go! Platteland - Spring 2022

In this issue

We explore Vanderkloof, a peaceful Karoo town tucked away among koppies on the shore of South Africa’s second-largest dam. Alan Duggan went
looking for people with an affinity for flowing water, and came away with
a plan for the rest of his life. The beauty of the Tankwa Karoo, captured by Adriaan Oosthuizen.

Get away from it all in Vanderkloof

Lying among koppies on the shore of South Africa's second-largest dam is Vanderkloof, an oasis in the Upper Karoo. There seems to be consensus that you won't find a town anywhere else in the country as peaceful and safe as this one.

7 mins

Sisters of the soil

Two years ago, nine small-scale flower farmers across the country found one other on Instagram and created a support network called Hort Couture Flower Collective. Who would have thought a flourishing new venture would sprout and bloom from the hardship of the hard lockdown?

10+ mins

Kameel... Where is that, exactly?

There are many small towns and villages in South Africa that you've probably never visited but their names will ring a bell. Then there's a hamlet like Kameel, with 49 silos and 27 residents...

6 mins

A river runs through it

Some of the most desirable - and correspondingly expensive - real estate in the world is located beside rivers, and South Africa is no exception. Alan Duggan went looking for people with an affinity for flowing water... and came away with a plan for the rest of his life.

10+ mins

The Velddrif hustle - Boats, bazaars and bokkoms

Since Rob and Maria Kirsten picked unassuming Velddrif on the West Coast as their new home 17 years ago, they've built their own house and established a number of successful businesses.

9 mins

Postcards from the Tankwa

The R355 between Ceres and Calvinia is the longest stretch of gravel road between two towns in South Africa. And if you find yourself on this route, you're in the Tankwa Karoo. From the road, the surrounding plains seem lifeless and dull, but when you stop your car, sit quietly and breathe in the atmosphere, you realise there might just be much waiting to be discovered here.

7 mins

Cents and sensibility - Is growing your own veg worth it?

In this fast-paced world where we expect everything to be convenient and cheap, a kitchen garden is a beautiful but unattainable dream for most people. With the economy in its current state, one might justifiably wonder: isn't it more affordable simply to buy your vegetables at a grocery store?

6 mins

Let's braai!

Celebrate Heritage Day on 24 September with this braai menu, which Platteland put together from Martelize Brink's recently published second cookbook, Oor die Kole.

10+ mins

Spring on a stick

Expand your braai repertoire by serving a side dish of flavourful spring-vegetable kebabs cooked to perfection over the coals.

1 min

A puzzle of nostalgia

Ride a fat bike through the town where you grew up - an abiding landmark in your life - and behold the picture that reveals itself.

5 mins

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go! Platteland Magazine Description:

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.