The Most Influential Icons Gala Dinner (MIIGD) was created with a singular purpose: to recognise the achievements of young people doing remarkable things in their communities. The initiative was founded in 2023 by two young local visionaries, Indiphile Madletyane (18) and Ayakha Kamana (21) of MK Events (Pty) Ltd, who hope to expand the event to a national level.

The second annual gala, held on 29 November 2024 in the Hermanus Municipal Auditorium, sought to honour individuals or ‘icons’ who were making a tangible socio-economic impact in the Overberg. 

“Young people are doing great things in our communities, and we wanted to give them recognition for their hard work and dedication. Our goal is simple: to encourage them to keep going and to inspire others,” says Indiphile. Ayakha adds: “We want to honour those who are making change and encourage them to keep going. It’s about showcasing local talent, fostering a sense of community, and celebrating excellence.”

Supported by the Overstrand Municipality, the evening honoured local trailblazers from various sectors. The event began with a heartfelt thanks to key figures such as Speaker of the Overstrand Municipality Grant Cohen, who was thanked for his support in bringing the event to life. Special mentions went to Yorke Cash & Carry for their generous in-kind sponsorship, the catering team, and the evening’s guest speakers which included Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament Daylin Mitchell (the Western Cape’s youngest Speaker), Executive Mayor of the Overstrand Dr Annelie Rabie, and Carolyn Martin (co-founder of Creation Wines).

In his speech to the attendees, Daylin spoke passionately about the importance of young people stepping up as leaders. He also reminded the icons that they are most likely a role model to someone, and that their actions matter more than they realise. “You don't need to be a politician to change the world," he said. "And you don't need to run a big organisation. Change starts in the community, and it only takes one person to make a difference.”

The night also featured a live singing performance by the Zwelihle Young Brothers. These performances, along with the recognition of local icons, were the highlight of an evening that showcased the diversity of talent in the Overberg. 

The ten recognised icons were (in no particular order):

• Qhama Dyakopu: a hockey player representing the Overberg at national level

• Sandisile Ndevu: a filmmaker who has produced films like Isililo (The Outcry)

• Tinashe Musora: wine tutor and accredited sommelier

• Celestine Joseph: owner of Hairitage Hermanus, a natural hair-styling brand 

• Skye Duminy: Teen Miss Western Cape 2024

• Victor Hogan: represented South Africa in the International Olympics in Paris

• Adrian Swart: represented South Africa in the International Olympics in Paris

• Thandazwa Jayiya: leader of the FD Dance Crew, a group dedicated to removing young girls from the streets

• Solwethu Gonya: a football coach who's organised massive tournaments that encourage young people's involvement in sports

• Taylum Meyer: editor and co-owner of the local newspaper, Local Life

As the evening concluded, attendees and honourees left the event with renewed energy and determination to continue their journey of making a difference. With plans to return in 2025, MIIGD is set to become an annual tradition that celebrates youth empowerment, community spirit, and the power of positive change. 

The two incredible youngsters behind the Most Influential Icons Gala Dinner, Indiphile Madletyane and Ayakha Kamana. 

The annual Night of 1000 Drawings took place on 5 December at participating galleries in Hermanus. Over 1000 artworks were for sale and visitors enjoyed mingling with the artists and gallery owners while browsing the artworks.

In the lead up to the event, artists created A5-sized paintings and sketches, which they donated to be sold in support of various causes. The artworks were displayed both inside and outside galleries throughout the Hermanus CBD, in the Art Alley, and in The Courtyard.

The weather posed a bit of a challenge, with a gloomy and rainy start to the day, but by 17:00, and just in time for the start of the event, the rain cleared.

Night of 1000 Drawings is a grassroots initiative which was launched in 2006 by two Johannesburg artists who wanted to help a school that had their delivery van stolen. They came up with the idea of art for charity and roped in all their artist friends who jumped at the opportunity to do good. It is now a global initiative. 

In 2014, Liz Coates introduced Night of 1000 Drawings to Hermanus. The 12 participating galleries at that time raised R60 000 which was divided between three charities. Liz says that it was “the most wonderful happy feeling to hand over the funds”.

Hermanus now has 21 participating galleries and Night of 1000 Drawings has become a huge draw card with overseas visitors planning their holiday who make sure they do not miss out on the opportunity to give to Hermanus charities by way of buying the artworks.

The money raised has grown year on year, and this year R109 200 was raised from the sales of 1092 artworks. The 2024 beneficiaries are Siyfunda, Hermanus Art & Design Centre, Camphill Farm Community, Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, the Recycle Swop Shop, and the Sluyter Foundation. 

A big thank you to all the generous artists and the public who continue to support this very worthy cause.

On Thursday 5 December, the Hermanus High School (HHS) Interact Club visited Camphill School to deliver beautifully decorated Christmas shoeboxes to the school’s 60 learners.  

The event began with Camphill Principal Jean-Marie Botha reading a heartfelt story about the spirit of giving during the festive season. She expressed her gratitude to HHS for their continued support, which has become a cherished tradition for the school.  

Dressed as Santa Claus and elves, three HHS learners handed out the gifts to the excited Camphill learners. Once everyone had received their shoeboxes, they eagerly opened them, revealing a variety of thoughtful items such as toiletries, small clothing items, stationery, snacks, and toys or games. The joy and excitement were palpable as they explored their surprises.  

The initiative was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Interact learners in each senior register class at HHS. They rallied their peers to donate items for the shoeboxes and after collecting the contributions, ensured that each of the 60 boxes was equally filled.  

This marks the eighth year that the HHS Interact Club has organised the Christmas Shoebox project for Camphill School. Thank you Interact Club for fostering community spirit this festive season.  

The Rewilding Celebration, hosted by Pringle Bay Rewilding, took place at FoMo Fine Art Gallery in Pringle Bay on Saturday 7 December. The event marked the organisation’s official registration as a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) and its renaming to ‘Coastal Rewilding’. With a longstanding commitment to restoring and protecting ecosystems in the Kogelberg Biosphere, the organisation is now expanding its efforts into more areas in the Overstrand.

Dr Norah Clarke, Chairperson of Coastal Rewilding, opened the event by outlining the NPO’s mission. “Our heart lies in keeping the environment wild,” she said, emphasising their efforts to protect local biodiversity, bring fauna and flora into urban areas, and to advocate for conservation. She also stressed the importance of collaboration, education, and creating opportunities for people to connect with their environment.

After a brief break to enjoy some locally sourced food and wine, attendees were treated to a musical interlude by the Pringle Classicos before Pringle Bay resident and Overstrand councillor Malcolm Grimbeek spoke. 

“We choose to live in this area alongside wildlife, so we must protect our environment,” he said. Cllr Grimbeek further urged residents to take active roles in preserving our natural surroundings, and to educate visitors about responsible behaviour, such as picking up litter and driving carefully to avoid harming wildlife.

Corlie Hugo, Executive Coordinator of the Kogelberg Biosphere, spoke next. She described the biosphere, South Africa’s oldest UNESCO-recognised reserve, and explained its role in supporting conservation and community projects. Corlie highlighted the need to balance environmental protection with meeting people’s basic needs, such as creating jobs and growing the local economy. 

She also shared plans for the Kogelberg Wildlife Rescue & Training Centre (KWRTC), which is planned to open in 2025 pending permit approval. This project emerged after a wildfire in the Overstrand revealed a lack of resources for wildlife rescue in the Overberg. 

The new centre will provide a space for training and be a safe halfway house for vulnerable wild animals, where they can be treated and recover before being released back into the wild. Corlie is working closely with permitted wildlife rehabilitator, Michelle Watson from Wildlife Rescue SA, to open the centre. Michelle is one of the first people in South Africa to become certified by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.

At the end of the evening, Coastal Rewilding held a charity auction of local wines and wildlife art by Marianne McKay. The proceeds from the auction will go towards the running costs of KWRTC.

Coastal Rewilding’s three main goals are to restore, rewild, and reconnect. These efforts align with the ethos of the Kogelberg Biosphere, which promotes living sustainably in a way that respects the environment. 

Coastal Rewilding and Kogelberg Biosphere collaborate with local conservancies and other organisations to address environmental challenges and raise awareness about conservation. As urban areas expand, these efforts aim to ensure that the natural environment remains protected and accessible for future generations.

The Rewilding Celebration served as a powerful reminder of the importance of co-existing with nature and collective action. As the poet Gerald Manley Hopkins once wrote, “Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet”.

For more information on Coastal Rewilding’s work and upcoming projects, visit their new website www.coastalrewilding.co.za.

Left: Coastal Rewilding Chairperson, Dr Norah Clarke. Above: The logo for Coastal Rewilding now includes an illustration of a whale as the NPO plans to expand into more of the Overstrand.

BY MSC CANDIDATE ANTONIA IMMERZ

University of Pretoria MRI Whale Unit

Humpback whales are found in all major oceans across the world. As capital breeders, they feed during the summer months in high latitudes where they accumulate sufficient blubber reserves to support the reproductive period during which they generally fast. For this they migrate to warm temperate coastal shallow waters in lower latitudes of the tropics and subtropics where they give birth to their calves. 

Southern hemisphere humpback whales are divided into seven different breeding stocks named A to G. On the coast of South Africa we are visited by breeding stock B on the west coast and C1 on the east coast, which is a sub-stock of breeding stock C. 

During the northbound migration between May and August, breeding sub-stock C1 migrates along the east coast of South Africa up to breeding areas in Mozambique. Here females give birth to their calves and stay in these protected waters until the calves are strong enough to begin the southbound migration to the feeding areas in Antarctic waters. They begin travelling southwards from September until roughly November. 

As observed in other populations of the Southern Hemisphere, not all humpback whales migrate at the same time. Females with calves born the year before are the first to arrive on the breeding grounds, whilst pregnant females are the last to arrive there, presumably to maximise feeding times to gain enough blubber reserves to sustain the last months of pregnancy and the following lactation period. 

Male humpback whales migrate throughout the breeding season and are more condensed towards the middle of the time period. The order on the southbound migration is roughly reversed. 

Newly pregnant females are among the first to head southwards while lactating females that recently gave birth are the last to commence the migration to the feeding grounds. Actual mating between male and female humpback whales has not yet been documented, however it is assumed that peaks of conception occur in August with birth numbers highest in July. Pregnancy in humpback whales lasts 11 months and calves are nursed hereafter for approximately 10 months.

Southern hemisphere humpback whales were heavily targeted by modern whaling in the last century, leading to a population crash in the 1950s. Modern whaling successively hunted down baleen whales by size. In the face of the drastic decline of whale species populations the International Whaling Commission was founded in 1946 to ensure the orderly development of the whaling industry and the conservation of whale species. They protected humpback whales from whaling in 1963. However, the Soviet Union continued whaling illegally for another 10 years killing 48 000 individuals. In total approximately 220 000 humpback whales were killed through modern whaling in the southern hemisphere. 

In so-called ‘whale passports’, scientists documented various parameters for whales hauled on deck, such as sex, length, presence and size of a foetus or blubber thickness. Fortunately, this data can be used to gain insight into the humpback whale populations at that time and helps us understand aspects of the reproductive biology of the species.

In my studies, I am analysing data that was recorded on board the Soviet whaling vessel Yuriy Dolgurukiy between 1960 and 1973. Although most documents were destroyed, in order to obscure actual catch numbers, Dmitry Tormosov, a Russian biologist and whaling inspector, bravely saved around 57 000 whale passports in his potato cellar. He revealed them after the end of the Cold War. 

Based on this catch database, I am able to analyse pregnancy rates of the population at that time, the growth curve of foetuses over the course of the feeding season and how the maternal body condition affects the size of the foetus. In mammals, larger females can produce larger offspring which have a greater chance of survival. 

In the second part of my studies, I am investigating migration patterns of breeding sub-stock C1. For this we spent three weeks during the northbound migration in July and August and three weeks during the southbound migration in September 2023 in the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area near St Lucia. 

During excursions with a small boat, we collected skin and blubber samples (biopsy samples) and drone footage from the migrating whales. By genetically analysing the skin samples, we can determine the sex of an individual. Hormone profiles can be derived from the blubber samples. I am looking in particular into progesterone, testosterone and estrogen levels of the females we sampled. These hormones play an important role in the reproductive cycle of females and we are hoping to determine which proportion of females was pregnant and if we can detect patterns in the relationship between hormones. 

The drone footage will be used to measure the lengths of the humpback whales from which we can derive the maturity of individuals. Combining the results from the hormone analysis and the length measurements, I will investigate if we can observe waves of migration of different reproductive classes for breeding sub-stock C1. 

In summary, with the analysis of historical catch data as well as the hormone patterns and size distributions of humpback whales of the breeding sub-stock C1, we can gain more insight into the reproductive biology of southern hemisphere humpback whales and related migration behaviour. The insights may contribute to defining a baseline for future investigations of potential changes in these reproductive parameters.

ADVERTORIAL

As the summer holidays draw near, Hermanus welcomes an exciting new business to its vibrant streets. Breazies, a proudly South African swimwear and lifestyle brand, has opened its latest store in the heart of our coastal town. With its mantra, “Live Easy,” Breazies seamlessly complements the relaxed charm of Hermanus, offering both locals and visitors a way to embrace the summer season in style and comfort.

Founded in 2017 by Salt Rock locals James and Kerryn Greene, Breazies has built a reputation for capturing the essence of coastal living. Starting on the shores of KwaZulu-Natal, the brand has grown steadily, offering locally designed swimwear and apparel to customers across South Africa and beyond.

The opening of Breazies in Hermanus comes at the perfect time, as summer excitement begins to build on the Cape Whale Coast. The holiday season transforms the town into a lively destination for beachgoers, adventurers, and families seeking to enjoy the sea and sunshine. The store’s collection offers swimwear for all ages, versatile linen pieces for both the beach and the town, quirky golf shirts, colourful beach towels, and bucket hats and caps with fun prints for protection on those extra sunny days. 

The opening of the Hermanus store also coincides with the launch of Breazies’ highly anticipated SS25 collection. Now in its ninth summer season, the collection is a celebration of everything South African summers represent: energy, vibrancy, and carefree joy. Featuring limited-edition swim shorts with impeccable fits and striking designs, SS25 embodies the brand’s commitment to quality and individuality.

Breazies takes immense pride in its local roots, with all products designed and manufactured in South Africa. This dedication to local craftsmanship is evident in every detail, from premium fabrics to superior finishes. The emphasis on quality ensures that Breazies garments not only look good but feel comfortable and stand the test of time.

Alongside its other flagship stores in Ballito’s Lifestyle Centre and Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill, the Hermanus branch offers another opportunity for customers to immerse themselves in the Breazies experience.

For those who can’t make it to a physical store, Breazies’ website ensures their iconic designs are just a click away. As summer heats up, Breazies invites everyone to embrace the holiday spirit, enjoy the moments that matter, and live easy – whether on the beaches of Hermanus or anywhere under the sun!

You will find Breazies Hermanus at Station Mall outside the Clicks entrance in Hermanus CBD. They are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm. For more images and information follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@breazies). If you have any queries, please call the store on 028 007 0122.