Exclusive interview with Bonang Matheba on the House of BNG retreat and the power of celebration

Against the sun-drenched vineyards of the Cape Winelands, Bonang Matheba curated an intimate experience that blurred the lines between lifestyle, wellness, and celebration. Hosted at the stunning La Paris Estate, the retreat was not just a showcase for her luxury beverage brand, House of BNG, but a thoughtfully designed moment of connection and creativity. Adding to the vibrancy of the day, the gathering was hosted by media personalities Kuhle Adams and Thulane “Toolz” Hadebe, whose warmth and charm set the tone for a celebratory weekend.

Bonang Matheba and Kuhle Adams at the BNG retreat. Image: Supplied

The day’s program was as carefully curated as the venue itself. Guests enjoyed hands-on flower arranging, creative bead-making , and wellness-focused massages, each activity reflecting the brand’s commitment to intentional luxury and mindful living. Between the moments of crafting and relaxation, attendees could sip on House of BNG’s signature sparkling mimosa, experiencing firsthand the lifestyle ethos the brand embodies.

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For Matheba, whose brand has become synonymous with aspirational African glamour, the retreat was about more than showcasing a product. It was about creating a space.

“I wanted this experience to represent the essence of the House of BNG,” she explains. “When you think of the brand, you think of African luxury, something premium, something intentional. But beyond that, it’s about creating a space where we can celebrate ourselves and celebrate each other.”

The setting itself felt deliberate. Nestled within the vineyards, La Paris offered both intimacy and expansiveness, a place where guests could breathe, slow down, and step away from the pace of everyday life.

“The moment you step into this space, you understand why we chose it,” Matheba says. “There’s a natural grandeur to it, but also a calmness. It allows people to relax and truly experience the moment.”

The choice of the Cape Winelands also carries symbolic weight for the brand. While House of BNG has become a staple in celebration culture across South Africa, its roots lie close to where the retreat took place. Produced in nearby Stellenbosch, the wine is intrinsically tied to the region’s rich winemaking heritage.

“This is actually the first time we’re hosting something like this in Cape Town,” Matheba shares. “It felt important to come here, this is where the wine is made. So celebrating it here, in a thoughtful way, just felt right.”

At the centre of the retreat was the brand’s mimosa offering, a sparkling extension of the House of BNG universe that reflects shifting global tastes. But even here, Matheba approaches the category with the sensibility of a storyteller rather than simply a businesswoman.

“Mimosas are having a moment around the world,” she says. “But when we create anything, we listen to our audience. We pay attention to how people want to celebrate their lives, what they want to drink, how they want to feel.”

That sense of listening has shaped the brand’s evolution. From prestige sparkling wines to new variations, including non-alcoholic options — the offerings mirror the ways modern consumers move through moments of celebration.

“Wellness is important now,” she explains. “People are drinking less, eating better, spending time offline. They want curated experiences, they want connection, they want to be outside again. So we looked at all of that when designing the retreat.”

The day reflected that ethos. Guests wandered through the estate, shared meals, and engaged in conversations that moved easily between lifestyle, creativity, and personal journeys. It was less about spectacle and more about atmosphere, a reminder that luxury, increasingly, is defined by experience rather than excess.

Still, the emotional core of the gathering lay in something deeper: the community of women who have long supported Matheba’s career.

“I am what I am because of women,” she says. “South African women, women across the continent - they support my work, they support my brand. They’ve been my biggest champions.”

It is a truth that resonates not only in her audience but also in the ecosystem around her. Many of the collaborators, advisors, and creatives who help shape her ventures are women.

“My team is made up of women,” she says. “The people who support me professionally and personally, they’re women. They’re my eyes and ears.”

For Matheba, the brand itself embodies that spirit of collective aspiration. When someone opens a bottle of House of BNG, she hopes it carries more than just the promise of celebration.

“I want people to feel inspired,” she says. “I want them to feel proud. To see the brand as something audacious, an audacious exercise by a Black woman who believes she belongs in these spaces.”

In many ways, that audacity has always defined Matheba’s career. From television to entrepreneurship, she has consistently moved with the confidence of someone determined to rewrite expectations.

When asked to imagine the brand as a person, her answer comes quickly.

“She’s confident. Proudly South African. Audacious. She loves a challenge,” Matheba says with a smile. “She fails spectacularly sometimes, but she also succeeds spectacularly.”

It’s a description that feels fitting not just for the brand, but for the woman behind it.

And if the retreat hinted at what lies ahead, it may well become something larger, an annual gathering where lifestyle, culture, and celebration meet under the Cape sun.

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“Brands have festivals that become synonymous with them,” Matheba reflects. “I’d love for this to grow into something like that, something we come back to every year.”

The essence of the retreat was clear: . It’s a celebration of connection, creativity, and the audacity to take up space, all framed against the breathtaking backdrop of the Cape Winelands.

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