How long before the following scenario becomes a reality? Seated at Societi Bistro under majestic Table Mountain, you decide on a rare fillet with Madagascar green peppercorn sauce on the side (their best dish). To drink? A bottle of the spicy Theodore Eksteen Rhone blend 2008 from Ormonde in Darling, recommended by the Pendock Private Cellar (which it already is). One tap on the smart phone and an octocopter called DORA (below) whirs into life in a warehouse in Okavango Park. 500 manoeuvres of the autopilot a second. Within five minutes, a drone has delivered a bottle at room temperature to your table. Payment, order, delivery all sorted. Cigars, brandies, wines, recreational drugs, all doable by drone.

Who will be the first retailer to hire an armada of Doras to fulfil their delivery requirements? Come on Carrie Adams at Norman Goodfellows, what say you? Sponsored by VISA Card (death to Diners!).

The coming drone revolution will rewrite the rules of retail. Forget about expensive premises (transformation of city property values predicted). Forget about restaurants carrying stock – every wine available in the Cape will be five minutes delivery away from an Eat Out awarded restaurant (they do not stray too far from their La-Z-Boy recliners). This is just-in-time stock control at the Max. Drones are the successors to those VOC Dutch galleons of yore.