Between a rock and a hard place
Home South Africa|January 2020
Undeterred by a remote location with rough terrain and no electricity, a couple built an eco home below an overhang in the Gifberg mountains where they can ‘unplug’ and unwind.
Marian van Wyk
Between a rock and a hard place

Tucked away in a remote location with pristine scenery, an enduring silence and no cell phone reception or electricity – this is what Johan and Anette du Preez envisioned when they started searching for a holiday home. The couple were lucky enough to find what they were looking for in the Gifberg mountains north of the Cederberg.

But the roads in the area were terrible and one builder after another told them their project was “impossible” as the building site could only be reached by four-wheel drive vehicles. Six years later, their dream became a reality and their home now sits below a rocky overhang. Once you’ve turned off the N7 on the other side of Klawer, the last leg has to be driven in low range.

Johan, a professor of electrical engineering at Stellenbosch University, collected the Home team from Klawer in his bakkie; just when we began to wonder how the builders managed to transport materials, Johan pointed out a spot near a drift where everything was transferred to a tractor and trailer for the last leg.

Johan and two friends purchased a 50% stake in this 2 700ha working rooibos farm in 2014. The spot in which he and Anette wanted to build their house had only a basic structure with a sand floor, an overhanging rock as the walls, a roof held up by treated poles and three rooms (see photos on page 29).

The terrain was perfect for building something more permanent, but Johan first wanted to experience all the seasons and weather conditions. “For the first two years, we camped around and under that old structure,” he says. Only then did they start planning their weekend home.

The planning stages

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Home South Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Home South Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HOME SOUTH AFRICAView All
Pestilence Domestica
Home South Africa

Pestilence Domestica

We usually call them dirty, dangerous and utterly gross. But what if we looked at domestic pests through a different lens, asks Karin Brynard.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Quick as a flash!
Home South Africa

Quick as a flash!

These 15 dinners can be whipped up in a jiffy - before the power goes out!

time-read
10+ mins  |
May/June 2023
The gift that keeps on giving
Home South Africa

The gift that keeps on giving

By taking cuttings and dividing existing plants and those from friends, Anne Turner and her son David have created a stunning garden that takes on a whole new personality as the seasons change.

time-read
6 mins  |
May/June 2023
Upcycle it!
Home South Africa

Upcycle it!

Tuis Home food editor Johané Neilson and her husband Allister revamped a second-hand melamine wall unit to create a bespoke wall-to-wall display cabinet, for less than R3 500!

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Little house in the forest
Home South Africa

Little house in the forest

Thanks to her capable father, Neilke Pretorius and her partner enjoy an idyllic lifestyle in a custom-made home hidden in the trees.

time-read
4 mins  |
May/June 2023
Living large, inside and out
Home South Africa

Living large, inside and out

South Africans love a space where indoors and outdoors come together.

time-read
8 mins  |
May/June 2023
Modern CLASSIC
Home South Africa

Modern CLASSIC

With authenticity as a guiding design principle, a young family has created their happy space in a 105-year-old house in the heart of vibrant Sea Point.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Peace & quiet...
Home South Africa

Peace & quiet...

A cinematographer and a set designer found the perfect bolt-hole in the Eastern Cape Karoo where they can truly relax and unwind.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
ART AND SOUL
Home South Africa

ART AND SOUL

Five years ago, the Krugers transformed a tired city bungalow into a unique and modern family home.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Group therapy
Home South Africa

Group therapy

Add impact and create rhythm using repetition and collections, as these Home readers have done.

time-read
1 min  |
May/June 2023