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JOBURG NORTHERN SUBURBS<br />
ALLEGRO<br />
DINKWANYANE<br />
From blogger to<br />
serial entrepreneur<br />
No longer cooped up...<br />
let’s go birding<br />
A safari for your<br />
taste buds without<br />
leaving home<br />
EXPLORE NATURE<br />
by bike or on a hike<br />
BOLD<br />
SUMMER VIBES<br />
SHOPPING, PEOPLE AND LIFESTYLE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD<br />
NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong>
ONE DAY ONLY<br />
27 <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2020</strong><br />
CHOOSE 3 SAMPLES<br />
AT CHECKOUT<br />
FREE DELIVERY FOR<br />
ORDERS OVER R750<br />
MAKE SURE YOU’RE ON<br />
THE LIST THAT COUNTS!<br />
Sign up for our newsletter to receive early<br />
access to our Black Friday exclusive online<br />
offers! Only at clarins.co.za<br />
18103
Get StRap STRAP<br />
CONTENTS<br />
GET IT<br />
Editorial<br />
Phone 087-285-7888<br />
Caxton House • 368 Jan Smuts Avenue<br />
Craighall, Joburg<br />
Instagram @get_it_joburg_north<br />
Facebook Get It Joburg <strong>North</strong><br />
Website getitmagazine.co.za/<br />
joburg-north<br />
Editor Daniella Graham<br />
daniellap@caxton.co.za 087-285-8108<br />
Workflow & Studio Manager Megan Brett<br />
Sales<br />
Kristen Le Goff 076-080-2262<br />
Business Manager<br />
Norman Dawe 087-285-7888<br />
GET IT HEAD OFFICE<br />
National Group Editor and National Sales<br />
Kym Argo<br />
kyma@caxton.co.za<br />
Facebook and Instagram:<br />
Get It National Magazines<br />
Website: getitmagazine.co.za<br />
WHY DON’T YOU...<br />
05 Get a merry thrill from festive lights, be active and then kick back<br />
with some virtual events and movies<br />
06 Enjoy half a dozen reads, great wine and irresistible chocs<br />
WISH LIST<br />
08 Summertime ... and the living’s so easy<br />
PEOPLE<br />
10 Allegro Dinkwanyane is a powerhouse businesswoman.<br />
Intimidating, right? You’ll find she’s incredibly humble and relatable too<br />
12 Speaker, sales guru and entrepreneur Richard Wright has unleashed<br />
his vulnerability in a book, and he explains why he chose to do so<br />
14 So you’ve seen Carol Ofori on TV or heard her on radio. But do you<br />
really know her? She shares 10 unique things about herself<br />
THIS MONTH WE’RE ...<br />
18 Flying into <strong>Nov</strong>ember with optimism soaring high. From<br />
let’s-go-natural fashion to local designs at affordable prices, from the<br />
bright hues of a tropical parrot (our beauty page is all Pretty Polly) to<br />
relaxing bath ideas for those looking for a more hedonistic treat.<br />
There’s also fantastic food from Africa plus must-try Summer dishes<br />
and cool-off refreshments.<br />
GARDENING & BIRDING<br />
30 Gardening for small spaces and amazing macramé for your patio<br />
32 Binocs, books and brilliant bags ... all the essentials for birding<br />
Distribution 087-285-7891<br />
Get It Joburg <strong>North</strong>ern Suburbs is<br />
distributed free of charge. For a full list of<br />
where it is available phone 087-285-7891<br />
Published by CTP Limited<br />
Competition rules<br />
The judges’ decision is final. Prizes cannot be<br />
transferred or redeemed for cash. Competitions<br />
are not open to the sponsors or Caxton<br />
employees or their families. Get It Magazine<br />
reserves the right to publish the names of<br />
winners, who will be contacted telephonically<br />
and need to collect their prizes from Caxton<br />
<strong>North</strong>ern branch within 10 days or they will be<br />
forfeited. Prizewinners’ names are published on<br />
our Facebook page monthly.<br />
NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />
TRAVEL<br />
38 Take a hike! Yes, please ... an enthusiast gives the lowdown<br />
on the gear we need<br />
40 Get on your bike and enjoy the mountain biking experience at<br />
the wonderful De Hoop in the Cape<br />
WIN<br />
42 A case of The Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc ...<br />
our go-to-drink this Summer<br />
COVER LOOK<br />
Personality: Allegro Dinkwanyane<br />
Photographer: Katlego Mokubyane<br />
Make-up artist: @makeupbyzodwa<br />
Photographer/Image credit:<br />
00 Get It Sandton • Rosebank Month 08<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 03
A hot date!<br />
Light up your life this <strong>Nov</strong>ember with these events<br />
07<br />
is a day packed with<br />
awesome activities<br />
If it’s a vibey time you’re after, then<br />
On the Lawn with Goodluck is<br />
just what you need. Kick back with<br />
your mates, enjoy a picnic and<br />
groove to some awesome beats.<br />
Kimon Rayne and Easy Freak will also<br />
perform. Marks Park Sports Club in<br />
Emmarentia. <strong>Nov</strong>ember 7 from 1pm<br />
to 6pm. Tickets limited to 500 a show.<br />
From R225. Details: onthelawn.co.za<br />
If an intimate acoustic performance<br />
and storytelling evening sounds just<br />
up your alley, then look no further<br />
than Arno Carstens Live at Snatch<br />
32. You’re sure to have a rocking<br />
good time. Snatch 32 is at 32 7th<br />
Street in Parktown. <strong>Nov</strong>ember 7 from<br />
6pm and on <strong>Nov</strong>ember 8 from 2pm.<br />
R200. Tickets are limited and booking<br />
is essential. Details: webtickets.co.za<br />
Prepare to be<br />
wowed by the sparkle of<br />
illuminated life-size animal characters at<br />
the Joburg Zoo Festival of Lights. You<br />
can catch live performances and browse<br />
the arts and crafts night market too. It’ll run<br />
from <strong>Nov</strong>ember 22 to January 3 next year.<br />
R150. Details: joburgtheatre.com or<br />
webtickets.co.za<br />
Put your takkies to the tarmac in a<br />
run that’s aimed at building unity.<br />
The SABig5K aims to give you the<br />
chance to shine and to show up in<br />
unity, and it takes place on the first<br />
weekend of <strong>Nov</strong>ember to celebrate<br />
the one-year anniversary of SA’s<br />
Rugby World Cup victory. It’s a virtual<br />
run on <strong>Nov</strong>ember 7. Tickets R40.<br />
Details: big5k.co.za or webtickets. co.za<br />
A webinar to inspire…<br />
Are you struggling to get back on top after months of lockdown? SA’s finest<br />
wellness expert, Lisa Raleigh, along with Get It Joburg <strong>North</strong>, is hosting the Finish<br />
<strong>2020</strong> Strong webinar, where she’ll share recipes for wellness to guide readers.<br />
It’s on <strong>Nov</strong>ember 19 from 1pm to 2pm (perfectly timed so you can join in on your<br />
lunch break). Tickets are R100 through the Lisa Raleigh e-store. If you really, really<br />
can’t make the live webinar, you can still download it afterwards, also for R100.<br />
Details: lisaraleigh.com<br />
04 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Feast your eyes on all things vegan<br />
Get inspired and learn how to serve up a plant-based feast this holiday<br />
season with the Vegan & Plant Powered Show. Whether you live a<br />
full-time ‘VGN’ life, are just trying out meat-free days, enjoy tantalising<br />
your taste buds with innovative plant-based food or are exploring<br />
sustainable and eco-friendly products, this one-day virtual show<br />
offers a great online experience you will not want to miss! You will<br />
even be able to engage with top chefs, ask them questions, join an<br />
interactive masterclass and meet them in the Vegan & Meet area.<br />
Taking place on <strong>Nov</strong>ember 28 from 11am to 5pm. R120.<br />
Details: veganandplantpoweredshow.com<br />
Let the stage come<br />
to life in your own home<br />
You don’t need to travel to watch<br />
The Fall on stage as this one’s virtual.<br />
In this production, seven drama<br />
graduates from the University of Cape<br />
Town share their experiences during<br />
the various student movements<br />
during 2015 and 2016, including<br />
#RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall.<br />
It’s said to be a frank and honest<br />
production. It runs on YouTube for the<br />
month of <strong>Nov</strong>ember. Tickets are R30.<br />
Details: webtickets.co.za<br />
There’s a chance to learn even<br />
more about the student protests...<br />
Freedom The Musical tells the<br />
story of a Tshwane University of<br />
Technology student and leader of the<br />
#FeesMustFall movement. The musical<br />
is by the State Theatre’s artistic director,<br />
Aubrey Sekhabi, and has a 47-member<br />
cast accompanied by a 13-piece band.<br />
It runs on YouTube for the month of<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember. Tickets R30.<br />
Details: webtickets.co.za<br />
A trio of movies for a gripping night in<br />
The holiday season is around the corner and we’ve got just the right movie to<br />
get you into the spirit.<br />
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey follows Academy Award-winner Forest<br />
Whitaker's Jeronicus Jangle, a toymaker from the charming little town of<br />
Cobbleton. When Jangle's most revolutionary invention, a magical toy named<br />
Buddy is stolen by a former apprentice, his smart little granddaughter takes<br />
it upon herself to retrieve it and help return the acclaimed toymaker to his<br />
former glory. On Netflix from <strong>Nov</strong>ember 13 • Be prepared for plenty of twists and<br />
turns in the British horror film, The Unfamiliar. When an army doctor returns<br />
home after a tour of duty, she is ecstatic to see her family – but something’s<br />
not quite right. Her husband is acting aloof and odd, seemingly hating his<br />
family members. At first, she attributes the strange things she sees to PTSD.<br />
But too many false memories and eerie happenings occur for it to be just her<br />
suffering. Now showing in cinemas. • If you’re in the mood for action, intrigue,<br />
and danger then In No Time Die you will get just that! Bond has left active<br />
service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when<br />
his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission<br />
to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than<br />
expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with<br />
dangerous new technology. In cinemas from <strong>Nov</strong>ember 27.<br />
If it’s a laid-back evening of soulful<br />
sounds you’re craving, then look<br />
no further than the virtual concert<br />
of Sibongile Khumalo. This awardwinning,<br />
talented musician will<br />
undoubtedly amaze audiences<br />
with songs from her albums Ancient<br />
Evenings, Breath of Life, Quest, Immortal<br />
Secrets, Sibongile Khumalo, Songs for the<br />
Soul, Whole Worlds and The Essentials.<br />
Catch her performances on YouTube<br />
for the month of <strong>Nov</strong>ember. Tickets are<br />
R70. Details: webtickets.co.za or<br />
statetheatre.co.za<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 05
Book club<br />
Real life thrillers and in-your-dreams chick lit<br />
and great wine and a box of chocolates. Swoon<br />
The Family Holiday by Elizabeth Noble is just the most delightful book we’ve<br />
read in ages. It’s light and easy, with lovely characters you long to be your newbest-friends.<br />
Teenage angst, family tragedies, new wives and single dads and<br />
a holiday in a gorgeous luxury retreat in the country ... a warm, witty and really<br />
wonderful weekend read. • Equally as light and enjoyable is Sophie Kinsella’s<br />
irresistible new novel about falling in love with someone - but not necessarily<br />
with their life. A writing retreat in Italy and a holiday romance sounds lovely.<br />
But back home - with his eccentric, naked-sauna-loving family and her terribly<br />
behaved, shirt-shredding dog - things don’t look as rosy. We love a good chick lit<br />
read, and Love Your Life is really fun.<br />
06 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20<br />
There is so much to love about Groote Post Seasalter wine ... the elegance and purity of<br />
fruit, the vibrant acidity, the oyster shell minerality and saline finish, typical of Sauvignons<br />
from the maritime cool-climate Darling Hills terroir. Even the name captured the essence of<br />
the wine. Seasalter <strong>2020</strong> has just been released ... and it’s a summer beach escape in a bottle.<br />
Think grapefruit and zesty lime with hints of fynbos, sea-breeze and a touch of oak. Serve it with<br />
seafood, of course. Around R150 from wine merchants or groote-post-wines.myshopify.com
We’ve all done it. Thought<br />
about what we’d do if we won<br />
a couple of million on the Lotto.<br />
Who we’d share with. What we’d<br />
buy. Charities we’d support.<br />
For years, three couples have<br />
played the same six numbers<br />
on the lottery ... never winning<br />
more than a tenner. They’re<br />
the best of mates, until an<br />
untruth causes a small rift. And<br />
soon after that, bingo ... the<br />
six numbers come up ... just<br />
under 18 million pounds. One<br />
couple’s got the winning ticket.<br />
And they don’t want to share.<br />
In Just My Luck, Adele Parks<br />
looks at the dark side of money,<br />
at friendship and betrayal and<br />
good luck gone bad.<br />
We know Book Club’s all about<br />
books and wine. But salted caramel.<br />
And milk chocolate. And Lindt. As<br />
they say ... irresistible. They’re new,<br />
and you’ll find them at Woolies.<br />
Deep-cover police agents. Drug lords, smugglers and corrupt cops. International drug ring busts and foiled bank heists.<br />
Attempts to destabilise the country and threats to life and accusations of being an apartheid spy. Cop Under Cover reads<br />
like a fast-paced thriller. It’s the story of RS536 ... a terrific read by Johann van Loggerenberg. • Petrified flesh. Frozen cheeks.<br />
Breaking speed records to ensure survival in a harsh Antarctic winter. Scaling Dome Charlie, one of the highest summits on<br />
the Antarctic Ice Sheet. A hellish race against death. But also a childhood dream come true. A story of overcoming adversity<br />
through sheer willpower. Of seeing what’s possible when one has the support and love of family and friends. Dream of a<br />
Lifetime: Crossing Antarctica is Mike Horn’s story of crossing the South Pole unassisted ... a journey across 5 100 km (being<br />
the longest, most challenging route) by kite-ski and sled alone. It’s a daredevil’s first-hand account of realising a crazy dream.<br />
• From real life tension to the latest Tom Clancy thriller, with Jack Ryan Jr. When an unexpected - and unusually unfriendly<br />
- meeting with an ex-girlfriend in a Barcelona cafe ends with a bomb exploding, Jack stumbles into an international<br />
conspiracy that could well be something more than he can handle. Written by Mike Maden, Tomy Clancy’s Firing Point is<br />
gripping from start to finish.<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 07
Wish list<br />
Summertime ... and the living’s so easy<br />
These beaded wrap bracelets are the prettiest way to accessorise<br />
a Summer outfit. Made from Japanese Miyuki glass beads in<br />
gorgeous colours (we fancy this teal and aqua option), and<br />
dainty charms, they’re elasticated and wrap comfortably<br />
round the average wrist six times. Wear one, or a few, for a<br />
colourful boho look. R350 from themakerycollection.com<br />
A breath of French air<br />
There’s a recipe in Jan - A Breath of French Air, for a biltong<br />
and crisp sandwich. Made with simple fresh white bread and<br />
Mrs Ball’s chutney, Jan get tears in his eyes when he eats it.<br />
There’s also one for a naartjie panna cotta with Rice Krispies<br />
chocolate rocks. Tastes of home in Nice, France. Lots of them.<br />
Cape seed loaf and mosbolletjies and his mother’s souttert.<br />
Loads and loads of more sophisticated dishes too ... many of<br />
them surprisingly easy. No surprise at all that they’re delicious.<br />
This, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s second book, is page<br />
after page of deliciousness ... and there are dishes you’ll make<br />
again and again. We’re off for a biltong and crisp sarmie.<br />
Penguin Random House, R490<br />
Tastes of Clifton<br />
Sun-bronzed skin. A warm Summer breeze. Soft golden<br />
sand. Icy, clear water that refreshes like no other. That’s<br />
Clifton. And we don’t need to be heading there these<br />
summer hols ... we can just make ourselves a cocktail with<br />
the new Clifton gin. Created by SA born Silvana Bottega<br />
(who describes it as liquid sunshine in a sip), the gin’s<br />
already won two gold medals. There are two versions ...<br />
Clifton 1 and Clifton 2 (just like the numbered protected<br />
coves of Clifton beaches). Clifton 1 is a sipping gin, all<br />
orange and lemon peel, lavender and fynbos, and is best<br />
served on the rocks. Clifton 2 - the cocktail gin - is eminently<br />
mixable. With hues of the sea, it’s all about marine and<br />
fynbos botanicals, cucumber and buchu, all working in<br />
harmony to capture the spirit of the Atlantic Ocean. The<br />
gins cost between R429 and R498 a bottle and you’ll find<br />
them at good bottlestores or on cliftongin.com<br />
Compiled by KYM ARGO<br />
08 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Taking inspiration from nature<br />
We’re lusting over this Wanderland Collective Oceanum round<br />
pouch bag. Made of velvet fabric printed with a hand-painted<br />
design inspired by the ocean - shells, textured mosses, algae and<br />
darting jellyfish - it comes with a detachable tassel and goldcoloured<br />
chain strap, which is long enough so the bag can<br />
be worn cross-body. It’s just the right size for your phone,<br />
lipstick and credit card. Plus it ticks the ‘support local’ box ...<br />
these bags are made in Joburg, with this design is by local<br />
Joburg textile designer and artist Nicole Levenberg. There<br />
are few colours and designs to choose from ... we fancy<br />
this Moss version. R785 from equilibrio.co.za<br />
Africa from the air ... a collection of extraordinary images in one magnificent book<br />
The continent of Africa has always held an irresistible allure and fascination for aerial photographers Jay and Jan Roode,<br />
who, when they’re not taking visitors on bespoke aerial safaris, roam the skies, capturing awe-inspiring images of the natural<br />
wonders of far-flung regions. The pair have spent thousands of hours in their specially modified aircraft, and for more than a<br />
decade have flown to, and photographed, some of the most remote and spectacular wilderness areas of southern Africa. The<br />
magnificent Aerial Art is the culmination of their remarkable journey. With a vibrant collection of wild and enchanting images<br />
that are instantly recognisable by their unique style and approach, the photographs convey an intimacy with, and reverence<br />
for, the wilderness that reflects their passion for the conservation and preservation of the landscapes they’ve flown over. The<br />
book has a magnetic clip hardcover case, 65 glorious double-page spreads as well as a comprehensive index with a thumbnail<br />
of each image and a brief description at the back of the book. The book costs R980, but there’s also a limited run of 200 copies<br />
with an alternative cover, which costs R1960, which includes a R1000 gift voucher which can be used towards the purchase of<br />
a fine art print of any image in the book. You’ll find the book at Exclusive Books or order online from hphpublishing.co.za<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 09
The allure<br />
ofAllegro<br />
Allegro Dinkwanyane is a force to be reckoned with in the business world. In fact,<br />
her success is rather intimidating. Yet beyond the boardroom, she embraces<br />
motherhood, Instagram and all foodie things in the most humble and charming ways.<br />
ou can<br />
learn<br />
a lot about<br />
Allegro<br />
Dinkwanyane<br />
from her<br />
Instagram grid…<br />
She’s a mother,<br />
bookworm and<br />
fashionista – honestly,<br />
her shoes are to die for!<br />
She’s humble, candid and<br />
most definitely a foodie<br />
– the pics of her dishes<br />
are droolworthy! She’s<br />
a savvy businesswoman, influencer<br />
and serial entrepreneur – seriously,<br />
she built her business from a<br />
blog to nine entities under one<br />
umbrella group.<br />
To put it frankly, Allegro is an<br />
absolute powerhouse. And she’s<br />
refreshingly authentic too.<br />
What you see on Insta is what you<br />
get in real life – or, as this Waterfall<br />
City resident and businesswoman<br />
puts it, ‘I really just post what I like<br />
and I guess the likeminded people<br />
or people who find my content<br />
interesting will follow.’ And they do<br />
– her following is substantial, yet<br />
she says she doesn’t obsess over<br />
social media numbers.<br />
‘I love the opportunities social<br />
10 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20<br />
media offers us to connect with<br />
people we probably would have<br />
never met. I personally just like<br />
sharing some parts of my life as<br />
well as my business so that my<br />
followers either relate or see a<br />
different side to me they never<br />
knew existed.’<br />
It’s unsurprising then, that<br />
this social media-savvy<br />
businesswoman’s background<br />
is in media. Allegro majored in<br />
communications and philosophy<br />
for her Bachelor of Arts degree at<br />
the University of Johannesburg<br />
(UJ) and she has a social media and<br />
marketing qualification from the<br />
University of Cape Town too. Yet,<br />
a lot of her business knowledge<br />
comes from on-the-job learning<br />
as, during the final year of her<br />
degree at UJ, the then-21-year-old<br />
Allegro started her blog, Orgella<br />
Entertainment.<br />
‘I took the leap of faith to start<br />
my business with no prior work<br />
experience because I wanted to<br />
learn from a young age and have<br />
the opportunity to make all the<br />
mistakes that needed to be made<br />
in the early stages of my business,’<br />
explains Allegro.<br />
‘A lot of people told me that I’m<br />
too young and inexperienced<br />
to run my own media company<br />
but I did it anyway. I don’t regret<br />
the step I took, although it<br />
was not easy, it has been<br />
rewarding.’<br />
Seated at coffee<br />
shops in those<br />
early days, and<br />
later converting<br />
a bedroom into a<br />
home office, Allegro<br />
built up her business.<br />
Soon she added a<br />
charity foundation and public<br />
relations agency to form the<br />
Orgella Group.<br />
Just nine years later, nine entities<br />
now fall under the Orgella Group,<br />
including events management,<br />
private property and farming.<br />
Allegro has hired staff and moved<br />
into office space in Waterfall City.<br />
‘Every business in Orgella Group<br />
is something that I am passionate<br />
about and saw a gap in the<br />
market to offer something unique<br />
or simply a service that people<br />
needed as a better alternative.’<br />
Her business is most certainly a<br />
passion project – so much so that<br />
the name ‘Orgella’ is Allegro spelt<br />
backwards. ‘The name itself was<br />
inspired by Oprah Winfrey. She has<br />
a company called Harpo, which
is her name backwards, so I also<br />
used my name Allegro backwards<br />
to name my company.’<br />
Her goal is for the Orgella Group<br />
to be one of the biggest 100<br />
per cent black female-owned<br />
companies in Africa. ‘We’re<br />
going to achieve this by being<br />
consistent in the work we do and<br />
always showing up.’<br />
Already within this first decade<br />
of running her company, Allegro<br />
has been ‘showing up’ in business<br />
circles for her efforts. In 2017, she<br />
was named as a Forbes Africa 30<br />
Under 30 honouree. ‘It’s one of<br />
my great business accolades and<br />
it all happened when I was 27!<br />
It goes to show that sometimes<br />
all you really have to do is put<br />
in the work, and the accolades<br />
will follow. The right people are<br />
always watching.’<br />
Entrepreneurship runs in Allegro’s<br />
veins as she says she was raised<br />
by a family of entrepreneurs.<br />
Her uncles and aunts ran<br />
supermarkets, and her mother,<br />
who is a teacher, also<br />
started her own<br />
business on the side.<br />
‘It was encouraging<br />
and I knew back<br />
then that one<br />
day I would<br />
also like<br />
to create<br />
a legacy of<br />
my own in the<br />
business world.’<br />
Building a legacy and<br />
creating jobs for youth<br />
are the best parts of being an<br />
entrepreneur for Allegro. These<br />
are also what feed the Orgella<br />
Group’s ethos, as Allegro says the<br />
group aims to be informative,<br />
empowering and entertaining.<br />
‘It always comes back to leaving<br />
a great impact, changing the<br />
people around us for the better<br />
and empowering not just the<br />
consumers or audience but also<br />
ourselves as a team.’<br />
Yet, Allegro admits it’s a journey that<br />
isn’t for the fainthearted and can be<br />
lonely. She says her team, family and<br />
small circle of friends are a great<br />
support system, while her biggest<br />
motivator on those tough days is<br />
her 22-month-old son, Elohim.<br />
One of the advantages of<br />
lockdown due to the Covid-19<br />
pandemic for Allegro has been<br />
that she’s been able to spend<br />
more time with Elohim inbetween<br />
working from home<br />
and, being a ‘foodie by nature’,<br />
she has enjoyed spending time in<br />
the kitchen. ‘I love food, cooking<br />
and trying new recipes. And<br />
now that I have a little human<br />
being to share my food with, I<br />
love creating different dishes for<br />
him to try. My favourite things<br />
to make include pasta, seafood<br />
dishes, healthy treats or snacks<br />
and baked goodies.’<br />
In fact, Allegro enjoys cooking so<br />
much she has an Insta account<br />
dedicated to showcasing the<br />
mouth-watering treats she whips<br />
up in her kitchen.<br />
Beyond the boardroom, Allegro<br />
says she’s actually ‘quite the<br />
introvert’ and she maintains her<br />
positive mindset by praying,<br />
meditating and spending time<br />
with loved ones, and, at the<br />
end of a long day, she loves<br />
to soak in a bubble bath. She<br />
finds journaling therapeutic,<br />
and, to cope with the pressure<br />
of running her business, she<br />
takes time to rest every so often.<br />
‘I unplug, travel to somewhere<br />
with a beach, spend a few days<br />
there just relaxing and praying<br />
and recentring myself then come<br />
back to tick more goals off my<br />
vision board.’<br />
This really characterises Allegro:<br />
She’s a dynamic businesswoman<br />
who’s focused on growing her<br />
company to greater heights, yet<br />
she’s humble and genuine which<br />
makes her so relatable.<br />
‘I just want to be the best version<br />
of myself in this new decade of<br />
life and be the best mother my<br />
son could ever ask for.’<br />
Details: Follow Allegro on<br />
@allegro_d as well as her foodie<br />
delights @allegroskitchen and find<br />
out more about the Orgella Group<br />
on orgellagroup.com<br />
Text: DANIELLA GRAHAM. Photograph: KATLEGO MOKUBYANE. Make-up artist: @MAKEUPBYZODWA<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 11
CHAPTERS OF RAW HONESTY<br />
For many years, Richard Wright had<br />
wanted to pen a book. And now he has.<br />
Yet the story he ended up telling isn’t<br />
the one he’d expected to write. Life took<br />
a turn. He shares his vulnerability and<br />
how he shifted his mindset in the face of<br />
extreme adversity to overcome all odds.<br />
Text: DANIELLA GRAHAM. Photographer: JAMES PUTTICK.<br />
For Richard Wright, The Power of Purpose is so<br />
much more than a book he wrote. It’s the vessel that<br />
holds his vulnerability.<br />
‘I laid myself bare,’ says the Randpark Ridge resident, and he<br />
did so for his two daughters.<br />
‘I firmly believe that our job as parents is to provide a<br />
platform for our kids that enables them to become better<br />
humans than we could ever be. It’s an account of my<br />
failures, mistakes, shortcomings, struggles, victories and<br />
unbecoming. When they are ready to read it, I hope that<br />
they will resonate deeply and that they will take something<br />
from it that will enrich their lives. We have many profound<br />
and meaningful conversations and always have but having<br />
it in a book is different.’<br />
He explains The Power of Purpose isn’t an autobiography,<br />
nor is it a self-help book. ‘It’s a weird hybrid, which is pretty<br />
apt because I’ve never really fitted into any of the usual<br />
categories either.’<br />
Richard is a renowned international speaker, sales guru<br />
and entrepreneur who believes ‘family time is a joy’. He<br />
has triumphed over what seemed like near-impossible<br />
adversity, and now, with raw honesty, he details his story.<br />
He was first diagnosed with rare pituitary cancer four years<br />
ago, and it was then that he defined the power of his<br />
purpose as, ‘How much it meant to me to survive, for my<br />
girls to have a dad, how badly I wanted it. How much I was<br />
prepared to endure to achieve that. That meaning, burning<br />
desire and tenacity became my purpose which, in turn,<br />
unleashed immeasurable power in mindset changes.<br />
‘We become what we think.’<br />
Over the next few years, Richard’s cancer returned a further<br />
two times – and both times, he beat it. ‘Early in 2016, the<br />
first tumour was discovered and was surgically removed. It<br />
had already spread, and I was told it was terminal. Later that<br />
year I went into remission, only for the cancer to return six<br />
months later. In December 2017, I heard that I had beaten<br />
it again. 2018, bout number three arrived, again terminal.<br />
March <strong>2020</strong> – remission number three! So, spoiler alert, I<br />
made it out the other side of the book [and am] currently<br />
free of cancer.’<br />
On top of the uphill battle to beat cancer, Richard – who<br />
Make sure you grab a copy of Richard Wright’s<br />
The Power of Purpose. Tracey McDonald Publishers, R275.<br />
loves the outdoors and says that cycling out in The Cradle<br />
of Humankind is a treat on any day – took on some of the<br />
world’s toughest endurance races. These included five<br />
full Ironman triathlons – his favourite competition. ‘I was<br />
fortunate to have many years of endurance sport behind<br />
me so my body is accustomed to the load. Mostly it was<br />
a conscious decision to force myself to get out the front<br />
door. Purpose played a massive role. Some days it was<br />
just physically impossible. But every day is a new day and<br />
another opportunity to abandon the past, control our fear<br />
of the uncertain future and live in the moment. Control<br />
the controllable.’<br />
Through writing the chapters of his book, Richard relived<br />
these events, rediscovered the lessons he’d learnt and<br />
found new ways to express them better – which, he says,<br />
was the best part of the process.<br />
Writing a book is something Richard had wanted to do for<br />
many years. Yet, the story he ended up telling isn’t quite<br />
12 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
the one he’d expected to write. ‘Isn’t that so true about life?<br />
We put something out into the universe and expect exactly<br />
what we had in mind. Life always has other ideas.’<br />
He also found it difficult to say more by writing less, and he<br />
references Mark Twain’s words, ‘I didn’t have time to write a<br />
short story, so I wrote a long one instead.’ Yet, it didn’t take<br />
him very long to write. ‘My name isn’t “Richard last-minutedot-com”<br />
and “If-there’s-no-pressure-it-ain’t-gonna-happen<br />
Richard” for nothing! My deadline for the final manuscript<br />
was the last week of January this year. I started writing on<br />
the seventh of December 2019.’<br />
He’s written his story with extreme frankness – or, as he puts<br />
it in his prologue, ‘I have shared my nakedness.’ There’s tact<br />
behind this strategy as he’s found his social media followers<br />
resonate more with his posts when he is candid.<br />
As a result, his vulnerability is inescapable, and he says this<br />
is what readers comment on the most. ‘To know that my<br />
openness has had such a huge impact is humbling.’<br />
Writing with raw honesty came with its challenges too,<br />
and he says his childhood was particularly tough to write<br />
about. ‘I haven’t expressed much about the deepest most<br />
painful parts to many in my life so that was big for me. Also<br />
knowing that my parents would read it. Writing about the<br />
affair was equally tough. It’s something that I freely talk<br />
about and everybody who is close to me knows the story.<br />
Before I had an affair I was extremely critical of those who<br />
had cheated on their partners. I’m aware that many reading<br />
the book might feel the same about me.’<br />
His biggest hope is that The Power of Purpose gives readers<br />
a chance to pause for reflection – and perhaps even see<br />
ultra-endurance races and their abilities in a new light.<br />
‘The thoughts that we put in our own heads are both<br />
the most powerfully crippling and the most powerfully<br />
advantageous. Your choice.<br />
‘The choice will determine the outcome.’<br />
Details: iamrichardwright.com or @thewrightrich on Twitter.<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 13
BEHIND THE<br />
MICROPHONE<br />
From dreams of being a game ranger to a zest for travelling and<br />
a love of reality TV, here are 10 things you probably don’t know<br />
about radio and television personality Carol Ofori<br />
Radio and TV personality Carol Ofori<br />
has cemented herself as one of the<br />
most formidable women in the local<br />
media space.<br />
Throughout her 20-year career, the<br />
Randburg resident has been gracing<br />
airwaves on a multitude of stations.<br />
While radio has always been Carol’s<br />
first love, she is also known as a<br />
seasoned television presenter and<br />
voice-over artist.<br />
She’s currently hosting the parenting<br />
series, Raising Babies 101 every<br />
Monday at 9am on SABC 2 and<br />
continues to push the limits when it<br />
comes to her brand and creative flair.<br />
Now, Carol opens up and shares<br />
some tidbits about herself which<br />
many may not know about her.<br />
1. She’s travel-obsessed<br />
Carol is a massive lover of<br />
international travel and, having<br />
travelled to 20 countries around the<br />
world, she counts this feat as one<br />
of her biggest achievements in life.<br />
‘I am so blessed to have had the<br />
opportunity to explore the world and<br />
it’s one of my favourite things to do,’<br />
14 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20<br />
Carol says. ‘To date, I have travelled<br />
to Nigeria, Swaziland, Zimbabwe,<br />
Mozambique, Botswana, Tanzania,<br />
Kenya, Ghana, Mauritius, Zambia,<br />
Germany, the UK, France, the USA,<br />
Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, Indonesia,<br />
Thailand and Dubai, and I am proud<br />
that around half of those are African<br />
countries.’<br />
2. Carol simply can’t choose one<br />
favourite place to visit. So her top<br />
two destinations are...<br />
‘South Africa, its Mpumalanga.<br />
‘The waterfalls are so majestic and<br />
there is so much greenery, mountains<br />
and wildlife. It’s such a gem!’<br />
Internationally, her favourite place to<br />
visit would be Cancun in Mexico. ‘My<br />
husband and I had the best time ever<br />
when we visited. Everything from the<br />
sight-seeing to the nightlife to the<br />
food was incredible there.’<br />
3. She had dreams of being a<br />
game ranger<br />
While she’s hosted a stint of radio<br />
shows on multiple stations and a<br />
variety of television shows, Carol<br />
admits that when she was younger,<br />
she did not plan to be in the<br />
entertainment space. ‘At first, I wanted<br />
to be a game ranger.<br />
‘I love animals and I couldn’t think of a<br />
better way to earn money.’<br />
However, things quickly changed.<br />
‘After that, I wanted to be a<br />
policewoman and then a lawyer. I<br />
ended up studying to be a journalist<br />
and now I am a broadcaster and<br />
I couldn’t think of anything else I<br />
would rather be doing.’<br />
4. She fell in love with radio during<br />
her university days<br />
Fresh out of high school, Carol went<br />
to study at Rand Afrikaans University<br />
– now known as the University of<br />
Johannesburg.<br />
During her time there, she got<br />
involved with the campus radio<br />
station where she worked as both<br />
the DJ manager as well as an on-air<br />
presenter. It was then when she fell in<br />
love with the medium and pursued a<br />
career in radio.<br />
5. She’s had some interesting jobs<br />
over the years<br />
Carol’s had a multitude of different
5<br />
4<br />
2<br />
3<br />
67<br />
9<br />
8<br />
1<br />
10<br />
jobs throughout her career. She<br />
used to be a waitress and a personal<br />
assistant to an insurance broker<br />
before she landed an internship in<br />
a newsroom.<br />
Since then, she has honed her<br />
skills and pushed to become the<br />
formidable presenter she is today.<br />
6. Her most embarrassing moment<br />
saw her with her pants down<br />
We’ve all had some incredibly<br />
embarrassing moments during our<br />
time, but for Carol, that fateful day<br />
was during a day out with friends. ‘I<br />
was wearing some fancy pants that<br />
tie in the back while on a day out and<br />
when exiting my friend’s car, that tie<br />
got jammed in the seat.<br />
‘As I stepped out the car, a passer-by<br />
held their mouth in shock and when<br />
I looked down my pants were on the<br />
floor and I was just in my undies.<br />
‘I will never forget the woman’s gasp,<br />
ever! I wanted to hibernate with the<br />
bears forever!’<br />
7. Carol’s childhood is laced with<br />
memories of her grandmother<br />
Carol says she has some remarkable<br />
childhood memories and they’re<br />
all thanks to her grandmother.<br />
‘Mommy D’, as her grandmother was<br />
affectionately known, had a loving<br />
relationship with Carol and often<br />
baked the most delicious scones and<br />
magwinya for her. ‘Her hugs were<br />
soothing and her laugh hearty.<br />
‘Rest in peace, Mommy D.’<br />
8. Carol’s dream gig would be<br />
hearing her voice at the world’s<br />
biggest events<br />
Carol is one of South Africa’s most<br />
successful voice-over artists and, as<br />
she continues to dominate the field<br />
locally, she would love to be the voice<br />
for an event as big as the Oscars or<br />
the Grammys.<br />
‘These are the biggest nights in<br />
entertainment so that would be a<br />
dream come true.’<br />
She also has sights on expanding her<br />
radio career locally. ‘I would love to<br />
host a breakfast or drive radio show –<br />
I am working very hard to see at least<br />
one of these realised.’<br />
9. She loves reality TV<br />
While she is an exceptionally hard<br />
worker, when she gets home, she<br />
loves to unwind by catching up on<br />
her favourite reality TV shows with a<br />
glass of wine. Her favourites include<br />
The Real Housewives of Atlanta and<br />
Potomac, Love and Hip Hop, Marriage<br />
Bootcamp and 90 Day Fiancé.<br />
10. She’s a family woman with a top<br />
parenting tip to share<br />
Carol is fast-cementing herself as a<br />
leader in the parenting space. She is<br />
a big family woman as well and says<br />
she loves to spend time with her<br />
children while giving them unlimited<br />
supplies of hugs and kisses.<br />
There’s one parenting tip that’s<br />
worked wonders for her, which is<br />
that parents need to mean what they<br />
say when speaking to their children.<br />
‘Parenting has no room for empty<br />
threats and promises. Once you say<br />
something to your children, stand by<br />
it – both when you reprimand and<br />
reward your children.<br />
‘Oh, and there is a lot more room for<br />
hugs, kisses and saying I love you.’<br />
Details: Follow Carol Ofori on<br />
Instagram @carolofori<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 15
Have you popped into Truworths lately?<br />
If not, you’re missing out. Rail after rail<br />
of bright, cheerful, happiness. Loads<br />
of florals, eye-catching plains ... not for<br />
wallflowers! All online, too, for easy, safe<br />
shopping. Details: truworths.co.za<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
16 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
LET’S GO<br />
NATURAL<br />
This season let’s get back to nature,<br />
with shades of pumpkin and<br />
apricot, with coconut and honey<br />
... it’s all about feel-good<br />
fashion and beauty.<br />
We like good stuff. So we’re<br />
obviously big fans of the Good<br />
Stuff ... and honestly, what’s<br />
not to like? Heavenly scented<br />
bath soaks and hand creams,<br />
soaps and body lotions and<br />
so much more. And this<br />
festive season there are<br />
some exceptional gift packs<br />
... easy presents that will<br />
be massively appreciated,<br />
and that won’t break the<br />
budget. Win. Win. Win. All<br />
from Dis-Chem.<br />
Mix up your brights with<br />
some neutral accessories.<br />
We love this Daniel<br />
Hechter natural bucket<br />
hat, R250 from truworths.<br />
co.za • This season’s all<br />
about the wedge ... tan<br />
slip-on Ruby leather<br />
mule wedge, R1199 from<br />
Witchery at Woolies •<br />
Add a whimsical touch to<br />
your outfit with this floral<br />
print scarf, R99.99 from<br />
woolworths.co.za<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 17
Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Let’s hear it for<br />
LOCAL TALENT<br />
SA designer fashion at affordable prices ...<br />
local really is stylish this season<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
Exclusive collections by talented young<br />
local fashion designers. Affordable<br />
prices. Limited editions. Tick tick, and<br />
tick. The new Pick n Pay Clothing<br />
launch of designer clothing in<br />
collaboration with South African artists<br />
ticks all the right boxes. Small and<br />
select - each of the ranges has only<br />
around seven items - the idea is make<br />
designer clothing more accessible to<br />
all South Africans, at great prices (and<br />
they are ... the first garments we saw<br />
ranged from R279,99 to R399,99). Each<br />
of the designers will be mentored<br />
by Gavin Rajan - itself a major career<br />
highlight, and this new collaboration<br />
will give some of our many talented<br />
local designers, who don’t have<br />
a platform to grow their brands<br />
commercially, a way to promote their<br />
ranges to a large audience. The first<br />
collection was by the uber talented<br />
Julia Buchanan, this one is from<br />
29-year-old Katekani Moreku, which<br />
captures his perspective of a united<br />
South African heritage, and was<br />
inspired by he many local cultures he’s<br />
encounter moving across provinces.<br />
Next up will be an exclusive, limited<br />
edition range by Gavin Rajah. We<br />
can’t wait. The ranges are available<br />
in selected PnP Clothing stores, and<br />
online. Details: picknpayclothing.co.za<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine
Who’s a<br />
PRETTY<br />
POLLY<br />
Beauty products worth<br />
squawking about<br />
We admit, we’ve gone a little bird<br />
mad this month. We’re loving -<br />
and took inspiration from - this<br />
vintage Broad Tailed<br />
Parrot print ... available in<br />
loads of sizes to suit<br />
your space. From<br />
R480 to R4980 from<br />
bespokehome.co.za<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Wink wink. Kiss kiss. For dramatic<br />
eyes, Elizabeth Arden High Drama<br />
Eyeliner in Midnight Dream<br />
(R280), and for our favourite gloss ...<br />
Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour<br />
Liquid Lip Gloss in Red<br />
Door VIP. R280 and R295<br />
respectively from<br />
Woolworths.<br />
Let’s be honest. If you’re looking for intense colour, you<br />
don’t really need look much further than MAC. This, In the<br />
Shadows vibrant blue eyeshadow, is highly pigmented for<br />
pure colour and fits neatly into the MAC Pro Palette case.<br />
R150. And if green with envy’s more your scene, then this<br />
New Crop vivid hunter green powder eyeshadow with<br />
pearl will do the trick. It applies evenly, blends well, and<br />
ticks the eye-catching box. R280 from maccosmetics.co.za<br />
One for the boys. Amouage has just unveiled Interlude Black Iris Man. Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous painting of<br />
the eponymous name, Black Iris is spicy, woody Eau de Parfum ... with the pay-off line being ‘tranquillity born in a moment of<br />
chaos’. Very apt. R5550 from Woolworths, Truworths and Edgars • Created by French perfumers, Artistique Magnolia en Fleurs<br />
is one of three new fragrances from Avon. This one’s a symphony of Chinese magnolias ... a joyful scent with dewy notes and<br />
soft musks. R600 from myavon.co.za • A fiery, seductive fragrance, Narciso Rodriguez Rouge is a bouquet of Bulgarian rose<br />
and iris, with vivid amber woody notes. R1105 from Woolworths • The latest creation from Hermés, L’Ombre des Merveilles.<br />
Packaged in an intense and luminous blue bottle resembling a magnifying glass, the fragrance was inspired by the union of<br />
day and night ... it’s mysterious, woody, oriental and enveloping. From R1905.<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine
Ultimate spoil ... hours soaking in the<br />
(BIRD) BATH<br />
Water’s warm. Bubbles in.<br />
Candle lit. And relax.<br />
A bathroom needs plants. If you<br />
really can’t grow your own, this faux<br />
stem looks just like the real thing.<br />
And it never dies! R249 from<br />
@home.co.za<br />
This handpainted,<br />
porcelain Scented<br />
Island Tahiti Footbath could be<br />
used as just that, but we’d rather<br />
show it off with a pot plant, or use<br />
it to store rolled up face cloths<br />
and bathroom essentials, instead.<br />
R899 from uniqueinteriors.co.za<br />
Luxurious Molton Brown candle with a blend of bergamot, Sevillian orange oil and mandarin, and a<br />
hint of lemon and ginger. R919 from purance.co.za • From Clarins ... the Tonic Bath & Shower<br />
Concentrate invigorates with aromas of rosemary, mint and geranium ... and tones while you relax. If<br />
you’re tense, instead select the Relax Shower & Bath Concentrate, with soothing aromatic vapours of<br />
basil, chamomile and petitgrain. Enriched with calming lime tree and valerian extracts, this bath foam<br />
relaxes sore muscles after a stressful day. R355 each from clarins.co.za • Rich in essential nutrients, the Inoar<br />
Argan Oil range is 9 per cent pure argan – the purest of all brands on the market, it works on everything<br />
from eliminating frizz to promoting hair growth to protecting and healing the scalp. It’s also cruelty-free,<br />
sulphate-free and vegan, so ticks all the boxes. Shampoos, conditioners, masks and oils, from R340.<br />
Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
The William Dabs range offers well priced<br />
luxury. This Orange Blossom and Rose bath<br />
soap soothes with vitamin E and glycerine.<br />
R32.99 from Checkers.<br />
This Tourmalina Planter is great for<br />
an indoor plant (try a fern or a peace<br />
lily), but equally useful to pile up with<br />
pretty soaps or bathroom essentials. R659<br />
from uniqueinteriors.co.za • Soak in the<br />
steam of a sweetly- spiced bath with Molton<br />
Brown Fiery Pink Pepper bath and shower<br />
gel, R149 from purance.co.za • This 100 per cent natural<br />
and biodegradable sea sponge is soft, absorbent and<br />
luxurious. R350 from bespokehome.co.za<br />
Would you ever get out of the bath? The Birdcage is a wallpaper design from Cara Saven which can be redesigned to suit<br />
your wall size and shape ... even to the colour and scale. Not that we’d change a thing. Details: carasaven.com<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine
Out of an<br />
AFRICAN KITCHEN<br />
Eating on safari ... dishes from Uganda and Zambia and Kenya for you to make at home<br />
How can you possibly feed guests who, when not on safari, eat in the best<br />
restaurants on the planet? This was the dilemma faced by Nicky Fitzgerald,<br />
founder and owner of Angama Mara, the glorious, extraordinarily exclusive safari<br />
lodge that sits high above Africa’s Great Rift Valley, overlooking Kenya’s Maasai<br />
Mara, considered by many to be the loveliest game reserve on the continent.<br />
The decision, finally, was to create dishes that were less fiddly, more authentic,<br />
with fewer imported ingredients, more home-grown, never fancy, always good.<br />
And whether the meals were served as a picnic in the middle of the grass plains<br />
of the Maasai Mara, in the kitchen garden where guests are encouraged to pick<br />
their own veggies and toss their own salads, or in a lantern-lit forest listening<br />
to the call of the hyena, they were always delicious and memorable Out of<br />
an African Kitchen is an anthology of recipes, reminiscences, anecdotes and<br />
stories from this bush kitchen ... it’s a book to linger over, earmarking recipes<br />
like <strong>North</strong> African casseroles and Moroccan minestrone, Maasai honey biscuits<br />
and Swahili chocolate pots, Goan fish curry and Ugandan Rolex (a flavoured<br />
omelette wrapped in a chapatti ... rolled eggs ... get it?). It’s safari food at home ...<br />
an absolute joy. PenguinRandomHouse<br />
Swahili muhamri coconut ice cream sandwich<br />
Everyone loves fried dough ... the Italians with their bomboloni, the<br />
French and beignets, koeksisters from South Africa and jelebi from<br />
India, for example. In Kenya there are two ways of frying dough,<br />
mandazi from the hinterland and the lighter, more elegant and<br />
utterly delicious muhamri from the coast. We’ve included the recipe<br />
for the Swahili muhamri on getitmagazine.co.za, but here’s the rich,<br />
delish and really easy coconut ice cream.<br />
COCONUT ICE CREAM<br />
You’ll need: 2 cups fresh cream; 1 x 400ml can coconut milk; 1 x 385g<br />
can sweetened condensed milk<br />
To make: Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then fold in the<br />
coconut milk and condensed milk. Freeze until ready to scoop into<br />
the muhamris.<br />
Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Chilled beetroot soup<br />
All the fresh fruit and veggies at the lodge are<br />
grown in the shamba (the Swahili word for kitchen<br />
garden), where the challenge is not the successful<br />
growing, but keeping out the elephants and eland,<br />
the porcupines and baboons, and the nondescript<br />
speckled mousebird (the biggest thief of all).<br />
This beetroot comes straight from the shamba.<br />
You’ll need: 6–8 medium-sized beetroots, thoroughly<br />
washed; 2 cups cold water; 2 cups vegetable stock<br />
1 Tbsp sugar; 300ml buttermilk; 200ml yoghurt plus<br />
an extra 50ml for serving; 1 Tbsp lemon juice; salt and<br />
freshly ground black pepper; fresh dill, finely chopped<br />
To make: Peel the beetroot then roughly grate (wear<br />
gloves!). Put the beetroot into a large saucepan and<br />
cover with water (use more if necessary – it must be<br />
covered). Bring to a boil slowly, then turn down the<br />
heat and leave to simmer very gently for 20 minutes<br />
(they must not boil too rapidly). Once the beetroot<br />
has softened, add the stock and sugar. Stir well and<br />
refrigerate until completely cold (for at least 4 hours).<br />
Before serving, liquidise the soup and add buttermilk,<br />
yoghurt and lemon juice. Season well. Serve with a<br />
swirl of yoghurt and dill. (Serves 6)<br />
Kitchen notes: At Angama Mara all the soups are made<br />
with their own vegetable stock (but a good storebought<br />
one in liquid form works well). This soup can<br />
also be prepared with a good chicken stock.<br />
Gazpacho with olive tapenade<br />
This recipe is from the lodge ... where guests dine out on<br />
the deck, looking down into the reserve, where they’ll see<br />
giraffe journeying across the open grasslands, a family of<br />
elephant and another of buffalo. We can’t help you with<br />
the view, but can give you the recipe.<br />
GAZPACHO<br />
You’ll need: 2 ½ cups diced cucumber; 1 cup diced red<br />
pepper; 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes; ½ cup diced red<br />
onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 cups tomato juice; ½ cup olive<br />
oil; 2 tsps sugar; 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce; salt and<br />
freshly ground black pepper to taste<br />
To make: Blend all the ingredients together and chill.<br />
Garnish the soup with a generous blob of tapenade and<br />
a swirl of good olive oil. (Serves 1)<br />
OLIVE TAPENADE<br />
You’ll need: 1 cup pitted black olives; 2 Tbsps capers; 2<br />
cloves garlic; ½ tsp chilli flakes; ½ cup fresh basil; ½ cup<br />
fresh parsley; 2 Tbsps olive oil<br />
To make: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor<br />
until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep for<br />
up to a week.<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine
SUMMER<br />
TASTES<br />
Ocean Basket has added some new dishes to<br />
its menu ... and they’re completely drool-worthy<br />
We must be honest … when we first saw the new additions<br />
to Ocean Basket‘s menu for Summer, we didn’t linger over the<br />
new sticky rice dishes. The falafel starter – yes. Panko zucchini –<br />
absolutely. And as for the salmon salad with avo and feta – our<br />
mouths were already watering! But sticky rice didn’t sound quite<br />
summery. Boy, were we wrong!<br />
From the moment our sticky rice dish landed on our table – served<br />
in one of those traditional Ocean Basket pans – we knew we were<br />
in for a special treat. Think sushi rice with zucchini, tomato and<br />
crispy onion sprinkles. We chose the fish option – which was a<br />
real winner – and you can try this dish with prawns and mussels<br />
or there’s a vegetarian version too. It’s light enough for Summer<br />
and so moreish … we wouldn’t blame you if you found yourself<br />
scraping the pan for the very last morsel of rice. No wonder it’s<br />
named the pick of the season on the menu.<br />
We paired our rice dish with the new salmon salad with avo<br />
and feta which we couldn’t wait to taste … it was scrumptious.<br />
The salmon is lightly seared and pairs beautifully with creamy<br />
avo and a really tasty salad dressing. Sharing the rice dish and<br />
salad between two people is ideal … and a glass of Chardonnay<br />
really tops it off.<br />
The new starters on the menu are definite must-tries.<br />
We’re dreaming of the falafel with tzatziki, and we so<br />
enjoyed dunking the panko zucchini into the<br />
delicious zesty mayo. Also new on the starter<br />
menu is the Ocean’s meze platter which<br />
consists of tzatziki, zesty mayo, feta,<br />
tomato, cucumber, panko zucchini,<br />
falafel, crumbed prawn tails, hake<br />
goujons and paprika whitebait. It<br />
certainly sounds delicious, and we<br />
suspect it’s really good for sharing.<br />
If you’re looking for a real<br />
summery spoil, we suggest<br />
you pop into your local Ocean<br />
Basket … what a treat it is to<br />
dine out again after months of<br />
lockdown restrictions.<br />
Details: oceanbasket.com<br />
Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Our go-to Summer wine<br />
Cool climate Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for hot Summer days. Made in<br />
the Constantia Valley – known for its exceptional cool-climate wines – it has a wonderfully<br />
appealing underlying perfume of elderflower. The wines costs R195, and you can order online<br />
at constantiaglen.com. The wine is served at the estate’s restaurant with its famous, crispy<br />
flammkuchen – a thin, crisp flatbread layered with crème fraîche and a variety of delicious<br />
toppings. They generously shared the recipe with us ... you’ll find it on getitmagazine.co.za<br />
Saluti<br />
Ginato, the Italian gin that’s just launched on<br />
our shores, is the very essenza dell’ Italia, with its<br />
effortlessly chic, timeless, sunshine-drenched way<br />
of life, distilled in a bottle. Ginato Pompelmo<br />
is a fresh, bright gin distilled using the peel<br />
of sun-ripened Sicilian pink grapefruit and<br />
blended with juniper berries and Sangiovese<br />
grapes, while Ginato Clementino combines<br />
grapes, juniper berries, and Southern-Italian<br />
clementines that give the liquid its signature,<br />
vibrant orange colour. It’s like Summer in a<br />
glass. Around R385 a bottle.<br />
Details: trumanandorange.com<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO and DANIELLA GRAHAM<br />
Did someone say birds?<br />
Count us in. Love these<br />
birchwood trays, table<br />
mats and coasters.<br />
Designed by Emma J<br />
Shipley, they’re from<br />
the turquoise Rousseau<br />
range, but there are<br />
other, equally lovely,<br />
designs, too. From<br />
R100 to R590, and you<br />
can buy online from<br />
parchaus.co.za<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine
ADVERTORIAL<br />
YOUR RING<br />
OF SECURITY<br />
Ring Africa is on a mission to make your neighbourhood a safer<br />
place with their new range of innovative and affordable indoor<br />
and outdoor home security cameras.<br />
Ring Africa, whose mission is to make neighbourhoods safer, has officially launched<br />
a range of innovative and affordable indoor and outdoor home security cameras.<br />
Their suite of security options has been designed to provide a seamless ring of<br />
security in and around the homes of all South Africans.<br />
All Ring Africa’s home security offerings utilise HD cameras that connect to your<br />
smartphone via the Ring app. Ring cameras take less than 15 minutes to install,<br />
come in battery and wired options and start at an entry price point of R1299. You<br />
can even connect certain cameras to a Ring Solar Panel for non-stop power.<br />
Ring’s smart cameras have a stylish design and are perfect for business owners,<br />
parents, pet owners, families and students. Watch over your office, house, kids,<br />
nanny, pets, gate, boundary walls and more when at home or away. Popular features<br />
include Live View and two-way talk, motion-activated recording, night vision, a<br />
1080p HD camera and a siren.<br />
“At Ring, we are constantly pushing the boundaries on bringing the most innovative<br />
devices and features to our customers,” said Jamie Siminoff, Ring’s founder and Chief<br />
Inventor. “With our growing line-up of both indoor and outdoor cams, varying in<br />
size and functionality, our customers have choices when determining how best to<br />
secure their homes.” Ring Africa products are now officially available in South Africa<br />
through the following retailers – Takealot, Builders Warehouse, iStore, Incredible<br />
Connection and Leroy Merlin.<br />
With its compact design, the Ring<br />
Indoor Cam can be mounted just<br />
about anywhere in the home<br />
and features up to 1080p HD<br />
video, motion zones, night vision,<br />
two-way talk and Live View, and<br />
motion-activated recording. Ring<br />
Indoor Cam. RSP R1499.<br />
The new Ring Video Doorbell 3 has improved motion detection and enhanced<br />
dual-band wifi alongside the features Ring users know and love, including a 1080p HD<br />
camera, two-way talk and Live View. Great features, including a new, adjustable motion<br />
zone, called near zone, which can detect motion within 1.5 to 4.5m of the front door.<br />
Ring Video Doorbell 3. RSP R3 999.
BACK TO NATURE<br />
Garden tasks for <strong>Nov</strong>ember<br />
• Water the garden at least once<br />
a week, and mulch to reduce<br />
evaporation. Early morning or evening<br />
watering is best.<br />
• There’s still time to sow quick<br />
growing annuals such as alyssum,<br />
cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums,<br />
portulaca and zinnias, all of which are<br />
sun-lovers.<br />
• For shady spaces, plant out bedding<br />
begonias, Impatiens Beacon - a highly<br />
disease resistant variety - and New<br />
Guinea impatiens.<br />
• Plant summer flowering perennials<br />
such as coreopsis, rudbeckia,<br />
gaillardia, gaura, Shasta daisies,<br />
penstemon and perennial salvia.<br />
• Get ready for the festive season by<br />
filling containers or hanging baskets<br />
with red calibrachoa, begonias<br />
or impatiens.<br />
• Make sure hydrangeas get plenty of<br />
water and feed with hydrangea food<br />
to boost flowering in December.<br />
• Water shrubs and trees deeply<br />
once a week and mulch to reduce<br />
evaporation.<br />
A taste of Little Sicily<br />
If you love tomatoes but don’t have<br />
the space to grow them, patio<br />
tomato Little Sicily can change<br />
that. It’s a compact, tidy grower that<br />
flourishes in a mid-sized container<br />
on the patio or balcony. Being a<br />
bush tomato, it’s a compact, tidy<br />
grower that stays at a manageable<br />
height of 60cm with healthy, green<br />
leaves that always look good. It<br />
needs sun, and the best position is<br />
morning sun and afternoon shade.<br />
Water daily in hot weather. The soil<br />
should not dry out. Feed with a<br />
liquid fertilizer once a week or every<br />
second week. The medium sized,<br />
bright red fruit is packed with flavour<br />
and the first fruit should be ready for<br />
picking within 60 to 65 days.<br />
Details: www.ballstraathof.co.za<br />
Patio plant of the month<br />
Fuchsia Bella is a compact-growing pot fuchsia with<br />
gorgeous two-tone flowers that are carried throughout<br />
summer. There are nine different varieties, all with<br />
distinctive colours. They like bright shade and can take<br />
some morning sun. Water regularly, so the soil remains<br />
moist but not soggy. Plants don’t like to stand in water.<br />
Pour water directly into the pot, early in the morning<br />
or late in the evening. Feed with a liquid fertilizer<br />
once every two weeks and remove faded flowers to<br />
encourage new flowers. Details: www.ballstraathof.co.za<br />
30 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
The ancient art of macramé<br />
The origin of macramé stretches back thousands<br />
of years ... it’s an ancient, timeless art that, over<br />
the past year or so, has come back into fashion.<br />
We recently discovered Tide, a local business that<br />
creates bespoke, beautiful macramé art. Being<br />
hand-crafted, pieces are all one of a kind, each<br />
more lovely and intricate than the one before.<br />
Artist Gabi Morrell-Smith travels to the coast<br />
to collect the shells and driftwood she uses in<br />
her pieces ... work of art wall hangings, pretty<br />
garlands, shopping or beach bags. We’re after<br />
one of these plant hangers and are equally<br />
besotted with these little jar covers. Great,<br />
great gifts (if you’re like us and already thinking<br />
Christmas). Tide has a really fabulous range,<br />
but if you want something specific, chat to Gabi<br />
and she’ll make up a custom piece for you. Prices<br />
from R200 up to around R750. Details: Follow tide<br />
macrame on Instagram or Facebook for more ideas, or mail<br />
tidemacrame@gmail.com<br />
No space to grow your own veggies?<br />
Think again. These ready-to-use pocket<br />
panels hang on the wall and are<br />
perfect to grow herbs and vegetables.<br />
There are a few sizes available, from<br />
two pockets for those really short of<br />
space, to 15 panel options. Priced from<br />
R195, they’re lightweight and durable.<br />
Details: verticalveg.co.za<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO and ALICE COETZEE<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 31
Twitchers are all a-quiver<br />
The 5th revised edition of the Sasol The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds<br />
of Southern Africa has just been released ... bigger, expanded and brought<br />
fully up-to-date by its expert author panel, with additional contributions from<br />
two new birding experts. Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, Warwick Tarboton, Niall<br />
Perrins, Dominic Rollinson & Peter Ryan (whew ... quite a line-up) have made<br />
sure this best-selling guide maintains its place as one of Africa’s most trusted<br />
field guides. With more than 3000 illustrations (more than 800 new), a scanand-play<br />
bird-call feature using a free downloadable app (which contains<br />
more than 1000 calls for 866 species), fully revised text, maps and plate<br />
annotations and a comprehensive coverage of the region’s birds, this edition<br />
is in a larger format, making it far easier to use. R450. • For those who prefer<br />
it, the new, vastly improved and really easy-to-use Sasol eBirds Southern<br />
Africa App is a superb option. The app covers all 989 bird species in line with<br />
the latest taxonomical changes, has loads of updated info from the existing<br />
and new contributing authors, more than 1000 bird calls and more than<br />
2700 photographs (with no in-app purchase required) and plenty of new<br />
illustrations with finer attention to detail. With text in English and Afrikaans,<br />
the app also has distribution maps updated with latest known ranges and<br />
Quick-Play bird calls right from the menu. The app will be updated regularly,<br />
and freely, constantly improving the content, features and functionality.<br />
Download on the App Store or get it on Google Play.<br />
Brilliant bags for birders<br />
This Mellville and Moon<br />
Ornithologist Bible Bag, which<br />
can be worn over your shoulder or<br />
attached to your belt, has room for<br />
not only your bird book, but also has<br />
handy pockets for all the extras you<br />
need to take on a birding outing ...<br />
water and a notepad, your GPS and<br />
sunnies, perhaps a hip flask and the<br />
odd cigar. It comes in khaki or black,<br />
and is R1500. If it’s a little more than<br />
what you need, you may prefer the<br />
Bird Book Cover ... what Mellville<br />
and Moon call the plain LBJ<br />
version. Also available in khaki or<br />
black, it’s got a shoulder/ body<br />
strap for carrying your book on<br />
your birding outing. R1200. Both<br />
from melvillandmoon.com<br />
Binocs worth tweeting about<br />
Let’s pretend, just for a minute, that<br />
money’s no probs. We’d take up birding<br />
just to own these sexy Swarovski EL<br />
10x42 O-Range Binoculars. They offer,<br />
obviously, the very best combo of longrange<br />
optics and ergonomic design along<br />
with razor-sharp images, precise range,<br />
perfectly balanced weight. They come in<br />
at a jaw-dropping R72 000. But .... orange.<br />
You’ll find them, and a whole host of more<br />
affordable, perfectly adequate, boringly<br />
black binocs at takealot.com<br />
32 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
Birds of a feather<br />
... flock together, with essential and nice-to-have accessories<br />
Skilly’s sketches<br />
You know we like to support local<br />
... and when local = ubertalented<br />
... well, what’s not to love? Mike<br />
Schilperoort, more affectionately<br />
known as Skilly, spent his days<br />
putting his architectural design<br />
degree to good use - designing,<br />
building and project managing<br />
the construction of new homes in<br />
various parts of South Africa. But it<br />
was his passion for flying - mostly<br />
to the Okavango Delta - that led<br />
him to his love of the bush and for<br />
sketching, drawing and painting<br />
watercolours. These desirable and<br />
sought-after paintings (check them<br />
out on Instagram @skilly.art) are<br />
now available as originals, or as<br />
high quality prints on canvas. The<br />
print options are huge ... from large<br />
canvases to hang on the wall to<br />
little versions to use as gift cards.<br />
Prices range from R50 for the little<br />
cards to around R2500 for the<br />
largest print; contact him for prices<br />
of originals. Details: 078-657-7827 or<br />
mikeschilperoort.com<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />
If we’re going out into the bush,<br />
birding or otherwise, we’re going<br />
to wear this sassy little khaki woven<br />
seagrass pith helmet. Cute overload.<br />
R575 from elizabethsummer.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 33
GET IT DIRECTORY<br />
FEED YOUR BODY,<br />
FEED YOUR SOUL.<br />
Summer is here and so is an abundance of summer<br />
produce! Fruit is a great choice for a healthy snack that<br />
packs a nutrient punch. And if you buy from Jackson’s<br />
Market, you’re also supporting local, independent<br />
farmers and artisan producers – so you can feel good<br />
about your choices in more ways than one!<br />
Bryanston & Kyalami (and 7km surroundings)<br />
Market & Eatery Operating Hours:<br />
Monday to Fridays: 07:30am – 18:30pm<br />
(Eatery kitchen closes 6pm)<br />
Saturday & Sunday: 07:30am – 17:00pm<br />
(Eatery kitchen closes 16:30pm)<br />
NEW MENU ITEM<br />
LC LOW-CARB|KETO<br />
DAIRY-FREE<br />
VEGAN<br />
GF GLUTEN-FREE<br />
VEGETARIAN (incl. O vo,<br />
Lacto and Pescatarian)<br />
FIBRE SOURCE<br />
ANTI-OXIDANT<br />
GUT-HEALING<br />
Shop online or order Take-Aways from Eatery at<br />
www.jacksonsrealfoodmarket.co.za
GET IT DIRECTORY<br />
WE’RE<br />
NEW<br />
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A lifestyle brand of<br />
quality gifting and<br />
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that allows you to<br />
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Sokho is a feel good<br />
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through its products<br />
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GET IT DIRECTORY
GET IT DIRECTORY
Hiking by numbers<br />
Energetic and challenging or slow and rambling, depending on your mood<br />
and fitness levels, there’s not much to beat getting outdoors and enjoying a hike.<br />
Still suffering a little fear of going out? Definitely. Fear of heading to the great outdoors? Never. While the world’s topsy<br />
turvy, one thing will never change – the joy of getting out on a gorgeous warm day, taking a hike, and enjoying one of the<br />
amazing hiking trails our country has to offer. Be it a soul-searching solo walk for a few hours, or a day out with the family,<br />
having fun without a screen or a digital device in sight, you’ll come back maybe a little stiff, hopefully a little tired, and<br />
certainly a lot happier and less stressed than when you set out. We chatted to Thule’s resident hike enthusiast, who gave<br />
the lowdown on the gear we need.<br />
Three things to look for<br />
when buying a hiking backpack<br />
1. A hiking backpack needs to distribute weight evenly.<br />
The most important factor to keep in mind is comfort. No<br />
matter how many cool features it has, if the bag does not sit<br />
comfortably on your back and shoulders, then it is not the<br />
right hiking bag for you.<br />
2. Size does matter. The size of the backpack is all-important<br />
– work out if you’d prefer a bag that is wider and shorter<br />
or longer and thinner. Obviously a bag that isn’t absurdly<br />
huge is first prize, but think about the duration of your<br />
hikes and how much you would practically need to take<br />
with you for a short day hike (snacks and water) versus a<br />
full-day hike (light lunch, water, additional clothes). Internal<br />
storage becomes a big component here, as it means the<br />
difference between having enough room or potentially<br />
having to take multiple bags.<br />
3. Padding. The key to a comfortable backpack is a balanced<br />
load. Too little padding will not protect your body from the<br />
strains of weight and can cause painful chafing. Similarly,<br />
too much padding will cause awkward and uncomfortable<br />
pressure against your body, which might lead to soreness<br />
… or you standing in a strange way to ease the pressure. A<br />
decent backpack should have padding on the back panel,<br />
shoulder straps and a hip belt strap.<br />
Six hiking essentials ...<br />
1. Comfortable shoes and socks<br />
2. A hat which covers your face and the back of your neck<br />
3. Sunscreen – the higher SPF the better<br />
4. Water<br />
5. Snacks or a light lunch<br />
6. A Thule hiking backpack and accessories<br />
38 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
A TRIO of local hiking spots<br />
You don’t need to escape our northern suburbs to find some<br />
really lovely hiking trails that’ll lead you to breathtaking views<br />
of the city. Keep your phone handy ... you’re sure to find some<br />
really Instagrammy sightings of pretty plants and fascinating<br />
creatures along the way.<br />
One such spot is the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve and<br />
Heritage Site. Gather your family or a group of friends for a<br />
refreshing Sunday morning hike along one of the many paths<br />
that criss-cross the koppies. You’ll be given a trail map before<br />
you begin so you can choose a route to suit, and an info sheet<br />
will highlight things for you to spot along your way. If you were<br />
to tread on every path, you’d have hiked almost 7km. A walk<br />
around the inside perimeter of the reserve will add another<br />
2.5km to your hike. There are some steep inclines as well as<br />
grassy slopes and forested areas by the Westdene Spruit. The<br />
reserve’s open on Sundays from 8am to 11.30am.<br />
Details: 011-482-4797 or mk.org.za<br />
There’s nothing boring about a hike at The Wilds Municipal<br />
Nature Reserve. Gorgeous greenery. Impressive views. And<br />
some extraordinary artworks. Artist and eco-activist James<br />
Delaney has lent a helping hand to rejuvenate this space. The<br />
reserve runs along the ridges between Houghton, Parktown<br />
and Killarney. It’s open every day, but on Sundays you can<br />
often catch a guided walk.<br />
Details: Friends of The Wilds, Johannesburg on Facebook.<br />
If it’s a 360-degree view of Joburg you’re after, then you need<br />
a hike at the <strong>North</strong>cliff Ridge Ecopark. According to the<br />
<strong>North</strong>cliff Ridge Ecopark Facebook page, birds are abundant<br />
in summer ... so birdwatchers, make sure you take along your<br />
binocs. It also says there are ‘amazing sunset moments’, so<br />
make sure to plan your hike for the late afternoon ... and get<br />
Instagram ready! Apparently cyclists enjoy the challenge too.<br />
Details: <strong>North</strong>cliff Ridge Ecopark Facebook page.<br />
4of the best backpack<br />
collections to choose from<br />
The Thule AllTrail collection is a must for a day hike,<br />
as it gives you a singular pack for all your hiking needs.<br />
An adjustable torso fit is built into the back panel and<br />
combined with breathable shoulder straps, hip belt<br />
padding and a back panel to make even the toughest<br />
day hike extra comfortable – and allow you to stay cool.<br />
All your gear is within reach thanks to the easy access<br />
side zippers and front shove-it pocket. The dedicated<br />
hydration sleeve frees up space for other essentials<br />
like keys and snacks. There’s even an integrated rain<br />
cover. This versatile all-rounder is available in men and<br />
women-specific models and comes in various sizes for<br />
you to choose what works best.<br />
For something more lightweight, look at the Thule Stir<br />
range. A simple, clean design offers quick access via<br />
the top-zippered mesh pocket, and uber-organisation<br />
for all your items. If you want it even more streamlined,<br />
simply remove the sternum strap and hip belt. Stash<br />
water bottles and other essentials in the expandable<br />
side pockets. With a weather-resistant-coated nylon<br />
fabric and the breathable back panel and shoulder<br />
straps to keep you cool, it is a bag that will see you<br />
through all seasons of outdoor adventures. Again,<br />
different sizes and men and women-specific models<br />
are available.<br />
For the ultimate in comfort, opt for the Thule<br />
Capstone collection. The tensioned mesh back<br />
panel provides unparalleled breathability, keeping<br />
you cool on your trail, while the high-visibility rain<br />
cover keeps your gear dry during storms. There’s<br />
even a customisable hip belt that is compatible<br />
with interchangeable VersaClick accessories (sold<br />
separately). There are a host of pockets – on the top<br />
and the side – to keep all your items for the day, no<br />
matter how many family members you are keeping<br />
things for. You can even lash gear to the front of the<br />
pack using the durable buttonhole webbing.<br />
If you’re hiking with young kids the Thule Sapling<br />
(and Sapling Elite) is an absolute lifesaver. This child<br />
carrier is safe and comfy, plus quick and easy to adjust<br />
to fit both parents, so you can take turns carrying.<br />
On-the-go adjustments are made even easier, as<br />
you can load your child from the top or the side of<br />
the carrier. The deployable sunshade means that<br />
your precious cargo is protected from the harsh sun.<br />
Store water, nappies, clothes and other bigger items<br />
in the zippered compartment and use the extra<br />
roomy zippered mesh pockets for emergency items<br />
like snacks, toys and keys. The ergonomic seat is<br />
height adjustable – the Elite model even comes with<br />
removable stirrups for your little one to rest their feet<br />
on and a viewing mirror – and a breathable padded<br />
backpack and support at critical contact points for<br />
you. All this means a cool and comfortable trail for<br />
everyone. Details: Available online from thule.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 39
Mountain biking<br />
experience at De Hoop<br />
Intimate groups of 10 on guided rides through the De Hoop<br />
reserve ... a not-to-be-missed opportunity for experienced<br />
or more relaxed mountain bikers, and their families<br />
Compiled by: KYM ARGO Photo: JACQUES MARAIS<br />
40 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
f you’re a keen mountain biker, have we found a treat for you! This year, the De Hoop Vlei MTB<br />
Experience will take the format of a guided mountain bike ride, and with no racing and timing<br />
elements, the event will be your chance to take advantage of enjoying the exceptional scenery and<br />
routes at one of Cape Nature’s flagship nature reserves, De Hoop.<br />
All vast open spaces, whale watching, drives out to the beach at Koppie Alleen, this area, teaming with<br />
wildlife, is an exceptional spot to explore, making it much more attractive than the usual mountain bike<br />
riding weekend away. It’s a weekend for not only bikers, but their husbands and wives, children and<br />
friends ... a serious treat after our months of lockdown.<br />
The decision to change the experience to a more relaxed, guided ride format is due to the Covid-19<br />
restrictions, which also means there’ll be a limited field of 50 riders. Small groups of 10 riders, each<br />
with a professional guide, will depart every quarter of an hour, fastest going first, so there’ll be no crowding.<br />
The event will involve challenging but rewarding riding, along a combination of jeep and single tracks, with<br />
limestone and protected vegetation areas that add to the challenge.<br />
The weekend starts with a 19km Sunset Scramble fun ride on the Friday, which will loosen the legs and<br />
shake off any cobwebs ahead of the first stage, with the second day seeing a 55km Flat Out on The Rock<br />
ride. This route includes a new track which goes all the way up to Buchu Bush Camp, and is known as the<br />
Flatrock single track. Riders can take in panoramic views of the entire Vlei, unparalleled and unspoilt sunrises<br />
over the Potberg area and open flood plains that stretch as far as the eye can see towards Arniston and<br />
Struisbaai. Then, after riding through local farm land, following some interesting cattle tracks and trails, riders<br />
will climb back over Denice The Menace, which is the most technical and steep climb of the day. Sounds<br />
too hectic? There’s a shorter option on day two for the more relaxed, non-technical riders - a 32km De<br />
Mond-Melkkamer Dash. The highlight of the weekend is the 62km Trails to Whales ride. Starting at De Hoop,<br />
riders will be heading out to the Potberg side, and climbing back to De Hoop with the iconic Vaalkraens. This<br />
is the signature and main Strava climb for the day, and takes you to the Eastern half of the reserve, where<br />
whale watching opportunities reign supreme.<br />
The weekend entry fee package is R2650 a person, which includes two dinners, lunches and breakfasts at the<br />
Fig Tree restaurant at De Hoop Collection, a bottle of Lomond wine, a goodie bag with nutrition supplies from<br />
Enduren and snacks, a complimentary massage by EPT recovery, and a bike wash after each ride. It excludes<br />
the Cape Nature entrance fee (payable at the gate) and a Ciovita rider jersey (optional extra). There are also<br />
special accommodation rates at the De Hoop Collection for this weekend, starting at R375 a person a night,<br />
with options of fully equipped cottages that sleep four or six.<br />
Details: Race entries on dehoopvleimtb.co.za; reservations can only be made through email at<br />
nicola@dehoopcollection.co.za. For more info visit dehoopvleimtb.co.za and dehoopcollection.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember 20 Get It Magazine 41
Spoil<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember<br />
Summer in a glass<br />
High up above the picturesque Gamka River Valley<br />
near Calitzdorp, you’ll find the De Krans Wine Cellar ...<br />
a farm with history dating way back to 1890. With the<br />
first grapes being planted mainly for the production of<br />
raisins and some sweet wine, De Krans quickly became<br />
well-known for quality ports and Muscat sweet wines,<br />
as well as dry table wines. The vineyards lie between<br />
the peaks of the impressive Outeniqua Mountains,<br />
planted in rocky granite soils on four wire Perold<br />
trellis more than 600m above sea level. And the wines<br />
are among some of our favourites. This month we’re<br />
drinking the wonderful Garden Route Sauvignon<br />
Blanc 2019. This wine, with its clear, crisp translucent<br />
colour, has a lovely bouquet of beautiful fresh green<br />
pepper, cut grass and fynbos, with a little passion fruit<br />
and guava fruit salad. You’ll taste fresh tropical fruits<br />
and cut grass and a hint of green pepper. It’s really<br />
excellent with something like fresh cob or stumpnose,<br />
served with a lime dressing, but also works well with<br />
any pâté or salads ... so perfect for these long warm<br />
summer days. R75 from dekrans.co.za. We’ve got a case<br />
to give away ... to stand in line to win, simply like our<br />
Facebook page (@getitjoburgnorth), tag a white wineloving<br />
friend in the comments section and you could be<br />
one of our winners. Entries close <strong>Nov</strong>ember 25.<br />
42 Get It Magazine <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20
The Queen of brunch has hit Rosebank, offering the sexiest brunch<br />
and the stiffest coffee in town.<br />
Come join us every day during the week from 7am-5pm; and 7am-12pm on weekends.<br />
www.morning-glory-cafe.com<br />
Park Corner, 146 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood<br />
Secure Parking off Newport Road<br />
COFFEE COUPON<br />
Bring it in for a free regular flatwhite