It is the only dedicated single grain whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Natalie Hilleli from LIVEOUTLOUD went to have a look.

I feel that maybe I should begin with a fair warning to all visiting the beautiful Cape and wanting to head to Wellington – it’s hot, exceptionally hot! It’s a good few degrees hotter than the city of Cape Town. Having left Johannesburg at dawn in the unwelcome mist and chill of an early summer morning, I was dressed for what I thought was going to be the usual ‘four seasons in one day’ Cape Town. We were heading to Wellington to visit the magnificently beautiful James Sedgwick Distillery. Needless to say by 10:00am, breathing in whisky fumes in 40 degree weather had me seeking shade in the postcard-perfect, stylish ‘barn’ where we were invited to enjoy whisky cocktails and a decadent food and whisky pairing affair in celebration of the distillery’s 125th anniversary. Overlooking a beautiful body of water, with birds flying overhead, the charm of this barn and the entire estate makes it understandable why master distiller Andy Watts and his team look so happy. Watts at the same time celebrated his own accomplishment – 20 years at the helm of the facility.

The James Sedgwick Distillery, dating back 125 years to 1886, is situated near the foothills of the Bain’s Kloof Pass in Wellington, in the heart of the Boland. It is the only dedicated whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Named after the 19th Century sea captain James Sedgwick, who became one of the pioneers of the South African liquor industry, it is home to the popular, proudly South African Three Ships Whisky and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky.

Sedgwick settled in Cape Town in 1850 and proved himself to be quite the wise businessman. In 1859 he established the firm of J Sedgwick & Company, suppliers of quality liquor, tobacco and cigars. When he passed away in 1872, two of his sons, Charles and Alfred, took over the running of the thriving business, which grew greatly under their management. In 1886 the company set up (some sources say bought) a distillery in Wellington.

The facility, originally a brandy distillery, started being used as a whisky distillery 20 years ago when production of the Three Ships brand was relocated there. At the same time Andy Watts, a past professional cricketer who had learnt the art of whisky making in Scotland, was appointed as the distillery’s manager.

The last 20 years have been a time of major change and accomplishments for the James Sedgwick Distillery. A strong focus was placed on ensuring the distillery would function in a sustainable, environmentally-sensitive manner and substantial renovations were made to ensure only the best, world-class quality whisky would be produced – including commissioning Forsyth’s of Scotland to produce copper pot stills for the distillery. To ensure access to a reliable water supply, a marshland next to the distillery was turned into a dam. The result is a lovely aesthetic feature to the distillery.

“The investment made in upgrading the facility has resulted in the capability to take the range of whiskies we are able to produce to the next level,” Watts said. “It has given us the confidence to compete – and today very successfully – in the international arena. Our latest Three Ships 10 Year Old single malt this year alone garnered gold medals at both the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the International Wine and Spirit Competition.”

“The whisky industry in South Africa, as opposed to the established producers like Scotland, is still in its relative infancy. However, we are constantly developing our range to underscore the country’s ability to produce world-class whiskies. Receiving recognition from these international competitions, judged by some of the world’s leading experts, is humbling and a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” explains Watts with great passion. The 100 percent single grain whisky, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, came back for the second consecutive year with a gold medal from the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of the Bain’s Kloof Pass, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is South Africa’s first single grain whisky and is made from the finest South African grain. Its double-maturation imparts flavour and complexity, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and distinctive whisky.

Andy Watts, master distiller at James Sedgwick distillery

James-Sedgwick-Distillery

James Sedgewick Distillery

James Sedgwick Distillery

For further information about the whiskies produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery visit www.bainscapemountainwhisky.co.za or www.threeshipswhisky.co.za

When faced with the daunting task of where to invest your hard-earned money, your options can be nearly as frightening as your first dance party. Standing across the room waiting for the courage to ask someone to dance with you – will she look as good when I get across the dance floor, is she suited to me, can I afford her and can I make it through the dating phase to the “pay off” stage?

How risky can you go with your portfolio choices and how much volatility can your blood pressure stand? Do you look at ‘sexy’ shares, flexible unit trusts, ‘plain Jane’ endowments, preferential shares, ‘exotic’ foreign currencies, property? The list just goes on and on.

So where do you start? The last place you would tend to think – yourself, your life i.e. by protecting the source of your investment and the assets that you have already accumulated and by making sure your estate can afford the costs involved when tying up an estate. Be it your salary, a property you rent out, your home, even an inheritance or your lottery winnings. Like any worthwhile plan you need a good foundation to build on because even the best planned recurring investments will crumble and be of very little help if your income comes to an end or dries up for an extended period due to ill health or accident, while the estate duties on your huge lump sum investment could diminish the value considerably and leave a massive shortfall in your estate planning.

Any financial planner worth their salt will start with your risk planning and help you determine if you have enough life cover in place, if your income protection is adequate and the correct type of cover for your needs. They will ensure your medical bills and critical illness expenses will be taken care of if they occur before they grab your investment money and “run”.

After a lot of searching I have still not been able to find a crystal ball that works and while we all know that we will suffer one of life’s unforeseen tragedies, we don’t know which it will be and more importantly when it will occur. In comparison this makes investing look easy — we know the date we want to start investing, we have the investment horizons before we start and we have a good idea what we want the money for one day.

Before meeting with your “advisor” take a little time and give some serious thought to your current situation. What is the total sum of your debt and how much of it can your spouse or partner afford without you? What is the bare minimum you can survive on every month if you are unable to work and your sick leave comes to an end? How much of your income do your family still need to support their lifestyle if you were to pass away? Are there any special plans you need to save for? If there is one time in your life you need to be brutally honest with yourself, this is it. Your future lifestyle and that of your family will be directly related to how you answer these questions should anything happen to you.

When meeting with your financial advisor, the more they probe and question you the better the job they are doing, much like your dentist poking around in your mouth with that sharp metal spike till they find something wrong and you practically take off out of the chair. Only once you find the problem can it be addressed and solved.

Before you start to worry about the bulls and bears, prime interest rates and bond prices, get yourself the peace of mind that, should you fall foul of ill health or physical injury, you will still earn an income and your family can continue the lifestyle they are accustomed to without having to dip into your investments or retirement plan.

Peter Ceruti is an accredited Momentum Financial Planner. For further details feel free to contact him at peter.ceruti@momentum.co.za

Samantha Barnes asks these difficult questions for those wanting to make the switch from a city lifestyle to country living. With rising living costs and jobs scarcer, is investing in country property still a good long-term investment?

John Veschini, principal of Rocky Valley Country Properties, gives a qualified “yes”. John has worked in real estate for over 30 years. He also offers extensive experience in architecture and building, so can speak with authority on the matter. “Typically, a person who yearns for the smell of the country, the sense of place, the tranquility and the slower lifestyle, will invest in country living. Someone who has had enough of the density of the city and all that goes with it… to ‘escape’ to a new way of life.”

John believes that life in the country can be likened to a good wine. It has the maturity of the mountains, the wind sculptured cliffs on the sea shore, the woody scent of the trees and the fynbos, and the smoothness of the undulating fields. It must be slowly and delicately savored and appreciated.

Rocky Valley Country Properties hosts property portfolios of many estate agencies throughout South Africa on their website. John notes a trend in terms of demand. “Most enquiries appear to be for property in and around country and coastal villages of the Western Cape, followed by the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and areas where game is the main attraction, such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu Natal. The enquiries tend mostly to come from Gauteng, Cape Town and KZN.”

Numerous enquiries come from expatriates seeking to return home. Foreign buyers are currently few and far between due to the Euro Crisis. Does it make sense for South Africans to invest in country properties? John believes that prevailing economic conditions are in the investor’s favour.

Country Property Bargains to be had

John advises: “Presently, due mainly to the depressed economic climate, all categories of property are selling at prices of 2007 or before and at least 15 to 20 percent lower than current municipal valuations, so there are bargains to be had. With the turnaround in the economy expected by end of this year, capital growth is assured.”

Wayne Rubidge, estate agent for Pam Golding Properties in Graaff Reinet, confirms: “With the continual increase in urban pressure in the cities the reasons why the country has become a popular investment will increase. Even during the economic slowdown the Karoo kept attracting frustrated urban residents longing for a life in the uncomplicated countryside. It is a great time to invest. Demand for rental homes is giving investors another option.”

“Pam Golding Properties is the only real estate company to have serviced the entire Karoo. Our involvement in many towns extends to managing information centres, being active in tourism of the town and the very important heritage of many of its buildings.”

Country hot spots to invest

John responds: “There is an increasing demand for property in the country ‘niche’ market and in the Western Cape where there are seldom land claims (an important factor when purchasing agricultural property). Agricultural property is showing strong demand.”

Country towns often achieve elite status through effective marketing by creative residents (think Pieter-Dirk Uys in Darling!). Less fashionable towns afford the investor a greater potential for capital growth. John Veschini recommends that first time investors choose lesser known towns such as Tulbagh in the Winelands, Redelinghuys on the West Coast and Sutherland in the Northern Cape. “Many other small towns and villages in the country fit into this category.”

Wayne Rubidge advises: “Murraysburg is a hotspot, also Graaff Reinet and Prince Albert. Towns like Willowmore have been bought into – witnessed by extensive renovations going on. The Gariep area along the Orange River is seeing increased interest. Callled the Karoo’s Riviera, Vanderkloof/Gariep and Oviston are poised to take off.”

Considerations before making the switch to country living

Selecting a town also depends on personal preferences. A buyer may prefer the climate of the highveld to the windswept vistas of the Western Cape. John Veschini recommends: “Travelling distance to a major airport, proximity to healthcare, shopping facilities, schooling, low levels of crime and climatic conditions are important requirements. The level of maintenance needed, especially a period home, must be considered.”

Wayne Rubidge advises selecting a well-managed town that is on the upturn. “Graaff Reinet is a classic example – voted town of the year in 2010. It attracts a different buyer than the smaller town which offers a unique country village lifestyle. Graaff Reinet has the services and facilities, good schools, medical facilties and is surounded by a national park.”

Demographic profile

John Veschini confirms: “More people in their 40s are buying property. In terms of agricultural property this is more apparent and sensible (it takes energy and years to learn the tricks of the trade to have a profitable farm). Modern technology plays an important role – people can do business via the internet.”

Wayne Rubidge adds: “Often, who is buying depends on what town. Prince Albert which is an elite country town, attracts many due to its proximity to Cape Town and attracts many high-end investors for early retirement or as a getaway destination.”

“The Karoo is seeing an upsurge in investment and interest in its abundant small country towns. Many towns are attracting early retirement investors due to prices. You sell your house in George, Cape Town or Johannesburg… relocate to the Karoo, buy a house for R450 000, and have a nice retirement nest egg. Another popular category is a Karoo historical home as a getaway place or a second home.”

Brendon McHugh and his wife gave up the corporate rat race in 2002. They moved to South Africa from the Netherlands to raise their young children and to run a wine and olive oil farm. A former IT manager for Shell Chemicals Europe, Brendon is happy they made the move. He says, “We have a fantastic lifestyle. There is no better place to bring up children than on a farm.” Although he cautions: “I would suggest doing plenty of research before buying, as certain rural areas are still plagued by crime.” Brendon regards lifestyle farms as a good investment.

Country Canola mountains

Garden Route property

Graaff Reinet

Graaff Reinet House

Tulbagh in winter

Africa is no continent for sissies and The Wild is no country for old men. The television show is a fast-paced daily dose of battles of chieftaincy, hot rangers tracking ‘the one’ and real family issues of life, death and divorce under the smouldering African sky.

The brief to the creators was to come up with an intriguing and suspense-filled storyline set against the backdrop of a six-star luxury game lodge within a large reserve with three families that have a tenuously precarious relationship and a legitimate claim to the land. According to Anne Davis, Senior Commissioning Editor M-Net Original Productions: “The families in The Wild were very carefully chosen and designed to give us many years’ worth of conflict and intrigue.”

Mpeo Makape, M-Net Marketing and Publicity Manager, believes regular viewers of the show gravitate towards the enticing elements they expect from a gripping soapy – scandal, suspense, drama, sex, humour, addictive viewing, family and relationship dynamics, conflict, unpredictability and manipulation.

The core target audience is females between the ages of 25 and 49. However, due to the nature of the soap incorporating action and wildlife we have seen a keen interest from the male audience. Planning began as a “big idea” hatched by M-Net in 2009. Detailed scoping was undertaken, while simultaneously working on the creative development of the concept and research into the world of game lodges. Cameras rolled for the first time in February 2010.

The producers wanted to create a picture so authentic for The Wild that Sean Van Zyl, a real-life game ranger was brought in from the start of the scripting process. His job initially was to make sure that the script department kept it as real as possible when it came to the everyday tasks of the ranger characters in the soapy and that nobody got their impala mixed up with their eland. It soon became a full-time gig when it became apparent that the city slickers in the cast and crew would need bush training and Sean would have to keep an eye on the untamed fauna as a location manager.

He recounts many stories of having to save cast and crew from various creepy crawlies found on set. One funny anecdote involved the script continuity person having to be saved from a puff adder blocking her exit from the ablutions. She had to phone the production office in Johannesburg for someone to radio Sean so he could take care of the poisonous reptile and she could get back to work and shooting could resume.

Sean’s wife, Joe, is a horticulturist and fortunately she came on board too to give our lodge, Dinaledi, its spectacularly landscaped gardens and to make sure no actors ate any poisonous berries. She had to replace all the exotic plants with plant life indigenous to the area, bringing in and planting a total of 230 trees. A key theme of the gardens in and around the lodge was the aloes found on the mountains in the area and adding plants and flowers for colour and seasonal interest to keep the location green and lush. Sean and his team introduced a few animal species like Nyala to the reserve, as well as doubling the number of animals that were on the property originally – such as ostrich, zebra, wildebeest along with other species.

So what makes The Wild so extraordinary? The show’s executive producer Bobby Heaney says: “An ordinary soap would be expected to be shot in a studio. It would be very formulaic with distinctly soap characters that would be shot in a traditional soap style which is mainly lots of two-person dialogue scenes focusing on emotional reactions. The Wild is not your ordinary soap – it’s shot totally on location with the major percentage of scenes being placed outside. We strive to show the magnificent African scenery as much as the traditional close-up reaction of the actors. We concentrate on making the storylines emotional, while also bringing in a lot of action sequences. The Wild is also shot entirely on HD cameras, ensuring that we have the best quality video drama production in the country. Finally, our stories, although based in soap, are more balanced towards traditional drama series than is usual.”

Of course, the advantage of shooting a daily soap in a studio is the close proximity of shooting locations and sets as well as being able to control elements. The idea of shooting a show like this on location, an hour away from Johannesburg in Heidelberg, would have been thought to be ludicrous during the initial planning stages, but Bobby Heaney and his team have developed a shooting schedule that has built-in safety mechanisms to enable the production to cope with adverse weather and other problems associated with exterior shoots. We also have an excellent crew and cast who are up to the gruelling challenge of shooting almost an episode per day.

Beautiful backdrop aside, a successful soap needs outrageously good looking and talented actors. This show boasts some of the best A-listers working in the South African television and film industry today, including TV power couple Shona and Connie Ferguson, film producer and actor James Alexander, veteran actor Ian Roberts, Cosmo sexy man Ty Keogh and former beauty queen and Idols finalist Gail Nkoane. The producers wanted the best and got the best. The storylines of The Wild are challenging and exciting for actors and this again helps to attract the best talent available. As testament to this fact the show has also managed to attract superb talent as guest artists. Survivor host Nico Panagio and television legend Gys de Villiers have really enjoyed their cameo roles and we have had the pleasure of working with Unathi Nkayi, Michelle Mclean, the Parlotones, Morne Steyn and other top local celebrities.

But the hero of the show is without a doubt Dinaledi Lodge. The set of The Wild made use of an existing lodge which was adapted to suit our story. The fictitious six-star, boutique lodge has all the luxury amenities from spa treatments and gourmet cuisine to customised game experiences, with a small army of well-groomed hospitality personnel and ruggedly striking game rangers ready to satisfy your every whim. Dinaledi is typically South African and breathtakingly beautiful. It is also symbolic of the inner passions that drive the show’s characters – their “wild and untamed” inner lives.

Tumisho Masha on the set of The Wild

Tumisho Masha on the set of The Wild

Resident game ranger Sean and his wife Joe

Photographer: Jason Boswell

Tumisho Masha

Photographer: Jason Boswell

The Wild set

Photographer: Jason Boswell

The Wild set

Photographer: Jason Boswell

For those who don’t already watch the show, The Wild airs weekdays at 19:00 on M-Net.

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