A new beginning

South Africa has never had it so good in terms of abandonment of sexism, racism, and all forms of discrimination including discrimination against gay/lesbian orientation.

The Constitution entrenches gay rights and since 2006 Gay Marriage has been legalised.

We have been successfully running a blog about our city of Durban, Gay Durban, since October 2006, and are now extending this to Gay South Africa, a blog inviting participation from and providing useful links we have found to the rest of the country's gay community. Join us in this quest to level the playing fields and celebrate our new-found freedom. Despite what I have just said, there have been recent rumblings among Black Traditional Leaders in South Africa to have the gay-entitlement in our Constitution removed, and this has caused a wave of gay-protests to preserve and protect our enshrined rights... so there is still debate, even when we thought our 2006 freedom was secure!

A young new South Africa

We've only had the rights to equality in marriage and the right to marry or register a civil partnership/union since 2006, so that's a new and young start to freedom. We have it all!
 

Summer time

It's summer time and great beach weather in South Africa, so if you're planning a visit, now until May is the time to come... see ya soon!
 

Merry Christmas and a 2013 special

Merry Christmas to you all and voorspoed for 2013 from Durban View Guesthouse.

We are having an amazing season here in Durban. We look forward to welcoming you in 2013 and to kick off the New Year have an amazing special for guests booked during the period 18th - 31st January - pay our single rate and bring you partner/buddy FREE for any booking of a minimum of 2 nights during that period... R580 for the room per night including breakfast for both of you.

That's our Christmas gift to you. Bookings Llewellyn - durbanview@gmail.com or Dave 083-7033329. Website

Jason is new Mr Gay South Africa 2012/3

Congratulations to Jason Lee Rogers who took the Mr Gay South Africa 2012/13 title last night. Jason was a finalist from Pretoria. 2nd was Steve Williams from Cape Town followed by Brian Clough from Nelspruit. In addition to taking the crown, the young blond hunk was awarded the Bone Wear Underwear Model of the Year as well as the Best Charity Work award for raising R13,000 to benefit animal welfare.

 

Mr Gay South Africa 2012

THE 2012/13 FINALISTS OF MR. GSA ARE: Aaron Blandin de Chalain, Brandley Galant, Brian Clough, Dijan Botha, Hendrik Johannes Kruger, Jason Rogers, Jodian van Aarde, Martiens de Jager, Tumelo Makgoara, Rodney Clough, Schalk van der Merwe, Wandile Mbunyuza and Steve Williams. THE SMS VOTING HAS OPENED. All finalists will be on the website Sunday after Pride. Please follow @MrGaySAfrica on Twitter for more.

 

It's all happening here in South Africa and the winner is expected to be announced at the celebrity finals in November 2012.

 

Hot winter

South Africa is a great place even mid-winter, especially in Durban, our FUNSHINE city on the east coast where temperatures do not drop below 15c year-round. mmm tempting!

Tourism Indaba South Africa

South Africa and Africa's biggest tourism show, Indaba, kicked off in Durban on Friday and runs till Tuesday. 15 000 travel and tour operators from around the world converge in Durban for the annual conference to showcase southern Africa's tourism opportunities... beaches, the ocean, game lodges and safaris, mountains and nightlife... all represented at Indaba.

The boys from Gay Flag SA are also here and staying at Durban View Gay Guesthouse along with other Indaba delegates. Welcome to Durban guys.. South Africa's warm hospitable gay destination.

 

Eugene, "Lola Fine" and Henry from Gay Flag SA hand over a flag to Durban View Guesthouse owner Dave



Gay Durban View guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn with the flag boys

Congratulations Mr Gay World 2012

 New Zealand's Andreas Derleth is the new Mr Gay World 2012. 1st Runner-up was South Africa's Lance Weyer (right) followed by France's Remy Frejaville (bottom right).

Congratulations guys and to South Africa's organiser Coenie Kukkuk in charge of both the Mr Gay South Africa pageant and the Mr Gay World event which took place in Johannesburg over the past few days culminating in the spectacular finale' last night.

South Africa is proud to have held the Mr Gay World title for the past 2 years and now to have had top finalists for 3 years in a row.

Mr Gay World in Johannesburg 4-8 April 2012

Proud South Africans and immediate past and current holders of the Mr Gay World title 2010 and 2011, Charl (right) and Fracois (left) promote the 2012 contest taking place in Johannesburg next month. Click on this link for all of this year's contenders for the title.

South Africa's Mr Gay World

It is hard to believe that our own Mr Gay World's reign is coming to an end. South Africa, and our Mr Gay South Africa organisers, have secured the running of the next Mr Gay World contest in Johannesburg this year and we look forward to the hunky contestants arriving in weeks. Thanks for representing South Africa for a second year in a row Francois, following in the footsteps of Charl from South Africa who held the title the previous year.

The contest runs over the Easter weekend from the 4th April to the Grand Fnale on Sun 8th April where our Mr Gay World will hand over his title. There's a full programme of events, most of which are open to the public and you can lift them off the website here.

Same-sex Marriage/Civil Union Contracts a must

Same-sex pre-marriage or Civil Union contracts are our specialty and can be downloaded off our website Mc Naught and Company. Check it out and once signed, the contract can be returned to us from anywhere in South Africa and we will register the contract in the Deeds Office closest to you. The website sets out details of the marriage systems available and I will also discuss it with you if you need a little help. Dave on 083-7033329 or dave@maclaw.co.za Please remember though that the notarial contract needs to be executed by me (as Notary public) before you get married.

Mr Gay South Africa 2011

Lance Weyer from East London (centre above and right below) is our new Mr Gay South Africa 2011. Lance is flanked by 1st runner-up Alexander Steyn (right above) from Johannesburg and 2nd runner-up Casper Bosman from Bloemfontein (left above). Lance (24) is a DA Councillor in the Buffalo City Municipality and also won the BoneWear Model of the Year title and Best Charity Work title at the glittering pageant which took place recently. The finalists also visited Durban View Guesthouse before embarking on a cruise to Mocambique in the run-up to the finals.



Mr Gay South Africa 2011 - Lance Weyer



Mr Gay South Africa 2011 - finalists sail away



Mr Gay Sa 2011 Finalists at Durban View Guesthouse

Barman Ian and fiends meet the Mr Gay SA finalists

Llewellyn (Durban View Guesthouse co-owner) with Gavin Deale

Durban View Guesthouse co-owner Dave (left) with Rainbow Cruise organiser Leon Nel (centre) and former Mr Gay SA Finalist Gavin Deale (right)

Coenie Kukkuk, organiser of the Mr Gay South Africa pageant with his Finalists

The November Rainbow Cruise which sails from Durban to Mocambique is the most festive with the finalists of the Mr Gay South Africa competition on board. The sail-away party at Durban View Guesthouse gives us a chance to meet the finalists and the other rainbow passengers the night before the ship sails.

Hot November in SA

November is the month to be visiting South Africa this year... it's the COP 17 Climate Change Conference taking place in our warm east coast city of Durban. It's the largest conference Durban will ever have hosted and (not to generalise) environmental affairs have a huge gay following.. so it's gonna be good.

City boy

Keeping this side of the fence is our hot city boy..

Gay in SA

Always great to be gay in SA, since 2006 with our new Civil Union Act, gay marriage is legal.. and we're very gay-friendly.. so if you're in South Africa over Easter, or coming here soon, we look forward to welcoming you.

Visiting South Africa this year?

Here are some travel tips for those who would like to visit South Africa this year. For more gay information, also visit our Gay Durban, Gay Johannesburg and Gay Cape Town blogs.





The big 5 animals of South Africa









Durban beachfront on the warm east coast of South Africa







Table Mountain Cape Town



I was asked some advice for a tourist to South Africa, so I thought I would write a blog post and extend it to a wider audience.

Most tourists imagine that they can drive around the country in 2-3 weeks and see it all. This would not be adviseable as South Africa is a big country. If you did want to see parts to the north, south, east and west, you would need to fly to some and drive between other parts as I will recommend. An itinerary also depends on how much time you have and your budget.

TIME OF YEAR

April is the best time of year to visit South Africa. This is because the weather is generally the best... the heat of summer is over and winter is not yet upon us. Peak season would be summer when the schools are on holiday, but I personally prefer it off-peak when the crowds have thinned out and it is not so hot. Durban is best all year as our winters are never less than 15c and no rain. Cape Town is worst in winter as it is cold, windy and rainy.. best for Cape Town would be October/November and March/April. Cape Town is on the Atlantic Ocean so swimming is generally out, whereas Durban is on the warm east coast so August to end of April is good with best swimming/beaches December to March.

AIRLINE ROUTES

Emirates fly to Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg via Dubai, so best would be to fly in to one city and fly back out of another city, travelling between cities by car, train or bus. Most of the other airlines fly in to either Johannesburg or Cape Town, which means a stop in Durban and the east coast means additional flights or travel. I would even avoid Johannesburg completely and fly into Durban and then out of Cape Town home. My favourite Airline to Africa is SAA of course, but their routes are not the best and sometimes the prices are over the top. Check them out and compare.

WHAT TO SEE

Your routing may depend on what you want to see. The Kruger National Park a few hours drive from Johannesburg is probably the best but requires getting to Johannesburg and a few hours drive each way. I personally would avoid that as there are many excellent game parks around South Africa. If you have loads of time you could include the Kruger Park.

So suggestions could be... fly to Johannesburg, hire a car and drive to the Kruger Park. Stay 3 - 4 nights and drive back to Johannesburg to return the car. Fly to Durban and stay for 3 - 5 nights. Fly to Port Elizabeth (2/3rds of the way to Cape Town), hire a car and drive along the coastal Garden route to Cape Town stopping off en-route for 2- 3 nights. Spend 5 nights in Cape Town and fly home direct.



The Drakensberg Amphitheatre

 

Beach sculptures in Durban



Alternatively fly direct to Durban and stay 3- 4 nights. Drive up to the Hluhluwe Game reserve and stay 3 nights. Drive back to Durban and fly to Port Elizabeth following the same suggestion above ie cut out Jhb and the Kruger park.

As an extension to either route, you could drive to the Amphitheatre in the Drakensburg Mountains which are half-way between Durban and Johannesburg (2 1/2 hours drive), or you could drive from Jhb to Durban intead of flying. Another option is the train from Johannesburg to Durban which I believe is good.

Wine lovers would love Cape Town as the Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franshoek wine routes are within 40 mins drive of the city. I personally love Stellenbosch where my son goes to University at the moment, so I can visit him and drink loads of wine. There must be at least 200 wine farms in a few kilometres radius.

If you have a shorter or longer visit planned and want to come at an odd time of year or have any other queries, feel free to email me at durbanstadiumview@gmail.com and I will try and help out with my recommendations. Enjoy!

South Africa clinches 2nd Mr Gay World title tonight!!

Congratulations to Francois Nel have been pouring in.

The new Mr Gay World 2011 chosen tonight in Manila, Philipines, is South Africa's Francois Nel seen right above with Mr Gay South Africa organiser Coenie Kukkuk.

This makes it second in a row for South Africa as Charl van den Berg (left in picture right) handed over his reign as Mr Gay World 2010 to Francois. Charl is pictured in Durban with Durban View Gay Guesthouse co-owner Dave Mc Naught.

We are so proud of both you guys holding up the flag for South Africa at such a prestigeous competition.

The 1st runner-up was USA, 2nd runner-up Spain, 3rd runner-up Australia and 4th runner-up New Zealand.

Gay Directory South Africa updated

The Facebook group Gay Directory South Africa is the largest gay Facebook group with over 4 200 members and has just been re-vamped. Created by Dave Mc Naught of Durban the directory has been steadily growing and gives an easy link to nationwide gay interest groups, accommodation in the various provinces and more...

Check out the Gay Directory South Africa here.

Here we come

If you're thinking of making a trip to South Africa, April must be the best time of the year to visit. Fabulous weather, hot guys! Come visit us on the east coast, where the beaches never end and the ocean is warm and the boys even hotter.

Legality of same-sex sex and Marriage in South Africa

The legal age for sex in South Africa has changed over the years and on the 1st January 2008 we achieved gender equality.

Same-sex legality was previously 19 and for hetero-sexuals was 16 but all provisions that discriminate have been formally repealed  - including an equalised age of consent now 16 regardless of sexual orientation, and all sexual offences are now defined in gender-neutral terms.

South Africa was also the fifth country in the world, the first in Africa, the second outside Europe and the first republic to legalise same-sex marriage with the coming into effect on the 30th November 2006 of the Civil Union Act allowing same-sex partners to choose between a marriage or civil union, both with identical implications. A copy of the Act can also be downloaded - see our side blog and civil union or pre-marriage agreements are also available. Tel 083-7033329 if you need more help. - Dave

Summer in South Africa

I know how cold it is in the northern hemisphere, but here in South Africa it's a sizzling summer and the beaches are hot... especially on our east coast where surfers are king.

Happy New Year

So here's to an awesome 2011. 2010 saw our Mr Gay South Africa, Charl van den Berg take the title of Mr Gay World so we're on the right track. Come visit gay South Africa this year and you will be pleasantly surprised... mmm

Francois is Mr Gay South Africa 2010

Francois Nel is the new Mr Gay South Africa 2010.

Here are the full results:

Mr. Personality: Francois Nel;

Top 3 SMS results: 1. André Lammers; 2. Jared Lee Smit; 3. Francois Nel;

Bone Wear Model of the Year: Francois Nel;

Schwarzkopf Model of the Year: Jared Lee Smit;

Mr. CW Design Jewellers: Francois Nel.

Overall: Second runner-up: Karl-Heinz Michel, first runner-up André Lammers, Mr. Gay South Africa 2010, Francois Nel!

Congratulations guys and to Charl van den Berg, the outgoing Mr Gay South Africa who did South Africa proud by going on to win the Mr Gay World 2010.

Good morning South Africa

It's beautiful summer weather in South Africa. So it's shirts off and fun in the sun... let's toss the scarf!

Pride Movies in South Africa

Not very well publicised but Ster Kinekor are halfway through their Pride Film Fest in South Africa with 2 movies left to screen in their Cinema Nouveau complexes around the country.

In Johannesburg/Pretoria there will be a screening of The Kids are Alright on the 12th November in Brooklyn (Pretoria) and V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, and in Rosebank Johannesburg on the 26th November, whilst their other movie Eyes Wide Open screens only at 4 venues on the 12th (Rosebank and Cavendish) and 26th November (Brooklyn Pretoria and V&A Waterfront Cape Town). Durban has one remaining movie, the Kids are Alright on the 12th November.

Last year I was appalled by the lack of publicity for the few films they were showing and adverts at the Cinema for the gay film fest apologised to straight patrons for the screening on one day of the year of films to suit the gay community. Poor show Ster Kinekor.

Yes you can

Everything is possible in South Africa.

gay Durban Durban View Hot Bodz

Go PRIDE Go - Johannesburg Pride 21st Birthday

It's all happening in Gay Johannesburg this weekend 2 Oct with South Africa's largest Pride gathering, Parade and Parties.

Check out the Events listing down the sideblog of our Gay Johannesburg blog and here's a pic of the Parade route from Zoo Lake to Rosebank and back. The Pride Parade and Festival celebrates it's 21st birthday on Saturday! Wow, a coming of age of Gay Rights in South Africa.

The 2010 Pride Parade, featuring a host of colourful floats and thousands of revellers, will kick off from Zoo Lake Sports Club at 10am through the streets of Rosebank. Participants should note that this is an hour earlier than in previous years – so make sure you get there on time!

Refreshment points for marchers will be provided along the route. No alcohol is permitted to be consumed in the Parade and participants are reminded to wear sunscreen and a hat or cap.

Marchers return back to Zoo Lake Sports Club at around 11.30am for the rest of the Pride Day festivities until 5pm. Revellers will be entertained by local artists and DJS as well as a guest teaser performance and appearance by British pop-star and DJ Sonique who will perform with her dancers at the Official Joburg Pride After-party later that night at the Standard Bank Arena. (Tickets for the after-party are available through Computicket).

Besides the entertainment there will also be Pride stalls - with all sorts of goodies on display and on sale - bars, food and a kiddies’ play area. LGBT organisations such as OUT will be informing the public about their work and will provide services such as free on-the-spot HIV testing.

Mr Gay South Africa finalist

Meet Ernest Gravett hot finalist in the Mr Gay South Africa 2010 competition. Like the previous winner of the 2009 competition Ernest is from Cape Town.

South Africa in Russia and Amsterdam

We were in St. Pertersburg last month for Llewellyn's 40th Birthday and imagine our delight to find the DJ in the Central Station bar sporting a South African shirt! Not be be outdone, in Amsterdam for gay Pride 2010 the street barman was happy to pose with the South African flag we carried along the canals as we followed the parade.

Dave and Llewellyn show the flag during Amsterdam Gay Pride 2010 in August