Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2024/2025 i go! Platteland

Here’s a new one for your bucket list: The world’s first dog museum has opened its doors in Cape Town. This playful space, which celebrates the role of man’s best friend throughout history, is the brainchild of Karel van der Vyver, a native of Gqeberha who studied law but has had a lifelong passion for museums and art. “Before and during my studies, I took on internships at the Jewish Museum and Iziko in Cape Town. I also worked as a cultural reporter at Daily Maverick,” says Karel. “Opening my own museum was a good way for me to express this love.” The museum offers six exhibits in various media, from ceramics to short films and everyday objects. There’s also a café and a gift shop. And, of course, well-behaved…

How about adding extra flavour to your summer drinks? Since 2023, Ma Mère Confections, which is known for its delicious and stylishly packaged nougat and Turkish delight, has also been producing flavoured cordials for cocktails. Following the success of the first four flavours – Blood Orange & Ginger, Peach & Rosemary, Rose Geranium & Vanilla and Elderflower – another two have been added: Pomegranate and Rooibos & Naartjie. And both are already a hit. “We’re crazy about anything that tastes like pomegranate, so we recently introduced pomegranate Turkish delight and have a lovely pomegranate-and-pistachio nougat. We also thought it would be a great idea to introduce the refreshing sweetness of this beloved fruit into our cordials,” says classically trained chef Lexi Bird who started Ma Mère in her kitchen in…

Handmade ceramic tiles From R320 each Kendal Warren Ceramics kendalwarren Fynbos Drops, creations by artist Daya Heller, are made by hand of UV-resistant resin that preserves the fynbos inside R700–R2800 each Fynbos Drops fynbosdrops.co.za Pleasure Nests made of cardboard and covered in shweshwe fabric R340 Cat Nests SA catnests.sa Karoo Hoogland Libra Cuvée Brut 2022 is a Cap Classique made of Chardonnay grapes with stone fruit, stewed apple, nuts and shortbread on the nose, and minerality and yeasty complexity on the palate R340 Karoo Hoogland Wines karoohoogland.co.za DIY herb kit with a wooden seedling pot, herb seeds and peat R55 Pep Home pepstores.com Shweshwe gift tags R20 each Accessorise Your Lifestyle accessoriseyourlifestyle Platteland says Read our story on page 68. Traditional fudge (115 g) R45 Darling Sweet darlingsweet.co.za Surf Clay SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen…

The couple met in Johannesburg in 2008. Nick was studying marketing and management at the IMM Graduate School and Nicole was working at a Nedbank call centre. They moved to Kabokweni in the Lowveld in 2010 and lived with Nick’s mom, Sarah Maluka. Their son, Afrika, was born in 2011. Later that year they moved to Witbank (now eMalahleni) when Nick bagged a job at British American Tobacco. Nicole was a junior administrator at the Kusile Power Station and received a few promotions during their five years in the Highveld. “Witbank was good, because we earned a lot of money and the kids attended a private school,” Nicole says. “But the air pollution was terrible – Afrika developed chest issues after we moved there. We felt like there must be…

There is an important rule you have to follow when writing an article about a town: Keep yourself out of the story. But the closer I get to Van Zylsrus, the more the memories start hitching a ride in my bakkie. By the time I reach Kuruman, I’m feeling smothered by all the remembering. I continue past the Caltex petrol station on the R31, which passes through Kuruman to Hotazel. This is where the police stopped me when I was in Standard 9. I had to drive our Isuzu bakkie home because my father needed to drive the repaired Ford F100 back to the farm. I’ll never know how much my father paid to get us off, but for the rest of the 220km journey to the farm, I sat…

It’s been a bitterly cold and wet winter on the Cape West Coast, and The Owls of Langebaan’s Facebook page has been abuzz with questions like, “Alta, are the owls all right? Are they getting wet? Aren’t they cold? Has Mamma laid her eggs?” Of course, I’m following all the chatter, that’s how I know, but today I finally get to meet Alta, and see what’s going on for myself. “Someone once suggested I put an umbrella up for them when it gets hot,” Alta says with a wry smile as we make our way upstairs to the study cum sunroom, whose adjoining balcony is where the owls have made themselves at home. It’s a smaller space than I had imagined: the original pot billeted by the owls is on…

“Hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body but also the soul.” This is how the English poet Alfred Austin sang the praises of gardening. And these days many will tell you that contact with soil, which is rich in microbes and minerals, will also boost your immune system and lower your stress levels. For centuries, gardeners and farmers have regarded soil as the obvious and only growing medium, but in recent times the world population has been increasing exponentially, while the availability of arable land and fresh-water sources have been declining, and then there’s the climate crisis making matters worse. To feed humanity, we need new approaches to traditional agriculture, or geoponics, and people have…

Bokkoms, sea shells, old enamel pails and sunflowers adorn the new cotton fabric from Fabric Centre, which means you can take a piece of the West Coast home with you – on a pillow slip, tablecloth or apron. Made using medium-weight cotton and designed by Adri Berner from their sister business, Corgitex, the striking, authentically platteland design happened by accident, says Caroline Savage, one of the owners of Fabric Centre. “We were working on a braai design for Heritage Day when our attention was drawn to the beautiful West Coast pictures! We absolutely loved the watercolour effect of the fish and shells,” says Caroline. Her team is always looking for new designs, especially unique textiles that aren’t found anywhere else. This means they often design and print their own. They…

WESTERN CAPE Cap Classique and Champagne Festival HUGENOT MONUMENT, FRANSCHHOEK 30 November & 1 December Few things are as festive as a glass of bubbly. The Franschhoek Wine Valley invites you to sip the best Cap Classiques in the country. This year’s theme is“Elegantly Floral” and, as usual, prizes will be awarded to the best dressed festivalgoers. Your ticket will include a glass and 10 tasting tokens. Gourmet food will also be on sale. Tickets R450 on Saturday and R400 on Sunday, at Webtickets. Contact 021 876 2861 or 066 224 6360 franschhoekcapclassique.co.za info@franschhoek.org.za @franschhoeksa @FranschhoekWine ValleyFestivals German Christmas Market YES! EXCLUSIVE FLOWERS, 22 SECTION STREET, PAARDEN EILAND 7, 14 & 21 December A range of products will be on sale at this weekly Saturday market. Come explore the beauty…

Lorraine Strydom and Anelda de Bruin Owner of the Leeupan Guest Farm and administrative clerk at KLK After her husband, Flippie de Bruin, died in an accident just outside Van Zyls in 2013, Lorraine decided to keep the land where they had farmed and continue on her own. She single-handedly looked after her two children, Gerhard and Anelda, as well as herds of cattle, sheep and goats. And this in a part of the world that is sometimes called hell for a woman… Lorraine did it all so well that she later bought an additional farm. These days she farms with Gerhard and a few years ago a businessman from Pretoria arrived at Leeupan… “We are so happy that Oom Johan became a part of our lives,” says Anelda. “He…

During my time with Alta, she expressed her immense gratitude to Jacques Nel, founder of the non-profit organisation The Owl Orphanage in Velddrif, for his wise counsel when she wasn’t sure what to do, especially during the strange Covid year when the breeding patterns went awry. Often his advice was simply to leave things as they are, and to let nature run its course. If the mother is uninterested in her eggs, there’s a reason for it. If she’s soaking wet, well, that’s how she would be in nature. Jacques, an environmentalist, has devoted the last seven years of his life to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned birds of prey. Initially, the idea was to only work with owls, and his set-up in St Helena Bay served…

1 GEOPONICS (TRADITIONAL CROP GROWING) How it works Traditional soil-based farming in the outdoors relies on plants’ ability to access nutrients through the soil, a process that is not always efficient and can be disrupted by the weather. Pros • It is cheaper to start out, and the largest variety of crops can be grown. Cons • The seasons or weather conditions limit what one can grow. • Gardeners and farmers often rely on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. 2 AEROPONICS How it works This is a form of hydroponics, but the crops do not grow in soil or water – the roots hang in the air and a fine mist delivers nutrients directly to the roots. Pros • The plants grow up to 70% faster because the roots are exposed…

Colour bomb your festive table If you’re still undecided about whether to celebrate this Christmas al fresco-style, these colourful prints should convince you to do so. The biodegradable serviettes by Tavola are locally made and printed, but their three new designs – and nine colour variations – launched in time for summer, have a distinctive Mediterranean flavour. Abigail Bisogno has always been crazy about a beautifully decorated table. “Whenever I travel overseas, I hunt for interesting fabric and paper napkins. I still have an enormous collection but now I prefer our own designs!” says Abigail. “A few months ago, I was in Europe with my daughter Isabella, who is also a designer. What we saw on that trip was hugely inspiring.” There’s now an elegant new shape in the range:…

South Africa is ranked seventh on the list of top wine-producing countries in the world. So, it’s no surprise that such a thriving industry also delivers wine experts of the calibre of George Young from Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate, who was announced as the Best Young Sommelier in the country in September. The finalists were all tested on their practical skills, wine service and blind tastings. George and the two runners-up – wine consultant Amos Sobashe and Gregory Lorimer from Oldenburg Vineyards – will soon leave for France to further hone their skills. Sommeliers are trained wine experts from the viticulture or hospitality industries who have advanced and specialised knowledge of different wines and how to serve them correctly. The South African Sommeliers Association (SASA) announces the Best Young Sommelier…

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Elmare van Wyk Owner: Ouma See and Oupa See self-catering accommodation Since her early retirement from the Tankwa Karoo National Park in October 2016, former teacher Elmare van Wyk has lived in Lambert’s Bay during the week, but over weekends she makes the three-hour journey to their farm, Kalkgat, in the Tankwa Karoo where her husband, Kobus, lives. They are considering setting up the farm as a“bundu campsite” after Kobus’s retirement (at the end of this year) for“people who want to escape into nature without a cellphone signal”. Every December for the past 38 years, the Van Wyks have camped on “plot 24” at Lambert’s Bay’s caravan park, even though they have since bought a family home in the town. “Lambert’s Bay creeps into your heart… oh, when you leave…

“I look a slight sigh. The last time I saw a bit different since you last saw me, right? I’m so skinny now – it’s because of the mountain… it’s hard work living here,” Nicole Nyalungu says with a smile and Nick and Nicole was for Platteland #27 (Winter 2020), while doing a town story on White River in Mpumalanga. They talked about their brand Nick & Nichol’s, a vegan leather range of bags, shoes, wine carriers, book covers and wallets made from the recycled inner tubes of tyres. A lot has happened since then. They now live on the water’s edge at Shiyalongubo Dam in the Makhonjwa Mountains, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The dam lies 33km east of Barberton and was built in the 1930s to supply irrigation…

When Frits van Ryneveld and Hentie van der Merwe launched the first three Darling Sweet toffee flavours 10 years ago, a large part of South Africa was in the grip of Banting fever. Of course toffees, which are made with sugar, condensed milk and real butter, were right at the top of the list of banned evil foods. Frits gives one of his infectious laughs: “I can’t believe it all worked out so well, especially not with the two of us running things – I studied drama and Hentie art!” Today their cheerfully packaged Kosher and Halaal products are exported to Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. The idea of making toffees started to brew in Frits’s head while he was running an antiques…

OVERBERG Grootbos makes Time’s top-100 list Time magazine recently included the Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve on its “The World’s Greatest Places” top-100 list. For almost 25 years, this reserve has been conserving and protecting 3500 hectares of pristine wilderness, 907 plant species (of which 100 are classified as threatened) and 3000-year-old milkwood forests. Grootbos owner Michael Lutzeyer wanted to ensure that people could appreciate the incredible detail of these plants, along with the role played by each one’s unique pollinator. His dream was fully realised in 2022 as Africa’s first florilegium, housed in the Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery. Forty-four internationally renowned and local botanical artists immortalised this amazing collection of almost 250 botanical illustrations, including insects, butterflies and other pollinators, over a…

ALFRESCO MENU WELCOME SNACK Mullet grilled over the coals FOR THE STOEP TABLE Tomato crostata Salad from the ashes (escalivada) Charred baby marrow and corn kernel salad Pork tenderloin with apple mostarda Butterflied paprika chicken with buttered caraway baby potatoes DESSERT Classic pavlova with roasted strawberries and mascarpone cream Inviting somebody to your home means you’re responsible for their happiness during the time they’re under your roof. This is what French food philosopher Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, known for his timeless wisdom, wrote two centuries ago. In summer, the Du Toits have ample opportunity to ensure the happiness of their guests by way of get-togethers on their stoep. We’re not only talking about Christmas; both our birthdays take place during this time: Errieda the Sagittarian celebrates hers in early summer, while…