The rise of Soweto Gold as one of the newest brands to come out of Mzansi’s largest township has led to the iconic landmark, Orlando towers, getting a facelift.
Soweto Gold, a lager which is brewed in Soweto, will have its colours blazoned on the western tower.
The cooling towers are what remains of the Orlando power station which was decommissioned in 1998.
The other tower currently features Vodacom branding.
During Sowetan’s visit to the towers this week, two painters were painstakingly working their magic applying Soweto Gold colours and artwork associated with the brand.
Though the work continues, so far one can see a soccer ball, a trumpet and a gold bar.
Ndumiso Madlala, founder of the Soweto Brewing Company, said he commissioned a young local artist to come up with the artwork.
“Basically [the artwork] showcases the day-to-day life of a typical Sowetan guy. It’s such a lovely artwork, it just shows you when you are in Soweto what a typical Soweto guy experiences in his daily life and, of course, at the background of that is Soweto Gold, a beer that was truly born ekasi, now taking South Africa by storm.”
Soweto’s latest icon joins giants
Image: Boikhutso Ntsoko
The rise of Soweto Gold as one of the newest brands to come out of Mzansi’s largest township has led to the iconic landmark, Orlando towers, getting a facelift.
Soweto Gold, a lager which is brewed in Soweto, will have its colours blazoned on the western tower.
The cooling towers are what remains of the Orlando power station which was decommissioned in 1998.
The other tower currently features Vodacom branding.
During Sowetan’s visit to the towers this week, two painters were painstakingly working their magic applying Soweto Gold colours and artwork associated with the brand.
Though the work continues, so far one can see a soccer ball, a trumpet and a gold bar.
Ndumiso Madlala, founder of the Soweto Brewing Company, said he commissioned a young local artist to come up with the artwork.
“Basically [the artwork] showcases the day-to-day life of a typical Sowetan guy. It’s such a lovely artwork, it just shows you when you are in Soweto what a typical Soweto guy experiences in his daily life and, of course, at the background of that is Soweto Gold, a beer that was truly born ekasi, now taking South Africa by storm.”
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The rise of Soweto Gold to join the giants of Orlando inadvertently also marks the rise of Karabo Poppy Moletsane as an artist.
The 25-year-old illustrator, street artist and designer recently painted a 22m by 40m mural for the Berkeley Museum of Art and Pacific Film Archive in California, US.
Her illustrations were featured in a music video that won music video of the year at the French Music Awards and received a Grammy nod in the best music video category.
“I see Soweto as a great source of inspiration because despite political struggles, the creative aesthetic of the area is often at the forefront,” Moletsane said.
“This aesthetic is not one that is trying to be like another, it is one that has been cultivated by South Africans for South Africans – from street art to music, we see a great reflection of our country.
“It is unmistakably ours. Soweto isn’t just in the people of Soweto, but in the people of South Africa,” Moletsane said.
Image: SUPPLIED
The Orlando towers were first painted with colourful murals during the buzz of the 2010 World Cup, when the towers had a mural depicting ordinary township scenes.
Vodacom holds the advertising rights on the towers since 2016, taking over from FNB.
The work on the Vodacom tower was completed in December last year.
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