If you are in Cape Town for the weekend starting Friday 16th you will be in for quite a unique treat… This weekend Cape Town, and South Africa, will be celebrating Nelson Mandel’s 92nd birthday! I can safely say that just about everyone who is reading this has heard of our famous and much loved former president. As a quick summary if you haven’t, Madiba (as we call him) was imprisoned for 27 years for his part in the struggle against Apartheid, upon his release he went on to become president of SA and, against much speculation, proceeded to promote the philosophy of forgiveness and moving forward as a unified nation, which is actually where the philosophy of Ubuntu comes from.

Celebrations will kick off on Friday with a business breakfast hosted by the SA Ubuntu Foundation at the V&A Waterfront. On Saturday there will be a celebrity cook-off with the Giggling Gourmet, Jenny Morris, who together with other top chefs will be preparing fabulous meals for various shelters around the city.

On Sunday, the entire country will sing Happy Birthday to Madiba. There will be a free music concert held on St George’s Mall in the city centre, with local artists entertaining everyone from 10am to 6pm. There will also be a Cultural Cuisine Quarter where you can sample delicacies from some of the top hotels and restaurants.

On Monday, in association with Cape Town Tourism, there will be a symposium to discuss the concept of Ubuntu and how we can incorporate it on a sustainable level, in our businesses, homes and lives in general – drawing on the fact that we managed to sustain a level of unity and ‘Gees’ throughout the World Cup, which proves that it can be done. Do not miss this truly South African celebration and being part of something great!