The room is beautiful; a warm glow reflects from the gilt decor. It’s a full house, yet the chatter is not too loud, allowing the sounds of the Banqueting Band to swirl freely around the room. Nic and Pearl Vani give an outstanding modern rendition of the South African National Anthem, while later, the trumpeters respond with a traditional Post Horn Galop.

There’s laughter as Bruce Whitfield shares a quote about South Africa, “things are not as bad as they could be, but not as good as they should be”.The Lord Mayor Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli weaves a thread, tying together the ‘Knowledge Mile’, trade, relationships, shared goals, and the theme of his tenure, ‘Connect to Prosper’. He tells us about his many previous engagements with the South African Chamber UK.

Our Platinum sponsors, Finance Isle of Man, reaffirm the Isle’s historic ties with South Africa, while on the many other corporate tables, new guests expand the reach of the South African Chamber UK to a fresh selection of companies and individuals. The food is excellent, and the wine flows freely.

A Patron member reflects on “The excellent connections my team and I have made”, while others declare, “Tonight was awesome”, “I was honoured to talk to the Lord Mayor”, “Our table had fun”, “We encountered some valuable new business prospects”.

Our third Gala Dinner at the Mansion House is a huge success, our largest in person event to date, and definitely a night to remember.