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JOBURG NORTHERN SUBURBS<br />

5fabulous<br />

reasons to<br />

visit Knysna<br />

Win a<br />

hamper of our<br />

fave Clarins<br />

products<br />

MS COSMO<br />

A force to be<br />

reckoned with in the<br />

entertainment world<br />

Glitz, glamour &<br />

sparkling cocktails<br />

LET’S<br />

PARTY<br />

SHOPPING, PEOPLE AND LIFESTYLE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD<br />

DEC <strong>20</strong> / JAN <strong>21</strong>


We<br />

wish<br />

you<br />

sweet<br />

holidays!<br />

Discover the merriest shop<br />

of the season and make<br />

this Christmas one to<br />

remember with Clarins.<br />

Find the perfect gift<br />

at clarins.co.za<br />

CHOOSE 3 SAMPLES<br />

AT CHECKOUT<br />

FREE DELIVERY FOR<br />

ORDERS OVER R750<br />

SPECIAL OFFERS<br />

PASS<br />

BE REWARDED<br />

18577/3


Get StRap STRAP<br />

GET IT<br />

Editorial<br />

Phone 087-285-7888<br />

Caxton House • 368 <strong>Jan</strong> 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 />

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 />

DEC <strong>20</strong> / JAN <strong>21</strong><br />

CONTENTS<br />

WHY DON’T YOU…<br />

04 Make a date to eat, drink and be merry<br />

06 Pack as many books as you can into your suitcase … there’s no<br />

work to do and plenty of time to read<br />

15 Count your blessings and foster an attitude of gratitude<br />

WISH LIST<br />

08 We’re longing for the romance of the ocean<br />

PEOPLE<br />

10 Ms Cosmo’s not only turning heads with her new song and podcast<br />

… she’s showing just how fierce, strong and powerful women really are<br />

12 Aerial photographers Jay and <strong>Jan</strong> Roode do more than tell us about<br />

their coffee-table book … they show us a game reserve from the sky<br />

HEALTH & BEAUTY<br />

16 Get your glow on with perfectly prepped skin, a slick of metallic, a<br />

touch of shimmer … hello festive season parties!<br />

19 Pack up these sunsational beach essentials for the hols<br />

GET THE FESTIVE SEASON STARTED…<br />

<strong>20</strong> Get the party going with a little glitz and glamour – and a sparkling<br />

cocktail or two. Let’s serve rum on ice, turn up the music and do the<br />

salsa, the samba and the mambo to celebrate New year’s Eve Cubana<br />

style. Salud. We even have non-alcoholic options that scream party,<br />

without the morning-after woes. Happy, happy season everyone!<br />

GARDENING<br />

30 <strong>Dec</strong>k the halls and make greener choices this Christmas<br />

TRAVEL<br />

38 Feel, see and explore the magic of the bush at<br />

Kapama Private Game Reserve<br />

40 Five reasons to visit Knysna<br />

WIN<br />

42 A hamper of our favourite Clarins products<br />

COVER LOOK<br />

Personality: MS CoSMo<br />

Photographer: STILLS by ToM<br />

Photographer/Image credit:<br />

00 Get It Sandton • Rosebank Month 08<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 03


A hot date!<br />

These holidays, make a plan to...<br />

Show up … for<br />

two merry events and a<br />

romcom on the big screen<br />

Webinars. Video calls. And virtual<br />

shows. In a year headlined by<br />

Covid-19, we’re so used to staying<br />

connected virtually … and so we’re<br />

thrilled the annual SPAR Carols<br />

by Candlelight presented by<br />

Jacaranda FM has been re-imagined<br />

as a live stream. Martin Bester and<br />

the breakfast team will spread festive<br />

cheer, along with a long line-up<br />

of local artists … think the Soweto<br />

Gospel Choir, Karen Zoid and<br />

Matthew Mole. <strong>Dec</strong>ember 9 at 6pm.<br />

Free to stream, but you can donate<br />

so the Good Morning Angels can<br />

gift new toys to children around the<br />

country. Details: jacarandafm.com<br />

Experience the magical world of<br />

Charles Dickens this festive season<br />

with a classic holiday favourite,<br />

A Christmas Carol. It’s said to<br />

be a sensory delight for any tired<br />

soul … and perfect for the whole<br />

family. Pieter Toerien Studio Theatre<br />

at Montecasino. <strong>Dec</strong>ember 3 to<br />

<strong>Jan</strong>uary 3. R150.<br />

Details: tickets.computicket.com<br />

With a couple’s impending wedding<br />

as the backdrop, Love, Weddings<br />

& Other Disasters weaves multiple<br />

storylines as it follows the search<br />

for love by a colourful group of<br />

characters – an inexperienced<br />

wedding planner, a fussy celebrity<br />

caterer, a blind woman and a tourbus<br />

guide. How their lives and loves<br />

intersect is half the fun in this film<br />

that proves romance is alive and<br />

well … and as crazy as ever!<br />

In cinemas <strong>Dec</strong>ember 25<br />

Skill up … by adding gin maker to your repertoire<br />

Calling all the gin fans … head over to the Inverroche Gin School at Indaba Hotel<br />

in Fourways. Not only will you learn more about the wonders of gin, but you’ll also<br />

find out more about the basics of creating quality gin. Presented by an expert, this<br />

three-hour experience takes place in small groups where you’ll be taken back in<br />

time to the spirit's origin hundreds of years ago, all the way to the great popularity<br />

it enjoys today. Enjoy artisanal cocktails paired with canapé treats, learn new things,<br />

and laugh at facts you’d barely believe to be true. This one-of-a-kind multisensory<br />

experience also includes the opportunity to distil your very own gin creation to take<br />

home and flaunt on your drinks trolley!<br />

Details: 011-840-6600 or ginschool@indabahotel.co.za<br />

04 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Cook up … a delicious<br />

meal with chunky plums<br />

It’s stone fruit season … think<br />

peaches, nectarines and sweet<br />

plums. To make the most of these<br />

ripe and tasty fruits, chef Jenny<br />

Morris shares a hearty and festive<br />

roast fillet with chunky plums recipe.<br />

You’ll need: 1kg whole trimmed<br />

fillet of beef; salt and ground white<br />

pepper; 2 tsp ground cumin; 300g<br />

firm and ripe red plums; 1 tbsp olive<br />

oil; 2 tbsps finely chopped onion;<br />

1 crushed clove of garlic; 1 tsp<br />

grated fresh ginger, 1 sliced red<br />

chilli; 3 tbsps white sugar; 2 whole<br />

star anise; <strong>20</strong>0ml port (fortified<br />

wine); ½ cup lemon juice zest and<br />

juice of one orange; 1 tbsp balsamic<br />

vinegar; 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp<br />

sesame oil; 2 tbsps chopped fresh<br />

coriander.<br />

To make: First, get the sauce started.<br />

Stone and halve the plums. Heat<br />

the olive oil in a saucepan. Add<br />

the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli.<br />

Cook, stirring for 2 minutes and<br />

then add the sugar and star anise.<br />

Cook, stirring until sugar melts<br />

and add a little port to prevent it<br />

from burning. Once the sugar has<br />

melted, add the remaining port and<br />

lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic<br />

vinegar and soy sauce. Place the<br />

plums into the mixture and simmer<br />

gently until plums are tender but<br />

not overcooked – about 8 minutes.<br />

Remove pan from heat and also<br />

remove the plums with a slotted<br />

spoon. Stir in the sesame oil, orange<br />

zest and coriander. Return the plums<br />

to the sauce and prepare the meat.<br />

Rub the fillet with olive oil and then<br />

season with salt, pepper and ground<br />

cumin. Heat a frying pan until it’s<br />

hot and then seal the meat on all<br />

sides until it’s nice and brown. Roast<br />

in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.<br />

Rest the fillet for 10 minutes and<br />

then slice the meat. Spoon over the<br />

plum sauce and serve.<br />

Details: @jennymorrischef on<br />

Instagram or juicydelicious.co.za<br />

Glam up … for that special occasion<br />

Our favourite thing to do this season (and every other one too!) is to glam up,<br />

dress up and step out to celebrate in style … which is why we’re so pleased<br />

Unaiza Suilman – who some know as the brow queen – has just opened<br />

Uniq Brows in Sandton City. In uniquely designed private rooms, you can get<br />

microblading, laser treatment, lash extensions and even IV drip therapy. You<br />

can also pop in (no appointment needed) to map and tint your brows in under<br />

30 minutes on the open-plan floor. Have you heard of sugaring? It’s a pain-free<br />

and vegan alternative to waxing that’s safe for sensitive skin … sounds like a far<br />

sweeter option, and much-needed for the Summer months. Unaiza raves about<br />

the UniQBrows Growth Serum to boost lash and brow growth, strengthen and<br />

give you that fuller look. We can’t wait to try it … R550. So go on, give your selfies<br />

a lift with a treatment at Uniq Brows. Details: uniqbrows.com<br />

Stock up … on delish festive treats<br />

Could there be anything better than a hot Pastéis de Nata, fresh from the<br />

oven? We think not. But the thought of actually making them from scratch.<br />

Nah. Which is why we’re leaping for joy about the fact we can pick up a packet<br />

of half a dozen of these scrumptious Portuguese custard tarts directly from<br />

the baker. Brigid’s Pastéis de Nata are frozen, so keep a few packets on hand,<br />

and when the craving hits – or guests arrive – simply pop into the oven for<br />

15 minutes, give a quick dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon as they do in<br />

Lisbon and … voila! Also order the Festive Mince Pie Pastéis de Nata – they’re<br />

a limited edition and are crammed with apples and cinnamon, raisins and<br />

sultanas and toasted crunchy pecans … beyond delish, so worth stocking up<br />

on. R70 (plain) and R95 (festive) for half a dozen; order directly from Brigid (yes,<br />

of the famous Brigid’s Mayonnaise) on WhatsApp 082-462-7515, collection<br />

dates twice weekly.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 05


Book club<br />

We’re packing as many books as we can into our suitcase ...<br />

no work and plenty of time to read. Bliss.<br />

Whether she’s writing romantic suspense as Nora Roberts or about Detective Eve Dallas in the Death series under<br />

the pseudonym JD Robb, we’re massive fans. This time it’s Dallas and hunky billionaire husband Roarke, in Shadows<br />

in Death. What starts off as a pleasant evening at the theatre ends, as it so often does for this couple, in murder.<br />

But it’s not the body of the young woman in Washington Square Park that bothers Roarke as much as the shadow<br />

from his past he sees in the crowd. Dallas is used to being the hunter, but in this thriller, the tables are turned<br />

and sees her and her team heading to Roarke’s home town in Ireland to stop the killer before he gets too close.<br />

So enjoyable, the perfect holiday read. • Karen Rose was introduced to suspense and horror at the tender<br />

age of eight when she accidentally read Poe’s<br />

The Pit and The Pendulum and was afraid to go to sleep for<br />

years. She now enjoys writing books that make other people afraid to go to sleep. Books like<br />

Say No<br />

More<br />

– book two in the Sacramento series (if you haven’t already, first read Say You’re Sorry). With crime,<br />

cults, and obsession, it’s a complete page-turner ... and good luck getting to sleep! • Oh gosh. Get the<br />

tissues out. When a happily married young mum is told she doesn’t have much longer to live, she<br />

starts to write her husband a handbook ... with notes about how to raise their wild, loving son, and<br />

what to give their daughter for her 18th birthday. Filled with memories of their lives, and a secret<br />

she saves for the last page,<br />

For When I’m Gone is Rebecca Ley’s debut novel and it’s a complete<br />

heartbreaker. • Things aren’t going fabulously for <strong>Jan</strong>e Tennison in Lynda La Plante’s Blunt Force.<br />

Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenalin-fuelled Flying Squad, she’s now based in a small police<br />

station in London’s affluent Knightsbridge, where there’s a little petty crime but not much else.<br />

Then the discovery of the most brutal murder she’s ever seen has her working a proper case<br />

again ... a big time theatrical agent is found viciously beaten to death, his body dismembered<br />

and disembowelled. Tennison, with old friend DS Spencer, explores the world of show business<br />

to find the killer. La Plante’s not known as the queen of crime drama for nothing!<br />

We’ll no doubt be sweltering through the hols ... so will switch to a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.<br />

The newly released Tokara <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> Sauvignon Blanc is a fine choice ... it’s vibrant, with<br />

an abundance of Cape gooseberries, green apples and passion fruit and according to<br />

winemaker Stuart Botha, ‘The finish is refreshing and crisp with a slight oyster shell salinity<br />

that makes it quite moreish.’ It’s a superb wine to serve with seafood, and you’ll find it for<br />

around R95 from tokara.com<br />

06 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


After the murder of her parents, 10-year-old Sara Carter –<br />

nicknamed at the time ‘the Angel of Death’ – spent eight<br />

years in a children’s secure unit. Now, <strong>21</strong> years later, a<br />

documentary team tracks down her older sister, who breaks<br />

two decades of silence with a headline-grabbing interview<br />

... one that forces the sisters, along with a journalist who was<br />

a friend of the girls when they were young, to confront what<br />

really happened that night. Childhood crimes, dark secrets,<br />

twists to surprise, When I Was Ten is a chilling, creepy read<br />

by Fiona Cummins. • John Grisham first introduced readers<br />

to Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill in 1998, then he popped<br />

up again in Sycamore Row. Now he’s starring for a third<br />

time in A Time for Mercy. Set in 1990, Jake has to decide<br />

whether to take on the case of a teenage boy charged<br />

with the murder of his mum’s police officer boyfriend. A<br />

seemingly impossible case to win ... loads of court scenes<br />

as always, exactly what fans of legal fiction, and Grisham,<br />

love. • One message, sent to every one of 158 names. James<br />

Chiltern boards a sleeper train with a couple of pork pies,<br />

half a dozen beers and a packet of chocolate digestives. Oh<br />

... and a plan to end his life. He sends out his farewell to all<br />

his phone contacts – ex-best friends, his mum, the woman<br />

who broke his heart. Loneliness, kindness, suicide, mental<br />

health ... Mark Watson’s Contacts is moving and serious,<br />

hugely funny and heartbreaking and so much more ... it’s<br />

just lovely. • Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service,<br />

Kripos, reports that five people are reported missing in<br />

that country every day. The outcome is always suicide, an<br />

accident, abduction, or they simply left. In Heine Bakkeid’s<br />

Scatter Her Ashes, a former police officer investigates<br />

the disappearance of two schoolgirls for a best-selling<br />

crime writer, but discovers her interest in the case is not, as<br />

claimed, research for her latest novel. A creepy thriller.<br />

Chris Carter’s new on our thriller radar ... and we’re baffled as to how<br />

we’ve missed this author. Born in Brazil, he studied psychology and<br />

criminal behaviour and as a member of the Michigan State District<br />

Attorney’s Criminal Psychology team, interviewed and studied many<br />

criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life<br />

imprisonment convictions. And he uses that knowledge to create some of<br />

the scariest killers ever. In Written in Blood, a serial killer has just had<br />

his journal stolen by a pickpocket. She didn’t really want the journal ... she<br />

was just teaching him a lesson for being rude, but now she has it and all<br />

hell breaks loose. The journal ends up on detective Robert Hunter’s desk<br />

– the detective who’s had the central role in 11 of Carter’s previous novels<br />

– and is crammed with very specific details about the most heinous<br />

murders imaginable. Be warned, Carter’s not shy with his descriptions.<br />

Graphic, chilling, perfectly paced ... it’s our thriller of the year.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 07


Wish list<br />

Palm groves and oyster shells ...<br />

we’re longing for the romance of the ocean<br />

These work just as well at a glam poolside<br />

lunch as they do at a sunset cocktail party. Gold<br />

shell earrings, R99.95 from Woolworths; and<br />

gold conch shell choker necklace with a single<br />

white shell, R299 from takealot.com<br />

Compiled by KYM ARGO<br />

This glorious Palm Grove graphic is printed on archival watercolour<br />

paper, using pigment-based archival ink. You can have it printed in the<br />

size of your choice, and framed however you wish ... it’s right at the very<br />

top of our Christmas wish list. Prices depend on size and framing.<br />

Details: pezulainteriors.co.za<br />

08 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


The suggestions for how to use this faux giant clam shell<br />

include filling it with bath salts in the bathroom, or with<br />

fruit in the kitchen. We think it would be an eye-catching<br />

salad bowl on your lunch table if you’re having a beachy<br />

theme. R805 from bespokehome.co.za • We’re completely<br />

besotted with these hand-crafted silver mussel shell<br />

risotto paella servers.<br />

Big enough to dish up<br />

a healthy portion, glam<br />

enough to be the centre<br />

of attention. For your next<br />

seafood lunch, you need<br />

them! R970 for the pair from<br />

hauteedit.com<br />

Whether you’re fortunate<br />

enough to be having a<br />

seaside break or not, you<br />

can still breathe in the<br />

intoxicating, stress-releasing<br />

scent of the ocean. Soothing<br />

Seaweed Bath Crystals<br />

have been made with the<br />

nourishing, soothing and<br />

hydrating properties of<br />

seaweed extract. Pour a<br />

handful into your bath, and<br />

follow up with the matching<br />

Body Souffle. Bonus ... you<br />

won’t get dunked! R240 and<br />

R189 from Woolworths.<br />

Oysters at sundown.<br />

Serve them with a bottle of<br />

Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve<br />

White <strong>20</strong>19 – a premium wine<br />

(just 3000 bottles were produced)<br />

that’s elegant and voluptuous. A<br />

blend of 70 per cent Chardonnay,<br />

<strong>20</strong> per cent Semillon and 10 per<br />

cent Viognier, it’s lively and crisp<br />

and in addition to oysters, pairs<br />

well with sushi, fish curry, mussel<br />

soup, risotto, grilled chicken and<br />

cream-based dishes. R135 from<br />

stellenbosch-hills.co.za<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 09


Fierce & formidable<br />

trong. Powerful.<br />

And proudly<br />

South African.<br />

These are the<br />

words Ms Cosmo<br />

uses to describe<br />

her new<br />

wanted to create with the song.’ and says ‘it proved that<br />

Tatur ate natet porecat usandest omnist et plabore ssequas itistium de<br />

Baningi is Ms Cosmo’s fourth adaptability is key’. So, the DJ<br />

consent ionsectis single, dolut and she labo. explains Is maximusae. her simply re-imagined her idea by<br />

Itatur adiorenis moluptius<br />

music has evolved from her first<br />

sandel illabore song, vel exerio Connect blatur … which sitas amassed aut lam quam facepero omnihil<br />

single, Baningi.<br />

Really, they’re<br />

fitting ways to<br />

describe herself.<br />

This club DJ, music producer,<br />

radio presenter and podcaster<br />

from Fourways is proving to<br />

be a formidable force in the<br />

entertainment industry – and<br />

she’s all about lending a hand to<br />

rising female stars.<br />

She says the message behind<br />

her latest single is ‘that women<br />

are a force to be reckoned with<br />

and how fierce we are when we<br />

come together’. Uniting local,<br />

talented women is just what she<br />

did on this song as it features<br />

Sho Madjozi, Dee Koala and<br />

Nelisiwe Sibiya.<br />

‘I wanted to make a proudly<br />

South African song that spoke<br />

volumes. I’ve worked with<br />

Sho Madjozi before, so it was<br />

seamless to do so again. I’ve<br />

always wanted to make a song<br />

with Nelisiwe Sibiya because<br />

of how rich her voice is and it<br />

carries the Zulu power through<br />

the lyrics and her vocals. Dee<br />

Koala is the new kid on the block<br />

who’s shaking things up in hiphop<br />

and taking names. The girls<br />

are extremely professional and<br />

have the same vision in mind.’<br />

This clear vision among the artists<br />

was key, especially when the<br />

Covid-19 restrictions meant they<br />

couldn’t record together in studio<br />

– which Ms Cosmo says would<br />

have been the best bet to create<br />

synergy and an organic vibe. Yet<br />

she says, ‘I think the girls all had<br />

the same ideology on what we<br />

a brilliant 1.5 million views on<br />

YouTube. ‘As I continued with<br />

Ay Baby and 88, I started to find<br />

my sound and consequently<br />

started singing on my singles to<br />

showcase myself on my songs.’<br />

She’s built up her career since<br />

she first took DJ lessons back in<br />

<strong>20</strong>10. ‘I got a great opportunity<br />

to join YFM in <strong>20</strong>12 as part of<br />

the YTKO weekly feature. That<br />

catapulted me into the industry.<br />

Soon after, I joined Channel O<br />

in <strong>20</strong>12 and 5FM in <strong>20</strong>13.’ Since<br />

then, locally she’s opened for<br />

the likes of Kanye West, Chris<br />

Brown, Kendrick Lamar, 2<br />

Chainz and Chance The Rapper.<br />

‘Internationally, I played in Dubai<br />

for an Africa tour in <strong>20</strong>18 and in<br />

the UK in Birmingham.’<br />

True to the message of her<br />

latest song, this multi-talented<br />

artist is determined to show<br />

just how women are a force<br />

to be reckoned with by giving<br />

them the platform to rise. This<br />

is how SHE Social Event came<br />

about. The acronym ‘SHE’ stands<br />

for Sensationally Heralded<br />

Entertainers. The aim: To give<br />

women a big stage to headline.<br />

The event was planned for<br />

this year but the restrictions<br />

on events due to the Covid-19<br />

pandemic meant it couldn’t be<br />

held. But Ms Cosmo’s not one<br />

to back down from a challenge.<br />

She viewed lockdown as ‘an<br />

opportunity for introspection’<br />

launching the SHE Social Podcast<br />

on YouTube to chat to women in<br />

the entertainment industry – and<br />

to put faces to names. ‘Women<br />

are fierce, strong and powerful,<br />

and I wanted people who watch<br />

to hear from them directly.’<br />

It’s not just about those who’ve<br />

already made it. ‘The women I<br />

wanted to feature still needed<br />

a voice and a platform to be<br />

seen in their various places. The<br />

podcast gives those women<br />

an opportunity to share their<br />

stories and insights on why they<br />

are in entertainment or the arts.’<br />

She’s loving the conversations …<br />

and, as everyone has a different<br />

experience, she says there’s<br />

always someone to relate to<br />

one of the stories. ‘I loved my<br />

conversation with Amanda<br />

Black. You get to see a real<br />

side to her that you wouldn’t<br />

typically engage with through<br />

her music. She’s fun and<br />

lighthearted. I also enjoyed the<br />

interview I did with the girls<br />

on Baningi as we got to share<br />

experiences together about<br />

women empowerment and it<br />

was the only four-way interview.’<br />

YouTube’s not the only platform<br />

where you can catch Ms Cosmo<br />

… she uses her social media to<br />

allow her work to speak for itself.<br />

10 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Lockdown’s been tough on the entertainment industry.<br />

But it didn’t stop Ms Cosmo. Instead, she’s turned it into<br />

an opportunity, and is shining a light on rising talent too.<br />

‘I try to add a personal touch<br />

through my captions and the<br />

pictures and content created for<br />

my fans to get to know me on a<br />

personal level as well.’<br />

She also let us into her world …<br />

and she’s a downright northern<br />

suburbs girl, having lived here<br />

since she was six years old.<br />

‘It’s been a part of me since<br />

childhood.’ She went to Bryanston<br />

Primary School before Bryanston<br />

High and she graduated at the<br />

University of Johannesburg with<br />

a Bachelor of Commerce degree<br />

in Finance. First, she stayed in<br />

Sunninghill then Lonehill and<br />

Sandton before moving to<br />

Fourways in <strong>20</strong>13. ‘I love the<br />

convenience of having everything<br />

available in Fourways. I’ve always<br />

said that this area was built so that<br />

people wouldn’t need to leave.’<br />

When she’s not producing music<br />

and podcasts, revving up the<br />

airwaves and playing at gigs, you’ll<br />

find her brunching with friends.<br />

For a food-meets-drinks vibe,<br />

her favourite spot is Gemelli. She<br />

loves to hike and play netball,<br />

and then kick back by bingewatching<br />

TV. But travelling is one<br />

of her favourite things to do. ‘Any<br />

reason to jump on a plane and<br />

explore a new place, I’m up for<br />

the adventure.’<br />

Despite <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> being ‘hard but eyeopening’,<br />

Ms Cosmo feels upbeat<br />

about the new year and has an<br />

exciting project in the works. ‘Let’s<br />

stay positive and work through<br />

the hard times with the glass<br />

half full!’ Details: @MsCosmoSA on<br />

Twitter and Instagram, and SHE<br />

Social Podcast Ms Cosmo’s YouTube.<br />

Text: DANIELLA GRAHAM. Photograph: STILLS BY TOM.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 11


Artcaptured<br />

from the sky<br />

From the ever-changing Namibian desert to the almost psychedelic tidal<br />

patterns off the Mozambican coastline, Jay and <strong>Jan</strong> Roode have experienced, and<br />

captured, surreal sights of nature at its finest. Their photographs could quite easily<br />

be mistaken for artworks … which is the theme of their new book.<br />

Some measure wealth in assets. Others, like<br />

Melville’s Jay and <strong>Jan</strong> Roode, feel richer from<br />

their ‘grand adventure of photographing Africa<br />

from above’.<br />

You really can't blame them … their experiences of<br />

capturing images of landscapes and wildlife from<br />

their Jabiru aircraft, since quitting their corporate<br />

jobs more than a decade ago, are tough to<br />

compete with.<br />

Jay, with a smile to rival Julia Roberts, speaks<br />

of their lifestyle in a profoundly poetic way.<br />

‘When <strong>Jan</strong> got his pilot’s licence and when we<br />

first explored the endless African skies, we didn’t<br />

just find a passion. We found an obsession. And<br />

more specifically, we fell in love with the different<br />

perspective of the world that turned the ordinary<br />

into the extraordinary,’ she says.<br />

After publishing our first interview with this couple<br />

in June last year, we caught up with them again, and<br />

they did more than just describe their experiences<br />

to us. To our delight, they showed us. One drizzly<br />

morning in early November, <strong>Jan</strong> took us for a<br />

flight over Kapama Private Game Reserve near<br />

Hoedspruit. We got to feel the adrenaline rush of<br />

taking flight and the utter thrill Jay must experience<br />

when finding a beautiful sight, opening the little<br />

window, feeling the thick rush of air, positioning<br />

her lens and capturing it from above. We were<br />

lucky not to have experienced turbulence … one<br />

of the tricky parts of Jay’s job. ‘I have literally given<br />

myself a black eye,’ she exclaims. We photographed<br />

the green treetops and the dams, the windy roads<br />

and even one of the Big Five. It was exhilarating …<br />

and we understood immediately what Jay refers<br />

to when she says their journey has redefined what<br />

wealth and success mean to them. ‘We may not be<br />

wealthier but we are infinitely richer as people,’<br />

she says.<br />

The couple have now made their extraordinary<br />

images and adventurers accessible to so many<br />

more people in their new coffee-table book,<br />

Aerial Art, which explores colours, textures and<br />

contours. It’s not country-specific, rather, it delves<br />

into the deserts, the oceans and the bushveld of<br />

southern Africa.<br />

Their book is a final step to sharing their images<br />

rather than just storing them on a hard drive …<br />

which Jay likens to ‘an artist painting a canvas and<br />

then turning it around and sticking it in a cupboard.’<br />

Their book also allows others to read the hypnotic<br />

and utterly romantic way in which Jay describes<br />

what they’ve experienced … which is often just as<br />

beautiful as the images. In <strong>Jan</strong>’s words, Jay’s writing<br />

is ‘incredible’.<br />

Of course, with years of exploring southern Africa<br />

and living out of their aircraft, stocking up on<br />

supplies at nearby towns and camping under one<br />

of the wings – ‘No lodge can compare’ – comes with<br />

many encounters with wildlife. Once, they were<br />

charged by a hippo in the delta. <strong>Jan</strong> says, ‘I don’t<br />

think I’ve ever taken off so quickly in my entire life!’<br />

Another time, they were stuck inside their plane<br />

for hours, as it was surrounded by wild dogs. In the<br />

Kalahari, they returned to find a zebra on the top<br />

of their plane, eating the propeller. Hyenas once<br />

chewed their plane’s tyres. The anecdotes<br />

are endless … and downright magical for any<br />

nature lover.<br />

Jay talks of their work as being a collaboration with<br />

nature, and she says, ‘The beauty and possibilities<br />

are endless … no one moment is ever the same.’<br />

Their quiet aircraft enables them to capture these<br />

fleeting moments without disturbing the scene.<br />

This is probably best seen by the photograph of the<br />

flamingos on one of the book’s two cover options.<br />

Jay was able to capture these usually sensitive birds<br />

‘completely unaware’ in a pan near Walvis Bay.<br />

Their photography is so much more than about<br />

12 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


pretty pictures though. It’s a form of activism, says Jay. ‘It’s a way<br />

of communicating our passion for these incredible, unique, vast<br />

wilderness spaces and most nature photographers I know [are]<br />

very generous with sharing their photos because it’s not about<br />

them. It’s about nature. It’s about wildlife.’<br />

They aim for their work to be conservation-oriented in the future.<br />

‘It’s not self-indulgent. It’s got to have a purpose for us to go and<br />

do it,’ says Jay. They also use their images to inspire hope and<br />

bring about change, and Jay believes firmly ‘in our own ways,<br />

we can do a lot. If I look at my little garden in Melville, there was<br />

not one tree when we bought that house. It’s now a forest, and<br />

everything’s indigenous… You just think, that even in a tiny little<br />

patch, you can make a difference.’<br />

They also aim to make a difference in the lives of those they<br />

meet along their journeys, and they’ve taken some of the local<br />

people who’ve never had the chance to fly, to see their world<br />

from above. <strong>Jan</strong> recalls fondly how one child described the sight<br />

of the beautiful waters of Mozambique from the sky as ‘a giant<br />

spinach pie’.<br />

They’re passing on their skills, too, through bespoke aerial<br />

photographic safaris and workshops.<br />

Just as they lend a hand to others, <strong>Jan</strong> says, ‘The innate human<br />

generosity we have discovered everywhere we’ve landed has<br />

been absolutely astonishing. The friendliness and openness of<br />

the people of southern Africa have truly touched my heart. We’ve<br />

always had someone to help us out whenever we’ve needed it.’ In<br />

the book, you’ll find how they’ve turned mishaps into adventures.<br />

It’s difficult not to feel moved when you look at Jay’s photos, and<br />

it’s tough to imagine she’s a self-taught photographer. ‘I think<br />

one of the nicest things is when people have said to me that they<br />

feel emotional when they look at the photos. That for me is the<br />

biggest compliment that I could ever get because I felt emotional<br />

when I took them, and I wanted to portray the reverence I have<br />

for these incredible spaces through the images.’<br />

Details: aerial-africa.com or @aerialafricasafaris on Instagram.<br />

If you have a love of nature photography<br />

from unique perspectives, then you<br />

need a copy of Jay and <strong>Jan</strong> Roode’s new<br />

book, Aerial Art, on your coffee table.<br />

It’s super stylish with a magnetic clip<br />

hardcover case. R980, HPH Publishing.<br />

There’s also a limited-edition cover<br />

with a voucher, R1960.<br />

Details: hphpublishing.co.za<br />

Text: DANIELLA GRAHAM. Photographs: JAY ROODE & DANIELLA GRAHAM.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 13


TEARDROP DESIGN<br />

OUR GIFT TO YOU THIS CHRISTMAS<br />

379 HE GI MAG WS <strong>21</strong>0X275mm


Count your blessings<br />

By taking time every day to focus on everything you have, rather than dwelling on the<br />

things you don’t, by appreciating your blessings and fostering an attitude of gratitude, is<br />

one of the easiest ways to improve your life. And there’s no better time to start than now.<br />

Why gratitude?<br />

Quite simply, it makes us happier.<br />

By spending just a few minutes a day<br />

reflecting on what we have to be grateful<br />

for – by paying conscious attention to<br />

what’s good instead of what’s bad – can<br />

make us feel a lot more positive about our<br />

lives, which in turn makes us happier.<br />

It increases our well-being ... physical,<br />

psychological and emotional. Being<br />

grateful for what we have has a positive<br />

effect on our self-esteem, and reduces<br />

toxic emotions – regret, resentment,<br />

envy, frustration. It’s said that gratitude<br />

increases happiness, and so reduces<br />

depression. Physically, grateful people<br />

are more inclined to take care of their<br />

health, to eat well and exercise more. And<br />

gratefulness during times of stress leads<br />

to resilience.<br />

It make us more optimistic. The more<br />

we realise how much we have to be<br />

grateful for, the more we find to be<br />

grateful for. It’s a positive circle.<br />

It helps us sleep better. It’s thought that<br />

if we spend 10 or 15 minutes completing<br />

a gratitude journal last thing at night, we’ll<br />

go to bed in an optimistic frame of mind,<br />

which will lead to a better night’s sleep.<br />

It improves our relationships. If we’re<br />

grateful, we have less aggression, less<br />

jealousy, are less self-centred and have<br />

more empathy. It makes us happier and<br />

positive ... which means we’re nicer to be<br />

around. Whether it’s friends, a romantic<br />

partner or work associates ... if we practise<br />

gratitude ourselves, and are grateful to<br />

others, our relationships improve. Just one<br />

more thing to add to our ‘grateful for’ list.<br />

It allows us to appreciate what we have.<br />

If we’re grateful for what we have, we<br />

become less materialistic. And no longer<br />

being obsessed with having more, makes<br />

us content. Which is mentally a really<br />

good place to be.<br />

Journal your gratitude and your goals.<br />

If you agree that developing an attitude of gratefulness will enhance your<br />

life, you’ll love these locally designed and created journals. The Gratitude<br />

Attitude Journal – 100 days of intentional daily focus on gratitude, is<br />

undated and has a page-a-day, helping you to focus on what you are<br />

grateful for and what you have to look forward to the following day.<br />

Besides getting one for yourself, these are the perfect gift for Christmas<br />

this year, when many people are thinking about actually living the life of<br />

their dreams, after realising how precious their days are.<br />

In the same range – and equally as inspiring, is the Inspired Change<br />

Journal – all about goal-setting and formulation, with 100 days of<br />

productivity and focused action-tracking to help take small steps daily and<br />

consistently get closer to your dreams. There’s space to tailor the journal<br />

for your specific dreams and goals, and unlike many of the journals we’ve<br />

seen, this one is professional and sophisticated in an easy to manage size.<br />

The Gratitude Journal comes in raspberry or charcoal and costs R350,<br />

the Inspired Change Journal comes in black, charcoal and grey and costs<br />

R480. There are also notepads – Goals, Feed Your Focus, and Make Magic<br />

Happen, from R80 to R150, or R280 for the set (another great gift for a<br />

goal orientated friend). All available online. Details: inspiredchange.co or<br />

Instagram at inspiredchangejournal<br />

We’ve got a set of these journals to give away ... to stand a chance of<br />

winning (and being seriously grateful!), visit getitmagazine.co.za and look for<br />

our Gratitude Competition. Entries close <strong>Dec</strong>ember 15.<br />

Text: Kym Argo<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 15


Filorga Skin<br />

Perfusion SHP<br />

Youth Cream is a<br />

rejuvenation cream<br />

crammed with<br />

ingredients that<br />

improve skin firmness<br />

and elasticity, reduce<br />

wrinkles, improve<br />

hydration, restore and<br />

protect skin barrier<br />

function, stimulate<br />

skin regeneration<br />

and also has a wound<br />

healing agent. A long<br />

list of reasons to try<br />

it. R17<strong>20</strong>. For a list of<br />

stockist near you email<br />

info@filorga.co.za<br />

There comes an age when we can finally feel<br />

beautiful and confident just the way we are<br />

… naturally radiant. So we’re loving the new<br />

range from Clarins, devoted to the ‘silver’<br />

generation. The Nutri-Lumière range has four<br />

new exceptional skin care products to deliver<br />

a complete pro-ageing nutrition action. All<br />

nourishing and revitalising, there’s a day<br />

cream, a day emulsion for those who prefer a<br />

lightweight lotion, a comforting, melting night<br />

cream and a renewing treatment essence.<br />

From R8<strong>20</strong> to R1985 from clarins.co.za<br />

Stila<br />

Heaven’s Hue<br />

Highlighter,<br />

R610.<br />

It’s beginning to look a lot like<br />

CHRISTMAS<br />

The party season’s here. Perfectly prepped skin,<br />

a slick of metallic, a touch of shimmer. Get your glow on!<br />

Sagging skin. Wrinkles. A dull complexion.<br />

Everything we don’t want for Christmas. So<br />

unwrap one of the new SVR ultra-concentrated<br />

ampoules and let them do their magical thing.<br />

There are a trio of these phenomenal little<br />

powerhouses. Ampoule A has Vitamin A /<br />

Retinol - a leading anti-aging active ingredient<br />

which retexturises the skin and corrects deep<br />

wrinkles. • Ampoule B3 has a high concentration<br />

of vitamin B3 which soothes and strengthens the<br />

skin, lastingly restores skin’s moisture reserves,<br />

skin becomes plumper and the signs of aging<br />

are diminished. • Ampoule C contains <strong>20</strong> per<br />

cent optimised Vitamin C ... it recharges the skins<br />

batteries and leaves skin radiant. R725 each from<br />

riekiemedaesthetic.co.za and absoluteskin.co.za.<br />

16 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong><br />

You may be on holiday, but your skin isn’t.<br />

Take it seriously ... as do the NeoStrata<br />

gurus. For mature, sun-damaged, dry skin,<br />

as well as early signs of ageing, Neostrata<br />

Skin Active Antioxidant Defense Serum<br />

is a powerful antioxidant formulation,<br />

which also helps give extra moisture to<br />

the skin. R1060. For eyes, the Skin Active<br />

Intensive Eye Therapy is a high strength,<br />

deeply hydrating cream which prevents<br />

and corrects all visible signs of ageing,<br />

targets puffiness and crow’s feet and helps<br />

to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. R1110.<br />

And for necks (always an ageing giveaway),<br />

Triple Firming Neck Cream is another<br />

intensive formula for a very specific concern,<br />

helping to reduce signs of ageing in the<br />

neck and décolletage area. R1075.<br />

Shop online at dermastore.co.za


Everyone needs a signature scent ... and this season, ours is Mont<br />

Blanc Signature. This eau de parfum is chic, addictive and above all,<br />

ultrafeminine. It’s all sparkling clementine, enchanting magnolia and<br />

ylang-ylang, sensual vanilla and musk. From R999 at Woolworths.<br />

Wet n Wild cult-favourite Photo Focus has just<br />

launched Dewy Foundation ... weightless, supernourishing,<br />

with natural, all-day wear. Also easily<br />

buildable, so works from day to night. R99. Add a<br />

little shimmer with the Hello Halo Blushlighter in<br />

After Sex Glow, R99. Both exclusive to Clicks • And<br />

for golden eyes, also look out for Pretty by Flormar<br />

Stars Baked Eyeshadow in Golden Party ... it’s long<br />

lasting, works wet or dry and adds a glam shimmer.<br />

Also in Silver Blaze. R99.95 each, only from Foschini.<br />

Glow girl. Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter is a<br />

radiance-enhancing highlighter ... gossamer-light, it<br />

melts into your skin for a barely-there feel, and gives<br />

a soft, luminous, natural-looking glow. R610 • Stila<br />

Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows come in<br />

gold and bronze party shades ... think Kitten Karma,<br />

Bronzed Belle, Retro Rosegold and Perlina – rich,<br />

beautiful colour with a high shimmer sheen, minus<br />

the glitter! R395. Stila available at Woolworths.<br />

Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 17


Get your glow on<br />

Sunsational beach essentials for the hols<br />

A Summer holiday isn’t complete without<br />

a bottle of NUXE Huile Prodigieuse, , and<br />

we love this snazzy limited edition bottle<br />

– one of three designs created by young<br />

artists from the French design school<br />

Penninghen. This magic oil nourishes,<br />

repairs and beautifies your face (mix it with<br />

your moisturiser), body (use on dry areas<br />

and stretch marks) and hair (apply to the<br />

ends, or use as weekly intense conditioner).<br />

R5<strong>20</strong> from Woolworths • Filorga UV<br />

Bronze is a brilliant choice for your face.<br />

With a high SPF (50), it’s not the slightest<br />

bit oily, and targets wrinkles and dark spots.<br />

R400 from absoluteskin.co.za • NUXE Sun<br />

SPF 30 Lotion protects and offers antiageing<br />

cellular protection while promoting<br />

a sublime tan. R460 from Woolworths •<br />

No time to tan? Lily white and need help?<br />

We’re big believers in getting a little help.<br />

And if you plan it right, a gradual tan is<br />

the best option. For a beach goddess<br />

glow, we use Australian Gold’s Gradual<br />

Build Sunless Lotion ... believable colour,<br />

no streaking, and a wonderful coconut,<br />

vanilla, orange scent. R299.95 from Clicks.<br />

• Glow-getters will be delighted there’s<br />

a new self-tan brand in town ... St Moriz<br />

… and it takes your tan to the next level.<br />

This UK brand lets you get your glow on<br />

easily, and affordably. There are more than<br />

half a dozen products, from a fast tanning<br />

mousse to a golden glow moisturiser<br />

for those who want a light tan. Try the<br />

Gradual Tanning Lotion – which builds<br />

up a natural, controllable, glowing tan. Oh<br />

... and for mistakes (hate a streaky ankle!)<br />

there’s a Self-Tan Remover. Clever! Prices<br />

from R119.95, all from Clicks.<br />

There isn’t a beach on the Med<br />

where you won’t see the bronzed<br />

and the beautiful reaching for<br />

a bottle of Piz Buin. We LOVE<br />

these sun products ... they’re<br />

fast-absorbing, non-greasy and<br />

-sticky, offer great protection ...<br />

and promote a really lovely bronze<br />

tan. Gets 10 out of 10 for the<br />

scent of Summer, too. You’ll find<br />

the Piz Buin range at Clicks and<br />

pharmacies from around R119.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine<br />

Text: Kym Argo


JINGLE<br />

Profanity alert ... there’s<br />

a little swearing. But if<br />

you’re broad-minded,<br />

this Classy as F*ck<br />

Cocktails, with 60 damn<br />

good recipes, is fun to<br />

have. With it’s gold foilstamped<br />

cover, and with<br />

Calligraphuck’s expletives<br />

sprinkled throughout,<br />

the recipes are not too<br />

complicated, the book is<br />

frivolous and irreverent<br />

... just what we need this<br />

festive season. R335.<br />

Sexton Irish Single Malt has just arrived in SA ... and is about to<br />

send shivers through the whiskey drinking fraternity. Packaged<br />

in a stylish, dark hexagonal bottle, it’s an Irish single malt – a<br />

rarity in South Africa (while there are a number of Scotch single<br />

malts on our shelves, Irish ones are few and far between). Made<br />

with 100 per cent Irish malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills<br />

and exclusively matured in hand-selected Oloroso sherry casks,<br />

it’s triple-distilled, resulting in a smooth approachability and<br />

memorable character. Infinitely drinkable, it’s all honeyed malt,<br />

dried fruit, nuts, spice and citrus oils and is perfect on ice, or in a<br />

Barista’s Old Fashioned. You’ll find it for around R499 at Makro,<br />

Norman Goodfellows, TOPS at Spar, Liquor City and Ultra Liquors,<br />

or online at grooveco.co.za<br />

BELLS<br />

ROCK<br />

Nothing like a little glitz and<br />

glamour – and a sparkling cocktail<br />

or two – to get the <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> festive<br />

party started. Have fun.<br />

Dress up your salad bowl with<br />

these Golden Brass Queen salad<br />

servers, made locally. R780 from<br />

hauteedit.com • Throw a little<br />

light in a dark corner ... gold LED<br />

pillar candle, R169, and strings<br />

of fairy lights (top of page), from<br />

R2<strong>20</strong>, from Woolworths.<br />

Copmpiled by KYM ARGO.<br />

Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Baglietti boasts being the prosecco of celebration,<br />

sparkle and excellence. Madly popular in Italy, you<br />

can now get this exclusive sparkling wine here. Three<br />

massive cheers! We’re drinking the Baglietti No.10<br />

– a dry prosecco with flavours of pears, citrus and<br />

almonds, but also love the Baglietti No.7, an organic<br />

spumante rosé ... all raspberry, citrus and Summer<br />

berries. Around R229 from Yuppiechef, Norman<br />

Goodfellows, TOPS at Spar, Makro and Takealot.<br />

We’ll be very merry indeed if we try out the<br />

50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season in<br />

Jessica Strand’s Very Merry Cocktails. It’s packed<br />

with lovely drinks, cheery photos and just the right<br />

amount of Christmas kitsch ... a great seasonal gift<br />

(pop it into an ice bucket or wrap with a bottle of<br />

bubbly for a fabulous hostess gift). R4<strong>20</strong>.<br />

Glam up your Christmas table with this<br />

porcelain White Stars dip bowl. Use it to<br />

serve snacks then, when <strong>Jan</strong>uary rolls in,<br />

pop it onto your dressing table to hold<br />

jewellery. R450 from bespokehome.co.za<br />

We all know (and love) Musgrave gins ... but we’re<br />

now all over Musgrave Copper Brandy in Vanilla<br />

and Black Honey. Described as the ‘bourbon’ of<br />

brandies, they’re beyond delish, and are perfect for a<br />

stylish Dom Pedro. When this dessert drink is made<br />

with Copper, it’s so much more than a grown-up<br />

milkshake. It’s sexy and luxurious and sophisticated.<br />

An old classic with a new twist ... which promises<br />

that as you cool down, your night will heat up! Try<br />

this Vanilla Copper Mango Chai Dom Pedro, and<br />

see for yourself. For two drinks, you’ll need 100ml<br />

coconut cream, 2 chai tea bags, 2.5ml ground<br />

cinnamon,150g frozen mango pieces, 100ml<br />

Musgrave Vanilla Copper, 500g vanilla ice cream<br />

and ground cinnamon to garnish. To make ... heat<br />

the coconut cream, chai tea bags and cinnamon in<br />

a saucepan over a gentle heat. Once the coconut<br />

cream starts to simmer, remove from the heat and<br />

allow it to infuse for 15 to <strong>20</strong> minutes. Strain, discard<br />

the tea bags and chill in the fridge, allowing to cool<br />

completely. Then blend with the mango, Musgrave<br />

Vanilla Copper and ice cream, and whizz until<br />

smooth. Pour into glasses, and top with a dusting of<br />

cinnamon. Details: musgravespirits.com<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine


We’ve been told by the lovely Lindt chocolatiers that gin and chocolate<br />

make a perfect pairing. And as members of a team who’ve never said no to<br />

a gin, or turned down a chocolate, we’re just all over this! What you do is<br />

take a bite of the chocolate and let the rich flavour coat your mouth.<br />

Then take a sip of the liquid and it will strip the oils from your palate<br />

and intertwine with the chocolate. Suggested pairings are Mint Intense<br />

with Inverroche Classic and Indian tonic (the peppermint enhances<br />

the gin’s citrus, ginger and cardamom flavours); A Touch of Sea Salt<br />

with Inverroche Verdant and elderflower tonic (the salt brings out the<br />

sweet marzipan and coconut notes of the gin); or Lindt Excellence<br />

70% Cocoa with Inverroche Amber on ice with a curl of orange (dark,<br />

intense, with hints of citrus, vanilla and toffee ... this one’s our fave).<br />

Not just for<br />

kids. Christmas<br />

isn’t the same<br />

without a candy cane ...<br />

on your place setting, tied<br />

to a gift, hanging from<br />

the tree. R17.99 each from<br />

Woolworths.<br />

This <strong>Dec</strong>ember we may be staying<br />

closer to home, so it would be good<br />

idea to have some enjoyable recipes<br />

and projects to keep the family busy.<br />

Advent, by Kerstin Niehoff and Laura<br />

Fleiter, is full of old-fashioned Christmas<br />

goodness. Although aimed at those<br />

enjoying the season in the <strong>North</strong>ern<br />

hemisphere, it’s still got plenty for us<br />

to enjoy, from orange and cinnamon<br />

syrup and red velvet cranberry cake to<br />

table garlands, salt dough decorations,<br />

watercolour Christmas cards, and<br />

door wreaths. And if you’ve a friend<br />

who’s not mad about the season, but<br />

does have a sense of humour, there’s<br />

a recipe for Grinch Cookies .... a jar of<br />

these chewy green cookies would<br />

make an appropriate gift. R300.<br />

Joy to The World ... these<br />

festive treats – two dozen<br />

of them – are certainly<br />

a joy. Created by Silke<br />

Martin, the book has<br />

recipes for cookies and<br />

biscuits from around the<br />

world, perfect to serve at<br />

teatime or give as sweet<br />

gifts R170. And if you can’t<br />

be bothered to make<br />

your own .... Woolworths<br />

(as always) to the rescue.<br />

The festive Holiday Treats<br />

collection is a sweet as can<br />

be ... we love this DIY braai<br />

soetbroodjie jar, R149.99.<br />

Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Don’t throw away your Christmas<br />

tree. Eat it. With recipes for preserves,<br />

feasts, sweet treats and drinks, How<br />

to Eat Your Christmas Tree by Julia<br />

Georgallis encourages you to think<br />

about food waste and to be more<br />

resourceful in an age of deforestation<br />

and climate crisis. From simple ideas<br />

– infusing pine needles to make a<br />

delicious and warming Pine Tea, to<br />

more lavish dishes – the decadent Fur-<br />

Cured Salmon – the book also has tips<br />

and advice on how to have a more<br />

sustainable Christmas. R260.<br />

Morgenster Estate Olive Oil<br />

in lovely bottle, R149.99 from<br />

Woolies. Great hostess gift!<br />

A trio of South African festive bar essentials. Using locally grown sugarcane from the heart<br />

of KwaZulu-Natal and water from the hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Vodka Vusa is one<br />

of the latest local spirits to hit bar shelves. The Vusa (which means awaken) distillery is in the<br />

Natal Midlands and you can pick up a bottle for around R250 from TOPS at Spar or Takealot. Details:<br />

vusavodka.com • Not resting on their gin laurels, Hope has two spirits which are exceptional festive<br />

options. Hope Small Batch Vodka is distilled from a grape base sourced in the Western Cape, with<br />

only the pure heart of the distillation run being bottled, ensuring it’s smooth enough to be sipped<br />

on ice. Clean, crisp, with hints of citrus fruit, it’s also perfect in cocktails. R350 from hopedistillery.<br />

co.za • As it’s not made in Mexico, we can’t call it tequila. Instead, we order a Hope Esperanza Agave.<br />

Designed to be sipped, this is a floral, smooth agave spirit ... think rich caramel with some spice, and a<br />

soft vanilla finish. Not brave enough? Try it in a TnT – a ‘tequila and tonic’ – made by mixing with tonic<br />

water and a slice of lime. Tiempo de fiesta. R340 from hopedistillery.co.za<br />

For goodness sake,<br />

don’t eat this one! Faux<br />

tree from Woolies ... all it<br />

needs are a few baubles<br />

or, for a simple look, a<br />

string of lights. R499<br />

from Woolworths.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine


Havana nights<br />

We’re going all hot and sultry this season.<br />

Let’s serve rum on ice, turn up the music and<br />

do the salsa, the samba and the mambo to<br />

celebrate New Year’s Eve Cubana style. Salud.<br />

Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Que comience la fiesta ... let the party start. The Kraken Black Spiced Rum – named for a sea monster of myth and legend,<br />

said to have brought down the world’s largest shipment of Caribbean rum – is dark and powerful and smooth. Distilled in<br />

the Caribbean from naturally sweet molasses, you’ll taste notes of cinnamon, citrus, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorn and<br />

a big punch of vanilla. Oh ... and also danger. Lots and lots of danger. Drink on the rocks, or with cola, ginger ale or ginger<br />

beer. R335 from takealot.com • Limestone Rum – a limited edition 10-year-old pot still rum from the incredible Inverroche<br />

distillery – is a distinctive, full-bodied sipping rum, all toasted oak, caramel and nuts, orange zest , dried fruit, marmalade and<br />

vanilla, followed by cinnamon, butterscotch and spice. It’s dry, warm and smooth and is exceptional with dark chocolate,<br />

or a curl of orange zest on ice. R409 from cybercellar.com • Great bottle appeal! Don Papa Rum is a small batch, single<br />

island rum from the sugar island of Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Aged in American oak barrels for seven years,<br />

it’s a light amber liquid that’s smooth and delicate with flavours of vanilla, honey and candied fruits. Drink it neat, or over<br />

one large ice cube. And be sure to look out for the 10-Year-Old and Sherry Cask Limited Edition versions, too. R549 from<br />

yuppiechef.com • Hand-distilled on a sugar estate in Gingindlovu in Zululand, the amazing Tapanga Premium Reserve<br />

single batch, five-year barrel-aged rum is made from freshly cut sugarcane and is gorgeous ... think vanilla and cherry, dried<br />

fruit and citrus. Great gift, if you can bear to give it away, R750. Details: tapangarum.com or Facebook @Tapangarumafricole<br />

• Dominican and Barbados rum, with hibiscus, orange blossom and honeybush. Swoon! Suncamino Spirit Aperitif is<br />

distilled and aged for eight years in Barbados and the Dominican Republic, then shipped across to Cape Town, where it’s<br />

infused with locally sourced floral extracts, matured and bottled by hand. R299 from yuppiechef.com • Rhino Rum from Port<br />

Elizabeth on our east coast is all raisin and toffee, honey and vanilla, with just a hint of dried fruit and banana. Look out, too,<br />

for the Spiced Rhino, which is more aniseed and liquorice, clove and ginger. Around R350 from your local bottlestore.<br />

Compiled by KYM ARGO. Photo by MEGAN BRETT<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine


ALL THE FUN<br />

without the hangover<br />

Mocktails. Phwa. There’s nothing mock about these. Whether you’re not<br />

drinking for personal or health reasons, or have been designated as the driver<br />

for the night, there’s no reason to hold back on festive cheer.<br />

These non-alcoholic options scream party, without the morning-after woes!<br />

Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />

From G&T to cocktail, in one easy (garnish) step<br />

If you’re planning a party, add a dozen bottles of The Duchess non-alcoholic gin<br />

& tonic to the bar station, and go mad with the garnishes. For the horticulturist<br />

guest ... a few sprigs of freshly cut rosemary and thyme enhance the gardeninspired<br />

extracts in The Duchess Greenery. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon<br />

juice, loads of ice – ideal for a sunny day in the garden. Romance in the air?<br />

The Berry Burst is simply a few raspberries and a sprig of mint<br />

in The Duchess Floral, garnished with lime zest. For a very<br />

Christmassy drink, pour The Duchess Botanical into an icefilled<br />

glass and add either a sprinkling of star anise seeds and<br />

some thin orange peel, or some cardamom seeds and one<br />

or two cinnamon sticks. Details: drinktheduchess.com<br />

Dress up that drink<br />

Garnishes can make or break a<br />

cocktail ... alcoholic or otherwise.<br />

Some of them are purely for aesthetic<br />

reasons, others add aromatics and<br />

flavour. A glass of soda with a splash<br />

of flavoured syrup goes from ho-hum<br />

to let’s-do-the-salsa with the addition<br />

of a mint sprig and a lime wedge. Set<br />

aside a little spot on the bar, make<br />

a display and let your guests go<br />

mad. Easiest (and most common) is<br />

a citrus peel – orange, lemon, lime<br />

or grapefruit. Make sure you give<br />

it a good twist before dropping<br />

it into the drink, allowing the oils<br />

to spray and add flavour. A bowl<br />

of maraschino cherries is a must,<br />

as are fresh berries – strawberry,<br />

blackberry, blueberry, raspberry.<br />

Pomegranates are great, and very<br />

festive. For tutti-frutti cocktails,<br />

have slices of pineapple, peach,<br />

melon balls<br />

and coconut<br />

meat. Balance<br />

all the sweet<br />

options with<br />

olives, cucumber<br />

ribbons, and have<br />

loads of herbs – mint,<br />

rosemary, basil and<br />

thyme all work well.<br />

And don’t forget<br />

the pretties ... rose<br />

petals, pansies,<br />

violas, lavender,<br />

nasturtiums.<br />

Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Our drink of the season is this lime & coconut<br />

flavoured syrup, mixed with sparkling water or soda<br />

(or still water, if you’re not into fizz). Pretty up with<br />

mint, shavings of coconut, loads of lime and ice and<br />

sip away all day. R73.49 from Woolies.<br />

Have you<br />

tried Schweppes<br />

Mojito? You’ll find this<br />

mint and lime drink in cans<br />

at your local supermarket and<br />

it’s a delicious way to enjoy<br />

an alcohol-free version of the<br />

classic Cuban cocktail. Add<br />

fresh mint and a wedge of<br />

lime to dicky it up.<br />

Move over G&T, it’s time for a spritzer. The new<br />

Duchess Spritz doesn’t need much doing to it ... just<br />

pour into an ice-filled wine glass and you’re good to<br />

party. There are two flavours of this de-alcoholised<br />

wine spritzer ... Elderflower White (crisp, sparkling<br />

and refreshing, with a definite wine ‘tang’) and Berry<br />

Rose (pink, sweeter … add a strawberry to the glass<br />

for a pretty touch). Both at local supermarkets like Spar,<br />

or online from yuppiechef.com for around R79 for a<br />

case of four. • We’re massive fans of the Monin range<br />

of syrups ... which add all sorts of exciting options to<br />

our mocktails. Our latest craze is the Mojito – born in<br />

the sultry bars of Havana, it’s a sexy drink made with a<br />

simple syrup muddled with lime and mint leaves and<br />

local rum. For our non-hangover version, we take the<br />

easy way out and use this delicious Monin Mojito/<br />

Wild Mint Syrup (available in one litre bottles, so we<br />

never run out) added to soda or club soda with a good<br />

squeeze of lime. <strong>Dec</strong>orate with fresh mint leaves from<br />

the garden and it’s all hola-Havana-nights. R180 from<br />

onlinebeveragestore.co.za • Fluére is the latest nonalcoholic<br />

spirit to arrive on the shelves. Three options ...<br />

Original (a floral blend of botanicals), Amber (a spiced<br />

cane dark roast – think dark roasted coffee, cocoa,<br />

liquorice, tonka beans and toffee), and Pink (all fresh<br />

raspberries in flavour). Serve with tonic water, ice and<br />

garnished with a few sprigs of lavender and juniper<br />

berries. Around R299 from local bottle stores.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine


U.S. BEEF AVAILABLE<br />

on the BRM online store<br />

Order your favourite BRM meat today<br />

Now avaable online<br />

VISIT BRMSHOP.CO.ZA<br />

www.brmshop.co.za<br />

@brm_brands


ADVERTORIAL<br />

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Neurodiversity. What in the world is this, and how is it related to my child? Simply put,<br />

it means your child may be wired differently.<br />

Neurodiverse children include those with variations of learning differences such<br />

as ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or possibly even autism. Children with neurological<br />

differences are not broken or incomplete versions of ‘normal’ people. They approach<br />

life just a little differently, are highly intelligent and can live rich and meaningful lives.<br />

Now, you may wonder what it could mean for your child’s future, or worry about<br />

how your child will make it through school. Perhaps you’re concerned that by calling<br />

attention to your child’s learning and thinking differences, they might be labelled<br />

slow, or assigned to a less challenging class.<br />

The important thing to remember is that everyone in the world’s brains learn<br />

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others by doing. Your child just needs to be taught in ways that are tailored to his /<br />

her unique learning style.<br />

A neurodiverse approach to teaching will help children understand their strengths<br />

and needs. Once children understand themselves, they realise everyone else has<br />

their assortment of barriers and abilities as well, and when they work together as a<br />

group, classroom or community, they can do great things.<br />

A school that offers such a neurodiverse approach is The Bridge Assisted Learning<br />

School. The school’s approach includes a more hands-on, experiential, projectbased,<br />

expeditionary, arts-based, brain-based, universal design learning, as well as<br />

programmes to support children with their neurodiversity.<br />

Having a multi-dimensional specialist team, ensures that all students are included,<br />

catered for, and supported according to their needs. All therapies are available inhouse,<br />

and your child will benefit from therapists and teachers working together<br />

according to an individualised development plan.<br />

The way you behave and respond to the challenges your children face, has a<br />

big impact on them. A good attitude won’t solve the challenges associated with<br />

neurodiversity, but it can give your children hope and confidence that things can<br />

improve and they will succeed. Details: 010-005-5559 or www.thebridgeschool.co.za


Indoor & patio plant of the month<br />

What else but poinsettia? It’s become the festive plant of choice<br />

around the world, with its Santa Claus red ‘flowers’, bright yellow bracts<br />

and lush, green leaves – the colours of Christmas. It’s a showy gift plant<br />

(even for those without green fingers) and for decorating the home.<br />

These indoor plants like a warm position with good indirect light but<br />

no direct sunlight. Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy. To keep<br />

it going past the holiday season, feed with a houseplant fertilizer once<br />

a month, but don’t fertilize when it’s in bloom. After flowering, cut it<br />

down to 10cm and repot into a larger pot or plant it in the garden.<br />

Details: plantimex.co.za<br />

We’re planting ...<br />

Alstroemeria Summer Red is a dazzling summer flower,<br />

especially for gardeners who love bright<br />

pops of colour in the garden over<br />

the festive season. This summerflowering<br />

perennial forms an<br />

upright clump – 60cm high and<br />

wide – with narrow, dark green<br />

leaves. It grows in full sun, likes<br />

fertile soil that drains well and<br />

regular watering. Being compact,<br />

it doesn’t need staking. As the<br />

flowers fade, cut or twist off the<br />

stems at the base, leaving the tubers<br />

in the ground. The foliage dies down in<br />

winter but shoots out quickly in spring.<br />

Prevent slug and snail damage of young<br />

plants with organic Ferramol snail bait.<br />

Details: ballstraathof.co.za<br />

Veggie of the month<br />

What could be more yummy than<br />

freshly picked and cooked sweetcorn<br />

smothered in melting butter? Did you<br />

know that sweetcorn is at its sweetest<br />

and tastiest 30 minutes after picking,<br />

which is why shop-bought sweetcorn is<br />

nothing like home-grown? This Golden<br />

Bantam is an heirloom variety that grows<br />

tall and produces multiple 14 to 16cm<br />

cobs filled with sweet yellow kernels,<br />

the first of which cobs are ready for<br />

harvesting within 75 days from sowing.<br />

It needs full sun and fertile soil. For good<br />

pollination, plant in blocks, or two or<br />

three rows, with plants 35cm apart and<br />

60 to 70cm between rows. Plant two<br />

seeds together in each hole. Thin out the<br />

weaker plant later. During the growing<br />

period, water regularly, keeping the<br />

soil moist with mulch and feed with a<br />

nitrogen-rich fertilizer when plants are<br />

knee-high, repeating two weeks later.<br />

Harvest when cobs are plump and<br />

well-filled. Test for readiness by piercing<br />

a kernel. If it’s still milky it’s ready for<br />

eating. The tassels should also be dry and<br />

withered. Details: kirchhoffs.co.za<br />

30 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong><br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember in the garden<br />

In the absence of rainfall, water regularly and<br />

plants in pots should be watered daily.<br />

• <strong>Dec</strong>orate your outdoor entertainment areas<br />

with pots of flowering plants or herbs. • Keep<br />

whitefly and other pests away from veggies<br />

by spraying with organic insecticides. • Feed<br />

annuals and other flowers with a liquid<br />

fertilizer to keep them flowering over the<br />

festive season. • Fertilize the roses mid-month<br />

with Ludwig’s Vigorosa. • Spray the roses with<br />

Ludwig’s Insect Spray and Chronos or Rose Protector to<br />

protect roses from pests and black spot.


<strong>Dec</strong>k the halls<br />

Fa la la la la, la la la la la la la la la la la la<br />

‘Tis the season to be jolly ... and<br />

we’d be jolly happy to find this set<br />

under the tree. The fresh scent of<br />

this Cape floral range is refreshing<br />

and hydrating. Ideal to use straight<br />

after your bath or shower, the Cape<br />

Floral Body Mist, Body Lotion and<br />

Shower Foam are approved by Beauty<br />

Without Cruelty, are dermatologically<br />

approved and vegan-friendly. R149<br />

each from Woolworths (also look out for<br />

the Starry Wild Jasmine range ... sublime<br />

scent, too).<br />

Christmas<br />

wreath, R349<br />

from Woolworths.<br />

Make greener choices this Christmas<br />

If you feel guilty about the sheer excess of Christmas<br />

– and the effect it has on our planet – Green<br />

Christmas is an excellent buy. It’s all about making<br />

greener choices this festive season, about focusing<br />

on more than just presents, about conscious gifting<br />

... without giving up any of the fun. There are tips<br />

about sustainable cards, about pay-it-forward advent<br />

calendars, about home-made and home-grown<br />

gifts, about natural decorations – in all, 24 green,<br />

Christmassy chapters. And when it’s all over, relax in<br />

a bath with a pine-scented bath soak (author Eilidh<br />

Gallagher has given you the recipe!). R330.<br />

Compiled by: KYM ARGO and ALICE COTZEE<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 31


GET IT DIRECTORY<br />

HOME FOR<br />

THE HOLIDAYS?<br />

Never fear, Jackson’s has got your back! We are open every<br />

day during the <strong>Dec</strong>ember holidays, except for Christmas and<br />

New Year’s day. With some amazing new additions to our<br />

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break on our deck and enjoy a breather at the end of a long<br />

and busy year. And while you’re at it, give your budget a break<br />

with fresh, nutrient dense ingredients at affordable prices.<br />

That’s right – you can bring the best fare to your table, and<br />

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Give yourself all the holiday feels.<br />

Order here: www.jacksonsrealfoodmarket.co.za<br />

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Near Burger King, Witpoort (Beaulieu), Midrand, 1684


GET IT DIRECTORY<br />

PARKTOWN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS<br />

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GET IT DIRECTORY


GET IT DIRECTORY


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GET IT DIRECTORY


Text: DANIELLA GRAHAM. Photographs: KAPAMA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE & DANIELLA GRAHAM.<br />

Can you smell that?’<br />

asks the ranger<br />

during a drizzly<br />

early morning<br />

game drive.<br />

‘It smells like<br />

popcorn. A male<br />

leopard has<br />

been marking his<br />

territory here.’<br />

We couldn’t spot the leopard. But that<br />

didn’t matter. It’s colourful moments<br />

just like this that really made our twonight<br />

stay at River Lodge in Kapama<br />

Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit<br />

so memorable.<br />

Wildlife is abundant in the reserve<br />

and, quite simply, the game drives and<br />

bushwalks are a highlight.<br />

During our short stay, we saw four of<br />

the Big Five and many other thrilling<br />

creatures – like a python, three-odd<br />

metres in length, slithering across a<br />

road in the dark. In fact, on our short<br />

drive from the reserve’s gate to River<br />

Lodge after landing at Hoedspruit’s<br />

Eastgate Airport, we’d already spotted<br />

two buffaloes wallowing in a dam,<br />

zebras, giraffes and more impalas than<br />

we could count. On both evening<br />

drives, we came across a pride of lazy<br />

lions – and on each occasion, one cat<br />

was lying on her back with four paws<br />

hanging limply in the air. These special<br />

moments don’t stop in the reserve.<br />

Back at River Lodge, as we tucked<br />

into wood oven-baked baby chicken<br />

with garlic crushed potatoes and<br />

chimichurri on our first night, terrapins<br />

splashed in the water near our table.<br />

The next day, as we relaxed with a<br />

soothing, lavender-infused neck,<br />

shoulder and back massage at the<br />

peaceful wellness centre (a must-visit),<br />

hippos grunted and groaned nearby.<br />

We’re bragging … we know – but this<br />

is the essence of a stay at River Lodge.<br />

Nature surrounds you. It’s wonderfully<br />

inescapable. You’ll see, hear and smell<br />

all sorts of bush activities … whether<br />

you’re on a game drive or lounging by<br />

the crystal blue pool. Whether you’re<br />

on a bushwalk in the reserve (you<br />

won’t believe what you’ll learn from<br />

the rangers) or when you’re cutting<br />

into your breakfast omelette. Even<br />

the lodge is decorated with earthy<br />

tones, thatch and textures that scream<br />

African bushveld.<br />

Dining is a special experience. Most<br />

meals were served on the wooden<br />

Savour tasty meals on the wooden deck under a cool thatch roof.<br />

Unwind at the wellness centre. We enjoyed a massage to the sound of hippos.<br />

deck under a thatch roof or trees.<br />

Usually there’s a buffet, but due to<br />

regulations imposed by Covid-19,<br />

we enjoyed a plated, set menu. For<br />

breakfast, the omelettes are something<br />

to rave about, and the caramelised<br />

onion quiche and salad is tasty and<br />

light enough for lunch on a hot, humid<br />

afternoon. Our final evening’s meal<br />

was an experience we won’t easily<br />

forget. Lanterns lit the way to tables set<br />

up in a dry riverbed where we dined<br />

under the stars to the persistent – and<br />

lovely – Piet-my-vrou call of a redchested<br />

cuckoo. The tender braised<br />

beef short rib, potato croquettes and<br />

butternut puree was our standout<br />

meal of the trip, and the Cape brandy<br />

pudding with butterscotch sauce and<br />

ice cream was delicious. If you have a<br />

real sweet tooth, then be sure to order<br />

the lemon cheesecake … the reserve’s<br />

brand manager Nicole Walker tells us<br />

it’s irresistible!<br />

You won’t go hungry between meals.<br />

Not even on game drives. As we<br />

climbed down from the Land Cruiser<br />

for our first sundowners of the trip,<br />

we found a magnificent snack buffet<br />

and drinks stand set up in the middle<br />

of the reserve surrounded by glowing<br />

lanterns. A giraffe browsed nearby and,<br />

as the sky turned from orangey shades<br />

to darkness, we chatted, sipped – there<br />

were even pink G&Ts – and snacked<br />

on pastries, cheese, biltong and other<br />

savoury delights.<br />

As you can imagine, we didn’t spend<br />

too much time in our room … there<br />

was simply too much else to explore!<br />

River Lodge is the biggest of Kapama’s<br />

four lodges on the reserve with 64<br />

38 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


Inescapable wildlife<br />

From the persistent Piet-my-vrou call of the red-chested cuckoo as you tuck<br />

into your dinner to the groan of hippos while you enjoy a massage, wildlife is<br />

wonderfully abundant at Kapama Private Game Reserve’s River Lodge.<br />

Capture splendid sightings … we came across this special moment of a giraffe drinking just before we left the reserve.<br />

rooms. We stayed in one of the spa<br />

suites which was spacious and hotellike.<br />

On cooler days, we imagine<br />

bathing in the tub in front of the huge<br />

window looking out at the greenery<br />

would be magnificent. This lodge is<br />

perfect for big groups or families.<br />

With a bit of work to do, we were<br />

grateful for the cool and simply-styled<br />

conference room as well as the lounge<br />

spots dotted near the reception area<br />

which were great for small meetings.<br />

Of course, you can drive to the<br />

reserve, but what made our trip<br />

special is that we flew to Hoedspruit’s<br />

Eastgate Airport … it’s so close to the<br />

reserve and there are complimentary<br />

transfers to the lodge. We took a return<br />

flight with CemAir, and can highly,<br />

highly recommend!<br />

Kapama also offers a private fly-in<br />

experience on a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft<br />

– and, in fact, we visited the airstrip<br />

where guests would land as we were<br />

fortunate enough to be staying at<br />

the lodge along with pilot <strong>Jan</strong> Roode<br />

and his aerial photographer wife, Jay,<br />

for the launch of their book, Aerial<br />

Art. One morning, <strong>Jan</strong> showed us the<br />

reserve from sky … all the treetops,<br />

roads, dams and even one of the<br />

Big Five from a bird’s-eye view. It<br />

was exhilarating!<br />

We also found we’re not the only ones<br />

raving about River Lodge. <strong>Jan</strong> says,<br />

‘Because of our work, we’ve stayed at<br />

many lodges in southern Africa and<br />

all over the world, and this is really an<br />

exceptional one.’<br />

Details: Kapama Private Game Reserve:<br />

kapama.com or 012-368-0600.<br />

CemAir: flycemair.co.za or 011-395-4473.<br />

Make a booking<br />

Kapama’s luxury flights for <strong>20</strong><strong>21</strong> from<br />

R50000 for a return trip.<br />

River Lodge’s spa suite on <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> rates<br />

– until <strong>Dec</strong>ember 19 – from R2950 a<br />

person sharing on weekends (Fri &<br />

Sat) and from R2500 a person sharing<br />

midweek (Sun to Thurs). Peak rates –<br />

from <strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>20</strong> to May 31 next year<br />

– from R3950 a person sharing.<br />

The spa family suite from R8850 on<br />

weekends (Fri & Sat) and from R7500<br />

midweek (Sun to Thurs) until <strong>Dec</strong>ember<br />

19, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong>. On peak rates from R11850 a<br />

suite. Rates include daily morning and<br />

afternoon game drives, all meals, high<br />

tea, local and selected premium drinks<br />

but exclude conservation levy of R150<br />

a person a night.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 39


5<br />

REASONS TO<br />

VISIT KNYSNA<br />

1Eat, drink, (shop)<br />

and be merry<br />

Thesen Harbour Town, as well as<br />

the centre of Knysna, is a hub of restaurants,<br />

shops, art galleries ... and not much makes us<br />

merrier than a successful shopping expedition<br />

followed by an exceptional meal.<br />

On the shopping list – boho kaftans, sexy<br />

swimwear and local jewellery, which you’ll find<br />

in the many boutiques that line the streets.<br />

Lots of tiny little stores in The Boatshed (we<br />

were mad about Rawganic health food store).<br />

Art, too, is a great buy in Knysna. There are<br />

Moving Art Galleries – with local art displays<br />

... check out the collections at the Knysna<br />

Fine Art Gallery, as well as on the walls at the<br />

Turbine Hotel. Our non-negotiable stop is<br />

Madame Botany (the main one in town, a tiny<br />

version next to Ile de Pain bakery). It’s exactly<br />

what you’d expect from the name ... all things<br />

botanical, from floral table runners to garden<br />

accessories to herbaceous lotions. And if you’re<br />

in Knysna on a Saturday, pop over to the Wild<br />

Oats Community Farmers’ Market in Sedgefield<br />

... stalls of fresh farm goodies, a real treat. The<br />

harbour town has eateries well-fed-cheekby-jowl<br />

... from the obvious seaside spoils like<br />

seafood (oysters and bubbly at sundown is<br />

hard to beat), sushi and tapas, to family faves<br />

like pizza, steak and burger bars. The one you<br />

shouldn’t miss is Ile de Pain Bakery and Café<br />

in The Boatshed ... made famous by the bread<br />

(it started out as an artisan, wood-fired oven<br />

bakery, one of the first in the country ... and<br />

turns out loaf after loaf of exceptional breads,<br />

to be eaten before anything else with loads of<br />

thick butter and a sprinkling of salt) but now<br />

also dishing up heavenly pastries and healthy,<br />

fresh lunch options.<br />

2The Knysna Forest<br />

A little over 3000 square kilometres, this massive expanse of<br />

Afromontane forest is thick with trees and ferns, flowers and<br />

creepers, bright orange fungi, green moss and old man’s<br />

beard. Amazing birdlife for twitchers ... with the colourful<br />

Knysna louries, Rameron pigeons and Knysna scrub warblers, as well<br />

as mountain buzzards and Cape eagle owls. There are bush pigs and<br />

baboons, vervet monkeys and bushbuck and blue duiker. Leopards,<br />

thankfully elusive, and elephants ... apparently just one female left.<br />

It’s an exceptional destination for hikers and mountain bikers –<br />

with more than a dozen well-marked trails, ranging from the fairly<br />

easy and immensely enjoyable – we did the Terblans 7km walk in<br />

about three hours, with plenty of stops along the way (great photo<br />

opportunities, as well as quiet spots to simply sit and take in the<br />

splendour) – to the more challenging routes for those who want to<br />

push themselves. Details: visitknysna.co.za<br />

3Ziplining ...<br />

not for the faint-hearted<br />

Zipline across the Kranshoek Gorge between<br />

Knysna and Plett. Here’s one for the brave and<br />

fearless. A new zipline has just opened ... with four cables<br />

taking you more than 2km, while you’re more than <strong>20</strong>0<br />

metres high ... with another two cables to be added<br />

before the end of the year. If you can keep your eyes<br />

open, there are spectacular views of the Indian Ocean,<br />

as well as the forest, fynbos and valley far, far below.<br />

Details: knysnaziplines.co.za<br />

4You won’t get bored<br />

There’s something new to do every day of your<br />

holiday. For water babies, there’s stand-up paddling,<br />

kayaking and sailing as well as fishing, whale<br />

watching and sunset cruises. You can hire everything you<br />

need, including GoNow electric bicycles, which make<br />

exploring a breeze. For beach babes, there are 10<br />

exceptionally beautiful swimming beaches within a 42km<br />

radius of The Lofts Boutique Hotel, while golfers have a choice<br />

of three world class courses.<br />

40 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>


5The Lofts, a four-star, 18-room boutique<br />

hotel ... which is so amazing it deserves<br />

five of its own must-visit reasons.<br />

1. Location, location, location. The hotel sits right on the water in the heart of the Knysna Lagoon<br />

on Thesen Island. The shopping, the restaurants, the activities are all just a few minutes walk away.<br />

And then there’s the iconic view from your bedroom window.<br />

2. Staff. Let’s face it, staff in the hospitality industry should be great. But they’re so often not.<br />

Here, they rock. Shout out to Justice Witbooi, who took time off to walk with us in the forest,<br />

and then back at the hotel kept the cold cocktails coming.<br />

3. Fabulous food. There’s no formal restaurant at The Lofts ... but there is an atrium speciality coffee,<br />

snack and drinks bar – all indoor plants and soaring ceilings – where really lovely breakfasts<br />

are served, as are all-day snacks and very early (and exceptionally tasty) dinners.<br />

4. The Boatshed. A cocktail of local whisky, apples, cinnamon and Ginger Ale. A five star cocktail!<br />

5. Something for everyone. There are exclusive lagoon suites, comfy loft rooms, and brilliant<br />

self-catering two-bedroom units that are perfect for families. Add to this a splash pool, a spa<br />

(a massage with a view ... swoon), and sundeck ... and it’s clear why this is the latest addition to the<br />

Cape Country Routes’ collection of around <strong>20</strong> owner-operated and managed hotels, lodges<br />

and guest houses on the scenic and historic routes in the Western and Eastern Cape, all carefully<br />

selected for their character, charm and romance.<br />

Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com<br />

Compiled by: KYM ARGO<br />

<strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong> Get It Magazine 41


Are you party pretty? We’re raring to start the holiday season with a gorgeous bang ...<br />

and we’ve put together a hamper of our favourite Clarins products to make sure we’re<br />

looking our festive best. With loads of parties, cocktails, late nights ... our skin may need<br />

a little SOS help. Hello colour correcting SOS Primer ... which gives 24 hour moisture,<br />

minimises signs of tiredness and revitalises our complexion. For eyes, the 4-Colour<br />

Eyeshadow Palettes have satin, matte and iridescent shadows, allowing us<br />

to go light during the day and dazzle when the sun goes down. Not much of a<br />

party without some flirty winking ... Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D<br />

gives volume, length, curve and high definition. Wink, wink indeed. Blush prettily<br />

with Joli Blush ... it adjusts to any skin tone, has an airy, fine, soft and lightweight<br />

texture that lets your skin breathe, and smooths the skin’s texture by blending into<br />

the surface – in just one step. We wear this in Cheeky Pink for absolutely irresistible<br />

cheeks. Kick off kissable lips with a lip liner pencil for definition and to improve<br />

lipstick wear. For a casual holiday look, we love Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil,<br />

which simply melts on the lips. It’s a nourishing lip care product that gives a<br />

non-sticky, sweet coat of shine. Up it just a bit with Intense Lip Perfector,<br />

which plumps lips and gives a wet-look gloss. For a more intense jolt of<br />

colour, the Joli Rouge range is creamy, with strong colour and a delicate<br />

satin finish. This is a win-win option ... the lipstick hydrates the lips from<br />

within for six hours and leaves them soft, supple and comfortable. Seriously<br />

stunning lips! Ready to go? Not quite. A quick spritz of Clarins Fix’ Make-up – a<br />

light and refreshing mist – will set make-up and give longer-lasting hold, instantly<br />

moisturises and soothes the skin and has a lovely fresh scent, too.<br />

Spoil<br />

Festive<br />

As it’s Christmas, we’re feeling all gifty ...<br />

and have a Clarins hamper worth R3775<br />

(wow!) to give away to one of our gorgeous<br />

Get It readers. To win, pop over to Get It<br />

Joburg <strong>North</strong> Magazine on Facebook, find our<br />

Clarins Party post, and enter. You’ve got until<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 15 ... so get going!<br />

42 Get It Magazine <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>20</strong> / <strong>Jan</strong> <strong>21</strong>

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