JHB North - Dec 20 / Jan 21
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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 />
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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 />
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Website: getitmagazine.co.za<br />
Distribution 087-285-7891<br />
Get It Joburg <strong>North</strong>ern Suburbs is<br />
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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 />
Understanding your<br />
child’s barriers to learning<br />
Since starting school, your child is struggling. Fast forward to a<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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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 />
menu, we are ready to fuel your holiday vibes! Come take a<br />
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 />
still have budget left over for some holiday treats. Staying<br />
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Don’t feel like venturing out? Have your holiday health fix<br />
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ANTI-OXIDANT<br />
GUT-HEALING<br />
Give yourself all the holiday feels.<br />
Order here: www.jacksonsrealfoodmarket.co.za<br />
Bryanston: 300 Bryanston Dr, Bryanston, Sandton, <strong>21</strong>91<br />
Kyalami: Kyalami Corner Shopping Centre Upper Level<br />
Near Burger King, Witpoort (Beaulieu), Midrand, 1684
GET IT DIRECTORY<br />
PARKTOWN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS<br />
Collaborative<br />
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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>