will present a Safari Dinner on the Friday and Saturday evening, like the old-school travelling supper with an Addo twist. Guests will be transported between the venues on game-viewing vehicles to enjoy canapés, champagne, local game dishes and mouth-watering dessert, paired with wines from some of the visiting producers.
Addo’s only sushi chef will present “Sushi, anyone?” sushi masterclasses at Africanos Country Estate on the Saturday and Sunday, teaching participants to make their own stylish sushi at home – and of course they will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labours after the class.
Casa Mia Health Spa will be exploring the cutting-edge of beauty and wellness with a presentation entitled “Restore, Revive, Renew”. Non-invasive and minimally invasive aesthetic and anti-ageing treatments to enhance are placed under the magnifying glass. Discover how these treatments can restore and revive your natural beauty.
Gina Cooks with Citrus – Local chef Gina Woolley, a former assistant chef to Jamie Oliver, has rediscovered her foodie roots in Addo’s citrus orchards and will present cooking demonstrations with the Sundays River Valley bounty of oranges, lemons, and soft citrus – from marmalade to biscotti – at Gerald’s Gift Guest House.
Ama-Zing Addo is famed for the beautiful gardens of its accommodation establishments and farms. Take yourself on a self-guided Valley Gardens Tour through some of the best local gardens at your leisure on Saturday or Sunday.
For those with a thirst for adventure, Adrenalin Addo offers South Africa’s highest, longest and fastest double zipline, perched 70m above the Sundays River with breath-taking views over the valley, as well as a giant swing and the unique “Superman” zipline for a bird’s-eye view. For something slightly less adrenalin-pumping, join them for the Addo Parkrun through the citrus orchards on the Saturday morning.
More adventure awaits with safari and outdoor specialists CrissCross, offering excursions on their eco electric quad-bikes through the orchards and valley bushveld, sandboarding on the largest coastal dunefield in the southern hemisphere, mountain hiking and half-day guided safaris through Addo Elephant National Park.
Music is high on the agenda at Ama-zing Addo. Take in local Addo musicians along with craft brews from Addo Brewing Co., venison burgers, as well as an indigenous garden shop and local art at Local is Lekker at De Old Drift.
The coolest man in Afrikaans music, Koos Kombuis will dust off his old hits and share new tunes in two “unplugged” performances at Africanos Country Estate, looking back on three decades since the ground-breaking Voëlvry tour.
At the same venue, the golden voices, and harmonies of Gqeberha’s popular all-male a capella quartet The Creed will transport audiences on a heart-warming, foot-tapping journey through popular music with their new show Hope.
Just like in his popular TV show “Toegang”, Nataniël gains access to brand-new venue Die Koöperasie in his first-ever appearance in Addo. Singer and story-teller of note, icon-extraordinaire, Nataniël has three shows in this large venue, chosen to accommodate the maximum number of fans in Covid-safe conditions. He will be accompanied by the Charl du Plessis Trio.
Acclaimed musician Charl du Plessis, considered one of SA’s foremost pianists and enjoyed for his ability to move through genres from Lady Gaga to Beethoven, last took a bow in Addo in 2008. Regularly selling out performances from Shanghai to Miami, he returns fresh from a season in Europe to perform with the Charl du Plessis Trio, renowned for their distinctive classical-jazz crossover style, in Jazsix @ The Co-op.
Hopefield Country House presents 2 Pianos 4 Hands 176 Keys, with old music friends Kobus Buys and Mathilda Hornsveld realising their long-held dream of playing side-by-side, performing the music of Schubert, Saint-Saëns, Strauss and Grainger.
Also at Hopefield, David Bester (violin), Dylan Barker (French horn), Mariechen Meyer (double bass), Jan-Hendrik Harley (violin), Elmarie van der Vyfer (viola) and Henru van Zyl (trumpet), with Kobus Buys and Mathilda Hornsveld on piano in the Saint-Saëns 100 tribute, marking 100 years since the death of the famous French composer.
The “king of instruments” also has a home in Addo – Romano Jonathan and Paul Richards will play away the pandemic cares with an organ and saxophone recital inspired by the Swedish Antiphone Blues at the NG Kerk Sondagsrivier Suid.
Newly resident in Gqeberha, David Bester, Mariechen Meyer and Jan-Hendrik Harley present three performances of their String Serenade on violin, viola and double bass at Sneezewoods, at Chrislin African Lodge. A rich combination of instruments to take listeners on an atmospheric musical journey.
The Sarah Baartman District Municipality is a key sponsor of Ama-Zing Addo. Spar & The Co-op have further contributed to ensure Ama-Zing Addo can be held successfully. Other local and national supporters include Addo Tourism, Sundays River Women’s Institute, Chaîne des Rôtisseurs – Bailliage de l’Outeniqua, Hermitage House Private School, Go.See.Do Eastern Cape, Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs, PeriExpo, Radio Sonder Grense, and Skål International Nelson Mandela Bay.
Competition closes Sunday, 10 October 2021 at midnight.
Ts&Cs apply. Competition will run online only. By entering the competition, you accept The Citizen’s standard terms and conditions. Premium members will not be automatically entered due to the nature of the competition.
Additional T&Cs:
All travel and accommodation are for winners’ own account including flights, car hire, Uber, etc.
