AA Traveller Autumn 2022

traveller 

AUTOMOBILE OUTOMOBIEL-ASSOSIASIE ASSOCIATIONVAN OF SOUTH SUID-AFRIKA AFRICA 

AUTUMN 2022 | AA.CO.ZA 

10 

DAYS 

IN KZN 

ST LUCIA 

HLUHLUWE 

KOSI BAY 

WHAT’S 

NEXT FOR 

AARTO? 

CAN IVFSAVE 

THERHINO? 

FUTURE 

STAPLE FOODS 

Avisit to Chrissies 

Awinewalkin 

Robertson 

NCAP 

CRASH 

TESTS 

Results for 

the Mazda2 

and Nissan 

Almera 

R69 

(incl VAT) 

Other countries 

N$69 

22035 

6 009879 964868 

Mapungubwe 

THELOST 

CITY OF

From theeditor 

EDITOR 

Gerda Engelbrecht 

gerda.engelbrecht@media24.com 

ARTDIRECTOR 

Sally Cronjé 

ASSISTANT EDITOR 

Petro-Anne Vlok 

REPRODUCTION 

Dewald Spies 

PRODUCTION 

Jacques duPlooy 

Kurt Ohlson 

CEO:MEDIA24 

Ishmet Davidson 

CEO: PRINTMEDIA 

Minette Ferreira 

GM:LIFESTYLE 

Nerisa Coetzee 

GROWTH MANAGER 

Lise Coetsee 

FINANCE MANAGER 

Jameelah Conway 

CIRCULATION MANAGER 

Armand Kasselman 

BUSINESSMANAGER –SALES 

Danie Nell 

danie.nell@media24.com 

GENERAL ENQUIRIES 

Yumna Tofey 

yumna.tofey@media24.com 

COVERIMAGE 

KIMKENNEDY 

PRINTEDBY 

CTPPRINTERS 

DANGER: Gerda(right) 

andher sister, Mari,next 

to theinfamous crocodile 

danger sign in St Lucia, 

KwaZulu-Natal. 

Howwillyou measure 

your life oneday? 

Whenyou come to theend of your life, againstwhatwillyou measureyour success? I 

thought aboutthis questionagain afterreading this issue's“Zoom towns”article (pg. 49). It 

looksathow peoplewho work from homeare nowusing theirnew-found freedomtomove 

to quieterspots in the countryside. 

Clay Christensen,aHarvard professorwho wasalsoverysuccessful inthe privatesector, 

wasasked by his MBAstudentsin2010tohelpthem applythe businessprinciplesthey 

learnt in theirMBA course to theirpersonallives.Christensen’slecture ledtoanarticle 

and the book Howwillyou measureyour life.The businessworld is driven by profits and 

growth targets–things that canbemeasuredeasily, buthow do youapplythese to your 

personallife? 

It wasn’t a“normal” year forhis students.Christensenwrites that when they startedwith 

theirMBAs, theeconomy wasstrong; theirpost-graduationprospects were numerous and 

their futureswererosycoloured.But in 2010,the economychanged,and thestudentshad to 

preparethemselves to return to averydifferentworld –asmanyofusmustdonow sinceour 

livesand careershave changeddramaticallysince March2020. 

Idon’t want to go into thespecificsofChristensen’sadvice,because Ienjoyedhis book 

andyou should read it yourself, butyou'reright to assumethatithas nothing to do with 

moneyorcareersuccess.Ifyou come to theend of your life,and youhave astringoffailed 

relationships and marriages behindyou,doesitreallymatterthatyou were theCEO of a 

company? Putsimply, he advises youtoalsoinvest time in your home life,sothatoverthe 

long term,you build strong relationshipsand notjustasuccessful career. 

Ithink this is whymanypeoplehave madethe intentionaldecision to downscale and 

move to thecountryside–sothattheyhave more time fortheir families. It’s also whymany 

peopleset money and time aside to go on annual familyholidays–itallowsthem to spend 

qualitytimetogether.Myfavouritememoriesare allfromfamily holidays. 

Mayyou invest time in the peopleyou love in thecoming months. 

Gerda 

Gerda_travel 

3 

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AUTUMN 2022 | AA Traveller

60 

42 

54 

75 

Contents 

4 

3 Gerdasays 

How will you measure your life 

one day? Not bywork! 

6 AARTO 

The Pretoria High Court says it’s 

unconstitutional. What happens 

now? 

7 Willemsays 

It’s aprivilege to live in SA. 

8 Layton says 

The AAhas abusy year ahead. 

10 TheNCAPcrash test results 

How did the Mazda 2and Nissan 

Almera fare? 

TRAVEL 

14 Magical Mapungubwe 

Once home to amysterious, 

ancient civilisation, this park counts 

amongst the best inSA. 

20 DiscoverKZN’s BigThree 

Spend 10 days exploring this lush 

and beautiful province. 

29 Rhino conservation 

IVF has the potential tohelp this 

endangered species, but there are still 

several obstacles in the way. 

32 Walk and taste 

Visit top wine cellars on the three-day 

Excelsior Wine Walk. 

37 SolotraveltoZanzibar 

Dineo Zonke filled her suitcase with 

swimsuits and headed to this island. 

42 More at Chrissiesmeer 

With South Africa’s largest freshwater 

lake on its doorstep, Chrissies isan 

ideal weekend destination. 

LIFESTYLE 

49 Zoom towns 

Covid-19 offered these people anew 

opportunity: WFH in the countryside. 

54 Sendoff wantstoeaseyour burden 

These entrepreneurs have created an 

app that facilitates funeral planning. 

57 Eatlocal,it’slekker! 

Africa has various plants that should be 

staples in our diets. 

60 Decadent chocolate 

Youwon’t be able toresist these 

eight dishes. 

66 Booksfor travel junkies 

Great reads for everyone who wants 

to hit the road. 

68 Gear 

Cool cameras and apps. 

MOTORING 

70 Turn heads 

These four cars stand out from the 

crowd. 

75 FirstImpressions 

We take the Toyota Corolla Cross, 

Audi Q5 Sportback, Ford Ranger 

Raptor, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Fiat 

500 for aspin. 

80 Puzzlesand games 

Give your brain aworkout. 

82 When youhavetogo 

Travel isn't always smooth sailing, 

especially when nature calls. 

AA Traveller | AUTUMN 2022

In thenews 

AARTOruled 

unconstitutional 

implementing ademerit system. They’ve 

supportedthe idea since it wasfirst 

introduced in the1960s, butitmustbe 

doneright andbeintroducedaspart 

of thecurrent Criminal ProcedureAct, 

explains AA spokespersonLaytonBeard. 

6 

In January thisyear,the Pretoria High Court 

declared thatAARTO is unconstitutionaland 

invalid. What does thismean formotorists? 

Inamove that hadmany, includingthe 

AA,jumping forjoy,the Pretoria High 

Courtruled againstthe government’s 

controversialAARTO Act. 

JudgeAnnaliBassonstatedthat 

“the AARTOand AmendmentActs 

unlawfully intrudeuponthe exclusive 

executiveand legislativecompetenceof 

thelocal andprovincialgovernments 

respectively, andassuch, thetwo acts are 

unconstitutional”. 

Shealsoruled againstMinister of 

TransportFikileMbalula’s wish that any 

rulingsagainstthe actshouldbeput on 

hold for24monthswhile thegovernment 

triestofix it. 

WhatisAARTO? 

If youdon’t live in Johannesburg or 

Tshwane(an AARTOpilot project 

launched therein2008),you might 

notbefamiliar with it.The AARTO 

(AdministrativeAdjudication of Road 

TrafficOffences) Actaimstoimplement 

ademerit systemfor trafficlaw violations. 

Breakthe lawonthe road,and you’ll 

earn points on yourlicence.Rackuptoo 

many points andyourlicence could be 

suspended–oreventaken away in 

extreme cases. Thosewho 

committraffic violations will also have to 

payfines. TheRoadTraffic Infringement 

Agency (RTIA) administersAARTO,and 

theplanwas to roll it outnationwide on 

1July2022. 

Whythe AA welcomesthe 

judgement: 

Foryears,the associationhas maintained 

that AARTOwas draftedwithout 

sufficientcare. As previously reported in 

ourAutumn2021issue,the AA believes 

that AARTOisgearedmoretowards 

revenue collection than promoting road 

safety. “There is no evidence that the 

AARTOpilot project hassaved asingle 

life,” theAAsaidafter theruling. 

TheAAadded that thereisnopurpose 

in goingbacktothe drawingboard, 

andthatthe actand theRTIAshould 

be scrapped completely.“Thecourt 

itself foundthatthe deficiencies arenot 

curable. Thegovernmentwould be wise 

to concededefeat. 

“AARTO andthe RTIA have addedno 

value to road safety andmerelyprovided 

secure andlucrative employmentfor 

aselect few. As such,wewelcome the 

court’sdecision.” 

That said,the AA isn’topposed to 

Whathappensnow? 

At thetimeofgoing to press, the 

Constitutional Court(ConCourt)still had 

to confirmthe high court’sjudgement. 

AndMbalula andthe RTIA have vowed 

to appeal theruling, with RTIA warning 

motorists that AARTOremains in effect 

untilthe ConCourt makesajudgement on 

theirexpected appeal. 

Should theConCourt agreewiththe 

high court's ruling,the government 

will have to reconsiderthe act, explain 

Ahmore Burger-Smidt andDaleAdams 

from Werkmans Attorneys. Andthe 

ConCourt will indicate whichaspectsof 

theact will need to be attended to.But if 

theConCourt findsthatAARTO meets 

constitutional muster,then“nothing” 

prevents theact from coming into full 

force, they add. 

So,the situationisstill up in theair and 

motorists shouldn’t throwawaytheir traffic 

finesyet,warns Beard. 

Cornelia vanNiekerk,CEO of Fines4U, 

acompany that managesfines on clients’ 

behalf,agreesthatpeopleshouldhold 

on to theirtraffic tickets, as thesecould 

still be prosecuted underthe Criminal 

ProcedureAct andthe NationalRoad 

TrafficAct. 

If you feel afinewas incorrectly 

administertoyou underAARTO,you can 

approach acompany like Fines4Uora 

legal representativefor assistance,she 

adds.“We’vewon several high courtcases 

againstAARTO,the firstin2012, because 

they didn’t follow theirown administrative 

ruleswhenissuingfines.” 

SOURCES: aa.co.za;engineeringnews.co.za;fines4u.co.za;news24.com;rtia.co.za.Image:Getty /Gallo Images 

*For moreonAARTO,and othermotoring 

news,visit aa.co.za/press-releases. 


Letterfromthe AA CEO 

It’s aprivilege to live 

in SouthAfrica 

Late last year,Ihadthe privilege of 

visiting parts ofthe Garden Route and 

travelling through some ofthe wonderful 

cities and towns that dot the road between 

the Western Cape and Gauteng. Isay 

privilege because Ihonestly feel that to 

have this extraordinary beauty on my 

doorstep is aprivilege. What struck me, 

apart from the natural scenic splendour on 

offer, was the amazing attitude of ordinary 

South Africans. 

Almost everywhere Ivisited, Iwas 

greeted warmly by locals who have a 

genuine friendliness about them. This, 

for me, is the true South Africa, and it is a 

unique place to call home. Ihave urged 

you before toexplore our country and 

experience first-hand its amazing people 

and places. Idosoagain. 

This autumn edition of AA Traveller 

2022 IS ALREADYSHAPINGUPTOBEAN 

INCREDIBLE YEAR FORTHE AA ANDITS 

MEMBERS, ANDIWANTTOTHANK YOUALL 

FORJOININGUSONOUR EXCITING JOURNEY. 

again showcases unique places: from 

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, iSimangaliso and Kosi 

Bay inKwaZulu-Natal toMapungubwe in 

Limpopo, which, as our article suggests, 

should be on every South African’s bucket 

list. Ours isabeautiful and incredible 

country; grab every opportunity to see it. 

Don’t forget tovisit the AA’s travel website 

at aa.co.za/travel. Here you’ll find all you 

need to plan amemorable trip. 

If you’re travelling overseas soon, 

remember that you may need certain 

documents. These include a Carnet de 

Passages en Douane (an international 

custom declaration which identifies a 

vehicle crossing borders and its route) and/ 

or an international driving permit (IDP). An 

IDP isalegal document that proves your 

local driving licence isvalid, and it eases 

the burden in the event ofacrash. Youcan 

find out more about these documents, 

and how the AA can assist you in obtaining 

them, ataa.co.za/carnet-de-passage-endouane 

and aa.co.za/international-drivingpermit. 

Sadly, the festive season wasn’t without 

tragedy: more than 1685 people died on 

our roads between 1December 2021 and 

11 January 2022. Our thoughts go out tothe 

families affected. We are reminded again 

that we all have arole to play inensuring 

that our roads are safer. Ifyou are going to 

be travelling through South Africa, please 

be careful, obey the rules and arrive safely 

at your destinations. 

An essential part ofbeing safe on the 

road is ensuring your vehicle isintiptop 

shape. In January, welaunched our 

second AA Auto Centre in Gauteng, and 

we have plans tolaunch more throughout 

the country in2022. The establishment 

of auto centres is important for the AAas 

it reaffirms our commitment toproviding 

excellent services ataffordable rates to AA 

members. Not only that, but through these 

centres, the AA is investing indiversity 

by ensuring everyone inthe industry has 

access to providing these services. 

Once again, this edition ofthe magazine 

is crammed with amazing photographs 

and interesting articles, including one on 

the emergence of“Zoom towns”, small 

towns inthe platteland from where people 

work remotely. Not only does this mean 

that these people can continue with 

their professions, but it also ensures the 

sustainability of smaller towns across the 

country. We talk to people who have made 

the “Zoom” move. 

2022 is already shaping uptobean 

incredible year for the AA and its members, 

and Iwant tothank you all for joining uson 

our exciting journey. Stay safe, be kind, and 

obey the rules ofthe road. 

Yours, 

Willem Groenewald 

CEO|AASA 

7 


Opinion 

Beingonvacationis 

allinday’s work 

BY LAYTON BEARD, HEAD:PR, ADVOCACY &INTERNATIONALRELATIONS,AASOUTH AFRICA 

8 

Wow,thatescalated quickly! 

Nosoonerhad Ibookedmy 

flightsand packedmybags for 

forwhatIbelievedtobeamuchneeded 

vacation in Cape Town 

(mycolleaguesdisagree –theythink I’monvacation 

everyday)and thegovernment’sonlydriving licence 

printing machinedecidesithas had enough. That 

maynot seem like aproblemI’d have to deal with 

consideringIdon’t workfor thegovernment, nor, 

more specifically,doIhave anything to do with the 

printing of drivinglicence cards. 

However,being thechampionofconsumersin 

SouthAfrica, theAAwas,naturally,calledonto 

commentonwhatthis meantfor driversand for 

thegrowing backlogofproviding these essential 

documents to motorists. Of course, this wasnot 

good news,and it raised theissue of whyonlyone 

machinewas beingusedtoperform this critical 

task.Fortunately,the machinewas sent forrepairs in 

Germanyand returned at theend of January. 

Yet, it wasonlythe start of thegovernment’s 

problems.Asignificant developmentmid-way 

throughmyvacation wasthe Pretoria High Court 

decision declaringthe AdministrativeAdjudication 

of RoadTraffic Offences (AARTO)Act invalid and 

unconstitutional.It’sadecisionthe AA supports,as 

we’vealwaysbelievedthe act(andits amendments) 

is unconstitutional andgearedtowardsrevenue 

collectionratherthanpromotingroadsafety. 

Addtothis theAA’sgrowing callsfor areviewof 

thecountry’s fuel price, whichwewerealsoasked to 

commenton, andyou getthe picturethatMrs Beard 

had to sharesomeofher vacation time with ahusband 

whoseear wasconstantlyattachedtohiscellphone. 

Notthatshe minded.She is an organisedand 

disciplinedvacationerwho ensuresmaximum value is 

extractedfromeveryday,evenifher (better?)half is 

somewhat pre-occupied.Ithinkpart of thereasonwhy 

sheenjoyedher trip to thebeautiful(andsweltering 

hot) WesternCapewas herlimitedengagement with 

me as sheexplored incredible places. 

AndI’m notcomplaining. As Imentioned in my 

previouscolumn, beinginvolvedwiththe AA and 

doing what Idoisextremely exciting andrewarding. 

It’s importantthatthe AA speaks up forthe millions 

whoare affected by governmentactions butwho don’t 

have theplatformwedo. It’s whyIdowhatIdo, and 

I’mgratefulIget to do it,wheneverthatmay be. 

2022 is goingtobeaparticularly busy year in that 

regard.There aremanyissuesaffectingnot only 

motorists,but allconsumers, anditis, we believe, our 

responsibility to highlightthose areaswhere their 

rights aren’t being protected andpromoted.Because 

we aresuchanimportant role player in this space, it’s 

also importantfor consumerstounderstandthatwe 

need theirsupport.Bybeing amemberofthe AA,you 

arenot only benefittingfromthe incredible services 

andproductsweoffer,but youare also supporting a 

movementthathas yourbestinterests at heart. 

Ihad an incredible vacation, notwithstanding the 

work Idid in between. In fact,truth be told,Idon’t 

think I’dwantitany other way. 

Catchyou next time. 

Layton 

Follow Layton on 

Twitter@LaytonBeard 

Main photo:Getty Images/GalloImages 


TheAAatyour service 

ACCREDITED 

SALESAGENTS 

EASTERNCAPE 

Travel Experience,Gqeberha: 

041368 6452 

Harvey WorldTravel, East London: 

043726 0601 

FREE STATE 

Travel Experience,Bloemfontein: 

051444 0571 

GAUTENG 

Travel Experience,Menlyn: 

012348 2522 

Travel Experience,Benmore: 

011884 4104 

Travel Experience,ParkMeadows: 

011615 7946 

AA Cresta: 

011478 5312 

Travel Experience,Boksburg: 

074175 2709 

Travel Experience,Centurion: 

012653 5513 

Voetspore4×4,MegaWorld: 

012940 8999 

AA Foreign Travel,Kyalami: 

011799 1042 

KWAZULU-NATAL 

Travel Experience,Musgrave: 

031201 5244 

Travel Experience,LaLucia: 

031572 7852 

Harvey WorldTravel, Shelly Beach: 

039315 6330 

MPUMALANGA 

Dana Travel Agency,Mbombela 

013753 3571 

WESTERNCAPE 

Club Travel,Tyger Valley: 

021914 2265 

Constantiaberg Travel: 

021715 2850 

Travel Experience,Cavendish 

Square: 021683 1410 

Harvey WorldTravel, George: 

044874 6930 

GETIN 

TOUCH 

To update your 

AA membership details, 

phone0861000 234, 

send an emailto 

aasa@aasa.co.za or 

visitaa.co.za. 

THEAAISONCALL24/7! 

CALL 0861 000 234 

AA OPENSITS SECOND AUTO CENTREFOR TOP- 

CLASSSERVICING ANDMAINTENANCE 

Earlier this year, the AA opened its 

second auto centre. One is located 

in Johannesburg, onthe corner of 

Malibongwe Drive and Tungsten 

Road, and the other is in Menlyn, 

Pretoria. The centres are open to 

all motorist, not only AA members, 

although they receive a10% discount. 

The centres perform adetailed 

128-point check on vehicles, provide 

diagnostic reports (with photographs) 

and amulti-point general vehicle 

safety check. They also check, repair 

or replace brakes, batteries, shock 

absorbers, oil, wheel alignments; 

conduct electrical fault finding and 

repair; and do vehicle air condition gas 

refilling. 

AA auto centres also offer a 

distinctive service for fleet owners and 

managers. Twofast service bays are 

reserved for fleet vehicles to ensure 

minimal downtime, saving you costs. 

All vehicles that pass through the 

centres will receive AA certification. 

More centres are planned for the 

rest of the year. 

Stay up to date with thelatest industry news by followingthe AA on 

Facebook: AASouthAfrica, Twitter: AASouthAfricaorataa.co.za. 

9 


AA Report 

MAZDA2 

CRASHTESTRESULTS 

10 

AFRICA 

DESERVES 

BETTER 

Despitethe Mazda2and NissanAlmerareceiving four and threestars, 

respectively,for adultpassengers during thelatest round of #SaferCarsForAfrica 

crash tests, both models experiencedseatfailures–amajor causefor concern. 

InDecember last year, Global 

NCAP and the AA released 

results from their latest 

#SaferCarsForAfrica crash tests 

(see sidebar) with the support of 

two charities: the FIA Foundation 

and Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

Twocars were tested, the 

Mazda 2with driver and front 

passenger airbags and the Nissan 

Almera, also with driver and front 

passenger airbags. 

The Mazda 2achieved four stars 

for adult occupant protection and 

three stars for child occupants, 

and the Nissan Almera scored 

three stars for both adult and 

child occupants. 

However, despite these average 

results, the tests raised major red 

flags: both models showed seat 

failures during testing, the Nissan 

with aseat detachment and the 

Mazda with abackrest failure. 

Although these did not have 

significant effects on the assessment 

ratings, which are based oninjury 

criteria, the failures are of serious 

concern, and Global NCAP has 

raised them with each manufacturer 

as amatter ofurgency. 

“Although the latest tests showed 

average results, weare concerned 

that both cars had failures intheir 

driver seats, more severe inthe 

Nissan than in the Mazda,” said 


NISSAN ALMERA 

WHAT IS GLOBAL NCAP AND 

THE#SAFERCARSFORAFRICA 

CAMPAIGN? 

TheUK-registered charity TowardsZero 

Foundationlaunchedthe Global New 

CarAssessmentProgramme(NCAP) 

in 2011.Itservesasaplatformfor 

cooperation among NCAPsworldwide, 

providingfinancial,technical and 

advocacysupport to newprogrammesin 

emergingmarkets. 

GlobalNCAPleads theStopthe 

CrashPartnership andhas consultative 

statuswiththe UnitedNations (UN) 

Economic andSocial Council(ECOSOC), 

is amember of theUNRoadSafety 

Collaborationand an observeratthe 

UN WorldForum for Harmonisation of 

Vehicle Standards. 

In 2017,Global NCAP launchedthe 

#SaferCarsForAfricaCampaign.Its 

objective is to promote safervehicles 

in Africa. 

Global NCAP secretary general 

Alejandro Furas. 

He added: “Global NCAP 

calls onboth car makers to 

review these failures asa 

matter of urgency. We would 

also call on them toimprove 

the basic safety offered in 

these models asstandard, 

adding electronic stability 

control (ESC), pedestrian 

protection and side body 

and head airbags assoon 

as possible.” 

Willem Groenewald, 

AA CEO, agrees that more 

should be done to improve 

vehicle safety inSouth Africa: 

“#SaferCarsforAfrica is an 

important programme for the 

AA as we continue to push 

for better safety standards on 

vehicles for local consumers. 

The results ofthe fifth round 

of testing are encouraging, 

especially the four-star rating 

achieved bythe Mazda 2. 

“However, the results show 

there are still some safety 

deficiencies onvehicles 

available inSouth Africa and 

this should, again, serve as 

amarker to manufacturers 

and safety authorities ofthe 

need for improved basic 

safety features which should 

be offered as standard on all 

models available locally.” 

David Ward, executive 

president of the Towards Zero 

Foundation (see sidebar), 

said: “It is troubling tosee seat 

failures ofthe kind revealed in 

our latest #SaferCarsforAfrica 

tests. We would urge Mazda 

and Nissan toaddress these 

issues as apriority and more 

generally tosignificantly 

improve the safety features 

equipped on their models 

as standard. 

“Consumers inAfrica 

deserve the same levels of 

vehicle safety performance 

which are taken for granted in 

other parts ofthe world.” > 

11 


AA Report 

12 

MAZDA2 

The dummy readings for the front 

passenger’s head, neck, chest, knees, 

tibias all read green, which indicates 

good protection for these body parts. 

Protection offered to the driver’s neck 

and chest was also classified as good. 

However, protection offered to 

the driver’s knees and tibias read 

yellow, which only signifies adequate 

protection. The tests found that 

the driver’s knees could impact 

with dangerous structures in the 

steering column. 

And the impact of the driver seat 

backrest on the driver’s back can 

increase risk ofinjuries. 

The bodyshell was rated as stable, 

and itcould withstand further loadings. 

The footwell area was rated as 

unstable. The car offers standard SBR 

for the driver and passenger and meets 

Global NCAP requirements. All of the 

above explained the four stars for adult 

occupant protection. 

The child seat for the three-year-old 

was installed forward facing (FWF) 

with ISOFIX anchorages and top tether 

and was able to prevent excessive 

forward movement during the impact. 

However, the chest showed high 

biomechanical readings. 

For the 18-month-old, the child 

restraint system (CRS) was installed 

with the ISOFIX base and support-leg, 

rearward facing (RWF). Itoffered good 

protection as the head was contained 

and values in the chest showed 

good protection. 

CRS marking was permanent, and the 

recommended travel systems did not 

show incompatibility. The vehicle offers 

three-point belts in all seating positions 

and offers ISOFIX anchorages but with 

poor marking. 

The front passenger airbags cannot 

be disconnected when aRWF CRS is 

installed inthe passenger seat. All of the 

above explained the three stars for child 


Mazda 2-2AIRBAGS 

ADULT OCCUPANT PROTECTION 

FRONT PASSENGER 

CHILD RESTRAINTS 

18 MONTH OLD CHILD 

3YEAR OLD CHILD 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT 

CHILD RESTRAINT 

BRITAX BABY SAFE+BASE 

BRITAX DUO PLUS 

FRONT SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS YES 

DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG 

PASSENGER FRONTALAIRBAG 

DRIVER 

YES 

YES 

GOOD 

ADEQUATE 

MARGINAL 

WEAK 

POOR 

HEAD /CHEST 

PROTECTED/ GOOD 

PROTECTEED /WEAK 

SIDE BODY AIRBAGS 

SIDE HEAD AIRBAGS 

Tested at 64 km/h 

CAR DETAILS 

DRIVER KNEE AIRBAG NO 

HOWDOTHE CRASH TESTSWORK? 

Each vehicle is fitted aredone.Sideimpactand 

with crashtest dummies pedestrian protection 

representingadults in the assessmentswillformpart 

frontseats,plusathreeyear-oldand 

18-month-old GlobalNCAP’scrash test 

of thefurther evolutionof 

childinthe rear seats. protocolsinAfrica. 

To simulate ahead-on Global NCAP awards a 

collision, thecarsare separate childsafetyrating 

propelled at 64km/h intoa to each cartohighlight the 

solidblock covering 40% differentlevels of protection 

of thecar’s widthonthe vehiclesprovide to children 

driver’s side. 

sittinginthe rear seats. 

Currently, only frontalcrashprotectiontests 

restraint system 

Global NCAP testsachild 

(CRS) 

NO 

NO 

CRS TYPE 

0+ 

1 

14.50 max. 17.00 Adult 

36.23 max. 49.00 Child 

ADJUST 

ISOFIX /LEG 

ISOFIX/TT 

SBR 

Bodyshell integrity: STABLE 

TESTED MODEL Mazda 2, RHD 

BODY TYPE 5DOOR COMPACT 

CRASH TEST WEIGHT KG 1275 

YEAR OF PUBLICATION 2021 

POSITION 

RWF 

FWF 

ISOFIX ANCHORAGES 

ABS (4 CHANNEL) 

YES 

YES 

YES 

recommendedbythe 

vehicle manufacturer. 

Because theonlysafe 

wayfor your youngchild 

to travel is properly 

restrained in achild seat, 

theassessmentcheckshow 

compatible thecar is with 

thechild seats, as well as 

crashprotection. Avehicle 

that offers ISOFIX points 

hasamajoradvantage in 

termsofchild occupant 

protection. 


NissanALMERA -2AIRBAGS 

8.06 max. 17.00 Adult 

35.34 max. 49.00 Child 

Tested at 64 km/h 

Bodyshell integrity: UNSTABLE 

ADULT OCCUPANT PROTECTION 

CAR DETAILS 

GOOD 

TESTED MODEL 

Nissan Almera, RHD 

Images: #SaferCarsForAfrica 

FRONT PASSENGER 

CHILD RESTRAINTS 

18 MONTH OLD CHILD 

3YEAR OLD CHILD 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT 

CHILD RESTRAINT 

BRITAX BABY SAFE+BASE 

BRITAX DUO PLUS 

FRONT SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS YES 

DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG 

PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG 

DRIVER 

YES 

YES 

ADEQUATE 

MARGINAL 

WEAK 

POOR 

NISSANALMERA 

The protection offered to the driver’s head 

was adequate, whereas the passenger’s 

head protection was good. Neck 

protection read as green (or good) on 

both the driver and passenger dummies. 

Chest protection scored lower –marginal 

(orange) for the driver and yellow 

(adequate) for the passenger. 

The driver’s knees showed adequate 

and poor protection, while the passenger’s 

knees showed marginal protection asthey 

could impact with dangerous structures 

behind the dashboard supported bythe 

HEAD /CHEST 

PROTECTED/ GOOD 

PROTECTEED /ADEQUATE 

SIDE BODY AIRBAGS 

SIDE HEAD AIRBAGS 

NO 

NO 

DRIVER KNEE AIRBAG NO 

CRS TYPE 

0+ 

1 

BODY TYPE 4DOOR SEDAN 

CRASH TEST WEIGHT KG 1300 

YEAR OF PUBLICATION 2021 

SBR 

ADJUST 

ISOFIX /LEG 

ISOFIX/TT 

POSITION 

RWF 

FWF 

ISOFIX ANCHORAGES 

ABS (4 CHANNEL) 

DRIVER 

YES 

YES 

tranfascia tube. 

The crash test found that the driver’s 

tibias had adequate protection while 

passenger’s tibias had good protection. 

Of great concern was the driver’s seat 

partial detachment from the rail because 

this can increase risks of injuries. 

The bodyshell was rated as unstable, 

and itwas not capable of withstanding 

further loadings. The footwell area was 

also rated asunstable. The car offers 

standard SBR for the driver only. All ofthe 

above explains the three stars for adult 


The child seat for the three-yearold 

was installed FWF with ISOFIX 

anchorages and top tether and was 

able toprevent excessive forward 

movement during the impact. 

The 18-month-old CRS was installed 

with the ISOFIX base and support 

leg RWF offering good protection 

to the child occupant as the head 

was contained and values in the 

chest showed good protection. CRS 

marking was permanent, and the 

recommended travel systems did not 

show incompatibility. 

The vehicle offers three-point belts 

in all seating positions and offers 

ISOFIX anchorages but with poor 

marking. As with the Mazda 2,the 

Almera doesn’t offer an airbag 

disconnection when aRWF CRS is 

installed inthe passenger seat. All of 

the above explained the three stars for 

child occupant protection. 

13 


National park 

DISCOVER A 

LOST CITY 

14 

Up north, wherethe greatLimpopo and Shashe rivers join, 

threecountriesmeet. Here, on theSouth-African side of 

thegreat confluencethatconnects us with Botswana and 

Zimbabwe,liesthe remainsofagreat andancient civilisation. 

WORDSBYDANIELLE MCDONALD|PHOTOSBYKONRAD RAUBENHEIMER 

Depending on who you ask, 

Mapungubwe means “Place of 

Wisdom” or“Hill of the Jackal”. A 

thousand years ago, itwas home to 

alarge, advanced African kingdom. 

It had its own justice system, grew 

crops and traded ivory and gold with 

Eastern countries. 

The ruling class of this society made the impenetrable 

hilltop their home, and here the remnants oftheir 

complex games, shelters and royal courts remain. The 

hill and its inhabitants were sorevered that to this day 

it’s said that anyone who looks directly at the hill could 

be punished bythe ancestors forever. 

Pretty impressive, right? 

Yet somehow, Mapungubwe was never on my radar. It’s 

home to one ofSouth Africa’s most important heritage 

sites and is surrounded by giant baobab trees and 

mystical rock formations unlike anywhere else inthe 

country.It’s atransfrontier park, sothe animals roam 

freely between the three countries. The accommodation 

is fantastic and the wildlife soabundant that it’ll remind 

you of the opening sequence ofthe Lion King, but no 

one thought to tell me about this local gem. > 

AATraveller | AUTUMN 2022

BORDERLANDS: 

Threecountries 

(South Africa, 

Botswana and 

Zimbabwe)meet 

at theconfluence 

of theLimpopo and 

Shashe Rivers. 

THE ACCOMMOD DATION 

IS FANTASTIC AND THE 

WILDLIFE SO ABUNDANT 

THAT IT’LL REMIN ND YOU 

OF THE OPENING GSEQUENCE 

OF THE LION KING. 

15 

MAGICAL: 

Baobabsand 

mystical rock 

formationsgive 

theparkan 

otherworldly feel.

National park 

16 

Now that the secret is out, I’ve been there twice. 

On my first trip, Igot directions from afriend 

in Hoedspruit. Hesaid that Ineeded to get going 

because travelling on the road from Musina tothe 

park is dangerous after dark. 

Iinitially thought hemeant it’s dangerous 

because ofcrime, but when we got there, I 

realised he wasn’t talking about criminals 

–carnivores still roam this place. Andlater, 

someone told me elephants’ eyes don’t reflect in 

your headlights inthe dark, and you won’t see 

them until it’s too late. 

Luckily, we didn’t meet any elephants on the 

highway, but aswegot on the potholed road from 

Musina to the park, we saw ahyena trotting across 

the national road. This changed the mood in the 

car completely. We were inthe wild! 

Aplace of history 

South Africa has 10 UNESCO World Heritage 

sites, and I’ve been toall of them. Each isspecial 

and ofuniversal significance to humankind, but 

Mapungubwe has acertain mystique about it, and 

Ithink it’s one ofthe coolest spots inthe country. 

The park’s enchanting rock formations glow 

red and gold at dusk; birds flytoroost in massive, 

ancient baobabs and the mysterious golden hill is 

ever present. 

When visiting the park, the one thing you 

absolutely must doisthe Historical Tour. Iknow it 

sounds boring, but this is aUNESCO-accredited 

heritage site, and you’ve driven kilometres toget 

here. It’s truly anunforgettable experience –and 

the guide has abig gun. 

The tour takes you straight into the restricted 

area of the park where you will lay eyes onthe 

> 


HISTORICAL TOUR: 

Amustwhen visiting 

thepark. Ourguide, 

JohannesMasalesa 

(bottomright), took 

us to theHillofthe 

Jackal (top right). 

FAVOURITE 

THINGS TO DO IN 

MAPUNGUBWE 

Game drives and4x4 trails: 

The park isenormous and the 

habitat literally changes around 

you. There are several self-drive 

trails in Mapungubwe, and we 

really enjoyed the 45 km Eco Trail 

in the western part ofthe park. It 

was myfavourite drive because 

it’s untouched. Driving tothe bird 

hide to watch the many birds and 

animals atthe waterhole isalso 

worth it. In the eastern part ofthe 

park, Kannidood is agreat 7km 

drive with plenty ofgame. 

Thetreetopboardwalk: This 

raised canopy walkway is hidden 

between massive quiver trees and 

overlooks the Limpopo River. The 

area around the walkway is home 

to more than 400 bird species. 

Ashort hike leads you to asmall 

bench where you can admire the 

river view. 

THEPARK’SENCHANTING ROCK FORMA- 

TIONSGLOWRED ANDGOLDATDUSK; 

BIRDSFLY TO ROOSTINMASSIVE,AN- 

CIENTBAOBABS ANDTHE MYSTERIOUS 

GOLDENHILLISEVERPRESENT. 

TheHistorical Tour at 

Mapungubwe Hill: This tour 

with Johannes Masalesa made me 

realise how important it is to keep 

stories alive. Heisthe author of 

the book Mapungubwe: Placeof 

Ancestors, which includes stories 

from the area. 

Confluenceviewpoint– 

where three countries 

meet: There are four decks 

that overlook the area where the 

Limpopo and Shashe rivers meet. 

To the east, you’ll find the sunrise 

deck that looks out over Zimbabwe, 

and to the west, the sunset deck 

with views of Botswana, and in the 

middle, firmly planted inSouth 

Africa, the confluence and main 

decks overlook the meeting point of 

the two rivers. 

17 

Thelittlefive: Wildlife is 

abundant inMapungubwe but 

spotting the little five is achallenge. 

These are the elephant shrew, the 

buffalo weaver, the leopard tortoise, 

the antlion and the rhino beetle. 


National park 

18 

Hill of the Jackal for the first time. 

Our guide, Johannes Masalesa, grew 

up in the area, and hehas been 

guiding heritage tours for over 15 

years. Heloves the stories and legends 

of Mapungubwe, astold tohim by his 

parents and grandparents. 

Johannes tells us that his 

grandfather was the informant who 

revealed the location ofMapungubwe 

to Ernst van Graan and his sons in 

1933. He knew that disclosing the 

location would be betraying the 

ancestors, and he didn’t dare look 

at the hill directly. So, with his back 

turned towards the hill, hepointed to 

the path. The ancestors weren’t happy, 

and helost his sight not long after, 

Johannes says. 

Climbing the 147 steps tothe top, 

Iget an eerie feeling. Athousand 

years ago, this was home toathriving 

African kingdom that traded gold and 

ivory with India, Egypt and China. 

History happened here, and you 

can feel it. It’s either that or all the 

stories Johannes tells us –but you feel 

something spooky in the air! 

Ernst’s son Jerry was anethnology 

•YOU CANBUY 

firewoodatthe 

restaurant,but there 

aren't any shops in 

thepark–all food and 

necessitiesneed to be 

broughtwithyou. 

•TOURSCAN BE 

BOOKED at the 

receptiondesk. 

•THERE IS NO 

CELLPHONE 

RECEPTION in thepark, 

but youwillget some 

reception at thepark 

entranceand around 

themuseum and 

restaurant. 

•THE NEARESTTOWN 

IS MUSINA –about an 

hour away. 

•THEREISNOFILLING 

STATIONORATM in 

thepark. 

• Of thepeopleIspoke 

to whohavevisited 

Mapungubwe, 100% say 

it’stheir FAVOURITE 

PARK IN SOUTH 

AFRICA. 

student at the University of Pretoria, 

and heimmediately realised that there 

was academic value inwhat they found 

at the site. He contacted his professor 

at the university, who negotiated 

excavation rights with the landowner, 

and the university took ownership of 

the relics found at the site. On top of 

the hill, the excavators found graves 

with glass beads and golden jewellery 

inside, aswell asthe famous gold 

rhino, which isnow on display atthe 

University of Pretoria Museums. 

The views from the top of the hill are 

magnificent. Johannes continues with 

his tour: the people buried onthe hill 

were part of the royal family who ruled 

the kingdom. Atthe height of their 

reign, approximately 5000 people 

lived around the hill itself. Hepoints 

to the areas where they lived, and it’s 

still easy to spot because certain areas 

on the ground are still greyish from 

the ashes of the fires that burnt here a 

thousand years ago. 

It’s not clear why the people of 

Mapungubwe left this place, but 

the most probable cause might be 

drought. This feels rather ironic: the 

climate crisis and mass 

GOOD 

TO 

KNOW 

migrations dominate 

today’s headlines. Ican’t 

help but think that the 

more things change, the 

more they stay the same. 

An elephantencounter 

After the tour, wehead back tothe 

Toyota Land Cruiser, thinking our 

adventure isover. While still walking, 

we find ourselves inthe way of aherd 

of elephants heading tothe river – 

and their path is between us and the 

Cruiser. Johannes is carrying that big 

gun, but itwon’t be enough to protect 

us. Wescurry onto some rocks nearby 

and stay asstill as possible as the herd 

take their sweet time to make their way 

past us to the river. Hearts racing and 

fists clenching, we finally head back to 

the Cruiser. Isitjust meorisitreally in 

hot here? Ineed adrink! 

That evening, we stay inVhembe 

Bush Camp. This isthe only wilderness 

camp in Mapungubwe, and there 

aren’t any fences sothe animals can 

roam freely (not that we needed 

more adrenalin after the afternoon's 

narrow escape). 

Afew hidden steps behind the braai 

area lead up to aswimming pool on 

the rocky hillside where wewind down 

in the late-afternoon sun. We look out 

over the veld below us where eland, 

impala and zebras graze inthe field. 

Somewhere wehear elephants break 

branches. We sip our G&Ts from tin 

cups while the red sun sets in the 

distance over Botswana. 

As soon as Iget signal, I’m booking 

my third visit! 

Additionalimages: Getty/Gallo Images 


WHERE 

TO 

STAY 

There arefiveaccommodation 

optionsatMapungubwe:Vhembe 

Wilderness Camp,Leokwe 

Camp,Limpopo Forest Tented 

Camp,Tshugulu Lodgeand 

Mazhou Campsite. Thedifferent 

accommodationoptions arefar 

from each other, so if you’re 

goinginagroup, everyone 

shouldbook at thesameplace. 

Andsome campsare only 

accessible with a4x4,somake 

surethat youhave theright 

vehicle foryourcamp. To book, 

visit sanparks.org/bookings or 

call 012428 9111. 

19 

RELAXING:The 

pool in Vhembe 

Bush Camp.

20 


10-day trip 

BY GERDAENGELBRECHT 

NorthofDurban you’ll findStLuciaand 

iSimangaliso,Hluhluwe-iMfoloziand Kosi 

Bay–three exceptional destinations that 

offer birdwatching,fishingand delicious 

sea food.Exploring this region is an 

unforgettableexperience. 

BIGTHREE 

21

10-day trip 

22 

Dohipposreallywander 

around these streets?” 

Iask at thegateof 

ouraccommodation 

afterspottingthe 

warningsignintown. 

Thesecurityguard 

nods affirmatively. 

“Lastnight aherdof 

about 40 walkedpast 

the gate.” 

“Whatgate?”Iask. 

“This one,”hesays. 

“Inwhatunitare 

you staying? I’ll call youtonight if the 

hippos comethis wayagain.” 

During ourstayinStLucia,the 

hippos didn’t return to town.Iwas 

slightly disappointed because Iwould 

have likedtowatch them from behind 

thesafetyofthe trellisgate. Iknow 

howdangerous hippos are, andI 

would neverdaregonearone, butit 

must be asight to seeaprocession of 

thesehulking aquaticanimalsstrolling 

throughtown. 

St Lucialeavesanimpression on 

you.It’shardtobelieve that atown 

like this still exists.Stunning, pristine 

beaches. Sunset lake cruises.Avocados 

as bigaspapayas ... It haseverypossible 

convenience (restaurants,shops,banks, 

petrol stations,aschool andpost 

office)but it stillmaintains thecharm 

of aquaintcountry town –and it hasa 

magnificent wetlandonits doorstep. 

Thetown, however, hasclearly 

takenafew knocks from theCovid-19 

pandemic.Shopownersstand in 

emptystoresand explainthatforeign 

tourismwas alifelinethatdried up 

overnight. It’s distressingtosee dozens 

of shutteredshops. 

MIRACULOUS ISIMANGALISO 

Thegatetothe southernpart 

of iSimangaliso WetlandPark 

(iSimangalisomeans “miracle”)is 

3kmoutside of St Lucia;the gate to the 

westernpart of theparkisabout 10 km 

outside of town.Toreach that,you need 

to go back overthe bridge on theR618. 

This bridge is theonlyroadintotown. 

We’reatthe southerngateatsunrise. 

Theparkwas initially established 

in 1985 andwas then called theSt 

LuciaReserve.Withthe inclusionof 

theHluhluwe-iMfoloziPark, it’s the 

oldest conservation area in South 

Africa. iSimangaliso hasexpanded 

dramatically over theyears.Now,it 

covers32000 hectares,and in 1999, 

it earned worldheritagestatus. The 

park stretchesall theway up northto 

theMozambicanborder,and it also 

includes theuMkhuze Reserve in 

thesouth.Tothe east is theIndian 

Ocean. This settingmakes thepark 

incredibly biodiverse.Withinthe park, 

you’llfind subtropicalcoastal flora, 

theMaputalandwoodedgrasslands 

andshore belt,subtropical dune 

plants,freshwaterlakes andwetlands, 

acoastal forest in thenorth and 

subtropicalsaltpans. 

In recent years,the park hasstarted 

resettling thesavannahelephant, 

savannah buffalo, blackrhino, spotted 

andbrown hyena, wild dogs,cheetahs, 

andiSimangalisonow has115 mammal 

specieswithinits borders. However, it’s 

thepark’s480 birdspecies that is truly 

exceptional.Infact, thewhole region is 

abirdwatcher’s delight. 

Additionally,it’shometoprobably 

thelargest number of Nile crocodiles 

in SouthAfrica. Lake St Lucia alone 

is estimated to be home to morethan 

1200 crocodiles. This is whyyou’llspot 

signsonthe beachwarningyou to keep 

youreyespeeled. 

iSimangalisohas always been 

somewhat of ahiddengem.Itnever 

teemedwithtouristslikethe Kruger 

National Park,and nowwithCovid-19, 

thereare even fewer visitors.Acouple 

of people have setupcampinthe 

Cape Vidalcampsite, butwe 

mostly have theanimals all to 

ourselves. 

We spend thewhole day 

drivingalong theroad 

toCapeVidal.Weturn 

into theroundabouts, 

stop at lookoutpoints, 

walkonthe rocksat 

Mission Rocks. Just 

northofMission 

Rocks, youcan hikealong theocean to 

acavethatishometoacolonyofbats. 

At lowtide,you canreach thecave from 

thebeach. 

Theablutionsand picnic amenities 

areexceedinglyneat. At Cape Vidalwe 

sitand watchthe cheeky monkeys.A 

handfulofpeopleare fishing, butCape 

Vidalisalsoone of thetop snorkelling 

destination in SouthAfrica. 

We return to theparkonday two, 

butwevisit thewesternpart. We only 

spot threecars throughout theday,and 

late morning, we tuck into adelicious 

breakfastatone of thetidypicnicspots. 

Before we turn around andheadback 

to thegate, we drivetothe uMthoma 

Aerial Boardwalk, whichoffersstunning 

views. 

CALM WATERS 

We book asunsetcruiseonLakeSt 

Lucia. Variouscompanies offerthese 

cruises andaticketcosts on average 

R250.It’sworth everycent. Theboat 

hasabar whereyou canbuy drinks, 

andthe skipperpointsout various 

breedingcoloniesfor birds, hippos and 

crocodiles. When thesun disappears 

behind thehorizon in neon hues, the 

boat dockssafely. 

We setone dayaside to visitthe 

beachesofStLucia.Hereyou canwalk 

forkilometresand kilometres on soft 

seasandascrabs awkwardly scurry out 

of your way. Youhave to be incredibly 

patientifyou want to photograph 

one becausewhenyou getclose,they 

quicklydisappeardownasmall 

hole in thesand. On thestrip of 

grassbetween thebeaches and 

parkingarea, we strike up a 

conversation with JonJuan, 

whosells beautifuland 

colourfulclothes.We 

each pick outahat. Jon 

says his stallhas been 

here since2016, 

andhemakes the 

clotheshimself, 

askill he learnt 

from his mother. 

We walk 

alongawooden > 


ST LUCIALEAVESAN 

IMPRESSION ON YOU. 

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE 

THAT ATOWNLIKE 

THIS STILLEXISTS. 

STUNNING,PRISTINE 

BEACHES. SUNSET 

LAKE CRUISES. 

AVOCADOS AS BIGAS 

PAPAYAS. 

HIGHLIGHTS:Takeasunsetcruise 

(top), look forcrabs on themain beach 

(middle)and walk on thewooden deck 

nexttothe estuary. Thefish andchips 

at theski-boat clubisthe best.Ahat 

is amust. If youforget yours, JonJuan 

(bottom) canhelpyou out. 

23 

WINTER 2020 | AA traveller

24 

HIGHLIGHTS:Buy African 

crafts andfastfood at the 

marketiniMfolozi Park 

(top left) andstayinone 

of therondavelsinHilltop 

(right).Bookaboattripat 

Kosi Bay(middle leftand 

right)tosee thefishtraps. 

Hluhluwe hasplenty of 

animals but fewervisitors 

than theKruger.

10-day trip 

deck that runs allthe wayfromthe 

river mouthtothe ocean. Theriver 

mouth hascrocodiles, so you’re warned 

to be careful. 

We askedthe owners of our 

accommodationwhere we could buythe 

best fishand chips, andtheysuggested 

theski-boatclubatthe estuary. We head 

therelateinthe afternoon. Theowner 

allowsustogouptothe topbalcony so 

we cansee theestuary from aboveaswell. 

Before we packuptotravelfarther 

norththe next morning, we swingbythe 

Banana Box. It wasrecommendedtous 

by thelocalswhenweasked wherewe 

couldfind agoodbutchery. Butyou can 

buysomuchmorethanjustmeatatthe 

Banana Box. It’s oneofthose small-town 

shopsofold whereyou canget almost 

everythingunder one roof.Groceries 

areinthe onecorner, metalwareinthe 

other,and in-betweenyou’llfind school 

uniforms,anglingequipment, stationery 

andevenbasic building materials. Ipick 

up avintage enamel coffee cannister. 

HOME OF RHINOCONSERVATION 

Hluhluwe is ournextdestination.Toget 

therefromStLucia,you head back over 

thebridgeonthe R618.Justoutside of 

Mtubatuba, we stop forcoffeeatacheese 

farm,wherewe’re convincedtoorder 

acheeseboard as well –and we don’t 

regretit. 

Initially thejourney to Hluhluwe is 

smooth sailing, butthe roadworkson 

R618 turn it into anightmare.Bythe 

time we reachthe town of Hluhluwe, 

we’re tiredand grouchyand only buy 

thenecessities forour stay in thereserve. 

Allen’s Butchery in thetown’smainroad 

hasexcellentmeat. 

By lunchtime, we reachHluhluweiMfoloziPark, 

wherewe’ll be staying 

forfournights. 

Theparkhas adouble-barrel 

name becauseitconsistsof 

twoneighbouringparks 

thatwerestitched 

together. When 

poachingdrove 

thewhite rhinoto 

thebrink of extinction, 

andthere werelessthan 

100leftinSouth Africa, 

OperationRhino, whichwas basedin 

Hluhluwe,cametothe rescue.Wesaw 

several of these giants in thepark, but 

mostly in theiMfolozipart. 

Hluhluwe is in ahillyareaand home 

to themaincamp, Hilltop, where 

accommodation options range from 

campsitesand thatched chaletstoluxury 

duplex units. We visitedshortly after 

therainy season,and theareawas lush 

andgreen.The rainisgreat forthe 

plants butspottinganimals in thethick 

undergrowth is morechallenging. 

As we head outofthe camp for 

ourmorninggamedrive,wesee 

agiant elephantstandingbythe 

gate.The field guide explains that 

elephantsare usuallyfound in 

theiMfoloziarea, butafter good 

rains,theymovetohigherareas. 

Thereserveisveryquiet due to 

Covid-19.We’re literallythe only people 

sittinginthe restaurantand theshop 

haslimitedstock. 

Twonightslater,wemove on to Mpila 

Camp, andalongthe way, we stop at the 

CentenaryCentre. We eatsandwiches 

andsupport thekiosk owners at thearts 

andcraftsmarket. 

At Mpila, youdothe usualCovid-19 

checks,and whileyou waitpatiently 

forthe keytoyourhouse,the official 

explains that none of thehouses in 

Mpilahave keys.We’re initially sceptical, 

butit’sindeed so.Onceyou’reinside, 

thereisaslidingbolt, butyou don’t lock 

anythingwhenyou go out. Andnothing 

goes missing. 

Thefieldguide advises us to not 

wander around Mpilainthe dark 

becausethe fenceisdesignedtoonly 

keep elephantsout.And we notice that 

impala,nyalaand hedgehogscometo 

grazenexttoour housewhile we braai 

in theevenings. 

Thebirdhidesinthe 

park areexceptional. 

Occasionally,you need 

to walk some wayto 

gettoone, butwe 

spottedvarious 

birdseverysingle 

time,and we even some 

animals, like buffalo, on 

occasion. 

OFFTOKOSIBAY 

We left twodaysfreeonour itinerary, 

becauseweweren’t sure if we wouldstay 

in Hluhluwe,headbacktoStLucia or 

go somewhereelse. When Inoticed on 

themap howclose we weretoKosiBay 

(about 180km),Iconvinced my family 

that we should go there. I’ve always 

wanted to seethe ancientfish trapsinthe 

lake system. 

Kosi Bayispart of theiSimangaliso 

WetlandPark. It hasfourlakes that 

areconnected viaanetwork of canals, 

THEBIRDHIDES IN THEPARKARE 

EXCEPTIONAL ... WE SPOTTEDBIRDS 

EVERYSINGLETIME ANDEVENSOME 

ANIMALS, LIKE BUFFALO, ON OCCASION. 

making it apopularspotfor watersports. 

Thewater is as turquoise as that of an 

exoticMediterranean island –perfect 

forsnorkelling anddiving. Once a 

year,between Novemberand February, 

people also come to witnessthe nesting 

andhatchingseasonofloggerheadand 

leatherback turtles. 

To explorethe area around the 

lakes, youneed a4x4,but theownersof 

Kosi BayLodge (our accommodation) 

organiseaboatcruisefor us so we can 

seethe fishtraps.The cruise lastsabout 

half aday andallowstimefor guests to 

scubaaroundthe boat. 

However,whenthe guiderealises 

that we’remoreinterestedinbirds,he 

takesustothe othersideofthe lake and 

patientlysearches …until he spotsand 

points outapalm-nut vultureamongst 

thepalmtrees. 

Youshouldsee thefish trapsatleast 

once in yourlife. TheTsongahave been 

usingthis sustainablefishingtechnique 

forcenturies. It’s designed in such away 

that undersized fish(smaller than 1kg) 

canescapebythemselves. 

That evening, we digintoPortuguese 

chicken, king prawns andthe tastiest fish 

andchips at thelodge’s restaurant–the 

perfect end to an exceptionaltime. 

Ihopethattouristswill return to the 

northofKwaZulu-Natal soon. Seeingthe 

turtle migration is still on my bucket list, 

so I’ll be back before long. 

> 

25 


10-day trip 

MOZAMBIQUE 

PontadoOuro 

ESWATINI 

Ngwavuma 

NdumuGame 

Reserve 

Tembe 

Elephant Park 

KwaMazambane 

Manguzi 

Phelendaba 

Kosi Lake 

iSimangaliso 

Wetland Park 

Kosi Bay 

20 km 

R22 

Mkhwakhweni 

Pongola 

Pongola 

N2 

Pongolapoort 

NatureReserve 

PongolapoortDam 

Jozini 

Pongola 

RSA 

Sibayi 

Mbazwana 

R69 

Mkuze 

Mkuze 

iSimangaliso 

Wetland Park 

Sodwana Bay 

R66 

R618 

Nongoma 

KwaZulu- 

Natal 

R22 

Mkuze 

Lake St Lucia 

Hluhluwe 

Indian 

Ocean 

R66 

Black Mfolozi 

R618 

Hlabisa 

Hilltop 

Hluhluwe 

N2 

CapeVidal 

26 

Ulundi 

WhiteMfolozi 

Mpila 

HluhluweiMfolozi 

Park 

Mfolozi 

R618 

Matubatuba 

St Lucia 

Your itineraryfor 10 to 12 days 

NIGHT 1TO3Stay in St Luciaatleast 

threenights. Thesouthernand western 

partsofiSimangaliso arespreadtoo 

wide foryou to be abletosee it in 

oneday.You also need time fora 

boatcruiseonthe lake,avisittothe 

main beach, awalkalong the wooden 

deck andthe fish andchips at the 

ski-boatclub. Foranuniqueshopping 

experience, swing by the Banana Box. 

NIGHT4AND 5, AND6AND 7 You’ll 

need nervesofsteel forthe stretch 

of road to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi!You’ll 

call on high andcurse on low. Stay 

at Hilltop, the main camp,for two 

nights andspend twonightsinMpila, 

which isn’tfenced.Orbookatone of 

the AA-approvedaccommodation 

establishments in town andexplore 

Hluhluwe andotherreservesin 

the region. 

NIGHT 8TO10Youdon’t want to drive 

to Kosi Bayinthe dark,sogiveyourself 

enough time forthe trip.Aboatcruise 

on the four lakes, whereyou cansee 

the traditionalfish traps, is amust. Set 

time aside forangling andwater sports, 

like scubadivinginthe turquoisewater. 

In February, youcan go on night-time 

toursand seehow the newborn turtles 

makearunfor the ocean.

GOOD 

TO 

KNOW 

Images: GerdaEngelbrecht andMariEngelbrecht.Map:Francois Haasbroek. Extrasources:NationalParks & 

Nature Reserves by Chris en Mathilde Stuart. 

BESTTIME TO GO? St Luciais 

afishingdestinationand popular 

throughoutthe year. If youwanttosee 

theturtles, youneed to visitbetween 

November andFebruary. 

ROADS: TheroadtoSt Lucia is 

excellent, andthe roads in this part of 

iSimangaliso arefirst class. 

Therewas astop-and-go system on the 

R618 betweenStLuciaand Hluhluwe 

because of roadworks, butdozens 

of minibustaxis ignored thesystem, 

which turned it into anerve-racking 

experience.The worstofmylife! The 

main roads in theparkare good,but I 

wouldonlytakeonthe dirt roads during 

therainy season in a4x4. 

TheR22 to Kosi Bay is also fine but has 

alot of foot trafficand wanderingcattle. 

Don’tdrive this road in thedark. Even 

though thedistanceisrelatively short 

(170 km), goingtoKosiBay is notaday 

trip,and youcan easily underestimate 

theamountoftimeyou’ll need to drive 

thereand back.The locals in KosiBay 

advisedagainst taking theroadtoJozini 

duetopotholes. Roads around thelakes 

areverysandy,but we couldmanage 

withouta4x4. Just be sure to loweryour 

tyre pressure. 

TAKE ALONG: If youstart in St Lucia, 

youcan buyall your provisions there. If 

you’re goingtoHluhluwe,buy provisions 

in town (withthe same name)beforeyou 

enterthe park.There is an excellent 

butchery!Duringour visit, theshops in 

thereserve itself were relatively empty, 

andonlythe restaurantinthe main 

camp wasopen. At Mpila, you’ll need 

drinking water, butyou canbuy that 

there. Also,the smallshopand petrol 

stationinthe southern part of the 

iSimangaliso park didn’t have anystock. 

Thewesternpartdoesn’t have any 

shops.KosiBay hasgoodinfrastructure 

andthe lodges areluxurious.You can 

geteverything youneed there, including 

diving andscuba equipment. 

ST LUCIA 

Quality 

Assured 

NibelaLodge 

Highly Recommended 

Stay in iSimangaliso andonthe banks 

of St Luciainone of thesethatched 

wooden chaletsthatare connectedby 

raised wooden walkways. 

Stokkiesdraai 

Recommended 

This resort offersaffordablehostelstyleaccommodation 

as well as selfcatering 

units andisthe perfectlocation 

from whichtoexplore theregion. 

Avalone 

Superior 

If youwantdirectaccesstothe reserve, 

choose thisguesthousethatconsists of 

twoneighbouringproperties. 

AA RECOMMENDED ACCOMMODATION 

Afrikhaya 

Superior 

If youdon’t want tostayinthe busiest 

part of town,thisfour-star guesthouse 

in theresidential part of St Luciaoffers 

five luxury en suitebedroomswith 

private entrancesand private terraces. 

HLUHLUWE 

HotelAnew Hluhluwe &Safaris 

Superior 

Thelocationofthisluxury 

establishment in thetownofHluhluwe 

allows youtoheadout in different 

directions to explorethe area. 

Hluhluwe Guesthouse 

HighlyRecommended 

This affordable three-star 

establishment in town will help stretch 

your rands. Theguesthousecan also 

organise game drives foryou. 

27 


Science 

Aherdof 

southern 

whiterhinos. 

Can IVF help 

therhino? 

29 

Do you know the names 

Najin and Fatu? These 

hulking female rhinos, 

who are also mother and 

daughter, are the only 

surviving northern white 

rhinos in the world –a 

species that once roamed the whole of 

eastern and north-eastern Africa. 

Since 2009, the German Biorescue 

breeding programme in Kenya has 

been trying to save this species from 

total extinction by employing invitro 

POACHINGHAS DRIVEN 

THERHINOTOTHE BRINK 

OF EXTINCTION.NOW, 

SCIENTISTSSAY IN VITRO 

FERTILISATIONOFFERS 

AGLIMMEROFHOPE, 

EVEN IF IT’S STILLEARLY 

DAYS.SCIENCE WRITER 

ENGELA DUVENAGE 

SPOKETOEXPERTS. 

fertilisation (IVF)techniques. IVFisa 

form of assisted reproduction whereby an 

egg isfertilised by asperm outside ofthe 

body. (This is done inalaboratory.) 

Biorescue has successfully harvested 

eggs from Najin and Fatu three times 

already, but the breeding programme still 

has along way togo. 

The last two surviving northern white 

rhino males died in 2010. Scientists 

managed toharvest and freeze their 

sperm for future use, but it’s alimited 

resource –“white rhino gold”, as it were. > 

AUTUMN 2022 | AATraveller

30 

Some of it has already been used to 

artificially inseminate the two cows, 

yet neither Najin nor Fatu, aged 

32 and 22, respectively, have been 

able to give birth toacalf. Rhino 

pregnancies last 16to18months. 

And the situation grew more dire 

in 2021 when Najin was removed 

from the breeding programme. This 

was inpart because of her age, but 

also because very few viable eggs were 

ever harvested from her –none have 

ever delivered asuccessful embryo. 

Additionally, benign growths were 

found onher generative organs. 

Fatu’s eggs seem to be of better 

quality and have produced embryos. 

The possibility of a“test-tube rhino” 

is still afar way off. This procedure 

has also not yet been successfully 

used for southern white rhino, 

aclose relative. This Southern 

African subspecies isn’t merely 

serving asaguinea pig for its 

northern relatives; they themselves 

are under threat thanks to large-scale 

poaching. More than 40rhinos were 

poached inDecember 2021 alone. 

Teamwork is vital 

Using IVF techniques onrhinos istough 

going, says Professor Leith Meyer, head 

of the University ofPretoria’s Centre 

for Veterinary Wildlife Studies at 

Onderstepoort. “Just look athow long 

it took to develop this technique for 

humans! And it’s truly very expensive.” 

According toProf Meyer, wildlife 

experts hope touse artificial 

reproductive techniques toensure 

the genetic diversity and survival 

of endangered species. Artificial 

insemination has worked for some 

species –pandas, lions and certain types 

of tigers and primates –but in general, 

success has been limited todate. 

Since 2019, the UP has been part of 

ThankstoaLeica 

microscope andaNarishige 

micromanipulatorthe socalled 

intra-cytoplasmic 

sperminjection(ICSI) 

technique is used to inject 

spermintoanegg. A 

camera capturesimages, 

whichare projectedona 

computer screen. 

the International Rhino Reproduction 

Collaborative (IRRC), which sees South 

African scientists and the San Diego 

Zoo inthe US working together. Their 

aim istosuccessfully breed asouthern 

white rhino calf via IVF.The team is 

meticulously working towards solving 

and standardising each step inthe 

process. The IRRCteam also includes 

the San Diego Wildlife Alliance, Embryo 

Plus in Brits, SANParks, the Institute 

of Rhino Cryogenetics in Vaalwater, 

Geolifes in Hoedspruit and Buffalo 

Dream Ranch in Klerksdorp. 

Once their efforts are successful, 

it would theoretically mean that a 

northern white rhino embryocould be 

implanted inasouthern white rhino 

cow. The surrogate cow would then raise 

the calf after its birth. 

Adifficult technique 

Many boxes still need to 

be ticked before this 

can happen. 

According tothe IRRC 

agreement, IVF research 

on rhinos is being done 

at the laboratories ofthe 

UP, the San Diego Zoo and 

Embryo Plus. Rhino eggs 

that have been successfully 

fertilised will ultimately 

be cultivated in incubators 

at UP and Embryo Plus to 

form embryos (also known 

as blastocyst). 

“IVF is acomplex technique 

that holds alot ofpromise for the 

conservation of different species of 

wildlife. Success in this field could 


Science 

With thiscolouring 

technique, 

researchersnow 

have aclearer view 

of arhino egg’s 

DNA. 

The eggof 

asouthern 

whiterhino. 

Mario Smuts, aveterinary 

technologist at theIVF 

laboratory of the UP’s 

Department of Production 

Animal Studies, with a 

videothat shows how 

an eggisfertilised 

with spermusing the 

intra-cytoplasmic sperm 

injection(ICSI)technique. 

Images: MarioSmuts andEngela Duvenage 

help to save 

the northern 

white rhino,” 

believes Mario 

Smuts, aveterinary 

technologist at the IVF 

laboratory of the UP’s 

Department ofProduction 

Animal Studies. 

He says that one ofthe most 

complex aspects ofthis process isusing 

aneedle toremove oraspirate the eggs 

from afemale rhino’s ovaries. It can only 

be done when the animal is sedated. 

In 2017,Doctor Morné de la Rey, from 

Embryo Plus, became the first person in 

South Africa tosuccessfully perform this 

procedure onawhite rhino. Since then, 

through dedication and hard work, Dr 

de la Rey and his team have fine-tuned 

the procedure and have been able to 

remove more and more eggs per rhino 

cow –their current record is18eggs from 

one cow. Their success rate substantially 

increased when hormonal stimulation 

was introduced. 

Eggs can also beharvested from the 

ovaries ofrhinos who have perished due 

to health issues or even poaching. 

Patienceiskey 

The outcome of each process takes time. 

According toSmuts, amajor stumbling 

block isensuring that the harvested eggs 

remain viable while being transported 

as fast as possible toone of the IVF 

laboratories, where itcan be fertilised 

in vitro with previously collected 

rhino sperm. 

Recently, things started tolook up 

after anembryologist from Embrio Plus, 

Carla Herbst, adjusted the recipe for 

the maturation medium in which the 

harvested eggs are cultured. Inaddition, 

an UP masters student, Liame Marais, 

is doing promising research that could 

improve the viability of harvested eggs. It 

has already allowed the temperature of 

the aspiration fluid that isused toextract 

and transport the eggs tobebetter 

monitored and standardised. Survival of 

oocytes (developing eggs) are dependent 

on stable temperature environments. 

The team still needs tofigure out 

the following: how to optimally store 

harvested eggs and sperm, and what IVF 

techniques will result in embryos. To find 

solutions tothe above, they’re practicing 

on horses. 

“Horse IVFisbeing used as acontrol 

model for rhinos because horses and 

rhinos are distantly genetically related,” 

says Smuts. 

In March 2020, his team successfully 

cultivated in vitro horse embryos inthe 

laboratory. 

They now employ aso-called staining 

technique to microscopically establish 

the different phases of an embryo’s 

development. 

Meanwhile, the fight to save rhinos for 

future generations continues. 

31 


Three-day hike 

Stunning 

scenery, good 

food, excellent 

wine andgreat 

company–the 

ExcelsiorWine 

Walkhas allof 

these. 

32 

Cheer 

Cheer 

WORDSAND PHOTOSBYGERDA ENGELBRECHT 

If you’re going on athree-day slackpacking hike 

through Robertson’s wine farms, youshouldn’thave 

to walk toofar,you should be in good companyand 

thefood (and wine!)mustbeexcellent.The Excelsior 

Wine Walk ticksall these boxes. 

If you’re looking for away to entice your 

friends to join you on amulti-day hike, 

you should consider the Excelsior Wine 

Walk. The distances walked each day 

(about 15 km) isn’t too tough, and even 

when faced with asteep hill, the wine tasting 

experience that’s waiting up ahead isthe 

perfect carrot to dangle in front ofeven the 

laziest hiker’s nose. Inthe evenings, you sit 

down to atop-class dinner with select wines 

in the Excelsior Manor’s old-world dining 

room. And you rest inthe lap ofluxury as 

well because when you lay down your notso-weary 

bones, it's in one ofthe manor’s 

comfy beds. This farmstead was built during 

the heyday ofthe ostrich feather industry 

and has since been transformed into a 

stunning guesthouse. 

For the Excelsior Wine Walk, you hike for 

three days and stay at the manor for four 

nights. The order in which you hike the 

different routes can differ. For example, you 

might end up doing the Zandvliet hike on 

the second orthird day instead of the first. 


DAY 

s! 

1s! 

ZANDVLIETROUTE 

(ABOUT 17 KM) 

After breakfast, our hiking and 

tour guide, Jacobus (Jaco) Blom, greets 

us on the lawn and offers some advice: 

don’t grab the bushes –some ofthem 

at Zandvliet (famous for their shiraz, 

amongst others) for our first wine tasting. 

We’re welcomed with aberry-flavoured 

gin and tonic, after which Mikhayla 

Fuller expertly walks us through the 

tasting. We taste Zandvliet’s 2020 

we ordered from Zandvliet and Arabella 

have already been delivered to the 

guesthouse’s foyer. Since the ice has 

already been broken during the hike, the 

group sits down and enjoys awonderful 

dinner together. 

have thorns –and look out for snakes. Chardonnay, 2020 Shiraz Rose, 2017 

It’s summer in the Breedekloof Valley Shiraz, 2017 Kalkveld Shiraz and Hill of 

after all. Jaco also manages to skilfully Enon Shiraz. Also, the Muscat, which is GOUDMYN ROUTE 

keep agroup of 15 hikers with different 

fitness levels together most ofthe time. If 

the tailender (me!) lags too far behind, 

he’ll stop the rest of the group and 

patiently explain some interesting fact 

until everyone catches upand catches 

their breath. The route crosses Excelsior 

and then goes up asmall hill that offers 

stunning views of the valley. The weather 

is ideal for hiking. 

adelicious dessert wine. Lunch isalso at 

Zandvliet –large platters of cheese, cold 

meats, fruit and crackers. Mikhayla joins 

us and explains how you should pour 

white wine that has aged too much. 

The hike after lunch isn’t too steep, 

and after afew kilometres, wehead down 

to Arabella Wines, where wetaste wine 

on their large stoep. Thereafter, it’s only 

2kmback toExcelsior Manor. 

(ABOUT 15 KM) 

We get going soon after having 

breakfast atExcelsior, but this morning 

we follow the Cogmanskloof River until 

its confluence with the Breede River. Our 

first wine tasting for the day issomewhat 

early inthe morning and close toour 

guesthouse, but it’s ahighlight. Dewetshof, 

also known asthe House ofChardonnay, 

has animposing tasting room, and 

After about 10 km, wetake abreak By dinner time, the boxes ofwine Heinrich Botman, who leads the wine > 

DAY 

2 

33 


Thedistance 

hiked perday is 

about15km. 

34 

tasting, is without doubt an expert. We 

taste the 2020 Limestone Chardonnay, 

2020 Bon Vallon (my favourite), 

2019 Finesse Chardonnay, 2018 Site 

Chardonnay, 2018 Bateleur Chardonnay 

and some Sauvignon Blanc and 2017 

Nature inConcert (Pinot Noir). 

We’re scarcely out of the gate and 

we’re already at the next wine tasting 

venue, Van Loveren, where Frieda Jacobs 

expertly introduces us to Van Loveren’s 

MCC and Christina range. Westay for a 

while onthe cool terrace and enjoy acup 

of coffee before we take the “back roads”. 

We follow aquiet footpath next 

to Elandsberg, and we’re treated to 

beautiful view ofthe Goudmyn area. 

This is followed by another highlight: the 

Viljoenskroon river boat that will take us 

to our next destination. Wefirst cruise on 

the river for about 40 minutes; then we’re 

dropped off onthe other side. 

At Viljoenskroon weenjoy alunch of 

pizzas and burgers. It’s the weekend, 

so several families from the area are 

spending quality time together by having 

picnics onthe grass. 

In the late afternoon, wehave one 

more wine tasting left: atExcelsior, where 

we’ll stay the night. Andries Baartman 

lets us taste the 2018 Gondalier (a Reserve 

Merlot), the 2018 St Louis Shiraz and the 

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. AndAndries 

shows ushow to blend our own wines and 

choose alabel for it–this was another 

highlight ofthe trip. 

That evening, almost the whole foyer is 

filled up with boxes ofwine weordered 

during the hike. 

What asplendid day! 

DAY 

3 

KLAASVOOGDS 

ROUTE 

(ABOUT 13,5 KM) 

Today, we get into asmall bus and 

drive the first 4kmtothe Klaasvoogds 

Valley. It’s cool, and the first stint to 

Mark Dom’s blueberry farm is an easy, 

pleasant walk. The owner of the farm 

takes usunderneath his blueberry 

nets to teach usabout the finer art of 

blueberries. Unfortunately, the berries 

aren’t in season, sowecan’t taste them, 

but Mark isaninteresting speaker, and 

there are several things Ididn’t know 

about blueberries. 

The stretch of trail over the hill to 

Kranskop is probably the toughest of 

the last three days, but the view over the 

valley and the wine tasting at Kranskop 


Three-dayhike 

Astunningstart to 

theday at Excelsior. 

make it worth it. The wine maker, 

Newald Marais, introduces his wines 

to us, and his passion iscontagious. As 

ayoungster, Newald started making 

wine on this parents’ farm, Welgeluk, 

outside Robertson. Afterwards, he 

studied winemaking atElsenburg and in 

Germany. Iwas surprised by Kranskop. 

Itasted tannat, which was amongst the 

long list ofwines we sampled, for 

the first time, and the Kranskop’s 

GOOD 

TO 

KNOW 

MCT (ablend of merlot, cab and tannat) 

is now myfavourite red wine. Kranskop 

also makes adelicious pinot noir and 

viognier. Ittook some effort onJaco’s part 

to lead the group away from this farm. 

From Kranskop it’s an easy hike to 

the last stop ofthe tour: anolive tasting 

station onMarbrin Olive Farm. 

Not all olive oils are created equally, 

according toBriony Coetsee, 

who talks about different olive 

oils enthusiastically. She warns that you 

shouldn’t believe that an olive oil is better 

just because its label says itwas pressed 

in Italy. You often get amuch better oil 

if you buy locally. Aprinciple Isupport. 

After letting us taste several olive oils, 

she serves lunch, and we eat together one 

final time. 

Abus takes usback toExcelsior, where 

the group says goodbye toeach other and 

Excelsior Manor. 

35 

WHEN: It canget sweltering hot 

in theRobertson area,sohikes 

only take placebetweenApril and 

September.Mostofthe time,there 

aretwo bookingdates in theweek. 

Theone grouparrivesonWednesday 

andleavesonSaturday, andthe other 

grouparrivesonSundayand leaves on 

Wednesday. 

GROUPS: Aminimum of sixhikers 

pergroup is required, but thegroups 

areusuallybookedmonthsinadvance. 

Youcan join agroup or getacouple of 

your friends together forthe hike. 

COST (IN2022): R5 550ppsharing 

or R7 800for asingleperson. It 

includesfournights’ accommodation 

in ExcelsiorManor,all meals andwine 

tastings,transport (where applicable) 

andactivities like theboatcruise. 

Naturally, if youbuy wine at oneofthe 

farms, youneed to payfor it yourself. 

Excursions andwinetastings are 

subjecttoavailability. 

TO BOOK: call Kirstin at 023615 

2050/082 850 2267 or send amailto 

guesthouse@excelsior.co.za. 

*Gerda wasaguest of theExcelsior 

Wine Walk. 


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Beyond our borders 

Karibu, 

Zanzibar! 

You’re welcomeonthisisland! 

What wasmeanttobeafamily 

vacation turned into asolotrip 

for DineoZonkeMaduna. 

37 

STUNNING 

BEACHES: 

It's no wonder 

Zanzibar is atop 

holiday destination 

forSouth Africans. 


Beyond ourborders 

I 

38 

I’ve travelled to dozens of countries, 

andeventhough Zanzibar is such a 

populardestination amongst South 

Africans,I’venever been there 

before.So, Idecided to head to this 

island off the coastofTanzania and 

tick it off as number 33 on my travel 

bucket list. 

Ispent sevendaysexploring this 

breathtakingly beautifulEastAfrican 

island.Imadememoriesthatwill 

last alifetime. Andthistripwas 

memorable foranother reason:this 

wasthe firsttimeIwould travelsolo 

beyond theborders of SouthAfrica. 

Iwas alittlenervous,but morethan 

anything,Iwas excitedtoget lost in 

oneofour continent’smostpopular 

tourist destinations. 

Butfirstthingsfirst: Ihad to get 

aCovid-19test, nowstandardfor 

those whowanttocross borders. 

AfterIgot my negative result, I 

threwabout 15 swimsuitsintomy 

suitcase andheaded to the airport. 

Iflew with Kenyan Airwaysand had 

aconnecting flightinNairobi,and 

before Iknewit, Itoucheddownin 

countrynumber33! 

Aftercollectingmybags at the 

airport, Iwalkedoutside andIwas 

metwithhumidity,heat–and happy 

faces. Before long,mydriver, Mau, 

walkeduptomeand introduced 

himself.Wethen setoffonthe 

one-hour drive to Jambiani,which 

is locatedonthe island’ssoutheast 

coast. Thedrivewas lovely.Not only 

didMau shareinteresting factsabout 

Zanzibar, buthealsotaughtmea 

fewphrasesinSwahili,anofficial 

languageinTanzania.For example, 

the locals consider Unguja to be the 

original,proper name of the island. 

Mauexplained that Unguja means 

“landwhichhas plenty of spices” 

whereas Zanzibarmeans“theland 

of Africans”inArabic.Myfavourite 

phrase Ilearntwas “mimi na wewe 

ni rafiki”, whichmeans“me andyou 

arefriends”. 

When we arrivedatthe Reef & 

Beach Resort, it instantly felt like I 

hadwalkedintoatravelmagazine. 


STONETOWN: 

Explore its 

historical sites 

andmarket. 

Thereare threepools on the 

property, threebarsand aprivate 

white-sandbeachwithsomeof 

the tallestpalmtrees I’ve ever 

seen.Withinminutes,Iwasinmy 

swimming costume,grabbed a 

cocktail andlistenedtothe soothing 

soundofthe ocean. Ifeltright at 

home.The resort’sprime location 

means youcan admire both the 

sunrise andsunsetfromit. 

Theisland’s lovely people 

Thenextday,Isaw it fit that my first 

tourist activityinZanzibarwould 

involvelearningmoreabout the 

island’shistory.After breakfast, I 

made my waytoStone Town fora 

walkingtour.Stone Town is the hub 

of the island, so it’s alivewithboth 

locals andtourists. Hereare several 

noteworthyattractions:the market, 

FreddieMercury’s childhoodhome, 

(yes, the lead singer of the legendary 

Britishrockgroup Queenwas born 

in StoneTown) andLivingstone 

House, to namejustafew.The tour 

lasted twohours, andmyguide, 

Mohamed,toldmeinteresting 

factsabout the island’shistory and 

culture, including that Zanzibar is 

predominantly Muslim. 

Once the tour wasdone, it 

wastimefor me to setsailfor 

an adventure. 

NakupendaIsland 

NakupendaIslandisasandbank 

situated just30minutesfromStone 

Town.It'saraisedareaofsandjust 

belowthe surfaceofthe sea. When 

it’s high tide, it’s completely covered, 

butitbecomes visible andcan be 

walked on when the tideislow. 

FormyboattriptoNakupenda, 

Imet my skipper(also called 

Mohamed)atthe harbour,and we 

ventured off into whatleftlikea 

dream.Imagine crystal-clearwater, 

a360-degreeviewofstunningly 

beautifulbluetones andpuresilence 

–Icouldn’tbelieve myeyes. 

Themostpopularthing to do 

hereistosnorkeland just chill. > 

LAND OF SPICE: 

Locals prefer to call 

theislandUnguja, 

whichmeans "the 

land which has 

plenty of spices". 

39 


Beyond ourborders 

NAKUPENDA: 

It's an excellent 

snorkeling spot. 

40 

KAZU CAVE:It's 

amustwhen 

visitingZanzibar. 

Legendhas it 

that thewater 

in thelimestone 

cave hashealing 

properties. 

Thethree-hourjourney went by 

toofast, anditwas ahighlight of my 

island getaway. Ican’t wait to revisit 

Nakupenda on my next Zanzibartrip. 

Kuza Cave –abeautiful 

undergroundoasis 

Ilikeexploring non-touristyspots,so 

Imadeapoint of addingKazuCave 

to my itinerary–andIwas rewarded 

with the most refreshing experience. 

Thisgorgeous, ancientlimestone 

cave hasastunning freshwaterpool 

in whichyou cancooloff. It’s absolute 

blissduring the draining summer 

heat.Accordingtothe locals,the 

waterhas healingproperties, so I 

came heretoget my blessings for 

the newyear. 

An underwater paradise 

Zanzibarissurroundedby 

extraordinaryunderwater 

landscapes that arealive with 

strange andwonderful marine 

creatures. It’s no wonder thatit’sa 

dream destination forscuba divers. 

Afterarranging ascuba diving 

experiencewiththe staff at the 

Beach &Reef, our group of fiveleft 

the resortat08:00and drovesouth 

towardsKizimkazi, acoastal village. 

When we arrived, we sortedout 

our gear, jumped onto aboatand 

made our waytothe reef.Few things 

areasrelaxingasdiving–Iwas 

reminded of this as Idescended into 

the aquamarinewater.Ifeltalive and 

at peaceaswenavigated our way 

alongareefteeming with life.We 

sawstingrays,crocodile fishand sea 

horses. Theexperiences exceeded 

allmyexpectations. 

Heading home 

Afterseven days of soaking up the 

sun, beingabeachbum anddancing 

the nightaway, this trip,likeall good 

things,had to come to an end.Before 

Icould bidZanzibaradieu,Ihad to 

getanother Covid-19 test.Iregistered 

andbookedanappointmentonline 

at zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz andwent 

to the testingcentreinMakunduchi. 

The wholeprocess went smoothly, 

andIgot my results within 10 hours. 

Follow @Dineo_Zonkeon 

Instagramand Twitter, email 

dineozonkemaduna@gmail.com or 

visit dineozonke.com. 

Images: DineoZonke Maduna 


ZANZIBARFOR 

SOLO TRAVELLERS 

ReflectingonmytimeinZanzibar, 

it wasanescapeunlikeany other. I 

neveroncefelt alone,eventhough 

that wastechnically thecase. I 

oftensharedmeals with fellow 

travellers andthe staffatthe 

resortand otherlocalsImet were 

very helpfuland friendly. 

Although Ialwaysremained 

cautious,Ifeellikethisasafe 

destinationfor womentravelling 

solo.So, my advice is to just go – 

you’ll make lastingmemories! 

GOOD 

TO 

KNOW 

SOUTHAFRICANSNEEDTHE 

FOLLOWING TO TRAVEL TO 

ZANZIBAR: 

•Anegative PCRCovid-19test done 

in SouthAfrica72hours before 

departure 

•Returnflightticketstoand from the 

destination 

•Avalidpassportwithatleast six 

months before it expires 

•Accommodationconfirmationfor the 

durationofyourstay 

•Anegative PCRCovid-19test done in 

Zanzibar 48 hoursbeforedeparture 

TIME ZONE:Zanzibar is onehour 

“ahead”ofSouth Africa.Add thelocal 

time of thedestinationtoyourworld 

clock, so that youdon’t getconfused 

with thetimedifference. 

41 

ADDTHE LOCALCURRENCY to your 

XE currency converterapp.Zanzibar 

uses theTanzanian shilling. 

DOWNLOAD AN OFFLINE GOOGLE 

MAP of theareabeforeyou go.That 

wayyou cannavigate withoutthe 

internet. 


Weekend getaway 

TheBilliardRoom, 

alocal hangout. 

42 


Chrissies 

OFFERS SO 

MUCH MORE 

In the1800s, Alexander McCorkindalewantedto 

make hisnew homeinChrissiesmeer.And with 

SouthAfrica’s biggest freshwater lake on your 

doorstep –plus300 pans in aradiusof 

20 km –it’snowonderthe Scotsman decidedto 

putdownroots here. 

WORDSAND PHOTOSBYMIA LOUW 

43 



Imet miss Chrissie and her lake for the 

first time in2019, during the middle 

of winter. “Whycome for avisit now?” 

the inhabitants asked several times. 

The colder months inthe Highveld 

will make your teeth chatter, leave 

your fingers numb and change the 

grass toadeep, saffron yellow. But 

the lake’s baby blue water and the pink, 

cloudless horizon rewards you with a 

pageant ofcontrasting colours. Andit 

helps that most of the old sandstone 

homes have fireplaces tomake them snug. 

Yet, visit insummer and the landscape 

is transformed into apatchwork quilt of 

different shades of green, and ifyou look 

closer, you’ll also notice the purple grass 

seeds and amultitude of wildflowers 

that bloom pink, yellow, white and red 

in the wetlands. Red sparrows and yellow 

bishops flutter about, and if you’re lucky, 

you might even spot between the reeds 

the spiky heads ofagrey crowned crane 

breeding pair. 

The various bird species aren’t the only 

ones who love this wetland –people do 

too. In 1866, Alexander McCorkindale 

convinced the government tosell 200 

farms tohim so he could establish New 

Scotland, atown that could supply the 

trade route to Mozambique. Atthe time, 

the lake was known as Groot Zeekoeipan, 

but tothank the president ofthe South 

African Republic, M.W. Pretorius, 

McCorkindale named itafter the 

president’s daughter: Miss Chrissie’s Lake. 

44 Long before the Scottish came, the 

water and wildlife lured South Africa’s 

earliest human inhabitants: the San 

hunter-gatherers. You can still see rock 

painting on the farms Florence and La 

Rochelle. Some ofthe art is up to 15 000 

years old, and you can view itwith the 

help of atour guide. 

These groups didn’t just make use 

of the rocky overhangs and caves, but 

also lived onthe lake and wetlands. 

The Tlou-tle (or Tlou’e’thle) built reed 

platforms that could float onthe water, 

and inlater years the plants took root and 

formed islands. 

The reed platforms were part of 

the San’s plan to live apart from their 

enemies, but unfortunately conflict 

with other tribes, and especially with 

TheGin Shophas been 

selling spirits since1886. 

European settlers, made this impossible. 

San still live in the area, but because 

of modernisation and the influence of 

other population groups, the use of San 

languages has diminished orcompletely 

died out amongst younger generations. 

If you drive into Chrissiesmeer today, 

you sometimes wonder: “Where is 

everyone?” 

This place issosmall and quiet, itfeels 

like aone-horse town. 

But turn off the N17 –the main tarred 

road that runs through the village –and 

into one ofthe dusty side streets, and 

you’ll see that Chrissies has alot going for 

it, and there isn’t just one horse, but goats 

and cattle too. 

JohnJack Inn 

IN TOWN 

Kind Edward Street, one of those dusty 

side roads, is lively, especially onaSunday 

over lunchtime. Atthe Billiard Room 

restaurant, townsfolk and visitors dig into 

meals, like wood-fired pizzas. Next tothe 

Billiard Room, and onthe same property, 

you’ll find John Jack Inn and The Gin 

Shop. In1882, John Jack and his partner 

August Simmer moved from Durban to 

Chrissiesmeer to establish atrading post 

with ahotel, stables and gin depot. 

The two enormous oak trees in front of 

the hotel were planted in 1886. Between 

1899 and 1901, arecreational area was 

added for British soldiers stationed in the 

area during the South African War. The 


Aretha Strydom in herrose 

labyrinth. 

You'll spot severalbirdspecies, 

includingflamingoes, at 

Chrissiesmeer. 

Cattle grazing in Meyer Street. 

wood and corrugated iron structure had 

alarge billiard table and the sandstone 

blocks on which the table rested can still 

be seen in the Billiard Room today. 

The hotel burnt down in1936, but 

in 2012, itwas restored according toits 

original specifications. The Gin Shop 

boasts with the words “gin and spirits 

since 1886”, and this is true. Inthose 

years, transporters used gin as atype 

of medicine. 

Itake aseat atthe bar and order a 

berry and sage tipple. It’s made by the 

owner, Marian Bezuidenhout, and is 

known asHighveld Gin. We talk about the 

other flavours that are currently available: 

spicy lemon and pomegranate with mint. 

We also talk about how the town has 

changed since my last visit in2019. “Since 

then, new places have opened and closed 

again. With the ban on alcohol last year, 

we also suffered,” Marian admits. But 

one thing that has remained unchanged 

is the town’s ghost stories. “Apparently, 

there isasoldier that walks the streets 

late at night,” she chuckles and motions in 

the direction of the lake and the Jailbird 

Guest House. 

At the Jailbird Guest House, you can 

stay in the town’s original jail. You have a 

choice between two cells with heavy doors 

and tiny windows. The first cell was built 

in 1880 and the second was built in the 

1940s by Italian POWs. 

“You can clearly see the difference. 

This was the first one –itwasn’t built that 

well. The second cell is the work of astone 

master,” the owner, Marietjie Blignaut, 

explains with her border collie, Lilly, at 

her heels. 

Acommunal kitchen and bathroom 

now stand where the old police office 

was, with the title “Charge Office” on 

the door. The Jailbird offers hostel-style 

accommodation and isdeal for afamily. 

“I prefer it if strangers don’t have to 

share the amenities,” Marietjie says as 

she walks past her vegetable garden 

next to the jail. On the other side of her 

fence, lies the wetlands and Chrissie’s 

large lake. 

ALLAROUNDTHE LAKE 

The small town with its sandstone 

structures is charming and all, but the 

biggest drawcard lies just outside of 

town.Chrissiesmeer is 9kmlongand 

3kmwide, with amaximum depthof6m. 

Esbie Bezuidenhout, the owner of 

John Jack Inn and the Billiard Room, 

says that one year during Spring Day 

celebrations, she and agroup of friends 

walked all the way around the lake. Even 

> 

45 



46 

though the water level wasn’t too high atthe 

time, itstill took them about six hours. 

“And look how full itisnow!” Esbie exclaims 

during my visit inJanuary. Her family bought 

their farm next tothe lake in 1990, and in 

2012, they moved from Johannesburg to the 

farm permanently. 

GREETTHE CAVEMAN 

We go for awalk along the water. She wants to 

show me the caves on the banks of the lake. 

Libby, her small, wire-haired mix, runs ahead 

looking for dassies amongst the rocks. 

At the cave, Esbie shows me all the names 

that have been carved into the sandstone. The 

name with the oldest date is R. Muirhead, 

1888. “There isaMuirhead Street intown. We 

think hewas an officer in one ofthe horse 

regiments,” Esbie explains while pointing 

her walking stick towards the words HR 18 

on the rocks. “We believe itstands for Horse 

Regiment 18.” 

Ipeer into the cave and think Imight have 

spotted anotter inthe one the crevices. But it 

could have been adassie hiding from Libby. 

We climb upthe rocks toreach the top of the 

cliff. Our view stretches far –all the way to the 

Teen Die Meer camping grounds. 

On our way back, Esbie talks about her plan 

to create ahiking route that loops all the way 

around the lake. “All the necessary landowners 

have already agreed to it. Atthe moment, 

you can walk around the lake but you need 

to climb over rocks, walk through grass and 

sometimes wetlands. When the water level is 

lower, it’s easier, but we want to create aproper 

hiking route.” 

That way, hikers, cyclists and horse riders 

can see the lake from all sides and get acloser 

view of the birds and wildflowers. Anddon’t 

forget about the amphibians! The area is 

known asMatotoland, the Siswati name for the 

“land offrogs”. In summer, they even offer frog 

nights and flower tours. 

One ofthe rest stops along the route will 

be Miss Chrissie's Country House, located on 

the east side of the lake. Last year, the owner, 

Aretha Strydom, built alabyrinth of roses in 

the shape of arose. 

Roses bloom inthe garden around Aretha’s 

sandstone house, which dates to1873. The 

dahlias, foxgloves and hydrangeas also take 

pride ofplace. “Have alook atthis tiny snake 

–it’s aslug eater,” she calls out. “He’s here 

because weonly use organic pesticides. It’s also 

kinder to the bees.” 

Aretha planted 1300 roses –120 different 

varieties –inher labyrinth. She calls out the 

names aswewalk past and smell each one. 

Some are named after people, whereas others 

have romantic names like Bride’s Dream, 

Oyster Pearl and Majestic Burgundy. 

“This is aGarden Queen –it’s avery old 

rose. Just smell it,” she says asshe carefully 

caresses the purple-pink flower that opens ina 

soft circle. “But this is my favourite. They call it 

My Darling.” 

GOING FARTHERAFIELD 

Towards dusk, we drive down Miss Chrissie’s 

dirt road. Luckily, it’s only 5kmtotown. 

However, ifyou venture farther out, there are 

several sights worth seeing. Put half aday aside 

for these activities: 

The Ti’Qwarock art drawings are 40km 

outside of town in the direction of eManzana 

(Badplaas). Ti’Qwa is aSan word that 

describes the relationship between God and 

man. The cave drawings are about 15000 years 

old and depict mythical figures and animals. 

In Mpuluzi, about 56kmaway, you can visit 

Goliath’s Footprint. Itlooks like a1,8 mlong 

TheGoedehoop natural erosion bridge. 

footprint that was made vertically against a 

rock. Some believe it was God or Adam; others 

say itwas e’Mpuluzi, afemale giant from 

traditional fables. The story goes that she ran 

past this spot after avolcano erupted. 

Another interesting rock isthe Goedehoop 

natural erosion bridge (about 36 km in the 

direction of Ermelo). It’s a27kmlong rock 

arch that stretches across the Vaal River. 

Voortrekkers and soldiers during the South 

African War used it to cross the river. Within > 


GOOD 

TO 

KNOW 

TheDutch Reformed 

ChurchinPercy Street. 

LungileLusenga at Goliath's 

Footprintand the Ti'Qwa 

Sanart (bottom left). 

HOWDOYOU GETTHERE? 

Thetownis260 km eastof 

Johannesburg.You canchoose 

theN17 viaBethalordrive on the 

N12through Emalahleni. 

WHERETOSTAY 

John JackInn hassix en suite 

roomstochoosefromand the 

seventh–Jack&Jill–has a 

living area andkitchen. 

Cost: R600 perpersonsharing 

(breakfast included) 

Contact: johnjackinn.co.za, 

017847 2004 

At Jailbird, yousleep in one of 

twojailcells,withacommunal 

kitchenand bathroom facilities. 

Cost: R250 perperson 

Contact: 082929 1219 

On theeastern banksof 

Chrissiesmeer, Teen DieMeer 

offerscamping spots, safari 

tentsand no-frillswood chalets. 

It’spopularamongst anglers 

andcyclists. (They havea27km 

long single-track routeonthe 

100hectaresfarm.) 

Cost: R30per dayvisitor.R60 

perpersonper nighttocamp; 

R50per standwithelectricity 

(maximum sixpeople)and R60 

percamper van. 

Contact: teendiemeer.com, 

082629 4320 

Miss Chrissie's CountryHouse 

is astately sandstone homestead 

with nine rooms, acottage and 

campingsites. 

Cost: From R495 perpersonfor 

asharedroom, withoutdinneror 

breakfast. 

Contact: misschrissies.co.za, 

079252 5235 

Johanoffersaccommodation 

at Holnek Game andNature 

Reserve,and onanother farm, 

Gemsbokheuwel,8kmfrom 

town.Stonewood is astone 

cottage for twoguests. 

Cost: From R300 perpersonper 

nightatHolnek.Stonewood is 

R500 pernight fortwo people. 

Contact: holnek.co.za,082 807 

1054 (Holnek),082 6808204 

(Stonewood) 

BOOKINGS: 

Contact LungileLusenga to view 

the Ti’Qwa rock paintingand 

Goliath’sFootprint. 

Cost: R350 perpersonfor ahalfdaytourwithfourdestinations 

in 

your owncar. 

Contact: 076041 5374 

Youneed to book in advanceto 

visit Randell’sRanchMuseum 

on Saturdays between10:00 

and15:00. 

Cost: R50per person 

Contact: randellsranch.co.za, 

082807 5515 

Thenatural erosionbridgeand 

Goedehoop Farm Stay is on a 

1400-hectare farm,where the 

Engelbrechtsfarmwithcattle, 

soyand mielies. 

Cost: R1 800per nightfor 

sixpeople. 

Contact: 083643 0515 

If youwanttowalkaround 

thelake, contact Esbie 

Bezuidenhout on 081040 7787. 

WANT TOGET MARRIED AT 

CHRISSIES? 

FlorenceGuest Farm and 

WeddingVenue is astately 

option. Choosebetweenthe 

Stone ChapelorDennebos 

Churchfor your ceremony 

andhavethe receptioninthe 

Klipskuur. They also have 

accommodationavailable forthe 

wedding pair andtheir guests. 

Contact: florence.co.za, 082804 

1771 

47 

> 

Teen Die Meer campground 

andaccommodation. 



Holnek farm 

has4x4 routes, 

waterfalls, 

stunningviews 

–and more. 

48 

walking distance of the bridge, you’ll find 

astone rondawel where you can overnight. 

It’s next to adam that was built in a 

tributary ofthe Vaal. 

Those who have little interest in rocks 

should head to Randell’s Ranch Museum. 

It’s in the Lothair district, a32kmdrive 

from town. Not only does Jan Randel have 

200 antique tractors in his barns, but also 

old cars, motorbikes and trucks. 

If 4x4ing iswhat gets your engine going, 

you should head towards Holnek Game 

and Nature Reserve, 39 km east of town. 

Here you can tackle 4x4 routes in your 

own vehicle, and it also offers fishing, 

hiking, birdwatching and hunting. 

There are 18 different types of game 

on the 2000-hectare farm, including, 

blue wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, zebra, 

blesbok, springbok, eland, red hartebeest, 

waterbuck and giraffe –and there are four 

hiking routes that range from 5to10km. 

The 4x4 route is20kmand takes about 

three hours if you don’t stop to play 

along the way. There are rivers tocross, 

waterfalls to view, aswell asobstacle 

courses with names like Kringgat Kruising 

and Gatskop. 

Holnek also has accommodation that’s 

spaced kilometres apart. Solar panels, gas, 

generators and donkey boilers supply light 

and warm water. The Wildebos Tented 

Camp has four safari tents that sleep 

two people each, with abraai lapa and 

outdoor kitchen. Mgqoma Camp has a 

conference centre with aswimming pool, 

four chalets and camping spots. 

“In total, 40people can stay at Mgqoma. 

Carolina’s church comes here once ayear 

for aneco-camp. It’s also popular for 

birthday parties orfamily get-togethers,” 

explains Johan Rautenbach, one of 

the owners. He is the sixth generation 

of his family tolive ontheir farm in 

Chrissiesmeer, and his children are 

the seventh. 

There are also two large chalets, Pionier 

and Waterval, that can house eight to 10 

people each, with alapa and swimming 

pool. John shows us the waterfall and 

namesake of the one chalet. 

“A group of women and children hid 

here during the South African War. 

You’ll see why. It’s deep inthe ravine. 

Unfortunately, they were betrayed by 

someone,” Johan says aswestop atthe top 

of the cliff. 

We climb down slowly, and at the 

bottom, westand next toapool that’s 

deep enough for aswim. We watch asthe 

water tumbles down the rocks and talk 

about our holiday preferences. 

Five-star hotels are luxurious and all, 

but you can drop meoff here anytime. 

Johan agrees: “Even alukewarm beer 

tastes great here.” 

Quality 

Assured 

WaterfrontGuesthouse,Carolina 

HighlyRecommended 

Carolina is about30kmfrom 

Chrissiesmeer. This guesthouseison 

theR33 andcentrally locatedifyou 

want to visitMiddelburg, Wonderfontein 

or Belfast. It’s also theideal placeto 

overnightwhentravellingfromGauteng 

or Eswatini(103km) on your waytothe 

Kruger National Park or Mpumalanga. 

Theguesthousehas sixunits,all with 

privateentrances, bathrooms, satellite 

TVs, teaand coffee,microwave ovens, 

fridgesand safe parking. Andthere 

areheaters andelectricblanketsfor 

when theHighveldwinterbites.All 

unitshave viewsofthe dam–atreat for 

birdwatchers. 

To book, visit qa.aatravel.co.za. 

THEAARECOMMENDS 


Zoom towns 

THE 

SIMPLER 

LIFE 

As Covid-19 forced businessestoclose theiroffices and adoptanew 

work from home approach,manycitydwellersmadearun forsmalltown 

SouthAfrica. From GrabouwtoStilbaaiand Nieu-Bethesda,we 

speak to afew whonow call thecountrysidehome. 

BY DANIELLE MCDONALD 

AND SHEREEN GOOSEN 

Whenhundredsand 

thousandsofpeople 

streamed into 

California in the 

mid-1800s becauseof 

thediscoveryofgold, smalltowns in the 

region expanded so suddenly that they 

came up with atermfor it:boomtowns. 

Fast-forward to today, andhistory is 

repeatingitself–butthis time it’s global, 

apandemic is thecatalyst, andwe’vegot 

Wi-Fi. WelcometoZoomtowns. 

As Covid-19 clawedits wayintoour lives 

in 2020,computer screenswerepacked 

up,officedoors were locked andwork 

from home (WFH)started in earnest. 

Toilet paperbecameanasset,your 

kids would be in theroomduringwork 

meetingsand “you’reonmute” became 

acliché. From church services to happy 

hours, everythinghappenedonline. And 

Zoom,afreevideo conferencing tool,was 

ready forus. 

This presented an unexpected 

opportunity:ifyourjob alloweditand you 

had themeans,you couldessentially work 

from anywhere.Anywhere! 

Leavingbehind the city lights 

Thecountryside isn’t foreveryone. We 

both come from smalltowns,and theidea 

of country living is oftenromanticised. 

When moving to arural area,you’lllikely 

have to saygoodbye to Woolies, cinemas 

andfancy restaurants(or anyrestaurant, 

forthatmatter). 

Everyone,including theirdog,knows 

exactlywho you (and your family) are, 

andtheystill rememberthe time you 

putNesquikinthe boarding school’s 

milkcontainers. Andbyhavingan 

opinion, youcan alienatethose with more 

conservative views. 

Butasforeign as it mightfeelatfirst, 

nobody hasyourbackquite like apack 

of plattelanders. In April2021, residents 

of theWestern Cape town of Swellendam 

organised awelcome partyfor newcomers. 

About125 fresharrivalsattended the 

meet-and-greet. By September, another 

108new peoplemovedtotown. 

Thesenumbers aren’t unique to 

Swellendam, anddespite theunavoidable 

grumbles of hownewcomersare 

“changing” thecharacter of smalltowns, 

this kind of influx bodeswellfor everyone 

(especiallyestateagents). 

We visitedthree townsexperiencing the 

Zoom boom andchatted to acoupleof 

newcomers. 

> 

49 


50 

For awhile,talkof 

movingabroadhad 

been theprimary 

eveningconversation 

in thePotgieter 

household. They hadmoved 

toPaarl from Cape Town a 

fewyears ago, butthe next 

destination wasalready on 

theagenda. “Wethought 

about optionsall theway from 

Panama to Canada, Australia 

andthe US.Wespent ages 

havingthe conversation, but 

ultimately,why would you 

immigrate if youcan live in 

Stilbaai,which is such an 

amazinglifestyle,” Barend says. 

Rochéexplains: “Itwas after 

atriptothe US in December 

2020 that we decidedto 

potentiallymovethere. But 

becauseCovid numberswereso 

high, we realised that moving 

thereduringthis time would 

be arealstruggle. So,Ipitched 

theideatoBarend:why don’t 

we go to Stilbaai?Heneeded 

some time to thinkabout it.” 

RochélaughsasBarend shrugs 

andadds: “I had mentally been 

moving abroad forthe last 

sixmonths.” 

Stilbaai wasn’t arandom 

choice forthe Potgieters. 

Roché’sfamilyhas been 

holidaying therefor ages.Plus, 

it hasadecentprimary school, 

whichwas abig sell because 

theirdaughter, Núa, hadjust 

started Grade1. 

In termsofwork, it waseasy 

to figure out. Roché’sbusiness, 

PhotoBLOX, hasalwaysbeen 

online, andduringCovid, 

Barend’s marketingagency, 

TheSocialEffect,became 

fullyremote. 

Buthow do you sell themove 

to aseven-year-old? With the 

promiseofapuppy,ofcourse! 

Jokesaside,the transition has 

been surprisinglyeasyfor all 

three.Roché andBarendboth 

rave about howwellNúa has 

adjusted, especiallyinschool, 

andthrough herbusiness, 

Rochéhas quickly become part 

of thecommunity.“Irecently 

helped alocal restaurantwith 

theirmenus anddécor,and 

STILBAAI, WESTERNCAPE 

theprimary school is doinga 

big fundraising campaign that 

PhotoBLOXiscontributingto. 

It’s just greatbeing involved, 

andthe smaller thecommunity, 

thebiggerthe impact you 

canmake.” 

Barend adds:“My lifestyle 

is much better here. I’mquite 

desk-bound during theweek 

andspend my days in our 

[home] office,but when Itry 

to make themostofitand get 

outside,it’samazing, especially 

on apersonallevel.Mymental 

health enjoys thebeach.” 

“There areanumberof 

people in thesameposition 

as us,who also have kids new 

to theschool. Everyone is 

determined to make this thing 

work.Insmall townsthere is 

nothingifnot potential.” 

Theone thingthatmight 

getintheir wayofstaying in 

Stilbaai longtermisthe fact 

that thereisn’t ahighschoolin 

town.But thePotgietershave 

morethanenoughtimeto 

figure this out. > 

ThePotgieters 

(picturedbelow) 

nowliveina 

picturesque 

townalong the 

southerncoast.

Zoom towns 

ACTIVITIES IN STILBAAI: 

SouthernRight Trail 

This easy 11 km coastal hike between Morris 

Point inStilbaai and the Jongensfontein 

Caravan Park has much to offer: pretty 

views, lots of fynbos, birds (including the 

endangered black oystercatcher) and beautiful 

rock pools for those who are brave enough. 

stilbaaitourism.co.za. 

Surfing 

Stilbaai has afamous surf 

spot at Morris Point for more 

advanced surfers. Barend 

says he’s still acouple of 

years away from braving the 

reef here. 

51 


NIEU-BETHESDA, EASTERNCAPE 

52 

Listening to DanieBoneschans 

explainhow hetradedJoburg’s 

big city lights forstoepkuiers 

in Nieu-Bethesdaisafeel-good 

treat. This quintessential Karoo 

dorpiswellknown forHelen Martins’Owl 

House,but there’salot moretosee here. 

Earlyonin2021, Daniewas in town 

visiting afriend forthe weekend.He 

had spentafew days there–andthen 

just decidedtostay. It wasassimpleas 

that becausehedidn’t have to askhis 

dachshundsfor permission. 

Nieu-Bethesdaisadrastic change of 

pace from Joburg,but forDanie it wasa 

long time coming.“In 2011,Iwas feeling 

veryrestlessand wantedtomakeachange. 

Iwantedtocreateajobfor myself whereI 

had morefreedom andthe option to travel. 

IloveSouth Africa, so theintention was 

never to leavenecessarily,but rather to 

have thefreedom to travel more locally.” 

Aqualified teacher, he used hiscareeras 

thelaunchingpad forwhatwould become 

DanieTeach (dto.danieteach.com),an 

online home-schooling servicethathas 

given himthe freedomtoteach outside 

theclassroom.Healready startedteaching 

online in 2014,and by 2019,hedeveloped 

educationalbooks in Afrikaansand Xhosa. 

In 2020,whenCovid rolled around, 

his online teachingbusinesswas readyto 

go.Since thestart of 2021, thenumberof 

students usingDanieTeachhas grownfrom 

50 to 80.Thisallowed himtoconsider his 

options,and on apersonallevel,hewas 

readytotakeastepbackfromthe more-ismore,consumeristculture. 

He says his move to theKaroo hasforced 

himtodoalot of introspectionand stop 

andsmell theroses –literally.Admiring 

Alocal 

restaurant. 

Danie in Nieu- 

Bethesda. 

ACTIVITIES IN NIEU-BETHESDA 

Festivals 

Visit one of the many festivals Nieu- 

Bethesda presents every year: The Stoep 

Tasting Weekend, Christmas inJuly, The 

Garlic Festival, The Karoo Handmade 

Festival and The New Year’s Festival of 

Lights. Check out nieubethesdatourism. 

co.za for more info. 

thebloomswhile taking astrollthrough 

his garden firstthinginthe morninghas 

become part of his dailyroutine. Butwhat 

else does oneget up to in Nieu-Bethesda? 

“I go to OomBoetie’sBar almost every 

night. There’salwayssomeone thereyou 

know.Theyalsohosteventssuchasthe 

annual Garlic HarvestFestival where 

everyonebringsagarlicdishtoshare,and 

on Saturdays there’stennis club.Wealso 

go hikingalot.There’sjustarealsense of 

communityhere.”And when cabinfever hits, 

thereisthe open road. 

Askedwhathas surprisedhim themost 

abouthis move to this town,hesayswithout 

hesitation:“How extreme theweather is.It 

canbecomecoldverysuddenly. 

It’s even been knowntosnowon 

ChristmasDay.And howgreen 

it is in summer.There’s actually 

waterinthe Karoo.” 

CatcharideonaKaroo taxi 

The traditional way of getting around 

town is on adonkey cart. Youwill find 

Jacob under the tree across the street 

from the Owl House. Hehas been running 

this business since 1997, and his friendly, 

20-minute cart ride is an absolute must. 


Zoom towns 

GRABOUW, WESTERNCAPE 

Grabouw is thekindof 

small, tucked-awaytown 

that youcan easilymiss 

when travelling on the 

N2.Chances arethatas 

you near thetown’sturnoff,you’llbe 

distracted by thebeloved andalwaysbustling 

PeregrineFarmstall,which is 

locatedjustacrossthe highway. 

So,how didFadzi andTyrone 

Fisher,aspeechtherapist and 

teacher, respectively, find themselves 

relocating from Cape Town to this 

farmingcommunity? 

“Wehid away thereatthe 

beginningofthatfirst lockdownand 

then heardvia thegrapevine that 

some locals werelooking forhouse 

sitters foracouple of months. With 

theworld in lockdown,wedecided to 

go forit,”Fadzi,who’s originally from 

Zimbabwe,explains. 

Thecouple wanted amorerestful 

existence–and more space. However, 

Fadzicouldn’t WFHimmediately 

andfor acoupleofmonths, she 

bravedathree-hourcommute 

from Grabouw. “I wasworkingfor a 

companythatdevelopstechnology 

forpeoplewithdisabilities, andthe 

work wasveryrewarding.Seeingthe 

impactwas wonderful,but thedrive 

wasn’t sustainable.” 

ForTyrone, whoteaches at aschool 

just on theother side of SirLowry’s 

Pass,the commutewas considerably 

moremanageable. 

Around mid-2021, Fadzialsojoined 

theWFH ranks, usingher expertise 

to help usersofaBritish wellness 

company’schat-basedapp.Apart from 

having to navigate internationaltax 

rules, missingworkingwithpeoplein 

person andthe area’s infamouswind 

knocking outthe internet connection 

everynow andthen, Fadzidescribes 

themovetothe countryside as “sofar, 

so good”. 

When askedifher move from 

Zimbabwe to SouthAfricawhenshe 

wasateenpreparedher fortheir 

move to Grabouw, Fadziresponds: 

“Definitely.Atquite an earlyage my 

mom said to me:‘Don’t expect to stay 

in thesameplace forthe rest of your 

life.’Thatmindset hasreallyhelped 

me.” Shealsolived in Mpumalanga for 

twoyears,sothese words have stood 

heringoodstead. 

What’s themostsurprisingthing 

they’ve noticedinGrabouw?How 

much grassthere is inthis smalltown, 

Fadzianswers. 

Forthose living in aconcrete 

jungle,the grassmight just be greener 

in thecountryside. 

ACTIVITIES IN GRABOUW 

TheElgin Railway 

Market 

TheCapeCanopy 

Tour 

Elgin RailwayMarket 

Visit the steampunk-themed Elgin Railway 

Market for ataste ofwhat the valley has on 

offer. Ifyou are inCape Town, you can make a 

day ofitbydoing the 160 kmround-trip ona 

vintage steam train (only on weekends). Visit 

elginrailwaymarket.co.za. 

53 

Images: Konrad Raubenheimerand supplied 

Thecountryside 

offers more space 

–and more grass. 

CapeCanopyTour 

Zipline through the majestic Hottentots 

Holland Mountains in the Elgin Valley near 

Grabouw. In 2019, this activity was listed as 

the second-best experience inAfrica on 

TripAdvisor. canopytour.co.za. 

Tyrone and 

Fadzi Fisher

Localentrepreneurs 

ZOLANI MATEBESE 

FOUNDER&CEOOF 

FUNERALSERVICES 

APPSENDOFF 

54 

Theperfect 

TECH TITAN ZOLANI MATEBESE’S APPALLOWSYOU TO PLAN 

AFUNERAL FROM THECOMFORT OF YOUR COUCH. 

WORDSBYKIM ARENDSE|PHOTOSBYLOUWVAN STADEN 


Zolani with 

SendoffCOO, 

Thabisile 

Sethaba, at 

co-working 

spacePerch in 

Rosebank. 

“I wasluckyin 

that Ialways 

knew whichareaI 

wanted to go into – 

it waseithergoing 

to be technology or 

motorbikeracing.” 

THE IDEAfirstcametomindwhile 

he wasinthe thickofplanninga 

family member’s funeral. 

Betweencalculating howmuch 

everythingwas goingtocostto 

chasingfuneral directorsfor quotes 

andarranging transport, flowers 

andcatering, Zolani Matebese 

wasstruckbyhow laboursome thefuneral planning 

processwas,especiallyduringatimeofgrief. 

He wasespeciallysurprised by thefactthatsince 

planninghis mother’s funeral 20 years earlier,not 

much had changedtomake this processeasier. 

What if therewereanapp that allowedyou to plan 

andexecute afuneral from thecomfort of your couch, 

Zolani askedThabisile Sethaba, whoencouragedthe 

ideaand is nowthe co-founder andCOO of thefreeto-downloadapp 

Sendoff. 

Thequestion sparkedaworkingpartnership and 

afterspending25years in thecorporate environment 

andingovernment, Zolani decidedtofind theanswer. 

Andit'spaidoff. 

Theapp wasreleasedinMay 2021 andhas become 

theone-stop-shop fordeathcare in SouthAfrica, with 

plansonthe horizonfor internationalrelease. 

“The successofthe appliesinthe fact that we 

understandthe difficultyoffuneral logistics. It’s 

tiring anduncomfortable, andyou must make alot 

of decisionswhile grieving.We’vefound away to 

streamline that processand be asourceofsupport 

during that time,” Zolani tellsus. 

IN HIS OWNTIME 

Born in Nigeria, Zolani spentmostofhis childhoodin 

exileinZimbabwe, theUSandUK, before settling in 

Johannesburg in 1995. 

“I’vebeenaJoziboy ever since!”hesays. 

Zolani enteredthe jobmarketafter completinghigh 

school andinstead of goingtouniversity,chose to do 

as many in-house courses as he could whilegaining 

experience working in thetechindustryprivate sector 

andingovernment. 

“I waslucky in that Ialwaysknewwhich area Iwanted 

to go into –itwas either goingtobetechnology or 

motorbike racing,” he says with alaugh. 

“Along theway Ilearntwhatworks in business and 

what doesn’t.” 

Hiscareerhighlightsinclude startingthe JEDI 

(JoburgEducating DigitalInterns)programme as well 

as Hack.Jozi, an initiativesupportingbusinessesthat 

usetechnology to solve everyday problems. 

Despite agrowing list of achievements in the 

workplace, Zolani felt it wastimetohit thebooks to be 

betterequippedtofulfil his career destiny. “I’vealways 

wanted to do somethinggreat,somethingreallybig and 

purposeful,” he says. 

So,hecompleted abusinessdegree at Wits University, 

followed by an MBAatRhodesUniversity. 

“WhenIfinallywenttouniversityatage 28,itwas 

when Iwas ready. It wasonmyown terms, andIloved 

everyminuteofit, learningabout thefundamental 

conceptsofbusiness. Ievenenjoyed economics!” 

CHIEFCHALLENGES 

Building theapp when Covidwas rife in SA was 

challenging, Zolani says. 

“Atone point, ourleaddeveloper on theapp 

contracted Covidand wasout foramonth. Ourteam 

wasworking remotely,and we couldn’t just popover 

to check if someonewas okay.And when thesecond 

Covidwavehit India, ourdatabaseteamthere was 

compromised, causingseveral delays.” 

Zolani used that time to fine-tune conceptualisation, 

includingfiguring outexactly howthe appwas > 

55 


Localentrepreneurs 

Smalltalk 

56 

goingtoworkand howtomarketitas 

sensitivelyaspossible. 

Another challenge wasgetting service 

providers to join theSendoff directory. 

“I hadtoexplain theideaofthe appto 

older people who’ve been in thefuneral 

business fordecades, tell them Iwas about 

to upendthe waytheyworkand then 

encourage them to come onboard!” 

Butmanysaw thebenefitand Sendoff 

nowhas acomprehensive list of fullyvetted 

partners acrossthe country–fromurn 

makerstoeventstreaming services. 

Butthere were timeshedoubtedhow 

well theapp wouldbereceived. 

“I wasscaredthatwewould launch to 

crickets,thatnoonewould be interested 

in theapp,even though we’d doneuser 

validations. Ialsofearedthatpeoplewould 

trashwhatwe’ve built. Butthe reception 

hasbeengreat.Wehad 1400 usersinthe 

first sixmonthsand becauseour service 

isn’t somethingacustomer woulduse 

regularly,those numbershaveexceeded 

ourexpectations.” 

He says nothingbeats thefeeling of 

knowingthatsomeone is goingtobenefit 

from theservice he imagined andnow 

offers.“Andasanentrepreneur,that 

feelingyou getwhen anew customer 

comesonboard is somethingprobablyonly 

other makers andbuilders experience.It 

meanssomuch–itmeans you didthis. 

Youdid it!You builtthis thing, andit’sout 

in theworld.” 

RECIPE FORSUCCESS 

“It’snever been easier to developan 

e-commerce business such as an app 

becausethe availabletools arealmost 

limitless, yousimplyhavetolookfor it,” 

Zolani says. 

“Whenwestarted working on Sendoff, 

we discovered,for example, that Amazon 

hasaprogramme whereyou cansignup 

forthousands of dollars in credits.”This 

canhelp start-upsrun serversorregister 

domain names. 

“But it’s also neverbeeneasier to waste 

yourmoney andyourtimebecause you 

really need to have yourheadonstraight. 

In order to developanapp,viewthe app 

as abusiness, offering somethingthatis 

unique or whichyou canexecute better 

than anyoneelseinthe market –the 

market beingthe whole world. 

“You really need to have aunique selling 

pointand know that enough peoplewill 

payfor your service. Don’tput something 

intothe market without validation that it’s 

somethingpeopleneedand will payfor.” 

Sendoffnow has20employees. “Most 

peopleare contract based whorollonand 

offaswe need resources. As astart-up, you 

need to keep yourteamand cost baseas 

smallaspossible. Ireadsomewhere that 

start-ups should treatmoney like itswater 

in adesert,sothis modelworksfor us, 

wherethe revenue we make goes back into 

thebusinessinstead of paying permanent 

salaries.” 

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY 

DESTINATION: Anywarmwater 

beach whereIcanswim andsurf. 

FAVOURITE MEAL: Langoustines 

(Norwegian lobster) with chilli 

butter 

DREAMCAR: AstonMartinDBS 

or Pagani Huayra Roadster 

FAVOURITE PIECEOF 

TECHNOLOGY EVER: The 

firstiPhone becauseitwas so 

beautiful yetfunctional and 

heralded arevolutionthatalmost 

nobody imagined. 

SEEMORE: sendoff.app 

THEAPP THAT DOESITALL 

Thebeautyofthe appisthatyou canbe 

in Cape Town andplanafuneral taking 

placeinKwaZulu-Natal,saysZolani. The 

apphas comprehensivechecklistsfor 

funeral planningwithlinkstoSendoff’s 

partners.This meansthateverything 

from registering adeath to selectinga 

crematoriumisaclick away. 

Youcan also plan your ownfuneral.A 

family membersimplyneedstocallSendoff 

to putyourplanintoaction. 

Theapp hasalsohelped peopleplan 

funeralsinthe ageofsocialdistancing. As 

with Airbnb or Uber,you candownload 

Sendoff, look forthe service you want and 

search forvendors by priceorlocation, 

Zolani says. 

In thenextdecade, Zolani hopesto 

releasethe appinternationally.“Ilovethe 

ideaofsomethingproudly SouthAfrican 

making aglobalimpact,”hesays. 


Science 

Growing 

FOOD 

FORAFRICA 

Rice,maize and potatoes arestaplefoodsinAfrica, but 

thereare severalother plants thatshouldfeature more 

on our menus. Sciencewriter EngelaDuvenage spentan 

afternoontasting‘orphan crops’ in theforaginggardenof 

theUniversityofPretoria’sFutureAfrica campus. 

Withapocketknife 

he keepshandy, 

botanist Jason 

Sampson slices 

asliveroffan 

Africanginseng vine winding alonga 

wire trellis. 

“Taste that,” suggests the curator 

of the University of Pretoria’sManie 

vander Schijff BotanicalGarden. “It 

tastes like vanilla.” 

AlthoughI’venever seen this plant 

before in my life, Ipromptlydo. 

Jasongives me aquicklesson 

in Africanginger (Mondiawhitei), a 

plantthathas been rendered extinct 

in certainareas of Africa becauseof 

over-collecting. 

“It’sconsideredendangered 

throughoutits localrange of Tugela 

FerryinKwaZulu-Natal,but on the 

UP [University of Pretoria]campus, 

I’ve it growingeverywhere, for 

instance alloverafour-storyfire 

escape coveredincablingatthe 

MineralSciences Building. 

“I’ve infuseditinvodka andwhite 

rumbefore, butI’d love to tryitin 

gin,” Jasonmuses,beforeclosinghis 

pocketknife. 

We setofffor another part of 

the lush,flourishing “foraging 

garden” that surrounds the 

conferencecentre, restaurant and 

accommodation on UP’s Future 

Africa campus. 

Jasonstops to clean leaves 

off atwigofdogwood (Rhamnus 

prinoides). 

“I used it as ahopping agentto 

brew home-made beer duringhard 

lockdown in 2020,” he explains. 

When plansinthe early2010s 

were afoottobuild the Future Africa 

campus on apartofthe university’s 

experimentalfarm,itwas Jason’s 

idea to startanediblegarden 

aroundthe buildings andkeepthe 

fig andavocado treesthatwere 

alreadythere. 

Today, everything (exceptfor 

itsplot of endangered cycads)is 

in someway edible –beittheir 

leaves, roots, fruit, flowers or bark. 

However, don’texpectittobeyour 

typical suburban vegetablegarden > 

57 


Science 

BELOW: Lina Rampora, curatorof 

theFutureAfricaGarden, amidst 

anatural veld of ruby grassand 

apot herb,Buffalo tongue thistle 

(Berkheyasetifera). 

filledwithpumpkins,tomatoes, spinachand 

strawberries (although you’ll findthese too, 

alongwithatsammamelon and Africanrice, 

when in season). 

During the afternoon, Ihave alreadyreadily 

triedeverythingthatthe passionate botanist 

hasofferedmefromthe garden. Ihavetasted 

mut’shaina, or m’shai, amustard plantfrom 

northeasternLimpopo that packsquite a 

punch; awhite-flowering creeper whose 

leaves tastelikerocketand different types 

of amaranthus (or“marog”)thatcan grow up 

to twometresand tastes like commercially 

grownbabyspinach. 

58 

Spekboom in your potjie 

“Weonlyeat afew staples, such as rice, 

maizeand potatoes,but thereare many more 

plants availablethatpeoplesimply don’t 

useenough.Wecallthose ‘orphan crops’,” 

Sampsonnoted at the startofmypersonal 

garden tour. 

Accordingtothe websiteFoodInsight, 

orphan cropstend to be plants that “aren’t 

traded internationally, andthereforetend 

to getlessattention in termsofresearchof 

agricultural training andextension.They’re 

typically growninAfrica,Asia, and/or South 

America andeaten as part of localdiets.” 

Jason is averitablewalking recipe bookof 

usinglesser-known plants. 

He handsmearound spekboom 

(Portulacaria afra) 

leaf.Its sour tasteis 

slightly shocking. 

“The best wayto 

useitisinapotjie. 

When it’s almost 

done,add afew 

twigs. Cookitdown, 

remove the twigs, and 

stir in the leaves.” 

AkindofAfrican 

“lemon zest”, Isay. 

Five South African 

universities have 

botanical gardens: 

UniversityofPretoria, 

Stellenbosch 

University, North 

West University 

(Potchefstroom), 

University of KwaZulu- 

Natal andRhodes 

University. 

Jasonnodsin 

agreementaswewalk 

alongthe blue-tiled 

furrowsthatmeander 

throughthe campus. 

Theseare fedfroma 

lily-covered retention 

pond that formsthe 

centrepieceofthe Future 

Africa campus. 

“You canadd 

spekboom to salads too,”

This domestic figtree and 

others remained afterthe 

FutureAfricacampus was 

built on aportionofthe 

UniversityofPretoria’s 

experimental farm. 

Images: EngelaDuvenage 

he enthuses.“We’veplanted avarietythat 

doesn’t have such awaxycoating,which is 

easier to eat.” 

Carnations forthe restaurant 

Although the producefromthe gardenis 

widely used in the salads andother food 

prepared in the kitchenofthe on-site 

restaurant,the idea wasnever to completely 

stockitwithits full complementofproduce. 

Rather,itservestointroducevisitorstothe 

finediningrestauranttothe vast array of 

“other”food plants on offer.Bitebybite, so 

to speak. 

AndJason isn’tapuristswho only wants 

to grow African plants.“We recently planted 

small carnationsafter the chef asked for 

moreedibleplantsasgarnishing,”herelays 

as we walk past apatch of nasturtiumswith 

edibleorangeand yellow flowers andbuds 

that canbepickled into mock capers. 

Nearby, aseedling traystandsatthe 

readytobeplanted out. Jasonhad grown 

the Roselle hibiscus seedlings, the source 

of hibiscus tea, from seedshesourced 

from contactsinhis edible foodsnetwork. 

Another newaddition is yellow fruited 

granadillaplants(Passifloraedulis var. 

flavicarpa,the so-called‘Gauvadilla’),tobe 

plantedalong afence–and itsfruit will one 

daybeturned into adessert. 

Lina Rampora, curatorofthe Future 

Africa Garden,and her team of 10 also do 

theirown propagation at theUniversity’s 

nearbyCycad andIndigenousPlant Nursery. 

Special plants arebought from hobby 

growers andseed andseedlingsfrom 

commercial nurseries. 

We meet the passionate Lina near aveld 

patchofrubygrass (Melinus nerviglumis)and 

yellow flowering Africanpotato(Hypoxsis). 

Shestarted off as an intern as part of her 

OrnamentalHorticulturedegreefromthe 

nearbyTshwane University of Technology. 

Today, sherunsatight ship. 

Of her Jasonsays: “She is anatural 

plantsperson.She canget abroomstick 

to grow.Ithink shemight even have 

greentoes.” 

Next up we pass alineofPondolandpalm 

trees(Jubaeopsiscaffra)growinghip high 

among theblocksofred,blueand yellow 

retroaccommodationunits on campus. 

“Thereare no morethana1000 of them 

left in the wild,” Jasonexplains.“There are 

probablymoreinCalifornia,wherethey 

grow anything!” 

In the spirit of beinginanediblegarden, I 

askwhatits miniature coconuts tastelike. 

Jason gives me alookofslighthorror,asif 

I’ve justasked if Icould eathis nine-montholddaughter. 

“Ohno,”hehesitateslongenough forthe 

conservationist in himtocometothe fore, 

“I’dfeeltoo badtoeat it.” 

I’ve committedabotanyfauxpas –its 

coconut, thesizeofchild’s fist, is thisrare 

plant’sseed –its lifeline! 

Botanicalgardens,bytheirverynature, 

were createdtobeashowcase andhaven 

forselectionsofplants, oftenendangered. 

Jasonis, however, aman well satisfied to 

work beyond theconfines or bordersof 

conventionalgardeningand conservation. 

He viewsthe Future AfricaGarden, andthe 

UP campusatlarge, as an extension of the 

botanicalgarden he overseas as curator, 

andasaspace to providerareplants, such 

as the Pondolandpalmtree, thebaobaband 

cycads,another home. 

Having rare plants flourishall around 

campusalsoservesanacademicpurpose. 

“Itiseasier forresearcherstostudy 

samplestheycollect here, forinstancefor 

ethnobotanicalstudies, than to tryand geta 

permittosample plants in the wild.Its more 

sustainabletoo.” 

Botanicalgardens beyond borderscould 

indeed be hismantra. 

HAVE ALOOK: 

Some plants in theFutureAfricaGarden 

arelistedontheir website: futureafrica. 

science/index.php/campus/designphilosophy/future-africa-gardens. 

Despiteits name, 

African wild 

potato (Hypoxis 

hemerocallidea) 

isn’tfamilyofthe 

potatothatyou 

usetomakestews 

or mash.Rather, 

this specieswith 

itshairy leaves is 

used formedicinal 

purposes. 

MORETHAN JUST MANIE 

TheManie vander Schijff Botanical 

Garden comprises alarge part of 

UP’S HatfieldCampus, satellite 

collectionsatthe Onderstepoort 

Campus Arboretum(trees),the 

FutureAfricaForagingGarden, the 

Cycadand Indigenous PlantNursery 

andthe “SunbirdLane” aloe 

collection on UP’s Hillcrest Campus. 

TheCycad Collection is curatedby 

ArnoldFrisby. Theseendangered 

treescan be seen on allofthe 

university'scampuses. 

JasonSampson, 

curatorofthe 

Manie vander 

SchiffBotanical 

Garden,withsome 

of theendangered 

Pondolandpalm 

trees (Jubaeopsis 

caffra) plantedon 

the Future Africa 

campus. 

59 


Decadent 

60 

DELIGHTS 

IT’S SAID THAT CHOCOLATEISMADEFROMBEANS OF 

HAPPINESS.HEREARE RECIPESFOR ALLOCCASIONS. 


Recipes 

EASY-PEASY 

CHOCOLATECARAMEL CAKE 

Makes 1large cake 

Preparationtime 25 minutes 

Baking time about 25minutes 

250ml(1c)milk 

60 ml (¼ c) melted butter 

10 ml (2 t) vanillaessence 

60 ml (25 g) cocoa 

4eggs 

500ml(420g)castorsugar 

500ml(280g)flour 

20 ml (4t) baking powder 

Pinchofsalt 

To garnish 

1–2cans(360geach)peppermint-flavoured 

caramel 

100gdarkchocolate 

80 ml (⅓ c) cream 

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 23cm 

cake tins orabundt cake tin with non-stick 

cooking spray and line with baking paper (if 

possible). Heat the milk and butter together 

until melted. Remove from the heat, add the 

vanilla and allow tocool slightly. Whisk in the 

cocoa until smooth and set aside. 

2 Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk 

in the sugar, aspoonful at atime, until all the 

sugar is added and the egg mixture becomes 

even thicker. (Youcan use astand mixer or 

electric beater.) 

3 Sift the flour and baking powder ontop of 

the egg mixture and carefully fold together 

to retain as much air aspossible. (If you use 

astand mixer, lower the hook and switch on.) 

Once the flour starts folding in, slowly add the 

milk mixture until everything comes together. 

4 Divide the batter between the cake tins 

and bake for 25–30 minutes oruntil askewer 

comes out clean. Cool onawire rack. If you’ve 

used abundt tin, adjust the baking time 

according tothe size of your tin. One cake 

needs tobake for longer than two layers. 

5 To finish, cut the cooled ring cake inhalf and 

fill with the caramel. Melt the dark chocolate 

and cream and stir until smooth; allow tocool 

slightly and drizzle over the cake. 

Variation: Spread athick layer ofcaramel 

over the two cake layers and the top, then 

garnish with grated Peppermint Crisp. 

CHOCOLATEFUDGE CAKE 

Makes 1cake 

Preparationtime 1hour (to bake 

the cake) 

Cooking time 10 minutes 

Forthe cake 

1packet (580 g)Ina Paarman’s 

chocolate cake mix 

Water, oil and eggs (follow 

recipe onpacket) 

Forthe filling 

330 ml(1⅓ c) cream 

60 ml (¼ c) butter 

400 gchocolate, grated 

500 ml(2c)strawberries, 

chopped 

1 Make and bake the cake 

according tothe instructions on 

the package. Set aside to cool. 

2 Heat the cream and butter to 

boiling point. Remove from the 

heat and stir through the grated 

chocolate until melted. 

3 Line the bottom of a20cm 

springform cake tin with baking 

paper. Cut the cake into cubes 

and crumble until fine. Stir 

1¾ cups of the chocolate filling 

through the cake crumbs. (You 

can also use an electric mixer.) 

Mix until itresembles thick 

fudge. 

4 Stir in the strawberries. Spoon 

the mixture into the prepared 

cake tin and smoothen the 

top. Cover with clingwrap and 

refrigerate for 45minutes or 

until firm enough to turn out. 

5 Remove the cake and 

decorate with the remaining 

chocolate mixture. 

Tip: If you don’t feel like baking 

acake, you can also buy a 

chocolate orvanilla sponge 

and freeze ituntil needed. Then 

all you have to do is melt the 

chocolate for the filling. > 

61

Recipes 

LAYERED FRIDGE PUDDING 

Serves 6 

Preparation time 30 minutes, plus resting time 

PERFECTFOR THEBRAAI 

1packet (150 g)instant chocolate mousse or 

pudding 

1packet (90 g) instant caramel pudding 

Cold full-cream milk, asneeded 

250 ml(1c)cream 

1packet (200 g)Cream Crackers orTennis 

biscuits 

1can (360 g) caramel 

1 Use the milk to prepare the chocolate and 

caramel instant puddings according to the 

instructions onthe packet. 

2 Whip the cream until stiff. Mix half the cream 

with the chocolate pudding and the other half with 

the caramel pudding. 

3 Spray adish (30 cm x22cm) with cooking spray. 

Layer the dish with biscuits and top with the 

chocolate pudding. Add another layer ofbiscuits 

and spoon over the caramel pudding before 

finishing with athird layer of biscuits. Refrigerate 

for atleast 4hours or overnight. 

4 Spread caramel over the pudding and serve. 

62 

NUTELLA PUDDING 

Serves 6–8 

Preparation time 15 minutes 

Baking time 35 –50minutes 

4eggs, atroom temperature 

430 ml(1¾ c) sugar 

5ml(1t) vanilla essence 

180 ml(¾c)cocoa powder 

125 ml(½c)flour 

125 ml(½c)Nutella chocolate 

spread 

250 ml(1c) butter 

Marshmallows, togarnish 

1 Cream the eggs and sugar by 

beating them together. Add the 

vanilla essence. 

2 Combine the cocoa and flour. 

Stir this into the egg mixture. 

Lightly stir inthe Nutella. 

3 Melt the cup ofbutter, let it 

cool, then stir itinto the mixture. 

4 Grease aflat-bottomed potjie 

or acast-iron pan big enough 

to hold at least 2litres. (Or 

divide the mixture between two 

smaller pans.) Pour the mixture 

into the pot, put the lid onand 

bake over medium-hot coals. 

Put some coals on the lid. 

5 Youneed to keep an eye on 

this pudding. It’s ready when 

the sides are firm and cooked, 

when the top layer is cracked, 

and the middle has the texture 

of melted chocolate. If you’re 

using abig pot, bake for about 

50 minutes. In two smaller 

pans, the pudding should be 

ready after 20 –35minutes. 

If you bake itfor longer, itwill 

still betasty, but it will have a 

cakelike texture. Garnish with 

the marshmallows. 

TIP Youcan also cut this dessert 

into squares for padkos. Ifyou’re 

at home, bake the pudding in 

the oven at 180°C for about 20 

–40minutes depending onthe 

size of your pot orpan. 


MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD 

Makes 16 squares 


Baking time 1hour 10 

minutes 

Forthe shortbread 

220 gbutter, softened 

150 ml(120 g)light brown 

sugar 

450 ml(250 g)flour 

5ml(1t) vanilla essence 

Forthe pecancaramel 

250 ml(200 g)golden 

syrup 

125 ml(150 g)condensed 

milk 

125 ml(100 g)light brown 

sugar 

4extra-large eggs 

100 ml(60 g) flour 

5ml(1t)vanilla essence 

Pinch ofcoarse salt 

100g pecan nuts, coarsely 

chopped 

200g dark chocolate 

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

For the shortbread, line a 

baking pan (23 x23cm) with 

baking paper. Whisk the 

butter and sugar together 

until light and fluffy. Add the 

flour and vanilla essence 

and mix to form asoft 

dough. Press in an even 

layer inthe bottom of the 

pan and prick all over with a 

fork. Bake for 30 minutes. 

2 For the pecan nut layer, 

melt the syrup, condensed 

milk and sugar gently and 

stir until all the sugar has 

dissolved. Cool slightly. 

Whisk the eggs, flour and 

vanilla essence and then 

whisk in the condensed 

milk mixture and the salt. 

3 Sprinkle the nuts over the 

shortbread layer and pour 

the caramel over the top. 

Bake for about 35 minutes 

until set. Allow to cool. 

4 Melt the chocolate and 

pour over the top. Leave to 

harden and cut into squares. > 

63 

>

Recipes 

BREAD-AND-BUTTER PUDDING 

Serves 6 

Preparation time 10 minutes 

Baking time 40 minutes 

4croissants, halved 

250 ml(1c) cream 

250 ml(1c) milk 

30 ml (2 T) cocoa powder 

2eggs 

80 gdark chocolate, broken into pieces 

50 ghalva, broken into pieces 

30 ml (2 T) sugar 

64 

1 Preheat the oven to160˚C. Put half of the 

croissants in an oven-proof dish. 

2 Whisk the cream, milk, cocoa powder and 

eggs together. Pour half of this mixture over 

the croissants. Scatter half of the chocolate 

and halva over the croissants. Add another 

layer using the rest of the croissants, the milk 

mixture, chocolate and halva. Set the dish 

aside for 10 minutes tosoak inthe milk. 

3 Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 30 –40 

minutes. Serve hot with ascoop of ice cream. 

CHURROS ANDCHOCOLATE 

Makesabout 12 


Cooking time 15 minutes 

250 ml(1c)boiling water 

80 gbutter 

60 ml (50 g)cinnamon sugar 

Pinch ofsalt 

250 ml(140 g)flour 

3eggs 

Oil for deep-frying 

To serve 

Castor sugar, to garnish 

Chocolate sauce (see recipe 

below) 

3 Heat the oil inapot. Pipe the 

dough gently into the hot oil, 

snipping each piece off with a 

pair of sharp scissors. Fry until 

golden-brown, turn once, brown 

the other side and fry until 

cooked. Drain onpaper towels. 

4 To serve, roll each churro in 

castor sugar and serve with the 

chocolate sauce. 

To make thechocolate sauce: 

Melt 200 gdark chocolate, 250 ml 

cream and atot of dark rum until 

smooth and thick. 

1 Mix the water, butter, sugar and 

salt in apot over moderate heat 

and bring to the boil. When the 

sugar has melted, remove from 

the heat and stir in the flour. Let 

the mixture cool. 

2 Whisk inthe eggs, one at a 

time, until the mixture is shiny and 

smooth. Spoon the mixture into 

apiping bag with astar nozzle. 

Allow torest inthe fridge until 

cooled. (This will help the dough 

retain its shape when being fried.) 

Variation: Serve like koeksisters 

by immersing the hot churros in 

ice-cold syrup. 

To make thesyrup: Stir 250 ml 

(1 c) boiling water, 375 ml sugar, 

15 ml (1 T) lemon juice, 5ml(1t) 

rose water, 2cinnamon sticks and 

3cardamom pods over moderate 

heat until the sugar has dissolved. 

Bring tothe boil and cook for 

5minutes. Cool completely and 

refrigerate until well chilled. Dip 

the hot churros in the syrup. 

Recipes: Aletta Lintvelt andJohanéNeilson. 

Images: Francois Oberholster andsupplied.

LETTHE KIDS MAKE IT 

OREO TRIFLE 

Serves 6 


3packets(90 geach)instant 

chocolate pudding 

1,3litres cold milk 

2packets(152geach)Oreobiscuits 

90 ml (6 T) butter,melted 

230gcream cheese 

30 ml (2 T) milk 

60 ml (¼ c) sugar 

375ml(1½ c) whippedcream 

375ml(1½ c) chocolate shards 

(Whispers or Flake) 

As longasthereischocolate, 

there willbehappiness. 

WAYNEGERARDTROTMAN 

1 Make the instant pudding 

according tothe instructions onthe 

packet. The milk should be very 

cold. Set the pudding aside. 

2 Use arolling pin tocrush the 

Oreos inaplastic zipper bag until 

you have fine crumbs. Using afork, 

mix the melted butter with the 

crumbs. Spread the crumbs out 

in adish (22 x33cm) or divide the 

mixture between six smaller bowls. 

Refrigerate. 

3 Beat the cream cheese, milk and 

sugar together. Fold the whipped 

cream into the cream cheese 

mixture. 

4 Spoon half of the cream cheese 

mixture onto the crumb layer and 

even out with aspatula. Add alayer 

of instant pudding. Topitoffwith 

another layer ofcream cheese. 

Scatter over the chocolate pieces 

and decorate with extra Oreos. 

Store inthe fridge orserve 

immediately. 

65 


Books 


TRAVEL, 

TRAVEL, 

TRAVEL 

ITCHINGTOGOONANEPICJOURNEY? WE WENT BROWSING IN THE 

SHOPSAND TOOK HOME AWHOLESTACK OF TRAVEL BOOKS. 

WhyTravelMatters –AGuide to the 

Life-ChangingEffectsofTravel BY CRAIGSTORTI 

66 

Storti starts his book with “the murder on 

Loughborough” –the story ofhow in 1841, 

Thomas Cook convinced train officials atthe 

Loughborough Station to make discount train 

tickets available, heralding in the era of mass 

tourism. Hebelievesthattourism wasthe end 

of travel. “In short, those who venture abroad 

today must make aconscious choice: tobe 

atourist or to be atraveller. Ifyou’d like to 

change your life, then be atraveller.” His book 

consists of two parts: the first four chapters 

describes the life-changing effects travel can 

have on people, and in chapter 5,hegives 

advice on how you can make travel more 

meaningful. It’s part memoir documenting 

his own journeys, and part meditation onthe 

reasons why travel puts atwinkle in the eye 

of so many people. It’s awonderful read. 

Around theWorld in 80 Trains 

–A45000-mileadventure BY MONISHA RAJESH 

Monisha works atamagazine in London 

when her love for trains compels her to drag 

her backpack and fiancé, Jeremy (Jem), on a 

seven-month long train journey around the 

world. From London’s St Pancras Station, 

she takes atrain to Paris, later Russia and 

Mongolia, North Korea, Canada –and 

many more. “One of the greatest mistakes 

atraveller can make, is to believe ajourney 

can becontrolled.” Imust admit, Ilove books 

about epic journeys, and Iwould much 

rather take atrain than flyonaplane. It’s a 

wonderful book. And I’m not the only one 

who enjoyed it. Around theWorld in 80 Trains 

was named National Geographic’s Book of 

the Year. 


TheDownhill HikingClub–A 

shortwalkacrossthe Lebanon 

BY DOMJOLY 

Thebooks were selected by theeditors andthe publishers had no inputinthe reviews. Pricesare subject to change. 

Theeditors accept no responsibilityfor delivery.Images: GerdaEngelbrecht andsupplied. 

As with many impulsive adventures, itall started with a 

boozy get-together. While sitting inabar in London, 

comedian Dom Joly, who was born in Lebanon, 

convinces his friends Harry and Chris that they 

should go on ahike with him through the 

country ofhis birth. The hike begins onthe 

Israeli border in the south, up hill and 

dale, all the way to the Syrian border. 

It’s written inahilarious and enjoyable 

style. Joly’s friends even describe him as“Bill 

Bryson –just not as successful” toamistrusting 

customs official. Ienjoyed the book so much that 

Ihave since bought one of Joly’s earlier books: Scary 

Monsters and Super Creeps –in search of theWorld’s Most 

Hideous Beasts. 

Wanderers–AHistory 

of Women Walking 

BY KERRI ANDREWS 

Amongst the famous thinkers who were also keen 

walkers, you can count Henry David Thoreau, Albert 

Einstein, Darwin, Beethoven, Nietzsche, Kant, Socrates 

and Aristoteles. Noticed anything wrong with this 

list? Historians often forget to mention which famous 

women were also ardent walkers. Wanderers fixes 

this problem. Even though Iwasn’t familiar with many 

of the names atfirst glance, they’re all fascinating 

women, and it was interesting to learn how walking 

played apivotal part intheir lives and careers. 

TheModernExplorers –Epic 

Journeys to theEndsofthe World 

EDITEDBYROBIN HANBURY-TENISON AND 

ROBERTTWIGGER 

Ahandful of people don’t want to travel tofamily-friendly 

destinations with water slides orDisney World. InModern 

Explorers, you’re introduced to 39 contemporary adventurers 

who have gone on unusual journeys, and most of them tell 

their own story. The book isdivided into chapters that look 

at expeditions to the polar regions, deserts, mountains, rain 

forests, oceans, rivers, underground or undersea or insearch 

of ancient sites. Even though Iprefer mydestinations tohave 

flush toilets and cold drinks, these journeys are inspirational. 

FROM SECOND- 

HANDBOOKSHOPS 

Sometimesyou strike gold at 

achurchfair or in ashopfor 

second-handbooks. 

Pasquale’s Nose – 

Adventures in a 

SmallTownin 

Italy (2002) by 

Michael Rips 

wasscarcely the 

price of two 

coffeesand 

worthevery cent. 

It followsa 

familiar pattern: A 

wealthy, spoilt 

American givesuphis 

glamorous life in NewYorkto 

“findhimself”inthe Italian 

countryside.InRip’s case, 

however, it’s very much 

tongue in thecheek.Ripsfinds 

himself in thetinyvillage of 

Sutri,halfway between 

Viterboand Rome,withhis 

wife andinfantdaughter. His 

wife is an artist,but Rips 

doesn’thaveajob in Italy. He 

spends hisdaysinthe town 

square andinthe Guidicafé, 

wherehemeets thetown’s 

eccentric locals:bean 

farmers, philosophers,ablind 

shoemakerand aporcupine 

hunter.And thereisaSouth 

Africa “connection”.The only 

person in town whocan speak 

English is theelderly Vittore, 

whoduringthe Second World 

Warwas aprisonerofwar in 

SouthAfrica. It’s thevery 

same Vittorewho savesRip 

from ahospitalvisit afterhe 

eats toomuch “fagioliregina”, 

alocal dishofbeans, 

tomatoes andpig skin.It’sa 

delightful read. 

67 


Gear 

new! 

WHAT’S 

Hereare afew products thatmakelifeeasier foroutdoor enthusiasts. 

68 

BREW SPOON 

Ireceived one in my Christmas stocking, 

and immediately, Iwas smitten. The 

concept issimple: scoop coffee into the 

spoon, close it, put itinboiling water and 

allow ittostand for awhile. 

In fact, it's so simple that Iinitially 

didn't think itwould work at all. But not 

only does it work, itworks exceptionally 

well! And it's much easier to carry ina 

backpack orpicnic basket 

compared to the 

alternatives. 

About R200 perspoon 

at takealot.com 

DJIACTION2 

DJI istaking the social media market by 

storm! With the DJI Action 2, DJI has 

completely deviated from the design of 

their first action camera (which looked 

alot like aGoPro). The DJI Action 2 

is amodular camera inthe shape ofa 

cube, and it's held together with super 

powerful magnets. Put viewers inthe 

middle of the action by using apowerful 

magnet to attach the camera (which has 

an internal memory of32gig) toyour 

shirt, or click the two parts together 

if you need extra memory. By itself, it 

camera only weighs ameagre 56grams. 

From R8 195atormsdirect.com 

This selectionofproducts waschosen by theeditorial staff, andthe various brandfeatureddidn’tpay forthe exposure. Allpricesmentionedcan changewithout notice. Delivery costs 

arenot factored into theprices. Theeditorial staffcan’t accept responsibilityfor orders.


URBANSLEEVES 

Get abag for your laptop ortablet that shows 

your love for Johannesburg or Cape Town. 

The bags are made from pure wool or felt 

and ispadded toprotect your devices. 

Available indifferent sizes and asawallet or 

acover for apocketbook. 

Laptop bags fromR720 at urbansleeves. com 

WALKING4FUN 

I'm going on an hike later in the 

year (it's only acouple of weeks 

away, infact), and Iwas searching 

for afun way tokeep myexercise 

routine going. Walking4Fun is a 

free platform on which you can 

virtually complete some ofthe 

most popular pilgrimages and 

hiking routes in the world. Sign 

up for aroute, wear your smart 

watch throughout the day, and 

in the evenings, fill in how many 

steps and kilometres you covered. 

Walking4Fun tells you exactly 

where you are along the route – 

complete with photos and maps about the distance you 

“covered”. It's an easy way tokeep concrete track of your 

performance and set goals. It's not an app, but it's easy 

enough to bookmark the web page and visit it every day. 

Visit walking4fun.com 

THECANON EOSR5C 

These last couple of months, Canon has caused quite astir amongst 

travel vloggers with the launch ofthe EOS R5C.This camera, with its 

characteristically red shutter-release button, is ahybrid ofthe excellent 

EOS R5(whichmostly h takes still photos) and the Cinema EOS, which 

professionals use to shoot video and TVmaterial. 

Expect this camera tobeincredibly popular 

amongst professional photographers who, 

for example, need to shoot weddings or 

events. .Its core features include its ability 

to shoot full-frame video in 8k, take 

20 photos per second at45megapixels 

and an 

excellent auto focus. 

At time ofgoing to press, this camera 

wasn't 

available inSouth Africa yet, but 

you could pre-order it for about R90 000 

without alense. 

Visit ormsdirect.co.za 

RELIVE 

Want to see avisual representation 

of your hikes? Then you need to 

download the Relive app. Relive 

creates ashort video ofyour hikes, 

and you can upload these videos to 

your social media accounts. You can 

capture the hike bypressing abutton 

in the app, orthe app can get the 

data from your smart watch. The app 

has apremium version, for which you 

pay, but the free version is loads of 

fun too. Download itinapp stores. 

Free forthe normal version, or $7 per 

month forthe premiumversion 

69 

Images: sullpiedand GettyImages/Gallo Images 

THEAA'SCYCLING GEAR 

The AAprotects you –even while you're 

cycling. The range includes bib shorts with 

suspenders, ashort-sleeved jersey, cap and 

socks. Made from materials that offer UV 

protection, the clothes also offer extra 

protection against the sun. 

From about R320 at onlineshop.aa.co.za 


STAND 

OUTFROM 

THECROWD 

Want avehicle thatwillmakepeoplelooktwice?Hereare four 

recent releases thatmakeastatement. BY JULIET MCGUIRE 

We’re spoilt forchoicewhen it comestocarsthese days. 

And whilethere’snothing wrong with successful bestsellers, 

sometimesyou want avehicle that will make 

peoplesit up andtakenotice. I’ve identifiedfourcars 

thatwillturnheads wherever yougo. 

70 


Motoring 

LEXUSLC500 

CONVERTIBLE 

Everynow andthen acar cantake 

your breath away -and the Lexus 

LC 500Convertibledoesexactly 

that.Lexus’design team received a 

dauntingchallenge:createthe world’s 

most beautifulopen-topcar –and 

theynailedit. It wasaconsiderable 

challenge becausethe newmodel 

hadtopreserve the essential styling 

motifs of the award-winningLC500 

coupé. Very fewconvertibles look 

as good with the topupastheydo 

with the topdown, butthe Lexus 

team managed to ensure the LC 500 

Convertible always lookssexy. 

Thiscar is magnetic –you’re drawn 

to it.And customerscan tailor their 

vehicletomatch theirtaste thanks to 

11 exterior colour,interiortrimand roof 

colour combinations.Speakingofthe 

roof:the soft-topcan open and close 

in 15 and16seconds,respectively,at 

speedsofupto50km/h. 

Butwhatmakes this beautiful 

machine even moreuniquecannot 

be seen butheard. A5.0-litre 

naturallyaspirated V8 enginelies 

underthe bonnet andproduces a 

whopping 351kWofpowerand 540 

Nm of torque.Thismeansyou will 

getto100 km/hinjust4.7 seconds. 

The sound of this enginewillturn 

heads.And if you’re notinthe mood 

to blastoffintospace,itcan be 

averycomfortable,everyday 

cruiser.Don’t getmewrong, 

people will stillnoticeyou,and 

LC 500 

Priced at 

R2 345500 

it will stillbeanexhilarating drive, but 

sometimesyou want comfortand 

refinement over performance–and 

the LC 500Convertiblehas it all. 

It’s expensive, butLexus prides 

itself on the fact that therearen’t 

optionalextras –everythingyou 

couldeverwantisalreadyinthe car. 

Andthe opulentcraftmanshipthat 

is synonymouswithLexus delivers 

acabin thatisdriverfocused 

andpremium on everylevel.If 

therewereeveracartohave 

in your fantasygarage, this is it. 

> 

71 


CITROËNC3 

Priced from 

R269900 

CITROËNC3 

Fewbrandsare as quirky as Citroën, 

andthe manufacturer wantsto 

keep it that way. Unlikemostofits 

competitors, thisbrand isn’tinterested 

in pleasingthe masses.Rather,they 

want to offer aproduct that is in no 

waymainstream.Takeone look at the 

C3 andyou canconfidentlysay that 

Citroën hassucceeded in itsquest. 

TheC3isacompact hatchback 

that competes with the Volkswagen 

Polo (the Achilles’heelofevery 

manufacturer), as well as the Ford 

Fiesta andKia Rio, to name buta 

few. What makes it different is its 

design,and the model’s update just 

reinforces itsuniqueness. 

Thefront sees revisedLED 

headlightsand somechrome 

detailinghereand there. Thecar’s 

quirky Airbumps ® andthe rear 

bumper have been tweaked.There 

is an array of customisableoptions, 

such as sixdistinctexterior colours 

that canbejazzedupfurther by 

choosingonyxblack or opal whiteas 

the contrasting roof colour. 

Door handlesthatresemble 

luggagestraps addtothe car’s 

eccentricities.There areeveninverted 

Airbumps ® on the interior panelling. 

Youcan choose from twotrim 

levels: the Feel or the Shine. Itslist 

of standardfeaturesmakes the C3 

standout even more. TheShine hasa 

seven-inchtouchscreeninfotainment 

system with Apple CarPlayand 

Android Auto,autowipers, rearparkingsensorsand 

auto-dimming 

rear-viewmirrors.The infotainment 

system is alittleoutdatedand not 

exactlyuser friendly.Tomakethe 

tiniestadjustmenttothe airflow,you 

have to tapthe screen afew times. It 

canbequite tiresome butmight just 

take somegetting used to.Another 

thing that mightbeabother is the 

stop/start system.It’srather intrusive 

butbyclickingthroughafewscreens, 

it canbeturnedoff. 

There aretwo engines on offer: 

the Feel is poweredbyanaturally 

aspirated1.2-litre enginegivingyou 

60 kW and118 Nm,and it’s matedto 

afive-speed manualtransmission. 

The Shineispoweredbya1.2-litre 

turbopetroland gives youthe extra 

oomphof81kWand 205Nm. It is 

exclusively matedtoasix-speed 

automatictransmission. Thisengine 

mightbeabit unrefinedcompared 

to itsrivals’,but youwantsomething 

uncommon,remember? 

72 


Motoring 

BMWM3 

Priced from 

R1 877388 

73 

BMWM3 

Thiscar stands out. Even nongearheads 

know whataBMW M3 is, 

andwithmanyothermanufacturers 

downsizing andelectrifying, this updated 

model is destined to attract attention. 

Unfortunately,due to itssomewhat 

polarising design,itmight be forthe 

wrongreasons. Butbeauty is in the eye 

of the beholder,and the massive“rabbit 

teeth” grille upfrontmight just be your 

thing. AndIdon’tthink it lookstoo badin 

the metal. 

Itsinterior is as sporty as theycome. 

Thedrivingexperiencetakes toppriority, 

andBMW wantstoensurethatevery 

time youget behind the wheel, it’ll feel 

like you’redriving somethingspecial. 

Onedrawbackwas the optionalbucket 

seatsinmytestcar becausetheymade 

gettinginand outofthe carnoeasy task. 

Andthey’ll setyou back aroundR80 000. 

It's what'sunder the bonnet that will 

make the most noise in acrowd. The 

3.0-litretwin-turbochargedstraightsix 

motorgives you375 kW andawhopping 

650Nm. That’s100 km/h in just 

3.9seconds. 

Thebiggest change in the newM3 

is the transmission.Goneisthe dual 

clutch; in itsplace is atorque converter 

eight-speed automatic.Somedie-hard 

enthusiasts won’tbehappy with this shift 

(see whatIdid there?), butIthink BMW 

hasmadethe M3 amoregrown-up 

version of itsformerself. 

So,itmight have lost someofits 

wildness,but perhaps it will nowappeal 

to abroaderaudience–not exactlywhat 

youwantwhen youwanttobedistinct, 

butIcan almost guaranteeyou that 

people will stop andstare when you 

drive this M3. 

> 


Motoring 

KONA 

Priced from 

R449 900 

74 

HYUNDAIKONA 

Another quirky looker to addtothe 

list.ItfirstarrivedinSouth Africa 

in 2018 andhas nowhad abit of a 

facelift to makeitevenquirkier.Its 

design hasalwaysbeenhate-it-orlove-it, 

butthat’swhatmakes it so 

unique, andperhaps, it’s acar that is 

overlookedfar toooften. 

It sits just abovethe Cretaand 

belowthe Tucson,soitfalls in the 

crossoversegmentthatcompetes 

with Volkswagen T-Roc(another 

greatstandoutcar), the Audi Q2,Mini 

Countrymanand the MazdaCX-30. 

It’s targeted to youngsingles (orthe 

youngatheart) andpossibleempty 

nesterswho don’twanttosettlefor 

bang average. 

This newKonais40mmlonger 

thanthe outgoing model.Itnow has 

alongerbonnet, widergrille design 

andwider LEDdaytime running 

lights.Thereare newwheel designs 

on offer as well. 

Butthe biggest news aboutthe 

latest Kona is that aKona NLineis 

nowavailable. Thissportierversion 

is even moredistinct. It hastwo-tone 

paintoptions, NLinebadgingand 

amoreprominent(some wouldsay 

aggressive) grilleand bumper.Italso 

boastsbodycolour cladding anda 

specificdiamond-cutwheel design. 

Theinteriorisrather sophisticated 

butstill hasits quirks.The new 

consoleisdisconnectedfromthe 

instrumentpanel which gives it a 

spacious look and feel.Standard 

on the NLineisanelectronic 

parkingbrake.New ambientlighting 

illuminatesthe cupholderand 

foot wells, whileanaluminium-like 

finish addsrefinement. The 

NLinefeaturesfullleather seats 

with NLinered piping andstitching 

trimand apush-buttonstart.It’s 

exclusively offered with asafety 

packageasstandardwhich adds 

features such as adaptivecruise 

control, forwardcollision assist, 

lane-keeping assistand lane 

followingassist, blind-spot collision 

assist andsafeexitassist. 

Anew engineisalsoonofferin 

theformofa1.6-litreturbocharged 

petrol enginethatproduces146 kW 

and265 Nm.It’smated to asevenspeed 

dual-clutchtransmission. 

Thereisalsoanaturallyaspirated 

2.0-litrepetrolengineavailable, but 

the NLinecomes exclusively with 

the1.6-litre motor. 

It’s notthe most excitingcar to 

drive, butits eye-catching design is 

itsdrawcard. 

Imagessupplied. Pricescorrect at time of goingtopress. 


Motoring 

Motoringjournalist Juliet McGuire takesthe longawaitedToyota 

CorollaCross foraspin. She also gets 

behind thewheel of an Audi Q5 Sportback,FordRanger 

Raptor,Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Fiat 500. 

FIRST 

IMPRESSIONS 

TOYOTA 

COROLLACROSS 

Idon’t like saying one carismore 

significant than another,but when it 

comestothe newCorolla Cross, there 

is just no denyinghow importantthis 

vehicleisfor Toyota. It feelslikewe 

have been waitingforever foritto 

launch.Well, it wasworth thewait. 

The Corollanameisone of the most 

recognisableinthe motoring world. It 

spans12generationswithmorethan 

50 million salesglobally. It hasbeen 

in SouthAfrica for46years, andmore 

than 1,4million have been sold here. 

Needless to say, it’s very successful. 

Over theyears, the range has 

expanded to make the Corollaeven 

moreaccessible: the Hatchisfor the 

image-conscious,Sedan ownerswant 

performanceand the Questisfor those 

on tighter budgets. Now, we have the 

CorollaCross –the real herothatsitsat 

theverytop of the Corollapyramid. 

It’s in an extremely competitive 

segment–one that’s bursting at the 

seams. From theRenault Duster to 

theHaval Jolion, the Volkswagen 

T-Crosstothe KiaSeltos, thereare 31 

competitors! The Corolla Crosshas its 

work cutout forit, butthe fact that it's a 

Toyota andlocally manufactured might 

give it aleg up on thecompetition. 

There arefive derivatives to choose 

from,including ahybridoffering.The 

entry-levelXimodel starts at R349 900 

andisgenerouslyspecced. Idrove 

thetop of the range XR model,which 

hasall thefeaturesyou mightwant, 

includingApple CarPlay andAndroid 

Auto; front- andrear-parkingsensors 

with areverse camera;aseven-inch, 

multi-info display; sevenairbags; 

Toyota Safety Sense2and adaptive 

cruise control. 

It’s quite spacious inside, trumping 

severalofits closecompetitors. Rear 

legroomisgenerous, andthe bootis 

claimedat440 litres.The engineline-up 

consists of anaturally aspirated1.8-litre 

petrol motororthe hybrid model,which 

comprisesofthissameenginemated 

to an electric motor. You'll have to do 

the sums to seeifthe extraR24 000 for 

the hybrid is worthit. Youwillachieve 

similarfuel consumption levels as you 

wouldinacompetitor with asmaller 

turboengine. Thehybridclaimsfigures 

of around4.3 L/100kmbut youwill 

achieve closer to 6L/100 km. 

Still, what youget with the Corolla 

Crossisaspacious,comfortableand 

reliable family carthatwillnodoubtsell 

in droves! 

> 

75 

MODEL CHOICE 1.8XR 

PRICEDFROM R425 400 

SERVICE PLAN Sixservices/90 000km 

WARRANTY Threeyears/100 000 km

AUDI Q5 SPORTBACK 

76 

Theworld is SUVobsessed.You just 

need to look at whatmanufacturersare 

producingtorealise howmuchpeople 

love SUVs.Theycomeinall shapes and 

sizes. Youmight recall that the standard 

Audi Q3 also came outwithaSportback 

version,which to me makesnosense. 

Whywould youpay morefor whatis 

essentiallythe exactsamecar butless 

practical?Thankfully,the Q5 Sportback is 

notasimpractical as Iwould have thought 

(considering part of the roof hasbeen 

chopped off), butitismoreexpensive! 

Iseemtobealone in my thinking: 

forevery twoQ3’sbought,one is a 

Sportback model.Itmakes sense then 

that Audi wouldwanttodothiswiththe 

Q5.Itwillcompetewiththe likesofthe 

Mercedes-Benz GLECoupé, the BMW 

X4 andperhapseventhe Range Rover 

Evoque.It'sclearly notinapriceclass for 

people with entry-levelsalaries.The Q5 

Sportback is basedonthe updatedQ5, 

butithas aslightlydifferentfront grille 

design.Large airinletsflank theoctagonal 

single frame. Theheadlightsfeature LED 

as standard or matrix LEDtechnology 

as optional. 

In profile,you canreallysee the 

differences,mainlydue to the roof line 

slopeand the third side windowtapering 

sharplytothe rear.The sloped rear 

window andthe seeminglyhigh-mounted 

rear bumpergiveitasportier appearance. 

Butdon’t be fooled into thinking that this 

is aperformance SUV, unless it’s the SQ5 

you’re after. Otherwise,itdrivessimilarly 

to the standard Q5. 

Thereare twoengines on offer in 

the form of a2.0-litre turbocharged, 

four-cylinderpetrolenginewith195 kW 

and370 Nm or adieselversion,which 

produces 140kWand 400Nm. Both 

aremated to aseven-speed S-tronic 

transmission. Standardadaptiveair 

suspension meansthatitfeels as if you 

aredriving on acloud.Itis allverysmooth 

andveryrefined. In fact, everything about 

the Q5 is refined. 

Themoreexcitingengineonoffer, and 

the most expensive, is the SQ5’s3.0-litre 

petrol pot. It gives you260 kW anda 

whopping500 Nm.Itwill getyou to 100 

km/h in just 4.9seconds.Thismakes for 

amoredynamicand funcar,but it comes 

with aheftier pricetag. 

The Sportback Q5 is aroundR100000 

morethan the standard model.So, as 

muchasit’salovely carall-round, Ijust 

don’t seethe pointinpayingsomuch 

morefor justafew stylingtweaks. 

MODEL CHOICE Q5 SportbackSQ5 

TFSI quattro 

PRICEDFROM R1 355 000 

SERVICE/WARRANTYPLAN Fiveyear 

Audi Freeway Plan 


Motoring 

FORD RANGER RAPTOR SE 

It’s the ultimate bakkie! The Ford Ranger 

Raptor first came to marketin2019. It was 

specialbecauseitwas capableoff- and 

on-road andhad aperformanceedge 

to boot. Irecentlytookalimited-edition 

Raptor to the Tankwa Karoo andreallyput 

it through itspaces. 

Firstthingsfirst: formany, bakkies 

have become leisurecars.These once 

industrial vehicles nowneed to match 

andcompetewithSUVs. Thankfully,most 

leisure bakkies have managed to do this, 

andthe Raptor SE is no different.Iwould 

go as farastosay that it wasone of the 

smoothest andmostcomfortabledrivesI 

have had in abakkieinsome time –even 

while driving on thelongestdirtroadin 

SouthAfrica. The terrainwas anything but 

smooth,but thisvehicle felt like it could 

take on anything.And it did. 

What differentiatesthe limitededition 

from thestandardRaptorisonlysome 

cosmetic details. It comesinfour 

colours: ConquerGrey, FrozenWhite, 

PerformanceBlueand AgateBlack.It 

adds twin matteblack racingstripes, 

edgedwithred contrastlines,tothe 

bonnet,roof, lower-bodysides,rear wings 

andtailgate. The fronttow hooksare 

finished in red. Theflared wheelarches, 

frontand rear bumpers, doorhandles 

andsignature Ford-embossedgrille 

have amatte blackfinish.Alsonew is the 

integrated blacksportshoopderived 

from theRanger Wildtrak. 

Andithas thenow standard,lockable 

Mountain Topblack roller shutter (asseen 

on the Ranger Thunder),soyou canstore 

itemsinthe back safely. 

The interior sees minor tweakssuch 

as redstitching forthe steering wheel, 

seatsand door cardswhichreplace 

the blue stitchingusedonthe normal 

Ranger Raptor. 

Theinstrumentpanel is nowinspecial 

edition-only RacewayGreyand the seats 

aretrimmed in technicalsuede. 

Theengineremainsthe familiar 2.0-litre 

bi-turbodieselenginethatproduces157 

kW and500 Nm.Itismated exclusively 

to a10-speed automatictransmission.It 

is refined andpower deliveryissmooth, 

even if youwantabit moreoomph. 

The Ford Ranger has another feather 

in itscap.Itwas the winner in itssegment 

in the annual AA Spare Parts Pricing 

Guide. Thisspecific Raptor wasn't the one 

featuredinthe report,but youcan expect 

the costofits spareparts to compare 

favourably to that of itscompetitors. 

Without question,the Raptor is avery 

capablevehicle.Going up the side of a 

mountain,traversing sharprocks,flying 

alonggravelroads or cruising on open 

roads,the Raptor SE is abakkie-lovers 

dream.But do youwanttospend extraon 

what areessentiallystyling tweaks. The 

standard Ranger,which aboutR45 000 

cheaper,shouldsuffice. 

> 

> 

MODEL CHOICE Ranger Raptor SE 


SERVICE PLAN Sixyears/90000 km 

WARRANTY Four years/120 000 km 

77

TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID 

Whenyou thinkofahybridvehicle, 

chancesare the Toyota Priuscomes to 

mind.Toyotadebutedthe revolutionary 

powertrain technology in 1997,and 

while the Priusremains the posterchild 

forhybrid, Toyota hascontinuedtodo 

what it cantoget customersintothese 

eco-friendlier cars.Not with much 

success, unfortunately. 

ButToyotaisnot abouttogiveup 

withoutafight, andtheyhaveintroduced 

ahybridmodel to itsever-popularRAV4 

range.Weare stillalongway off before 

electric vehicles become the norm in 

SouthAfrica, andhybrids mightbeour 

only option rightnow,but will this model 

attract morecustomers? 

This hybrid model is basedonthe fifth 

generation RAV4 andcomes 

in the GX trim level, which 

meansit’sthe middle of the 

line-upinterms of spec.Itsits 

just abovethe 2.0GXmodel 

andbelow the range-topping 

2.0VXtrim. Thatmeansyou 

canexpectcloth upholstery, 

LEDhead- andtaillamps, rainsensing 

wipers, heated and 

power-operated side mirrors, 

keylessentry,dual-zone 

climatecontrol, cruisecontrol 

andatouchscreenwithApple CarPlay 

andAndroid Auto.Ithas severaldriver 

supportsystems as well, such as park 

distance control, ABS, EBD, VSC, trailer 

sway control(TSC),hillassistcontrol 

(HAC)and drivemodeselect(eco/ 

normal/power). 

It mightbemid-range in spec,but 

it is the mostpowerful RAV4 youcan 

drive.Ithas anaturally aspirated 2.5-litre 

petrol enginethatismated to an electric 

motorfor atotal outputof160 kW.The 

petrol engineproduces 221Nm, andthis 

is supplementedby202 Nm from the 

electric motor. Powerdeliveryisalmost 

instantand remainssmooththroughout 

the drive.It’sapleasure to drive and 

thetransition from electric to petrol 

almost goes unnoticed.The CVTisalso 

impressive, feelingmorelikearegular 

automatic, whichisnot something 

that canusually be said forthistype 

of transmission. 

Theclaimed figureis4.7 L/100km, 

butIwas sittingcloser to 6L/100 km. 

Giventhatthe hybrid model is almost 

R50000 moreexpensive than the 

standard GX model,you'llhavetoask 

yourself if it's worthitinterms of rands 

andcents. 

Thenagain,can youput aprice on the 

environment?Currently, hybridsare still 

relatively expensive(this will hopefully 

change in future),but if youcan affordit, 

andyou care aboutthe planet,it'sworth 

theextra cost. 

78 

MODEL CHOICE GX Hybrid CVT 


SERVICEPLAN Sixservices/90 000km 

WARRANTY Three-year/100 000 km warranty 

and eight-year/19500battery warranty 


Motoring 

FIAT 500 

Images: Supplied. Pricescorrect at timeofgoing to press. 

TheFiat500 mustbethe most 

affordableicononthe market. Since 

the second generation arrivedinSouth 

Africa in 2007,morethanthree million 

have been sold globally.And it seems 

as if alarge chunk of that threemillion 

wassoldlocally becausethere'saFiat 

500onjustabout everystreetcorner. 

We have been waitingalongtimefor 

an update,soIamhappytoreportthat 

the latest model is here. It mightnot be 

the latest generation (anelectricmodel 

that’s only availableoverseas),sowewill 

just have to enjoythisfaceliftedversion. 

Thisupdated version comeswith 

newtrim levels, newcolours and 

newinteriors.The trimlevelsare the 

Cult, Connect, Dolcevitaand Sport, 

notforgettingthe even moreiconic 

cabrioletversion,the 500C.The Cult 

is the entry-levelmodel with14-inch 

steelwheels, afive-inch infotainment 

screen andmanualair conditioning. 

TheConnectadds bigger wheels,afew 

bodyextras such as rear spoiler, amultifunction 

steering wheel andabigger 

touchscreenatseven inches, which 

boastsApple CarPlay andAndroid Auto. 

TheDolcevitamodel addsaglass roof, 

16-inch alloys andleather detailsonthe 

seats. The Sport adds some sporty body 

kit, automaticair conditioningand sporty 

interior trim. 

Ispent time in the Sport model,and 

it's clear that this carisideal forbeginner 

drivers.The dimensionsare perfectfor 

narrow city streetsand parkinggarages. 

Andit'sanippy little thing. It will also be 

perfect forempty nesters. Butit'snot a 

carfor peoplewithkids–there'snoway 

youcould fit everyone andeverything. 

If youare setonowning aFiat500 and 

MODEL CHOICE DolcevitaCabriolet0.9L 


SERVICEPLAN Notincluded 

WARRANTY Five years/100 000 km 

youhave kids, your partner will need 

to drive somethingmuchbigger.The 

bootonthe Fiat 500isclaimed at just 

188-litres.Thatisenough forabout three 

grocery bags (ifthat!). 

As nippyasitis, it’s notthe most 

powerful carout there.It’spoweredby 

a0.9-litre two-cylinderturbocharged 

petrol engineproducing just62.5kW 

of powerand 145Nmoftorque.Itis, 

however, tiny,soitdoesn’t requiremuch 

powertopush it.But the engineisquite 

loud andintrudes into the cabin. It can 

be matedtoeither amanual gearbox or 

amanualtransmission automatic (MTA), 

which allows forthe convenienceand 

comfortoftwo-pedal motoring. 

Allthe Fiat 500s nowhaveseven 

airbags (two in frontfor thedriverand 

the passenger,two on thesides,two 

at the windowsand oneinthe driver's 

footwell), which is impressive forthis 

segment. It also hasABS,electronic 

stability controland hill assist. 

Ilikehow the cabrioletmodel 

addstothe Fiat 500'sfun and quirky 

character,but theSport or Dolcevita 

modelsare also excellentoptions 

to consider. 

79 


Blockbusters 

CROSSWORD 98 

Get by 

Liver 

spread 

Take the 

...into 

your own 

hands 

Nought 

Direct the 

course 

Pilfering 

Waterfalls 

close to 

Sabie 

(3-3) 

Clan's 

symbol 

Part of a 

tennis 

game 

Extended 

journey 

Beginning 

Menagerie 

Geological 

period 

Seep 

Curve 

Devoured 

Make 

laugh 

Small 

weight 

Soak 

(food) 

Verbal 

Make a 

mistake 

Get the 

most 

out of 

Providing 

Secondhand 

Appear 

Italian 

desert 

Not you 

Metallic 

elements 

Males 

Linen 

vestment 

Irritate 

Acolour 

Ready, 

steady, 

... 

Titleholder 

Ashort 

greeting 

Seed 

United 

States 

(abbr) 

Regarding 

Belfry 

sound 

For 

example 

Shiny 

Flog 

Superb 

Rooibos, 

eg 

Kind 

Cattle 

breed 

Notion 

Portion 

of bread 

Sultry 

An article 

Briefly 

80 

Stalks 

Hectare 

(symbol) 

Nabucco 

and 

Carmen, 

eg 

Indefinite 

article 

Clump 

Scallions 

Cut 

Frozen 

water 

Moist 

Oil source 

Falls 

heavily 

City in 

Italy 

Rushing 

sound 

Ripped 

Above 

Church 

songs 

Apig's 

home 

Twosome 

Primarily 

Snack 

"I see!" 

... 

and fro 

Skill 

Sidewalk 

restaurants 

Generosity 

Flatscreen, 

eg 

Astrology 

sign 

Personal 

assistant 

(abbr) 

Lift 

Belongs to 

amale 


Puzzles 

WHEREAMI? 

QUIZ 

1. Closetowhich 

battlefieldsiteinthe 

NorthernCapewill 

youfindthisstriking 

obelisk? 

2. In whichAmerican 

city will youcome 

across theSpace 

Needle? 

SUDOKU Easy 

6 1 4 7 5 9 

8 1 2 5 

4 9 1 

5 2 7 6 

7 3 

7 2 9 1 

9 4 7 

4 3 7 5 

7 8 6 2 4 1 

SUDOKU Hard 

Images: GerdaEngelbrechtand GettyImages/ GalloImages 

3. Which metropolis is hometothe EvolutionTower? 

Crossword97 

F B A S U 

G R O A N S E X A M S 

E R I N T H 

B E T C A R S E L F 

O R Y E S A R E S 

J U N T A E I G N O R A N T 

N E E D S P R A G M A T I C 

H A L I B I P A D P 

L E S S E N S R A I L M 

A M S T E T H O S C O P E 

F R I L L O N E C H A P E L 

D R A I N S R K T W E 

T O K Y O T U N G S T E N E 

F S N E E R E D E O F 

B E E S P A R O L E 

T O T T S A R N O 

N E T A L S O A N 

S Y R I N G E R U T 

Answers: Magersfontein, Seattle, Moscow 

Crossword98 

P L Z S S 

M A N A G E T O T E M 

T W R E E R A 

S E T O O Z E A R C 

O P O R A L M U 

A M U S E O T I R A M I S U 

I R O N S M E N C A F E S 

L P E E V E G O X D 

A L B R E S W H I P H 

I L K M A G N A N I M I T Y 

N G U N I S L I C E I T E M 

R E E D S O P E R A S A N 

H A L E E K S W E T S 

M I L A N S W I S H U P 

S T Y C H I E F L Y 

D U O M E A L T O 

A R T L E O P A 

E L E V A T E H I S 

5 4 7 

7 6 1 3 4 

3 9 5 

9 

3 7 2 1 

9 

8 1 3 

4 6 2 1 5 

2 9 4 

5 8 1 2 4 6 7 9 3 

9 7 6 1 5 3 4 8 2 

2 4 3 9 8 7 5 6 1 

8 2 5 7 1 4 9 3 6 

4 3 7 8 6 9 2 1 5 

1 6 9 3 2 5 8 4 7 

6 5 8 4 7 1 3 2 9 

7 9 4 6 3 2 1 5 8 

3 1 2 5 9 8 6 7 4 

sudoku 

hard 

2 6 1 4 7 5 9 8 3 

8 9 3 1 2 6 5 7 4 

4 7 5 3 9 8 1 6 2 

5 3 8 2 1 4 7 9 6 

9 1 6 7 5 3 2 4 8 

7 4 2 6 8 9 3 5 1 

6 2 9 5 4 1 8 3 7 

1 8 4 9 3 7 6 2 5 

3 5 7 8 6 2 4 1 9 

sudoku 

easy 

81 


Thelastword 

WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO 

BY SOPHIA VANTAAK 

82 

Wetravelto 

experience 

things we 

don’t at 

home.To 

seedifferent 

types of scenery, to hear newmusic, 

to talk to peoplewho soundand 

thinkdifferently from us andtolive 

likethemfor awhile.But howfar 

areyou willing to go to trulyfollow 

the“when in Rome” approach when 

travelling?Ten years ago, Ihad to ask 

myself this oneafternoon in frontof 

agroup of strangers staringatmeon 

asmall Madagascan island. 

Accompanying me on this work 

assignmentwas acolleague,the 

photographer Samantha Reinders 

(alsoanAA Traveller contributor). 

Over theyears,we’ve coveredmany 

storiestogether andexperienced 

things that taught me to approach 

each journeywithlow expectations 

andanopenmind. 

This time,however,wemadethe 

mistake of thinking it wouldbe 

different. It mightevenbeluxurious! 

An idyllic, week-longboatcruise 

around theperipheral islandsnorth 

of Madagascar soundedmorelikea 

holidaythanawork assignment! 

We spentthe firstnight in asmall, 

questionable hotelinthe middle of 

Hell-Ville(could we have askedfor 

aclearer omen?),wherethe skipper 

of thehouseboat wouldpickusup 

thenextmorning. Thesmall hotel 

room wasstiflinghot,but we didn’t 

dare open awindow, becauseoutside 

somethingstunk to high heaven. 

Privacywas also scarce becausethe 

“shoilet”wasn’tpartitioned off. When 

oneofuswantedtouse the, uhm, 

facilities, theother had tostand in 

thepassageoutside. 

At daybreak, we gotout of 

thereand thegross smells from 

thepreviousnight suddenly took 

shape: next to thehotel therewas a 

market wherechunksofmeatwere 

chopped up,livingcrabs wrestled in 

bucketsfullofmud,dried shrimp and 

overripe bananas hung in bunches 

andthings unknownwerebeing 

cookedand sold. 

ArustedPeugeot stopped in front 

of us,and thedriverintroduced 

himselfasMohamed, theship’s 

captain. We could waitinthe car; he 

just needed to quicklyreplenishour 

food supplyatthe market … 

The“houseboat” had onefoam 

mattress withoutany bedding. In the 

head,you had tosuspend yourself 

over ahole, throughwhich the 

seawater splashed yourbehind. And 

thegalleyhad neverseenalickof 

soap.Itwas awful! ButMohamed and 

his crew of twomadesomuchofour 

stay andeven broughtalarge jarof 

Nutella (itmusthavecostafortune) 

forthe guests. 

So,let’s notbeupstairs–it’s 

howpeopleherelive, andwefell 

in step.Moreover, thecoral reefs 

wherewesnorkelleddaily were alive 

with turtles, andthe lemurs and 

chameleons on theislands were too 

cute.But what should have been a 

delightful adventuresoondevolved 

into unforgettableexperience. After 

afew days at sea, thebag of market 

meat andbucketofmud crabswere 

arealhealthhazard, andSam andI 

tried, unskilfullybut determined, to 

catchfresh fish.Later,weput Nutella 

on everythingjusttomaskthe taste 

of old cookingoil andfishskins.In 

theevenings,wechose to rather sleep 

on anearbybeach andsoonwewere 

covered in bulgingbug bites. 

Wherever we docked, therewas no 

mention of abathroom, andthe water 

from theislands’water pits wasso 

muddy, no onecould wash with it.In 

thetropicalsun,all ourshirtsshowed 

white, saltystains. Butevery time 

Mohamedwentashore, we tagged 

alongbecause we couldn’tfacethe 

boat’s smallWC. 

By dayfour, Icouldn’thold it any 

SOPHIA VANTAAK 

is journalist for 

Weg/go! 

 

-- .- 

--=- r-sr-' 

7- 

 

-- 

longer, andwhen Itookthe shovel 

andsneaked into themangroveforest, 

Mohamed called afterme, “No! It’s 

fady!”.It’swhat? “Taboo,” he explained 

andmotioned towardsthe remainsof 

awoodentemplebetween thepalm 

trees. “You cannot make toilet here! 

It’s asacred place.” 

If nothere, where? We’llset sail 

againsoon, andIcan’t go on theboat! 

Mohamedsaw that Iwas beyond 

my breaking point. He putdown 

thewater bucketsand took me 

to theclosest clusterofhuts. The 

inhabitantsgawkedatthis foreigner 

andher shovel,and some started 

followingus. In aclearingonthe 

other side of thehuts, abunch of 

locals were sittingsociablytogether, 

each shamelessdoing theirbusiness. 

“Here,”Mohamed announced. “Now 

you make toilet.” 

Thesmall group stared at me. 

Ilookedthe manclosesttomein 

theeye, andIsquatted. 

Illustrations:Lynne Fraser 


PROTECT THE ONES 

YOU LOVE AT THE 

TOUCH OF ABUTTON 

BE SAFE. WHEREVER YOU ARE 

Access the AA Rescue Me product suite, including 

personal armed response and emergency roadside 

and medical assistance, anywhere in the country, 24 

hours aday. R25 per month for AA members and R15 

for each additional dependant (to amaximum of 3).

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