As we start the countdown to one of South Africa’s premium horse racing events, the Durban July, all eyes will be turned to some of the country’s most renowned A-listers who will be looking to sweep guests off their feet with the hosting of their annual marquee.
Among those is the renowned HipHop artist Lusaso Ngcobo, affectionately known by his stage name, Saso. Following his successful first attempt at hosting last year’s marquee at the event, he is set to take it up a notch this year.
In conversation with BONA, Saso opened up about what last year’s event was like as well as what guests can look forward to experiencing this year.
“It feels really good to be back, especially after the success of last year. As much as we feel there are a lot of things that weren’t executed to the best of our ability as we could, we still had great feedback from our guests, partners, and the public,” he revealed.
He added, “Guests can expect a bigger and better experience than last year. We’ve moved to a bigger space and have included a sundeck area where we’ve catered for a more affordable ticket without losing much of the experience of the marquee.”
With this year’s Durban July theme being Marvels of Mzansi, he has come up with a theme of his own to complement that of the occasion, called the Cradle of the Marvels. He says that he wants the overall theme to be well represented at his brunch marquee.
“We have tailored our entertainment to embody that with live performances, which are authentic tour culture. With fashion, we are excited to again partner with Maxhosa, who we see as a fashion marvel of Mzansi, with all the groundbreaking work he has done. We also hope our guests feel free to express their Marvel of Mzansi through fashion.”
Saso explained that the thing that makes him most excited is that this year’s theme shines a spotlight on those making a difference in the world while remaining authentic.
Evolution
Throughout the last few years he has done a stellar job at re-inventing himself from merely being a performer, becoming a media figure and now hosting his own marquee, speaking on his evolution in the media and entertainment space he added that it was proof that we could do anything we put our minds to.
“If you asked me at 18 if I was going to do all the things I’ve done to date I would say no to the majority of them but growing up, learning, living and experiencing life and things you are interested in could end you up wherever you want to be.”
Future
“What’s next, hopefully I’ll drop music sooner rather than later, look at starting a clothing line and further explore what life has to offer because the more exploring we do the more we find out about ourselves and more so what the world has to offer.”
