21st-century nomads
Who are the Cloetes?
Rut: Charma (8) is our little girl. Some of her favourite activities include swimming in the sea and discovering treats in the padkos basket. Our son Declan (12) is the comedian and always keeps us entertained. He doesn’t shy away from starting conversations with strangers – we owe most of the friendships we’ve made on the road to him. Pieter and I share the duty of adding structure to our “free” lifestyle. He inspires us to try new things. I’m the organiser who loves to tick items off the list. Together we’re the Cloetes!
What inspired you to pack up your life and go on a countrywide road trip?
Pieter: In November 2017, our neighbour in Pretoria told us about one of his retired clients who was planning to tour South Africa in a bakkie and caravan.
We couldn’t stop talking about this man’s plan. I felt a twinge of envy for the massive adventure he was about to embark on; all that loomed ahead for us was monotonous routine and countless school obligations.
Rut: We have our own payroll processing business. We used to have offices in
