go: Platteland

More or less slap-bang in the centre of the country, where the Orange River cuts a broad, mighty swathe through the arid Northern Cape Karoo, lies a town with a peculiar fate: Most South Africans have never been there, or have no desire to ever set f

I am a city boytjie. I spent the first nine years of my life in Sea Point, Cape Town, and the next nine in Vredehoek. The move was prompted by the death of my grandfather, and my gran’s subsequent invitation for our family to join her. One of the joy

In July 2022, all our possessions were stolen from storage in Westmead, Pinetown, during the looting in KwaZulu-Natal. We literally had to start over, but thank goodness for insurance. We have now built a new house at the retirement village in Paulpi

It has been six months since I returned to the USA, my home country – after 10 years in the little dorpie of Rosendal in the South African platteland. Where we live now, the roads are smooth and the electricity is always on, but there is a large hole

Any collection of colourful bumper stickers on the back of a bakkie, caravan or bush trailer is like a road map of all the places you’ve been – and a giveaway that you’re a serious traveller. “I love it. It’s an honorary signal system that shows you

When does a pumpkin become a tourist attraction? When the scales reach a ton! Every year, participants and spectators from all over the Garden Route, Boland and Overberg head for Heidelberg’s Giant Pumpkin Festival. Then it is time for the battle of

The FES – or Foreign Exchange Student – is a strong, dark and singular beer. It is very rich and somewhat sweet, almost like a port. And now the South African National Beer Trophy has selected this showstopper as the best beer in the country from mor

At the annual World Cheese Awards presented by the British Guild of Fine Foods, Klein River’s Overberg cheese won a gold medal – one of only three South African cheeses to have pulled off this achievement. This is the latest in a string of accolades

In the old shearing shed on the farm Kruidfontein, Leon Stegmann, a fifth-generation merino farmer, spreads open a merino fleece and holds it out. “Have you ever touched a sheep shearer or a wool classer’s hands and felt how soft they are?” he and hi

We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Willow-more in the winter of 2015 for an article that we published in that year’s Spring issue (#8). The town looked spick and span. We met interesting characters, like businessman Pepi van der Merwe, who had a h

Every year when global market research specialist Ipsos releases the lists of the world’s top concerns, South Africa finds itself in the forefront alongside the other pessimists. The nerves of our nearly 62million souls at the southern tip of Africa

Ludwig and Retha Everson began building their Aardskip house in 2009. Tucked away in Robyn Street on a hill, it is a practical expression of their desire to live in harmony with nature in a way that is as environmentally friendly, self-sustainable an

For a town of this size, there are surprisingly many developments, interesting initiatives, monuments and other attractions of which you will likely be unaware if you drive through the streets yourself or stop for a coffee. Rather take a free guided

Next to a gravel road somewhere between Belmont and Douglas stands a man, soot-blackened hands cupped behind his ears, blue eyes fixed on great billows of smoke and steam in the winter air. Peter Odell – known to his British friends as Bedford – bli

Driving along the R536 between Sabie and Hazy-view, you’ll be struck by the names of the farms and businesses that are like character sketches of the area: Bushbaby Valley Lodge, Mahogany Hill Cottage, Mountain Creek Lodge and Aan De Vliet Resort (me

On the same gravel road that leads to Bambuu Lakeside Lodge, you’ll find this guest farm and event venue that was built and decorated by Lourina Coetzee. Her grandparents bought the property in the 1950s, but they never lived on the farm permanently.

This rustic watering hole on the R536 is popular among the locals. A marquee tent is fixed to a bar and kitchen, offering a laid-back vibe with good, hearty food. The name “Tanks” does not refer to the owner’s name, as many visitors may think, but th

The story of Nebukatneser is not just any old tale about a cat. It is a story about the fierce fighting spirit of a truly feral animal and her ultimate acceptance of living with humans. It is also a story about the incredible patience and ingenuity o

“Building by hand and foot, using a mix of clay, sand, straw and water, must be as old as human civilization itself,” says Ross Dwyer, as he adds another chunk of wood to the fire crackling inside the curvaceous cob oven he built 14 years ago. “I had

Much like we take care of our own personal hygiene by following routines and rituals, so too do we need to maintain and care for our gardens. The type of hygienic strategies that are needed to cultivate a healthy haven will depend on the requirements

The world loves South Africa’s unique fynbos. In October 2023 alone, more than 1 000 tons – that’s 1 million kilograms – of these endemic flowers were exported to other countries. “It’s the most fynbos that South Africa has ever exported in one month

I have never trusted that desolate time between two and four in the morning – the deep, pitchblack night. A time when it feels as if nothing on earth could possibly be awake; even the stones and flies and mosquitoes are asleep. (Oh, alright, this doe

– Dalsig, Stellenbosch – Years ago, when I studied in Stellenbosch, it was a true student town. People walked everywhere and there weren’t all the cars and terrible traffic jams that are common these days. Now, you can hardly move on the pavements fo