The World through the Lens of an African Princess: CAPE TOWN'S SOCIAL SCENE

As someone who has been blessed with an opportunity to attend some of these events over the last 5 years, I have learned a few things in the process that I have decided to share with you. Firstly, in Cape Town, there is a distinction between "VIP" access and "VVIP" access. What is the difference you may ask? Well in simple terms, VIPs are generally distinguishable from the general public access. The general public access tickets are cheaper (with varying degrees of affordability of course), if not the cheapest of all tickets. VIP tickets are anything but cheap. VIPs receive their own seating (and depending on the event, sometimes even their own marquee). This seating will be guarded off by a thick red rope (almost always red. why the obsession with that colour anyway), making a clear distinction between the "important" guests, and the not so "important guests". Having VIP access may make you feel important. Being able to enjoy a glass of champagne whilst watching the bouncers shake their heads whenever someone tries to enter past the red rope may make you feel like you have reached a certain status, but believe me my lovies it is all a delusion. The VIP access is there simply to make us "believe" that somehow "crossing the red rope" makes you NOT the plebeian. When in actual fact that is not always the case. You see, you may be VIP but there will always be a select group of guests who are VVIP-which means that in comparison to those guests, YOU are the PLEBEIAN!

I learned these unspoken socialite rules the hard way when I attended the J&B Met for the very first time. What is the J&B Met? The J&B Met is South Africa's most prestigious horse-racing event of the year, and one of the highlights of Cape Town's social calendar. It is always at the beginning of the year, on the last Saturday of January. A small percentage of attendees are equestrian enthusiasts and are there for the actual races. A majority of the attendees (myself included) are drawn to the Met by the glitz and glamour of the event. And of course, for the opportunity to rub shoulders with high profile celebrities.

I remember the days of law school, when I used to watch the highly televised J&B Met at home(whilst simultaneously attempting to complete a research essay which I had waited until the last minute to write), and being captivated by the haute couture and decadence of it all. I remember being specifically mesmerized by the CELEBRITY TENT! I vowed to myself that the year I moved to Cape Town will be the year I bought tickets to the J&B Met. And not just ANY tickets mind you, but the VIP tickets-because those are the tickets that will gain me entry to the celebrity tent right? What other tickets could possibly gain me access to where all the celebrities get to be? It HAD to be the VIP tickets? You would think so, right? WRONG! The year I moved to Cape Town (2010) my (then) friends and I decided that we were definitely NOT going to miss an opportunity to attend the J&B Met. 2010 WAS THE YEAR FOR THE J&B MET! And we were not going to settle for just ANY tickets either-we were going BIG! We wanted VIP access! And why shouldn't we get VIP access. We were on top the world. Just graduated from law school. Living in (arguably) the best city in South Africa. Working for one of the top law firms in South Africa. We deserved VIP! And so I contacted the events person and purchased 4 VIP tickets, as advertised on the J&B website. The day of the event arrived. Outfits-Sophisticated and glamorous! Make-up-Flawless! We made our way to Kenilworth Racecourse, and when we arrived we were directed to our marquee (the tent that our tickets allowed us entry). When we arrived at our marquee we were utterly disappointed. No seating. No free food. No free drinks. And particularly, NO CELEBRITIES! Just other normal people like us, who obviously could afford the more expensive tickets like we could (because VIP tickets do not come cheap either) and obviously we had our OWN MARQUEE as opposed to those who purchase general admission tickets (i.e. for regular plebeians) whom are delegated to a general grass area; but were clearly still not part of the elite. We felt DUPED!!

But I learned thereafter that were in fact NOT DUPED! We just did not know the social scene. We were new to the Cape Town socialite scene and therefore did not know how it really worked. And after my first J&B Met experience, having now navigated my way through the social scene, I have learned that VIP guarantees you just that- VIP treatment. But if you desire to be part of the elite's elite, then VVIP tickets are for you. How do differentiate between the two? Well, what I have observed over the last 5 years is this: VIP tickets are generally easily accessible. Meaning that they are almost always advertised. VVIP tickets are NEVER advertised. If they are advertised, they are not VVIP! A majority of the VVIP tickets are reserved for celebrities, and other important people in the media industry. Only a minority of the VVIP tickets can be purchased (depending on the event as sometimes none of the VVIP tickets can be purchased and are issued on an "invite-only" basis). If unsure, my advice is simply to ASK! Get hold of the event organisers contact details, contact them, and simply enquire.

God, being the AMAZING God that He is, provided me with the opportunity to attend the J&B Met the second time. And this time, I DID IT RIGHT! I had VVIP access. Through God's Grace, I arrived into the "promised land"-THE CELEBRITY MARQUEE! It was FABULOUS! It was everything I had hoped it would be. It was everything I had seen on television. Plush seating. Free (glorious) food. Free drinks. And of course-there were CELEBRITIES EVERYWHERE! I rubbed shoulders with the "Who's Who" of South Africa's media scene. It was honestly one of the best times of my life. And it was only the beginning :)

CAPE TOWN'S SOCIAL SCENE - THE J&B MET