Seatavern

Hermanus has many excellent restaurants as you might expect from a town which in 2019 was honoured as a UNESCO creative city for gastronomy. So we always encourage delegates to explore what is on offer — especially for those wanting to connect with old and new friends in a private setting.

But since the very first BNC event in the Drakensberg, many delegates particularly enjoy the opportunity to break bread with other members of the BizNews tribe. To facilitate this, at BNC#7 there will be two optional sit- down dinners on Tuesday (11th) and Thursday (13th) evenings.

These dinners will be held in Grobelaarsaal, a short walk from the Municipal complex where the conference will be held. Both will feature a ‘Nightcap’ after-dinner speaker:

• Tuesday’s fireside chat promises to be one of the highlights of the programme. Yvonne Malan, a close family member of the great man, will share the story of Sailor Malan - ace WW2 Fighter Pilot hero and Leader of the Torch Commando who was ‘cancelled’ and deleted from SA history books by the Apartheid government. Through Yvonne’s efforts, her Grandpa’s cousin is finally starting to get the recognition in his homeland he so richly deserves. An inspirational role model. She will be in conversation with BizNews founder Alec Hogg.

• On Thursday, it’s a second fireside call for inimitable Rory Steyn, who served as Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard during Madiba’s presidency and then created a multinational security business protecting global superstars (and major sporting events). Rory also has an inside track into international rugby, being the father of URC winning Glasgow Warriors captain Kyle. He will be in conversation with BizNews founder Alec Hogg.

Unlike the cocktail-type dinner on the Wednesday evening which is part of the formal programme with SA’s most decorated Olympian Tatjana Smith as the fireside guest, these two gatherings are optional add-ons at a cost of R250 per person.

All delegates and their partners are welcome to book - due to space constraints, the dinners have a strict capacity of 250 people.

Chef Simon Watt-Pringle, owner of The Station in Hermanus and previously Sous Chef at Africa’s top restaurant, La Colombe (rated #49 in the World), will cater.