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Cape Town - According to Economic Opportunities MEC, Alan Winde, the events economy is a big revenue and jobs driver, and a vital part of the Western Cape’s tourism industry.
Events that take place specifically in areas such as Paarl/Franschhoek in particular bring much needed stimulus to the economy of these smaller towns.
Cape Town’s polo scene is the fastest growing in South Africa and as a result, Val de Vie Estate is adding two more fields to the estate’s offering. At the end of 2016 more than 500 chukkas were played at Val de Vie which is on par with polo clubs across the world.
Cape Winelands estate living is in high demand with more and more consumers buying houses and relocating to estates such as Val de Vie Estate, in search of secure, luxury living.
An expression of a luxury lifestyle for those who can afford it, polo events provide valuable networking opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs. Dubbed world-wide as the "king of sports", polo is unique in terms of the platform it provides. Polo events attract a combination of upper middle class and high net worth (HNW) attendees and polo aficionados. The events are also extremely social and one does not need have a thorough understanding of the nuances of the sport to really enjoy the action and the event itself.
With polo being a sport for the well-heeled, annual polo tournaments such as the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town is now one of city’s most anticipated events. It is a blend of luxury, fashion, polo, fine champagne with South Africa’s most elegant company present. Taking place on 4 March 2017, the event attracts equestrian lovers, HNW individuals from all around the world, local and international media, national and international celebrities as well as socialites.
The organisers of this polo event, VDELUXE, is a 7-year polo portfolio joint venture and partnership between Vividluxury and Val de Vie Events, spearheaded by Anina Malherbe-Lan and Simone de Wet. Together, the duo and their team of experts conceptualized and executed more than 18 world renowned polo events over the last 7 years, including the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town, the Cintron Pink Polo (both in their 7th year), the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup for HRH Prince Harry.
Based on the above experience this team of luxury lifestyle experts firmly believes that polo events is the latest trend when it comes to business networking (deal making) platforms for South Africa’s corporate elite and also attracts international investment. According to Brand South Africa more than 10% of foreign tourists come to South Africa to watch or participate in sport events, with spectators accounting for 60% to 80% of these arrivals.
Cape Town's mayoral committee member for tourism, events and economic development, Garreth Bloor, said the biggest boon to the city's coffers, is high-profile sporting events, which attract a large number of domestic and international participants and media. Further multi-year agreements for more anchor events are in the process of being concluded and this will add a significant amount to the revenue generated annually. Last year just six events contributed a phenomenal R2bn to the economy and from January to March this year, 172 events were supported - up from 100 for the same period in 2015. Investment in these polo events on local shores in terms of staff and marketing spend from corporates helps drive property interest amongst international circles.
