Sewing The Seeds Of A New Life

Yearning for a life that’s closer to nature? Be inspired by three women who took steps to create a calmer, more peaceful lifestyle

RACHEL MONCRIEFF-ROBINSON, 46, works as a freelance content creator, and lives with her friend Bronwen, 56, and Bronwen’s father William, 92, in Constantia.

“A morning stroll through my veggie garden, feeding my chickens and enjoying the first rays of sunshine, is the best way to start the day before settling down in front of my laptop to get on with the day’s deadlines. After two decades of living in Cape Town, I’ve managed to cultivate a part of my childhood farm life in the middle of suburbia. I grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe, which meant my childhood was spent in wide-open spaces where the wind whispered through the grass. Days involved accompanying my father to the fields of tobacco and maize, poking about in my mother’s vegetable garden, watching cows being milked and butter made, and enjoying family meals around the table on our verandah.

However, like many other children raised on a farm, I hankered after a life in the big city and constantly dreamt of the glamour and excitement those streets ​would hold. So after school, I went off to live in England for two years, then moved to Cape Town at 23 to start a new life, as I felt my prospects were limited in Zimbabwe after being in the bright lights of London. One thing led to another, and after working for a well-known travel magazine, I decided to branch out on my own. However, non-corporate life has its ups and downs, and I found myself looking for a more affordable place to live while I found my feet as a freelancer.