MY TOWN
PRETORIA
A rural city
By Liesl de Beer
After decades away from Pretoria where I lived as a student, I returned to the Jacaranda City in 2015. If you have a heart for the platteland but you need to work in a city, Pretoria strikes a good balance. The economic artery is always pulsing, but there are also hundreds of smalltown things to keep you busy.
The people of Pretoria love sport. You'll come across bunches of runners and cyclists on your commute to work in the mornings. On weekends, there are race events and dirt trails at places like Klapperkop and Wolwespruit.
If you like to browse markets, the Boeremark is an institution that has been bringing farm products to early risers (and their obedient pets) for 28 years. The early morning smell of coffee, the variety of stalls and the laid-back atmosphere make the Boeremark my favourite. Busstop 7 and Hazelwood Food Market are also popular weekend markets; and if you want a farm experience, you can drive to the Irene Village Market at Big Red Barn.
One of my best outings is a visit to Rutland Books in Soutpansberg Road – it's an entire house filled with second-hand books! You'll unearth old and newer treasures in one of the neatly organised rooms for next to nothing. At Sinkhuisie Antiques down the street, you'll find anything from old road signs to tea sets. I bought a lovely old farm gate there once.
If you like something a bit more modern, go to The Village in Hazelwood. It has a European feel with trendy places to hang out, lots of shops and street cafés where you can have good coffee, baked goods or a five-star meal. People love to mingle at Kapstadt Brauhaus in Menlo Park, or grab a beer at Capital Craft on a Friday.
The Moot Project is an exciting and successful initiative where volunteers can roll up their sleeves to help clean up and restore this old part of Pretoria. Bridges, pavements, parks and fences have undergone a metamorphosis with the help of many creative
