Durban Tourism’s winter campaign, entitled Durban’s July Grand Experience, featuring the Vodacom Durban July, was launched today live on CNBC Africa in the presence of the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Cllr. Mxolisi Kaunda, and a collection of leading racing, fashion and tourism industry leaders.
Gold Circle Racing, owners of the Vodacom Durban July, expressed their pride in partnering with Vodacom and the City of Durban to stage the 125th running of Africa’s greatest horse race on 3 July and to be part of Durban Tourism’s greater campaign to assist the tourism sector’s economic recovery from the ongoing effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused.
Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Cllr. Mxolisi Kaunda at the launch of Durban’s July Grand Experience on Thursday
The Vodacom Durban July is the pinnacle event in the South African horseracing calendar. It is the race that every owner, trainer, jockey, groom or breeder wants to win. This year’s race is building up to be one of the best fields assembled in many years.
The final field will be announced at 13h00 on 22 June on Tellytrack, DSTV channel 249. It is expected that Rainbow Bridge – the country’s highest-rated horse, Got The Greenlight -second last year and the current ruling favourite for this year, Belgarion – last years champion, Do it Again – dual champion in 2018 & 2019, as well as leading three-year-old Linebacker will all be among the final field announced on Tuesday.
The gallops will be broadcast on Tellytrack from 07h00 on Thursday 24 June and will give the public one last chance to decide who their fancy for this year’s race will be.
A central pillar of the Vodacom Durban July experience is celebrating South African fashion – from the top international designers to the raceday general public. In 2021, this is again being done through a range of programmes produced in collaboration with the City of Durban including the VDJ Young Designers Award, the DFF Rising Stars Collection and the VDJ Invited Designers Showcase.
These programmes have a massive impact in providing vital promotion and business opportunity to all levels of the fashion industry and designer community.
Although the #VDJ2021 raceday is once again being staged behind closed doors, the Vodacom Durban July and Gold Circle are again working closely with the City of Durban and Durban Fashion Fair to capture and broadcast the VDJ Fashion Experience collections to audiences at home through a series of pop-up fashions shoots staged in iconic destination settings.
Shot by internationally-renowned fashion photographer, Sean Laurenz, these images and footage will be used as feature social media content across VDJ’s social media platforms as well as potentially in other national television broadcasts.
The full range of VDJ collections will also be shown live to the public at the 2021 Vodacom Durban July Fashion Showcase, a special COVID-19 -compliant fashion extravaganza to be staged at Gateway Theatre of Shopping on 29th June.
Managing Executive for Vodacom in Kwazulu-Natal, Chris Lazarus, spoke passionately about Vodacom’s purpose-led project around this prestigious event.
“Vodacom is concerned to learn that there are a number of students at fashion colleges in the Kwazulu-Natal region, who have not been able to get their qualifications due to outstanding student debts.As the excitement builds for the Vodacom Durban July, we are pleased to announce that Vodacom is working closely with the fashion team at Gold Circle to identify deserving students from the Class of 2020 that we will help get over the finishing line. Vodacom will be giving students the opportunity to not be bogged down with their debt, but rather to make their dreams take flight.”
2021 marks the 20th year with Vodacom as title sponsor of this iconic event and whilst there will be no public sale of tickets, official broadcaster DStv will be covering the event in full HD from 13h00 – 16h00 on Supersport 4 (channel 204).
The 2021 Vodacom Durban July takes place at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on Saturday 3 July. More information can be found at www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za
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