Natasha Alomia used ice cubes as building blocks for her business. It all started two years ago experimenting with them in her home freezer.
The ice burn she endured as she touched thousands of cubes of ice building her business was worth it. Thirteen months later, it led to a R1 million ($75,700) empire built on champagne popsicles.
She spent months testing and tasting frozen sparkling wines, to see if her idea to make popsicles out of wine would be a hit on retail shelves and cooler boxes.
&#8220;I was overseas on business and walked into a department store in London and I saw their  own brand of popsicles. I phoned my business partner and said let&#8217;s make it ourselves. I got back to South Africa, bought 10 different brands of champagne and wine and literally experimented on my stove playing with water levels and fructose levels. At one stage, my entire freezer was filled with varying sizes of ice cube samples. Some tasted great in liquid form, but horrible when frozen,&#8221; says Alomia.
Her bubbly idea was something South Africans have never seen before – frozen champagne popsicles. An idea so simple, you would think someone had thought of it before.
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The pops come in two flavors – Cap Classique and Tranquille. A special tube, imported from overseas, is filled with the champagne syrup and sent through an accelerated freezer, a process the resourceful Alomia learned first-hand in her own freezer.
&#8220;I remember having dry ice burns on my fingers two weeks after the launch and going to breakfast with a friend of mine, and there he is having to cut my breakfast because I couldn&#8217;t hold the fork. You must be willing to do all it takes.
<blockquote>&#8220;It brings out your inner child. Everyone remembers as a kid having your popsicle and loving them and this is a lolly to make you jolly when you are a grown-up.&#8221;</blockquote>
Alomia studied Marketing Strategy at Bond University before completing a Master’s in Queensland, Australia. She worked in London as a marketing manager at a corporate interior design firm, before coming home to put her entrepreneurial skills to test.
In South Africa, she teamed up with her business partner Jon-Marc de Carvalho, who she met while studying overseas, and formed JML Consulting, which is where she began looking to bring in overseas products that could fill South Africa&#8217;s growing luxury food market.
The pair tried importing coconut water as well as a line of high-quality protein snacks. Both flopped.
&#8220;We were doing this on the side. Looking for the next thing. The minute we started working on the popsicles, this became the focus,&#8221; says Alomia.
Together, they poured R3 million ($227,000) into the popsicle concept, which included buying a R1 million ($75,700) industrial ice cream maker. The 33-year-old Alomia recalls the investment was like jumping off a cliff and building a parachute on the way down.
&#8220;People were saying ‘what are you thinking producing this luxury product in this economy’. I&#8217;d be lying if I didn&#8217;t say there weren&#8217;t any challenges. This isn&#8217;t Europe or the United States where you launch a product and because of the way the land lies, 80% of the population will buy it. Here you literally appeal to 10% of the entire population of the country.&#8221;
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Thousands of ice cubes later, they had found a wine that was both elegant and delicious from the Pierre Jourdan cellar at Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek in Cape Town. The cellar master sold them 12,000 liters of wine and they were off.
<blockquote>&#8220;If you are going to do something no one has ever done before and lead with a brand, there is no half-baked measures. You have to do things right. We didn&#8217;t want to go to market with something on a stick. We wanted it to say premium,&#8221; says Alomia.</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_32725" style="width: 227px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32725" class=" wp-image-32725" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Natasha-Alomia_JC-3-200x300.jpg" alt="Natasha Alomia champagne popsicles" width="217" height="326" />Natasha Alomia (Photo by Jay Caboz)</div>
It hasn&#8217;t always been easy. Alomia has also had her fair share of frosty encounters; her most memorable was with a senior executive from a large corporation.
&#8220;He sat across from the desk and said &#8216;this will never work, girlie&#8217;. My business partner grabbed my leg under the table. I said ‘sir, with all due respect, you are not the target demographic, and second, I am telling you it will work’&#8230; we launched, and 10 months later, he called back and now he wanted it.&#8221;
A liquor license was also a challenge. The popsicles never existed before, so there was no legislation around it. It took months to dot the Is and cross the Ts.
&#8220;When we launched, I had pretty much every liquor board in the country phoning me asking if it was legal. You don&#8217;t go through 13 months of development working with a national retailer, who literally makes you jump through flaming hoops backwards, only to not make sure on the most important thing you are not covered.&#8221;
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Things got even more challenging when Alomia&#8217;s first delivery melted, costing them R50,000 ($3,800).
&#8220;I&#8217;ve cried over these popsicles. It was a week before the launch. It was soul destroying. When you are a big brand that just gets absorbed into a wastage budget line. When you are dealing with thousands of human beings responsible for a cold chain, you just need one person to leave open the freezer door and you can lose half your stock. It can break your heart.&#8221;
She sucked it up and six months into the business, Alomia is feeling the fresh cool whiff of success.
She is building her growing popsicle empire one ice cube at a time.

A Cool Idea That Turned A Million

Champagne season is officially here. From now through the new year, you’ll likely be popping a few corks and spilling bubbly all over your carpet.
If you have been really nice (or really naughty) you might be lucky enough to spill some Krug. The LVMH-owned champagne from Reims, France, is regarded by many – including a few friends who work at competing liquor companies – to be the best champagne in the world. With that big a reputation comes a steep price, a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée costs around $145.
When you’re spending that kind of dough on a bottle, you want to make sure you are serving it right. But with champagne, most of us are doing it wrong. Luckily, the United States Director of Krug, Carl Heline, met up with me at The Fat Radish in New York to share advice on how to drink champagne like a professional. Here are the essential tips:
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<h5>1) Safety first:</h5>
After you rip off the foil, keep the cage (the small wire thing) on the cork – even after you untwist the wire. Once you loosen the cage, make sure you keep one hand over the cork so it won’t accidentally pop off.
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<h5>2) Spin the bottle:</h5>
Don’t twist the cork. Instead take a tight grip of the cork (cage loosened, but still on) and twist the base of the bottle, this gives you a much better hold, until you slowly remove the cork. Heline adds that there’s no shame in popping corks; after all champagne is about fun &#8211; just don’t aim at someone’s head.
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<h5>3) Chill out, just not too much:</h5>
The ideal temperate to serve champagne is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10ºC). Most of our refrigerators run at about 45 degrees (7ºC), so once you open a bottle, let it sit out in the open. Don’t drown it in a bucket of ice, the freezing temperatures lock up flavors.
<h5>4) Grip and rip:</h5>
Grip your hand around the base of the bottle – if your hands are too small you can press your thumb on the indent on the bottom – for good balance and tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle to pour the wine along the side of the glass, this reduces the foam.
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<h5>5) Say no to flutes:</h5>
Most places serve champagne in flutes – the glasses have cache and show off the bubbles well. The trouble is flutes are terrible for tasting the wine, the shape prevents enough oxygen from getting into the glass to open up the champagne and blocks the aromas from reaching your nose, which in turn limits the flavor. Heline uses glasses custom made for Krug. If you can’t find those, a simple white wine glass will do the trick.
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<h5>6) Sniff and sip:</h5>
Don’t be afraid to bury your nose in the glass before your first sip, so much of our taste comes from smell. Have a taste and note the flavor. After that gently swirl your glass on the table and taste again, noting the subtle flavors the swirling has released.
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<h5>7) Don’t over-think it:</h5>
Champagne is meant for celebrations, so relax and have a blast.
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Champagne Facts: 
The longest recorded flight of a champagne cork is over 54 meters. 
There are approximately 49 million bubbles in a standard sized bottle of champagne. 
Florescent light changes the flavour of champagne. 
“Dosage” is a measured quantity of sugar, wine and sometimes brandy added in the final step of champagne production, before bottling.

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Champagne 101:  How To Drink It Like A Pro

The first visit to Africa by the world’s highest paid sportsman brought disappointment, controversy and champagne.
Floyd Mayweather Jr, the undefeated pugilist from the United States, was treated like a king in South Africa, amid questions over who paid for him and his 16-strong entourage to be here.
The Mayweather controversy began as soon as he touched down at OR Tambo Airport, in Johannesburg on January 15. Journalists asked him why he was in the country. He replied that he was unsure, but he was here.
In a statement, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) described Mayweather’s visit as a tour of goodwill.
&#8220;No financial liabilities were incurred by our office for bringing Mayweather here,&#8221; the minister of sport and recreation, Fikile Mbalula, told the crowd in Soweto.
“We did not cough up a cent for the visit of Mayweather. The state can’t afford to pay his demands. The trip was sponsored by someone [whose name] I can’t disclose in the media,” says Mbalula’s spokesman, Paena Galane.
All we know for certain is that Mayweather was in the country to endorse a project called ‘Reawakening the Giant’, which aims to resuscitate boxing, a sport that once filled South Africans with pride. He was supposed to inspire young boxers and take part in coaching clinics for a week.
The 36 year old and five-division world champion instead spent a mere two days doing boxing work—shaking hands and sharing positive thoughts with people. On his second day in the country, with Mbalula in tow, Mayweather renamed the renowned Dube Boxing Gym in Soweto after Baby Jake Matlala, the late South African boxer and former world champion. There was a large crowd in attendance, but Mayweather made a hasty exit after the ceremony, much to the chagrin of his passionate fans.
Even worse, thousands of fans traveled long distances to other major cities to meet up with Mayweather but the American had other priorities. He instead went on shopping spree, enjoyed a nature reserve in the North West province and then visited Robben Island, where the late president, Nelson Mandela, was incarcerated for 18 years.
Mayweather refused to visit Mandela’s former cell 46664—saying he had spent two months in a cell and didn’t want to see another one. In 2012, he served a jail sentence for battering his ex-girlfriend.
Deprived of his luxurious lifestyle, Mayweather told people at a gala dinner in Johannesburg, he immediately drove his Bentley to his house and had his nails and hair treated by personal aides once he was released.
“As the ministry, we would have loved to have had him for the five days but we had to accept his terms because we didn’t pay a cent for him being here. We were glad that Soweto people benefited from his memorabilia that was auctioned for R800,000 ($71,000). This will help establish their academy and revamp the gym,” says Galane.
Mayweather also had a reunion with the only African to have fought him, Phillip Ndou, at a dinner. Ndou, who had the hopes of Africa on his shoulders, suffered a technical knockout to the American in their 2003 fight in Las Vegas. This encounter at Emperors Palace, in eastern Johannesburg, was equally excruciating for the South African, who is making a comeback after the brain damage he suffered in 2004.
“There’s a gentleman in the audience by the name of Phillip Ndou, I believe you know him, I believe you punched him, I believe you knocked him out,” the master of ceremonies and local sports reporter, Robert Marawa, said to Mayweather before calling Ndou up on stage.
Once on stage with Mayweather, Ndou appealed for a rematch.
“Look, as I stand here I can proudly say I fought the best in the world and I would like to do it again,” said Ndou.
“If you wanna be the best, you gotta fight the best. That particular time he was one of the tough guys. He put pressure on me, he bruised me,” said Mayweather.
Marawa declared that Ndou was not fit enough to continue boxing, which many in the audience thought was condescending. Mayweather politely suggested that his former opponent consider retirement.
“To fight Mayweather you need to have a chin. In Phillip Ndou’s fight, his chin wasn’t too bad for the seven rounds, Mayweather caught him out. Mayweather is a class act, you have to be really good to beat him,” says Brian Mitchell, a South African manager and former WBA and IBF world champion.
“When he says he is the best, he is not just saying it in words. Many men had fallen [when facing Mayweather], and among them is our own Phillip Ndou,” says Mbalula.
When FORBES AFRICA later interviewed Ndou, he said he was unfazed by the suggestion that he should consider retiring. The 36 year old says he has a few years of boxing left in him.
“Wow man, I never thought I would ever meet with Floyd again. We are friends on Twitter but he doesn’t reply to my tweets. I wasn’t joking about the rematch in South Africa. I believe I am the only guy who can stop his unbeaten record. I know the media have written me off,” says Ndou.
Before the American returned home, Steve Masike, a co-founder of the renamed gym, fired a salvo. Masike acknowledged the plan to rename their gym was announced at a memorial service for Matlala, but claims there was no further consultation with them.
“As a sensible man, I expected someone from the minister’s office to call us and discuss the way forward. The gym has a committee, there’s a constitution, [we are] not a one man-show,” says Masike.
Galane disputes this claim.
“We are aware of the people who are rubbishing our efforts to build the Baby Jake Matlala Boxing Academy. The founders of the gym are not involved, hence they were never part of the discussions, the club has its management that we consulted with,” he says.
Galane says the gym is the property of City of Johannesburg.
“We didn’t need the founders’ permission, we had the consent of the Johannesburg Boxing Organization,” he says.
Jeff Ngwenya, the Johannesburg Boxing Organization chairman, said that the correct people at the Dube gym were fully involved in the renaming process.
Mbalula initially attempted to get Mayweather to attend the South African Sports Awards, a ceremony that was criticized because of the large amount of money spent on it. Whether Mayweather’s visit to the country was a success or not is still up in the air, but Mbalula’s dream of hobnobbing with the American superstar was certainly fulfilled.

Money, Secrets And Low Blows  As Mayweather Lands In Africa

Having lived in Nigeria for most of my humble life, I can comfortably say that there is at least one huge ‘all family and friends’ party going on everyday in this country. A couple of hedonistic folks have even suggested that the concept of African celebration was a Nigerian idea, complete with beer, wine, gourds of palm wine (a local brew), jollof rice and spicy chicken.
Consumer behavior such as this often becomes a trend. Very few folks, are therefore, totally surprised that, almost overnight, Nigerians have redefined the essence of celebration, and our affection for the eponymous produce of the Champagne region has become a sub-culture, a puzzling and dynamic social phenomenon with a deepening impact on the cultural and economic ethos of the land.
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To comprehend the contemporary culture of champagne consumption in Nigeria, you would have to recognize one simple fact: Nigerians are showy, ambitious, possibly more ambitious for their own pockets.
Anyone who disagrees with this view should simply go grab a magnum of the latest bubbly stuff available. And that would be ‘Taste of Diamonds’ by luxury champagne brand Goût de Diamants.
Designed by UK-based, Nigerian luxury designer Alexander Amosu, this one-off drink for ‘very private’ clients is reputed to be the most expensive champagne in the world; the asking price for one bottle and its liquid content is $1.9 million.
But why would a French vinery approach a Nigerian to help it project its expensive brew to its target markets? The answer is somewhere between personal recognition and social economics: Amosu has a track record of co-creating and helping to launch luxury goods. He once showcased the world’s most expensive suit to high society in Lagos and in London, UK. Secondly, it helps that Amosu identifies with his Nigerian roots. In a place like Nigeria, poverty and affluence could be twin brothers.
The United Nations says 63% of Nigeria’s 160 million people are technically poor, existing on less than $2 a day. The country also has some of the world’s wealthiest folks. For instance, Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga, two of Africa’s wealthiest moguls (worth $20 billion and $4.7 billion). Dangote and his ilk on the Forbes rich list can afford bodyguards, bullet-proof cars, private jets, luxury yachts, authentic designer goods, stadium-size parties, little islands, and several cases of ‘Taste of Diamonds’. But will the Dangote’s of Africa spend so much lucre on one bottle of liquid lust? Who knows?
The point here is that a ‘struggling giant’, Africa’s most populous economy, has become the destination of choice for the world’s champagne brands. Already acknowledged as big spenders in the retail zones of Europe, North America and the Middle East, Nigerians at home have now been recognized as one of the fastest adopters of champagne drinks globally.
Adeoye Omotayo of R&amp;B Public Relations Ltd in Lagos observes that the Nigerian environment is, without a doubt, easily part of the global champagne culture.
“Whilst a bit of pocket power may be required to constantly savor the exquisite experience of drinking champagne, one thing that can be said about Nigerians regardless of their socio-economic status is that they are largely appreciative of the fine things in life, one of which is certainly sparkling wine from the best champagne houses of Europe,” he said.
A recent report by Euromonitor, the research firm, identifies the West African nation as having the fastest growing rate of new champagne consumption in the world, second only to France, and ahead of rapidly growing economies like Brazil and China, and established markets such as the USA and Australia.
In 2011, in value terms Nigerians might have gulped as much as $50 million worth of the sparkling French liquor, and in volume terms they allegedly drank more champagne than Mexicans, Russians and South Africans, three nationalities well known for their contributions to global drinking culture. By 2017 champagne consumption in Nigeria is expected to reach the 1.1 million liter mark, competing favorably with annual beer and soft drinks purchases.
“I am not surprised by this piece of news. It is actually not a revelation to me. Nigerians have exquisite tastes, they are always willing to explore new drinks, trust me, I know what I am talking about,” says Roger Chedid, a Lagos-based Lebanese businessman who trades in wines, spirits and champagne. “Nigerians who really drink champagne don’t just take any brand; they always go for the particular brands they like. They are brand loyalists and image conscious.”
Chedid’s liquor store cum mini-bar, in the posh Lagos neighborhood of Ikoyi, reflects the avuncular character of champagne consumers; friendly talk and soft jazzy music often fills the air as patrons stroll in for a cup of cappuccino and friendly company; a few minutes later, they stroll out with their stash, business done. After 14 years of doing business in Nigeria, Chedid’s clientele come from all over the country. Increasingly, customers now order their cases of ‘sparkling wine’ via email and over the phone. Similar establishments are opening shop all over Nigeria’s urban centers.
My expedition into the local champagne ecosystem revealed the top 10 champagne brands consumed by Nigerians, as Moët &amp; Chandon, Don Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Lauren Perrier, Nicolas Feuillatte, Louis Roederer, Lanson, Taittinger, Ayala and Ruinart. The cheapest item on this list is about $100, for a pony sized bottle. That would buy you about 100 bottles of pop soda (soft drinks).
“We like to live the life, and our penchant for acquired taste is legendary,” says Ebi Atawodi, an events and sponsorship executive for a Nigerian cellular operator. “Increasingly, our social and private parties are like champagne and wine competitions.”
Omotayo, the PR executive whose firm also represents some of the leading champagne brands in Nigeria, agrees with her.
“Indeed, Nigerians can be somewhat ostentatious, but even champagne, like cars, has its various grades and quality brands will continue to dominate the liquor landscape,” he says.
Champagne cognoscenti believe that technology, education, global hip hop culture, the runaway success of the local music and movie scene, the coming of age of the ‘Facebook and YouTube’ generation and the expansion of the elite middle class have helped to grow the local champagne market. Clearly, the social arithmetic of champagne consumption reflects the ‘aspirational realities’ of the bold, wealthy and the adventurous.
“There are millions of Nigerians who are well traveled and have experienced the best of all worlds,” says Kayode Oguntayo, wine connoisseur, business man and owner of 1662, a ritzy wine bar in Lagos.
He reckons that, despite the waning popularity of a Nigerian music genre, the ‘Highlife Culture’ of enjoyment, has remained with us.

$1.9 Million a Pop

Igugu is the horse that stole the hearts of many and cost those who failed to believe.  An Australian filly sired by an Epsom Derby winner, Galileo, Igugu has sent waves through the racing industry and was named “Horse of the Year”. Igugu was bred by Kia Ora Stud and bought at a yearling sale for $65,000 by Livestock Traders in 2009. It was then sold to Andre Macdonald—a former electrician and now principal officer at Lido Electrical’s East Rand branch, in South Africa—from the Summerhill draft in 2009 at the Ready-To-Run Sale for $127,530. Macdonald had gone to the sale with the secret intention of buying both of Galileo’s fillies in order to up his chances of owning a champion, only to be outbid for the first horse by South Africa’s top trainer Mike de Kock at $255,060. Luck was on his side when the second horse turned out to be the champion.
Macdonald’s love of horses began when his family moved to the northern suburbs of Johannesburg at a time when horse riding was popular with children. His daughter took an interest and joined a stable. He then bought a horse each so they could ride together on their property. His daughter grew up, got married and Macdonald sold the horses.
“Before I knew it a friend of mine said they had a horse for sale and asked ‘do you want to buy it?’ I said ‘I don’t want to buy it but I’ll think about it.’ Twelve o’clock that night they phoned me and said ‘your horse is standing in the stables.’ But I didn’t say no, I said ‘okay I’ll take it.’ It was the biggest mistake I probably made,” Macdonald recalls. Sitting with a dud, Macdonald then got serious.
Igugu is now co-owned by the Macdonalds and Sheikh Mohamed bin Kalifa Al Maktoum—who also co-owns the 2010 Vodacom Durban July (the July) winner. The royal family clearly has a love for the sport. Years ago, in the United States, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is reported to have bid $10 million for a horse at a yearling sale. Sheikh Mohamed bin Kalifa Al Maktoum‘s share came about when he took interest in Igugu and went into talks with Mick Goss, CEO of Summerhill Stud, about acquiring his 25% stake. Not one to be satisfied with a minority share, the sale was in jeopardy unless the Macdonalds, who owned 75%, sold 25% shares to Sheikh Mohamed bin Kalifa Al Maktoum to ensure an equal partnership.  Macdonald says this is something he would only have done for Goss.
It’s common practice in the industry to have more than one owner of a horse. As much as this can be seen as spreading the winnings, having more than one investor means spreading the risk as well as the costs. These costs include training fees, farrier fees, veterinary care, insurance, race entry fees, jockey fees, ownership registration fees and transport.
For most this is a business after. For Macdonald, it’s a sport.
And as with any business, there is money to be made and Igugu has made more than her fair share for her owners.  She’s a Triple Tiara Princess, winner of the 2011 Vodacom Durban July as well as the 2012 J&amp;B Met (the Met). She is only the second horse to have ever won both the July and the Met. The only other horse to have done so is Pocket Power, who also holds the record for winning the July three times. The prize money for the July and Met alone were $361,600 and $301,330 respectively.
The industry is big and money is no problem for those looking to be a part of the thrill. There are seven sales that take place every year and they work the same as any auction. Potential buyers get a catalogue beforehand and the bidding wars begin. The aggregate price at the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale held in April was $10,576,311; it was $564,713 at the Milkwood Stud Sale in May and $922,184 at the Cape Mare &amp; Weanling Sale in the same month.
Macdonald laughs as he remembers how he first tried to pick horses at sales. Not knowing what he was doing, he’d shadow the trainers while they checked out the horses.
“If he wants to turn his head left, I turn my head left and if he goes right, I go right.”
You must remember that these buyers take risks on untested horses. De Kock does not shy away from the fact that this is a risky business and is all about luck. He admits that picking up a horse at a sale is not an exact science but reiterates Macdonald’s advice of having a professional around to help.
If it’s so risky, why get into it?
“There is a 1% chance of a horse being a champion from a sale but that’s the intrigue. It’s a sport that becomes a part of your life,” he says with a hint of excitement in his voice.
For de Kock, it all started with two years of military training at an equestrian center and then moved on to work for a number of trainers. In 1988, the trainer de Kock worked for died and since he already had a good working relationship with the owners and staff, he took over the late trainer’s string. He is now the top trainer in the country and is also an owner. Having won the July four times, he’s three wins short of the record for trainers.
Training a race horse takes a hell of a lot of patience says the expert. Purchases would occur when the horse is around 18 months old. If you buy one from a Ready-to-Run Sale it can be ready to race by 24 months, provided it suffers no injury or illness. The monthly cots will average somewhere between R7,000 ($840) and R8,000 ($960), but the rewards for a great runner are tremendous. The industry consists of owners, trainers, breeders, racing operators, insurers, transporters and blood stock agents. Racing operator, Golden Circle, stages both the Vodacom Durban July and the J&amp;B Met. The company has numerous operations and reports an annual turnover of more than $216.8 million. Racing operator Phumelela’s glory comes from staging the Triple Crown and the Triple Tiara. The Triple Tiara’s spoils are $783,151, including the bonus for the horse that wins all three legs. The Triple Tiara—won last year by Igugu—has a combined prize of $270,911, not including the $120,366 bonus.
With this amount of money on the line, it’s no wonder these fine creatures are insured.  The way that the insurance works, is that the horse’s value is established by looking at its track record, breeding and other attributes.  If the horse is a filly, its value will be higher as it can be used for breeding. An unknown horse that’s just been bought at a sale will be insured at the fall of hammer price. As the horse develops a track record and its value increases, so will its insured amount.
The international scene is also a potential money maker for the lucky few. The Dubai Carnival in January has nine events, with $27.25 million to be won.  Unfortunately, the export protocol needs reform. Australia requires 60 days quarantine in the African Sickness Free Zone in Cape Town, South Africa, followed by another 60 days in Europe. Dubai involves 21 days of quarantine in Johannesburg, 90 days in Mauritius, 30 days in Europe and two weeks in Dubai. This means that a horse competing internationally not only has to forgo most of the South African season but it also loses training time and so will run at a disadvantage against other horses on the track.
This is all due to the fear of the African Horse Sickness (AHS). Paranoia, de Kock calls it. He claims that this is the one thing holding the industry back from being a major export industry that creates jobs and adds to government revenue. What we need, he says, is to get more aggressive and let the trading partners know that this is not a major threat. The fact that South African horses competing internationally are doing so well, is a testament to how strong the industry is.
Igugu is geared to start her international career in Dubai. As for her chances for this year’s July?
“Some people don’t win the Met or the July. I was lucky enough to win both. I don’t know when that will ever happen again,” says a realistic Macdonald. He feels that his horse has already done more for him than he could have asked for.
Horse racing has a tradition of being elitist and de Kock says that the image that the sport portrays, along with that of a lack of transparency, is another one of one of the industry’s problems. Syndication, however, is one way to get around this as it makes the sport accessible to more people but de Kock says that it is up to people to educate themselves and the industry to demonstrate the available opportunities. Nonetheless, de Kock is, as he puts it, “bullish” about the future of the South African horse racing industry and expects an explosion if it were to get it right.

Tag: Champagne

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

A Cool Idea That Turned A Million

Champagne 101: How To Drink It Like A Pro

Money, Secrets And Low Blows As Mayweather Lands In Africa

$1.9 Million a Pop

Horsing Around