WeeklySA_AdminABUNDANT: Bleisure is the place to be at Mogale City’s Cedar Lodge this coming weekend…
By Gugu Sibiya
The inaugural Bleisure Pop-up Inter-Africa Trade Fair is set to wow people who love the finer things excited when it opens its doors at the picturesque Cedar Lodge in Mogale City, starting from August 31 until September 2.
The entertainment and lifestyle show has the potential to change the lives and fortunes of those who run small businesses – thanks to its eclectic offering, not to mention its abundance of opportunities for SMMEs to ply their trade alongside their international counterparts.
Unassuming, but fired up, Dimakatso Malwela is the force behind the event. She leads a sea of an all-female team without looking for recognition.
“The idea for the Bleisure Popup Inter-Africa Trade Fair emanates from travelling, especially for business, thinking how I could leverage on that. That I can do it for leisure or business,” says Malwela.
“So, if I’m going to any country or destination, I don’t want to confine myself to the boardroom but maximise my time on leisure and meeting other business people. If I’m attending this particular meeting for which I want to explore the place, I should give myself time to do so, thus deciding whether I do return for a holiday with my family. Meaning that the tourism sector also benefits as a sector when business people appreciate the destination enough to want to come back with their families” she says with conviction.
She says that the ASFTA is promoting doing business in other African countries. “So, I can’t just wake up one morning and say I want to invest in Kenya and go there. What we did as Bleisure, was to come up with a Business Forum to be used as a platform to promote trade investment, introducing Africa to the world and bringing the world to Africa.
“Profiling Africa as one of the best tourism destinations in the world, because how we are profiled as a country is not always a true reflection of what we offer. Within the programme, we ensure that aside from business, our guests have time to go on excursion; enjoy a bit of golfing and all the other elements that form part of leisure; learn about our rich and unique African culture and heritage”.
She adds that tourism is about experiences. Clarifying the Popup phenomena, Malwela says “We have four other Forums, but felt it was important to create a platform for SMMEs. So, we came up with pop-up exhibition stalls. The one taking place in Mogale, is under the Inter-Africa Trade Fair for exhibiting and showcasing SMMEs products. It will be inaugurated by the Director-General of Tourism and ambassadors from various countries. We pride ourselves on coming up with the show that’s the first of its kind in the world.
“We offer pop-up business trade and the business lounge. On Saturday, we have a family day with the Kids Zone, so that parents can conduct their business freely while their children are safe and well-taken care of. The Fashion Show will happen throughout the four days.
“We’ll kick off Bleisure Thursday with masterclasses for women which will focus on development, programmes and franchising in Africa, export readiness, among others. Golf lovers will tee at the Copper Leaf Golf Club at Centurion and return to Krugersdorp to relax back at the VIP Business Lounge, where they will also network.
“Guests to Cedar Lodge can look forward to wine tasting sessions launched by the CEO of Proudly South Africa. The most fulfilling part will be seeing SMMEs exhibiting and showcasing their goods, networking with peers from other parts of Africa and overseas markets. Another highlight will be the launch of the Wine Roadshow followed by the wine tourism and tasting. The show, which is going to be an annual event, head for the Cote’d Voire, Mozambique and Ghana at the end of October. Entrance is free!”
