LERATO TOPS THE A-LIST
From Soweto to stardom
Take a grand society dame, one of the land’s hottest female celebs, and add a dash of soccer royalty.
Stir in a no-holds-barred political wife, a funnyman who doesn’t cuss and a soon-tobe sexagenarian businesswoman sexier than women half her age. Finish off with TV’s newest eligible bloke and a blast from the past on the cusp of a comeback and, voilà, that’s my pick for this year’s ultimate A-List.
But what about a suitable setting for the second annual gathering of these individuals influential not only in their realms but who effortlessly stand out from the crowd?
I tapped one of the land’s top party planners, Jill Grogor of Zebra Square, who found the perfect spot: a secret venue in the heart of one of the country’s top hotels, where my guests could tuck in to a feast washed down with the finest French bubbles.
The eight A-Listers were invited to meet on the outside patio of the swish Sandton Sun, where they were welcomed with canapés and glasses of Veuve Clicquot.
First to arrive at the San Deck, as the outside area is called, is society doyenne Peta Eggierth-Symes, who has probably graced more fashion do’s than Imelda Marcos has pairs of shoes.
Peta looked the part but fessed up that she had been a little worried that, with two months of holiday revelries, she might not have fitted into her slinky, long red gown finished off with matching hat.
Next up is Carvin Goldstone, who admitted that he had had a bit of a wardrobe dilemma himself. The funnyman, who especially came up from Durban for the lunch, had forgotten the trousers of his tan coloured suit at home and had to dash to Sandton City to find a replacement.
Ooops!
That’s the funnyman and the grand dame, but what about the bloke bound to make womenfolk across the land swoon when M-Net’s The Bachelor SA arrives on our screens come Valentine’s Day?
In walks hunky entrepreneur, former Sharks player and model Lee Thompson as though he’s just stepped off a yacht moored off the south of France.
Last guy on the list is someone who is the son of a South African soccer legend and who, newly single, could be a good candidate to follow Lee’s lead if there’s a second series of the reality-TV dating show.
That’s Kaizer Motaung jnr, whose dad, of course, is the founder of one of the country’s biggest soccer clubs, Kaizer Chiefs, and who also had an impressive soccer career before hanging up his boots four years ago.
You’ll want to know, though, about the rest of the ladies, and they include Norma Gigaba, the outspoken wife of former minister Malusi Gigaba, and businesswoman Judi Nwokedi, who told me she’s celebrating her milestone birthday by holding a series of monthly “birthday activations” instead of one big bash, with the first one in London this weekend and the next in Cape Town.
The comeback girl? Those with long memories will remember Chichi Letswalo, who at the start of this millennium was the land’s top it girl as the host of SABC3 programme The
Wedding Show before disappearing off our radar.
Well, having honed her craft studying acting in New York, Chichi showed off her acting chops on local drama series
Isithembiso last year and is set to capitalise on renewed interest in her this year.
The only name from last year’s inaugural A-List is TV host, DJ and Metro FM presenter Lerato Kganyago, who turned heads in a lime-green pantsuit showing off her ample bosom.
Now about that secret spot: I led my guests to an area usually off-limits to patrons: the hotel’s busy industrial kitchen where a special chef’s table had been laid out just a few steps from where chef Chad Bosman and his team were preparing our three-course lunch.
In come starters of salmon carpaccio with kimchi, cream cheese and furikake (a type of Japanese seasoning, FYI), ending with a dash of yuzu caviar paired with Veuve’s signature Yellow Label, while our main course was a duo of duck with parmesan gnocchi, shimeji mushrooms, drizzled with truffle oil.
Dessert is deconstructed mandarin tart with ginger-nut crumble, raspberries and shards of thyme-infused meringue, which we finished off with the French champagne house’s sweeter tipple, called Rich.
Check out my A-List for 2019: