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

Mr Gay South Africa ™ Finalists

Congratulations to finalists in the Mr Gay South Africa ™ pageant who have been chosen from Cape Town - Andre' Lemmers (top) and KwaZulu-Natal - Jared (left) and runner-up Prince (right) who will be among the 12 finalists competing for the 2010 title in Pretoria in November. The Glen Hotel in Cape Town and exclusively-gay Durban View Guesthouse in Durban hosted the two regional finals.

Kzn Finals of Mr Gay South Africa 2010

Dave and Llewellyn hosted the Central region (Kzn) finals of the Mr Gay South Africa 2010 Pageant at the Guesthouse last night and pose here with winner Jared who goes through to the national finals later this year.

The Heat is on

The heat is on as the 2010 Mr Gay South Africa finals around South Africa  take place over the next few weeks. In Durban, Sat 24th July sees the KZN (Central) regional finals @ Durban View Gay Guesthouse, in Cape Town the Southern regional finals take place @ The Glen Boutique Hotel on Sat 7th August and @ the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria on Sat 4th September the North (including Gauteng) regional finals will be held.

Event bookings are through Hennie - hennie@mrgaysouthafrica.co.za

Towards Mr Gay South Africa 2010

It's the KZN finals of the 2010 Mr Gay South Africa pagent at our Guesthouse next weekend in Durban, so if you havn't already booked to stay with us and enjoy the hot guys around the house, there is limited space still available.

GO Bafana GO! Opening game

One would be mistaken in thinking our SA National Football team, Bafana Bafana, were not the world favourites to win today as they take on Mexico in the opening game of the World Cup.

I have never seen so many yellow shirts in South Africa on one day... everyone - uniting the nation - are showing their colours for Bafana Bafana and South African flags are everywhere.

Fridays have been the days South Africans and schoolchildren have been allowed to show their support by wearing a Bafana shirt to school or work. In the photos from top to bottom are images painted on a garden wall just up the road from the Guesthouse showing Bafana Bafana in action, a handwritten message  in wet concrete, my office staff gearing up for the opening game today, and a self-pic of myself in my car on the way to work - full time lawyer, inbetween running the Guesthouse with my partner Llewellyn, who also has his own SpecSavers Optometry practices by day.

Welcoming the World to South Africa

Welcoming the world to Durban are Guesthouse co-owners Dave and Llewellyn on the rooftop of the house with views of the new FIFA World Cup Football Stadium in the background.

The past few weeks have been busy ones at the Guesthouse recovering furniture, painting, choosing new furniture and curtains for some of the rooms, putting desks and safes in every room and pimping up the Pub for the visitors from around the world due for the World Cup Football event.

We will be welcoming guests from Australia, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, United States, England, Netherlands, South Africa, and Switzerland.  

We hope you have a really awesome time in Durban guys. And don't forget to visit Durban's one and only Gay Club, The Lounge at 226 Mathews Meyiwa (previously named Stamford Hill) Road, or give us a shout on +27-837033329 if you want to pop in at the Guesthouse to say hi.

Hot bois all in one country

One thing about South Africa is that we have the hottest guys as well as the hottest weather. So be it winter or summer, there's plenty of both, especially in our coastal city, Durban.

And we boast one of the most liberal constitutions that protect gay rights and our cities are all gay-friendly...

mr Underwear 2010

Meet Gerhard Venter. he is the new Mr Underwear 2010 chosen at this year's Pink Lourie festival in Knysna.

Durban View Guesthouse sponsored a weekend in Durban for 2 to the winner so we hope to see Gerhard here in Durban at the Guesthouse sometime soon.

Congratulations and good luck Gerhard.

Winter dawn in Durban

The sun has risen and it's another glorious winter morning in Durban. For those not from Durban it is almost hard to believe it is winter; we went to the beach yesterday and tanned coming home a little pink. This is not the case for the rest of South Africa though - it is already quite cold inland and whereas we have a dry winter, it is usually raining and cold this time of the year in Cape Town.

27 April - 2 May: Pink Loerie Festival

The Pink Loerie Festival in Knysna is upon us and the final programme has now been loaded on their website. And it's their 10th Annual event so promises to be even bigger and better than before.

There is a Pink Parade, parties every night, pink soccer tournament, art exhibitions and openings, Mr Mardi Gras and Underwear shows, Miss Mardi Gras, Go-Go dancers and comedy show... and more.

It started as a way to kick-start the slow May (cold) economy in Knysna and hasgrown over the years to be one of the town's, albeit controversial, biggest money spinners.

So hats off to the organisers. It's a huge event. 

Miss Gay SA 2010

Now there's a Miss Gay South Africa 2010 - beauty queens in drag.

The organisers of the beauty pageant promise that while most of you have probably been to a few drag beauty pageants, with this South Africa-wide one, you will be able to see ALL the entrants from the smallest town to the biggest city, and not only a few selected representative from a certain province or club.

The competition is organized to showcase our beautiful drag talent in South Africa, and entrants and sponsors can contact the organisers by e mail to info@gaysa.co.za (Anton Swanepoel).

There is also a Facebook group with the link here.

Hot in South Africa

April is the finest month to be travelling in South Africa. The beach is best in Durban, where the sea temperature is still great.. sunny skies and awesome weather before the winter sets in.

SA's Charl is new Worldwide Mr Gay 2010

Our Mr Gay South Africa, Charl van den Berg, has just been selected as the new Worldwide Mr Gay 2010.

He was crowned on Valentine’s day at a gala ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The competition (previously known as Mr. Gay World) drew delegates from all over the world representing all of the continents.

Australia came second and the rest of the top five were made up of Hong Kong, Spain and China. Both Mr. Photogenic and Mr. Swimwear were won by Russia and Brazil took the Mr. Popularity title.

The competition was streamed live on the Internet to viewers from all over the world. Charl said from Oslo just before the finale started: “The competition is very tough, but I am confident.” That confidence shone through when he had to answer the main question put to the final five: “If you were to speak to an high school about sexuality, what would you tell them?”. Charl answered: “Sexuality is a private matter; regardless of what your sexuality is, we are all the same – we are all human beings.”

The 28-year-old restaurant manager from Cape Town impressed the judges and Morten Ruda, President of Mr. Gay Europe said to the organisers of the Mr. Gay South Africa™ competition: “Congratulations on your victory! He has made a deep impression on all of us here in Oslo! Well deserved. Best wishes for all his future endeavours.”

The first duty of the newly appointed Worldwide Mr. Gay will be to fly to Vancouver, Canada to take part in the festivities of the 2010 Winter Olympics. While in Vancouver and Whistler, Worldwide Mr. Gay will be an ambassador for equality and diversity while taking part in the Pride House – a safe space that brings visibility to LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex) people in sport.