KNYSNA – Leading South African production company, Cooked in Africa Films has negotiated a R2.1M sponsorship deal with local French vehicle manufacturer, Renault South Africa.
Renault’s Head of Communications and Brand, Danielle Melville handed over the keys to one of five new Renault Koleos SUV vehicles valued at R325 000 to Cooked in Africa Films Founder and Creative Director, Justin Bonello, at a media luncheon at Simola Spa and Golf Estate in Knysna today.
Cooked in Africa films specialises in the production of thought provoking entertainment and original content – mostly reality documentaries – for both TV and new media platforms.
Says the filmmaker, veteran presenter and bush cook, Justin, “Our partnership with Renault represents a new era in Cooked in Africa Films with the company having produced more than 100 hours of content last year mostly within the adventure and lifestyle reality TV genres. We recently completed six tough days of filming for the third season of The Ride’s “The Ride of Sir Harry Smith” using four Koleos SUV’s to tow horses and horse-boxes over 1000kms of rugged territory between Cape Town and Grahamstown. It was a baptism of fire for the vehicles, but they performed beautifully, and much like our camera crew, are build to work hard and deliver consistently over all terrains and in all weather!”
With a string of successful Series’, including “Charly’s Cake Angels”, “Exploring the Vine”, “The Ride” and “Around Iceland on Inspiration” behind them, the company is expected to deliver another 50 hours in reality TV content by the end of 2012, including an original 13-part extreme cuisine reality TV cooking competition hosted by Justin Bonello entitled, “Ultimate Braai Master”; and a six-part scientific expedition that follows Dr. Steve Boyes (PHD Zoology) along the Okavango Delta as he highlights the plight of the Delta, entitled “ Bush Boyes”.
Danielle Melville comments, “Cooked in Africa Films and Justin Bonello represent the ideal platform to showcase the versatility and accessibility of the new Koleos SUV range. As a much-treasured local entrepreneur, we believe that Justin is a great ambassador to the Brand as the vehicle is designed to deliver on performance and economy, while remaining suited to both the urban and outdoor environments that are so much a part of the modern South African lifestyle.”
Cooked in Africa Films Executive Producer, Peter Gird is thrilled with the partnership.
“As Cooked in Africa spreads its wings into the expanding world of Branded Entertainment we’re delighted to have concluded this ground breaking partnership with Renault,” he says. “The new Koleos SUV shouldn’t be mistaken for an imitation, it’s a true original built off the Nissan platform as part of the wider Renault/Nissan Alliance, and we look forward to working with our partners to help build this Brand to a position it deserves in the SA market.”
Cooked in Africa Films’ partnership includes Renault’s role as an exclusive vehicle sponsor for the “Ultimate Braai Master”, which includes the loan of 15 new Koleos SUV vehicles (plus one which will be given to the winner as part of the competition prize) for the 8000km reality TV road show, and an additional 29 vehicles for production and crew valued at R4M.
In the last nine years Cooked in Africa Films has delivered programming across various genres to broadcasters as diverse as BBC International, National Geographic, Discovery and local South African broadcasters MNET, SABC and ETV
