go! Platteland

The slow life is the good life: go! Platteland celebrates the rural lifestyle and the entrepreneurial spirit of people whose hearts are in the platteland – whether they grew up in the countryside or are already based there, are contemplating making the move or simply hankering after the rural life. Platteland offers articles that focus on entrepreneurs, DIY projects, animals, gardening, food, towns and people. It is both practical and inspiring – as much of a visual feast as it is a celebration of great writing.

Our country and its beautiful people

go! Platteland

Chitchat

News & diary • Beautiful, delicious things are in abundance this summer holiday. Brighten your festive table with colourful napkins and innovative cocktails, visit a dog museum (a world first!) and explore the festivals, workshops and Christmas markets of the platteland.

A museum for your best friend

TheWest Coast in your living room

Toast South Africa’s Best Young Sommelier

Sweet treats in a bottle

Dates to diarise*

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Let’s go to town • Our quest for novel, beautiful summer buys took us to Cape Town, Darling, Durban, Johannesburg, Kroonstad, Laingsburg, Middelpos, Napier, Pretoria, Simondium, Stellenbosch, Sutherland and White River.

A diamond in the rough • The once busy crayfish-and-fish factory in Lambert’s Bay has not seen any seafood for a long time. For the past 30 years, it’s been processing potatoes from Sandveld. These days, the waves, quiet sandy beaches, sea birds and springtime floral spectacle are what attract increasing numbers of holidaymakers and retirees to the area.

Meet the people

Eat, drink, be happy!

Now this is FOOD! • Vegetable soup with homemade bread followed by slow-roasted leg of lamb, chicken pie and bobotie, served with glazed carrots, beans, potatoes and yellow rice, and finished off with malva or lemon pudding. All this awaits you at Karoo Kombuis in Prince Albert, as it has done for the past 26 years!

Slow and steady wins the race • Since 2008 Nick and Nicole Nyalungu have moved no fewer than six times. Their children, Afrika and Kenya, were the inspiration behind the idea of finding a permanent place to call home, and today, that place is Shiyalongubo Dam in the Makhonjwa Mountains, where they are building an earthbag house and setting up shop for their business.

The long road to the mountain

A barefoot quest • The Dangerous Darkies’ U9 barefoot soccer team has brought two communities of Graaff-Reinet – those in the suburbs and those of uMasizakhe township – a little closer together. It is often through small steps that great strides are made.

The sweet taste of success • Darling Sweet celebrated its 10th birthday in July. Since moving to Evita se Perron in October, they’ve made and packed a ton of sweets every week and, together with Swartland Kitchen, which bakes rusks and biscuits, they employ a total of 38 people. It’s a true platteland success story.

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Relax… this is Van Zylsrus • Van Zylsrus is a merciless desertscape where drought and suffering are a way of life. Willem van der Berg knows, as he has a pitiful history with this place. But, during a recent visit, he came to learn that the people of the Kalahari will not hesitate to share what they have. Love and care carry them through.

Meet the people

Eat, drink, be merry!

The Owls of Langebaan • For the past seven years, a pair of Cape eagle owls has been returning to the same garden of a Langebaan home to nest. Since 2018, 18 owlets have been raised here (not counting the three that hatched in August this year). We spoke to homeowner Alta Drake Vrey about life with owls.

The Owl Orphanage

Let’s go to the garden...