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DINING WITH THE ANTI-BOOMERS EXPERIENCE

azyfoodtre
#cr nds

In Through the Looking-Glass, Alice crossed into a bizarre backwards world on the
other side of a mirror. Lewis Carroll’s 19th-century children’s story describes a place

in which nothing is as it was or how his heroine expects it to be.
And so it is with the taste trends of 2020. Apparently toxic is the new healthy. Bitter is
better than sweet. Happy hour is non-alcoholic. And fake news has found its way into

food fashion

kulula.com APRIL 2020 49

I n January, The New of Food and Wine in the KwaZulu-Natal In 2020,
York Times made Midlands, the stars of this season’s high bitterness
this prediction: ‘Blue, tea menu are indigenous, dark blue will be
specifically indigo, will umsoba berries which fill the centre of finding its
colour food in 2020.’ How can delicious doughnuts. way into the
this be? Historically humans zeitgeist
have had an almost universal, Don’t get too attached to those sweet
cross-cultural aversion to doughnut delights, though, because Pillay’s Kerala bitter gourd achar sets off
blue food and drink which CatchOn’s 2020 Future of Food report sweet notes in his superb crab curry. That’s
has been widely associated predicts that: ‘Bitterness is about to steal nothing to do with a prediction of trending
with toxins and decay. And yet, the spotlight from sweet. The past decade’s tastes, though; that’s simply traditional
interviews with the Millennial and trends promoting foraging and seasonal flavour in an ageless dish.
Generation Z foodie fashionistas dining have resulted in an increasing
reveal that they think of blue as the appreciation for flavour profiles beyond Need something to wash down the
colour of superfoods or icy sports drinks. the standard sweet and salty. In 2020, curry’s tingling tastes? Make it a Shirley
What was once perceived as poison is now bitterness will be finding its way into the Temple. Hospitality forecasters Baum
the hue of health. zeitgeist as chefs continue to explore the + Whiteman’s annual food trend report has
potential of underrated ingredients and
The anti-Boomers aren’t entirely wrong, diners demand flavour profiles that fall
either. Blue fruits and vegetables contain outside their comfort zone.’
anthocyanins – which have been shown
to have antioxidant properties in vitro At Tshwane’s Fermier restaurant
and some of these foods benefit brain (fermierrestaurant.com) the dessert
function and heart health and lower risk menu’s ode to bitterness includes a
of high blood pressure and cancer. The melange of dark chocolate, liquorice, burnt
aforementioned Big Apple broadsheet butter and coffee grounds. Meanwhile, at
recently raved that, ‘This year, blue tinged Durban’s Jeera restaurant, chef Kevindren
butterfly pea powder tea will be the
new matcha!’

Want to consume this controversial
colour? You probably already have. The
butterfly pea is native to southern Africa
and Six Dogs Distillery has been infusing it
into their indigo-coloured Karoo gin, Blue,
for several years.

Believe it or not, most carrots farmed
before the 17th century were a bluish-
purple shade. At the Saxon Hotel’s Qunu
restaurant in Joburg, chef Jane-Therese
Mulry’s vibrant vegan menu includes
a rainbow of heritage carrots (including blue
ones) with carrot bacon, pearl barley and
apple purée. At the Jackie Cameron School

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DINING WITH THE ANTI-BOOMERS EXPERIENCE

an eye-catching but terrifying headline: Critics of such curious combos argue A BBC investigation recently found
‘Why millennials are killing your cocktail!’ that the aforementioned hybrid foods numerous companies offering to artificially
They argue that in 2020, liquid refreshment often disrespect and disregard the cultural boost the popularity of hashtags in
is not strictly non-alcoholic but rather essence of the original culinary genres order to make them trend on Twitter – in
‘sober-curious’, which is a trend we wrote involved. They are almost always awful but contravention of the social media network’s
about extensively last year. Mindful occasionally one finds a chef with sufficient rules. No cash or contacts for a bot? DIY
drinking is emerging as a viable alternative, sensitivity and skill to preside over a non- sock puppeting (the creation of an online
thanks in part to the growing availability of traditional marriage made in heaven. At false identity used for the purpose of
low alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. Some chef Peter Tempelhoff’s FYN in Cape Town, deception) is super simple. And seems to
of them even taste like the real deal. So for example, Japanese sensibilities meet work well. In late 2018, Oobah Butler,
much so that zero-alcohol gins, cocktails, South Africa’s indigenous fynbos vegetation a London-based reporter at Vice, decided
beers, wines and even whisky are this and traditional cooking techniques. The to test the manipulability of internet
season’s cool drinks for hot people. restaurant’s kaiseki tray includes wasabi oil restaurant referral systems. He created
drizzled edamame with Cape succulents, a fake eatery, which he called The Shed
Stephen Hickmore, the man behind idombolo dumplings and bone marrow coal. at Dulwich because he was living in an
Joburg’s So-Bar (an alcohol-free mobile actual garden outhouse at the time. He
bar service) says he lives his motto, which The year is still young but surely the photographed pretty plates of fancy faux
is, ‘Party like there is a tomorrow.’ He says award for the most truly, madly, deeply ‘food’ which he created using inedible
that, ‘some of us want to have fun without jumbled fusion food must go to Chanah’s household products such as shaving
the consequences of a hangover, the regret Deli in Fairmount, Joburg. On offer there cream and dishwasher tablets. He then
and embarrassing dance moves’. is Beth Din-certified kosher West African bought a burner phone and added The
meets Middle Eastern cuisine. Whatever Shed to TripAdvisor. Within a few months,
Whether a hibiscus kombucha tea-tail else it is, no-one could accuse an Israeli- he and his friends had posted enough fake
will be able to take the edge off a day of Nigerian melange of being boring. reviews that his non-existent hot spot was
conference calls and annoying emails as the highest-rated ‘restaurant’ in the city.
effectively as a stiff gin and tonic has yet to If none of the abovementioned trends Butler was inundated with calls from foodie
be seen, but there is no harm in trying… appeal, why not start a trend of your own? fashionistas trying to reserve
a table at the trendiest restaurant in town.
Perhaps it is the lack of booze that is
causing customers to seek silliness on Which leads us back to poor confused
plates. According to Technomic’s Flavor Alice. Her earlier adventures in Wonderland
Consumer Trend Report, ‘Consumers, included an exhausting and unwinnable
specifically Millennials and Gen Z, get bored riddle contest with the March Hare. The
incredibly easily these days. They are
always looking for new and different pair debated whether the phrase ‘I
flavours and taste sensations. see what I eat’ was the same as ‘I
Consumers seem to have tried eat what I see’. When it comes to
everything “normal” that is out food fashion in 2020, the question
there to try. This means that, in order we all have to ask ourselves is do
to appease boredom with traditional we tweet what we eat or eat what
cuisine, more restaurants are beginning we tweet and post? Knowing the
to offer cross-cultural fusions. In difference might just save us from
2020, expect to see lots of unique begging for bookings at non-
fusion cuisine. This includes French- existent restaurants in an attempt
Scandinavian and even to eat soap.
Chinese-Peruvian…’

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EXPERIENCE DINING WITH THE ANTI-BOOMERS

TRENDSETTING HEY, Words: Anna Trapido, Additional words: Keith Bain, Pictures:master1305/istock.com, LoulouVonGlup/istock.com, Picture Store/istock.com, Supplied
BEYOND THE CHEESE PUMPKINHEAD!

A major food calendar annual highlight that’s been cancelled is No starch, no gelatine, no stabilisers,
The South African Cheese Festival. Apart from dairy and wine, no preservatives and no chemicals.
Everything from Bolgari is real, pure
it’s usually where many new food and drink products can be and natural, and made by hand using
sampled. Here are a few vendors that were due to put in an traditional recipes that a third-generation
cheesemaker named Zhana brought with
appearance – we recommend you find them online and her from her Mediterranean homeland.
seek out their wares first chance Using old-school farming methods and
you get… organic, seasonal and local ingredients,
she makes artisanal soft cheeses,
RIOTOUS ASSEMBLY handmade traditional French rillettes,
labneh dips and cream cheeses (in
‘If you’re not careful, you’ll end up normal.’ So reads the sublime flavours like smoked almond,
warning that comes with award-winning Riot Beer, orange and saffron, and fig, walnut
a brand of small-batch speciality beers said to be rich and honey) and she does a wonderful
with personality. Its makers consider what they produce Bulgarian-style yoghurt. Plus, there’s
to be ‘radical beers,’ made to stand out from the crowd a vegan range called Grenergy which
and defy convention, so be prepared to taste the results is 100% lactose- and gluten-free – it
of experimentation. They make pale ales, ‘hopshots’ and includes coconut milk yoghurt, almond
a coffee milk stout called Wakker (Awake), produced in yoghurt, black sesame tahini, and
collaboration with Truth coffee. They also do an alcoholic a pumpkin-seed butter that’ll be
peach ice tea called Hi-Tea. riotbeer.co.za launching you can get. Plus, you can
get a raw-chocolate-and-pumpkin-seed
butter that’s as yummy as it sounds.
bolgari.co.za

BUSH BACON

Established last year with the aim of drawing attention to the spekboom, Porkbush Gin is not
only a spek-tacular artisanal spirit but also supports Wonder Plant, a social enterprise that
works towards fighting climate change while empowering disadvantaged individuals. Also
known as ‘pork bush’, spekboom – a medium-sized shrub found mainly in the Eastern Cape and
a popular elephant snack – is not only edible (and high in vitamin C), but is highly resilient and a
natural climate change mitigator. The plant acts as a carbon sponge, absorbing more than four
tonnes of carbon dioxide per year per hectare; some folks like to claim that it’s more effective
than the Amazon rainforest at sucking CO2 from the atmosphere. Porkbush Gin uses spekboom
planted by growers from Wonder Plant – every batch uses a different grower’s plants and R10
from the sale of every bottle is donated to Wonder Plant’s Great Labyrinth of Africa project.
porkbush.co.za, wonderplant.co.za

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DINING WITH THE ANTI-BOOMERS EXPERIENCE

LET BABOONS BE CIDER HOUSE RULES

In the Bovlei Valley, just outside Cape Town Cider House last year launched a South
Wellington, Canetsfontein is an African first at the South African Cheese Festival – their
organic estate where heirloom Blood Orange Hard Cider is made from oranges and
non-GMO vegetables and fruit are apples. Late last year, they launched their Hi-Tiger
grown and organically certified wine cider/beer hybrid, and they also produce Captain Zero,
is produced from vintage cultivars a non-alcoholic craft cider from their Skullywags range
– some of the vines are 100 years – it’s made from apples and hops. This year, they’ll be
old. Its farmers work with nature dropping their brand-new cider in a champagne bottle,
and believe that old-school methods a new concept for SA and likely to be the cool new way
are the way forward. They’re even to toast the day. capetownciderhouse.co.za
baboon friendly, refusing to harm
the critters when they come to pilfer APRIL 2020 55
garden edibles. They grow unfamiliar
vegetables such as Indian rainbow
corn, okra, kohlrabi, golden beetroot,
and five different radishes – icicle
white, watermelon radish, Spanish
black, China rose, and the Easter egg
radish (read more about the value

of non-standard veggie
varietals on page
97). Apparently,
the baboons
that raid
the farm
are picky
eaters –
they have a
preference
for white
grapes and
pilfer yellow
spinach from

the gardens while
leaving other colours alone. Rather
than hurt the baboons, the farm’s
humans use loud noise to chase
them away. It’s still to be seen how
the monkeys will feel about the
sweet melon cucumbers, organic
purple and green artichokes, rainbow
Swiss chard and organic asparagus
that Canetsfontein will soon be
cultivating. canetsfontein.com

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EXPERIENCE DINING WITH THE ANTI-BOOMERS

ZERO HYPE GOATS DO
ROAM
Along with the hype around zero tolerance for drunk driving there are
loads of reasons why people are adopting more responsible attitudes At Vredesberg
towards booze these days. But it’s hard to imagine a cheese and wine event Empowering Farms, just
without any wine at all, right? Which is yet another reason more and more outside Kareedouw on the
winemakers are putting effort into creating wines that are almost entirely R62 in the Eastern Cape,
alcohol-free. The Van Loveren herds of Saanen goats
Almost Zero range includes a not only enjoy beautiful
red, white and rosé – its Almost views, but also get a daily
Zero Red has 75% fewer diet of up to nine different
kilojoules, which it’s also protea species, including
a viable option if you’re king proteas! Their varied,
cutting carbs. Leopard’s nutritious and natural
Leap has its Natura diet ensures that their
De-Alcoholised classic milk (which is also sold)
white and classic red produces good cheese, such
to choose from if you’re as Gogo (a mature goat’s
avoiding booze. And the milk gouda cheese), Bokche
world’s first alcohol-free (a chevre-style cheese)
spirit, Seedlip, has just and Bokcreme (full-cream
officially launched in South cheese). Vredesberg’s Van
Africa – ideal if you’re der Merwe family also
wanting to craft a complex- uses their milk to make a
tasting cocktail with no delicious flavoured drinking
boozy side-effects. yoghurt called Go-Yo
and a full-cream yoghurt
SOME OF US WANT TO HAVE FUN which they developed
WITHOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF A after one of their children
HANGOVER, THE REGRET AND THE was diagnosed with type 1
EMBARRASSING DANCE MOVES diabetes. Also look out for
their newer hard goat’s milk
cheeses, including Gouda,
Cheddar and pecorino.
vredesberg.co.za

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HUMANITY’S EDGE EXPLORE

EXPLORE
Here. There. Everywhere.

Words: Keith Bain, Picture: Sam Clarke/Red Bull Content Pool SPREAD YOUR WINGS

Solidarity among strangers is achievable and manifests in all sorts of situations. You needn’t be a top-of-your-game
athlete or fitness freak or even a regular runner to participate in the Wings for Life World Run, a global event that
raises funds for research seeking to find a cure for spinal cord injury. The event’s format is unique: all runners and
rollers around the world start at the same time and, after 30 minutes, chase cars set off in pursuit of them. Initially
travelling at a speed of 14km/h, the cars slowly but steadily increase their speed at half-hourly progressions. Once
the car has passed you, your run is concluded and your distance is your result. So you might be celebrating after
a casual 5km jog, or still slogging it out hours later when the car is chasing at 34km/h and you’re up to 60km from
the start. Despite the cancellation of the flagship run that was due to take place in Centurion on 3 May, you can still
participate (even while self-isolating) anywhere on the planet using an app. And, if you’re looking for more places to

run – surrounded almost entirely by nature – turn to page 112. wingsforlifeworldrun.com

63 105 125Seriously cool sleeps
73 87 97PLUS Hiking with animals
Cleverer than us? Knysna’s Bigfoots
Harare’s heroes Expanding human tastes

kulula.com APRIL 2020 61



UNHOTELS EXPLORE

SERIOUS SNORES

REST ASSURED

1. Stoned in the Karoo

Dream of a War of the Worlds no-people scenario?
You can live precisely that at Stuurmansfontein,
a traditional corbelled house in the middle
of nowhere. And we mean nowhere: halfway
between Carnarvon and Williston in the Northern
Cape. This historic igloo-like house sleeping four
(or six at a push) dates from the 19th century
when the trek pioneers used what they had
around them to build houses in this remote land;
stone, stone, stone. It’s remote certainly, but not
uncomfortable – owner Charmaine Botha has an
excellent eye for design and she’s kitted out the
house in classy period furniture. There’s obviously
no electricity, but gas, candles and lanterns mean
that cooking and washing are a breeze.

kulula.com APRIL 2020 63

Things about CcauOrrinotahsrietvrioesn
Stuurmansfontein
that’ll make you smile? The Lord Carnarvon Guesthouse
Every windowsill is full of Built in 1886, this Karoo house has been
found items from the veld, gorgeously restored, mixing modern facilities
each with a story. It’s easy with antiques from the area – it’s full of character
to imagine the trekboers and packed with stories. Quite grand, in fact. Of
and the wanderers of the 26 rooms (air-conditioned), four are stand-
times gone by sitting down alone apartments that were originally used as
to a simple meal with nagmaalkamers (communion rooms), where
this ancient fork or that farmers would stay when they travelled into
vintage bottle. town to take the sacrament. 10 Daniel Street,
And laugh? Sun down
and the noises change lordcarnarvonguesthouse.co.za
pitch, the nightjar and the
raptors start a backwards and forwards. And then slowly that sky, The Carnarvon Museum
a world-class light show, unparalleled, the Milky Way all milk, whole galaxies Built in 1907 as the Dutch Reformed Church’s
revealed and more satellites and shooting stars than you have wishes to community hall, this museum displays loads of
fulfil. Yes, the laughs are full-bellied and resonate deeply. antiques from the area – of special interest is the
Jokes aside, why stay here? Stuurmansfontein is good for reconnecting church’s old hearse which has a wooden canopy
– with yourself and others. The walks alone are reason to pack a bag. Up into crafted by a Carnarvon carpenter. Outside the
the koppies or down the riverbed. museum, there’s a corbelled house, relocated here
OMG factor? ‘It was so quiet I could hear my cells dividing’. That’s a line from a nearby farm. 29 Van Riebeeck Street
from a Hugh Grant movie that nobody’s seen. Still, you’ll be amazed at how
much you hear when you get rid of the noise…
Who to take with? Be good and sure you like your fellow travellers –
Stuurmansfontein is about time together without distractions. Some people
need the distractions.
Not for you if… you can’t take being disconnected. Urban teenagers for
example. Or Insta-junkies. There’s no signal here, so no games, no digital
chats, just real time, real face conversations, a terrifying prospect to
many Centennials.
How deep are your pockets? R1 200 a night for the whole place.
Bargain. carnarvon.co.za

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UNHOTELS EXPLORE

MeerKAT 2. Stay in a cave
Places with few people, limited light pollution
and clear skies tend to be good for stargazers – Few seem to realise, but there’s a part of South Africa that’s next-level beautiful even
especially astronomers trying to peer across though it fell off the tourist radar years ago. The south-eastern Free State is home to
the universe. One of Carnarvon’s big boasts, Die Berghut, a cave under a giant rock near Zastron, that’s as cool as it is unlikely.
Closed off years ago, it now sleeps two in relative comfort – there’s even a bathroom –
of course, is the Karoo Array Telescope (it’s and is perfect for a hideaway holiday.
90km from town, but still). It’s a radio telescope Things about it that’ll make you smile? There’s a sense of accomplishment getting
consisting of 64 antennas situated in the Karoo there – a 4x4 or decent 4x2 is needed to get up the mountain track. But persevere, the
swaying grasses and the Maluti views are worth every daunting middelmannetjie.
Astronomy Reserve. Inaugurated in 2018 as And laugh? Inside it’s a regular Bilbo Baggins’ Shire lair, with that sense of a cosy
a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) hideaway in the small beds, the basic furniture and the inviting dinner table. There’s no
telescope, it’s said to produce the clearest view electricity but there is a gas stove, geyser, fridge and battery-powered lighting.
Jokes aside, why stay here? Die Berghut will restore your faith in imagination and
ever of the Milky Way. sarao.ac.za fun, and that’s a good thing these days. It’ll put even the crankiest curmudgeon in
a good mood for the duration of the visit. Divorces will be postponed, offspring
Lord’s Kitchen auctions cancelled.
The Lord Carnarvon’s restaurant is the best place in Oddity factor? There’s a long drop, a very good, smell-free one but a long drop
town for a meal and one of those country stops that nonetheless, set apart from the cave and challenging if night-time sounds provoke the
evening scene from Freddie vs. Jason.
everyone raves about. They do a bit of everything, Who to take with? The kids will be in seventh heaven, chasing the rabbits and
including venison pie, milkshakes, and fish and chips warthogs, getting lost in the boulders, swimming in the rock pools. They’ll have to stay
in the off-road caravan you bring along though, the cave is now only for two people. It’s
(hand cut, of course), but when in the Karoo, you very cool sitting quietly under the shade of the wild fig on the vintage 1970s wire chairs.
might feel obliged to try their lamb chops, lamb Not for you if… you’re a glamper rather than a bush baby. This is rural, hidden,
unmolested South Africa, (happily) bereft of modern trappings. There is cellphone
neck or even the delicious skaapstertjies. signal but it’s a case of chase the
17 Victoria Street, 076 046 6390 bars from various random places
near the cave.
Middelwater How deep are your pockets?
You can also sleep under canvas if you prefer – this R500 a night for two, two
nights minimum. 076 513 0430,
campsite is on the tarred R63 road about 35km facebook.com/DieBerghut
from Carnarvon (the last 5km is gravel). It has hot
showers and there’s a natural spring feeding the APRIL 2020 65
farm dam which is great for swimming and fishing.

There are lovely hikes and MTB routes, too, so
bring your boots and your bike. 071 358 9316,

074 647 0447, [email protected]

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EXPLORE UNHOTELS

3. Leave no trace

Offset that ridiculous carbon footprint of yours by staying at the Eco Karoo
Lodge near Luckhof in the southern Free State. Huh? Where’s that, you
say? Luckhof’s a tiny town near the Vanderkloof Dam (and – horror! – Orania,
but we won’t mention that). It’s entirely off the grid: power to the three two-
bedroom suites is solar and gas, while water comes from the abundant
spring just behind the lodge. It goes further that that; Estee and Bert Viljoen,
the ridiculously beautiful, third-generation young trendies behind the idea,
have designed the lodge using only what’s around – stone, wood, found
objects – but in a way that suggests an international retreat rather than
a conventional Free State farm stay. It’s next level chic… stone gabions,
bespoke furniture, double volumes and repurposed materials abound.
Things that’ll make you smile?
The contrast of contemporary design
in a remote location is very Spanish,
the contradiction a welcome change
from regulation pine furniture and
cheap cisterns so common in
the platteland.
And gag? The huge two-bedroom
suites have Jetmaster fireplaces for
cold Karoo nights, but, being off the
grid, no air-conditioning. Given the
insane heat of the middle of summer,
it’s probably best to visit in the cooler
months, unless you’re a gecko-on-a-
rock-type sun worshipper.
OMG factor? The half-moon firepit
has stellar views of the vast Karoo
plains beyond (and the night sky), as
does the pool, dining room, communal
kitchen and braai area.
How deep are your pockets? R1 100
for a couple per night. ecokaroo.com

Gather the troops

Eco Karoo is probably not for you if you’re
intensely private. It’s ideal, though, for
kuiering with others, and for a large group of
friends or a big family. It was initially designed
to be a one-group kind of place, with up to
six couples sharing the three units. It works
best like this; the suites are close together
and it’d be preferable for guests to know each
other well. If you want to be alone, ask when
booking if there are others staying over.

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Words: Peter Frost, Pictures: Peter Frost, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, Supplied UNHOTELS EXPLORE

Skinny-dips and serenity
The tented camp is the first of its kind in the Cape
Winelands, a novel way of getting closer to the rhythms
of the famous valley. It’ll be a big hit with the well-
heeled outdoorsy types. The tents are close to
a large dam, used in the old days for irrigation but now
exclusively for the use of guests. Get up really early one
morning, take off all your kit and join the waterfowl for
a splash and titter. Mountain behind you, sun rising on
a sweltering Winelands day, not a soul around. Priceless.

4. Sauvignon safari?

The new tented camp at Boschendal is all kinds of
upmarket – a bespoke experience of fine dining, yoga sessions,
biking though the 300-year old wine estate and lots of
wine tasting. Tents? Seven fully serviced, luxury suites,
each far from its neighbour, high above the farm, under the
Simonsberg massif. It takes a while to get up there through
the vineyards and fynbos, but the effort is worth it – the
panoramic views of the Franschhoek Valley are good for
whatever ails you.
What’ll make you smile? The dawn chorus of birds from
the deck is a revelation; the fynbos attracts a veritable gang
of ADHD sunbirds and the resident malachite kingfishers
make for entertaining dam-side theatre.
And laugh? Yoga isn’t for everyone, but there’s something
to be said for pretzeling with a view; if nothing else,
it’ll take your mind off your appalling downward dog.
Who to take with? This is the ultimate ‘impress your
partner’ choice, guaranteed to pay dividends, mend fences,
ensure months of harmony and good will. The farm is keen
as mustard for guests to literally get on their bikes and do the
outside thing, explore, hike, ride, so if you’re keen on a bit of
book-and-view time, state your intentions at the outset.
Not for you if… fermented grapes, elegant dining,
intoxicating vistas and fresh air are an abomination. That
would be nobody.
How deep are your pockets? R9 500 per tent, per night.
That includes all food and drinks, wine tasting and vineyard
tours, hiking and farm tours… and daily yoga. Of course it
does. boschendal.com

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GO OFF-GRID EXPLORE

You needn’t be a wildlife
connoisseur or bush fanatic
to be humbled by a walking
safari – you simply need to

open your heart, put one
foot in front of the other,
and make sure you have
a great ranger in front. Our

writers go off-grid

Bush
tactics

kulula.com APRIL 2020 73

Full-heart Safari

A walking safari isn’t about ticking off a checklist of crucial
sightings, but about bearing witness to life in all its weird and
wonderful diversity. Keith Bain goes off-grid on a Big Five
reserve at the southern end of the Garden Route

It’s infectious. Being in the bush with people who love being in nature antelope aplenty. This was their happy place and it made me happy
so much that their souls yearn for it when they’re away from it. This to be there, wholeheartedly in my element.
is how it was for the days and nights spent on the Pioneer Trail at
Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay. Just three-and-a-half hours from Cape Town, we were
surrounded on all sides by undulating mountains and vast plains
We were hiking with Tuhan Steyn and Marc Albertyn, two of the covered by fynbos. With nights spent at three different glamping
loveliest rangers you could hope to meet in the bush – or anywhere, sites, each slickly designed to evoke the spirit of frontier camping,
for that matter. Tuhan (pictured right) is a rascally, ginger-bearded we spent our days trailing behind Marc and Tuhan who were armed
bush fanatic who must have a bit of Viking blood in him; Marc’s for our safety. We walked in single file and stopped often to rest or
love of the wild is in his DNA – his grandfather was single-handedly talk about what we saw. And at night, we slunk into our big en suite
responsible for saving the Cape mountain zebra. It wasn’t simply tents imbued with gorgeous outdoor showers, and the fattest, most
that they were doing their job of getting us safely from point A to comfortable mattresses on which you will ever sleep in the bush.
point B, but that their souls came alive when they were out there,
immersed in an unfettered landscape, surrounded by fynbos and
undulating hills and vertical mountains and – somewhere – lions
and leopards, elephants and rhinos, plus buffalo and giraffe and

Some pockets of the reserve look like
The Shire in The Lord of the Rings,
other bits are rugged and rough

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GO OFF-GRID EXPLORE

Each morning, after I’d lain in bed curious insects. There was, quite frankly,
listening to a wild symphony of twittering never a dull moment. They even made
birds and buzzing insects, baboons us aware of ants that had covered their
calling to one another somewhere in the underground tunnels in preparation
background, I frolicked in my outdoor for anticipated rain.
shower and then watched dawn crack
through the sky and illuminate the On hikes such as this, you don’t set
enfolding terrain. off to necessarily walk up to lions and
leopards, although that possibility
Coffee was brewed on the fire and there always exists. It’s more about learning
was a casual breakfast before we set off on about things that you might otherwise
a drive across arduous, rugged terrain that never have noticed. At Gondwana, much
took us to the starting point for the day’s of this involves the astonishing array of
hike, destined to last 10km or so. cleverly adapted fynbos plants. It’s an
immaculate floral garden where ericas and pretty pelargoniums
We hiked such a variety of terrains – some pockets of the and thought-to-be-extinct spider orchids catch your attention.
reserve look like The Shire in The Lord of the Rings, other Where one minute you’re hoofing it across an empty plain and
bits are rugged and rough. One moment we were up on an the next find yourself in a veritable forest of proteas.
escarpment ridge with huge panoramic vistas stretched in front There was a lot of tasting, too. Nibbling on litchi-flavoured
of us, the next we were in a valley looking up distant mountains poison star apples and chewing mphepho leaves that take
poking above the hill line, slopes and ridges marching into the on the consistency of bubble gum and work like a natural
distance, fading into the Swartberg range like ghosts. anaesthetic. Marc told us that smoking the leaves produces
a mild hallucinogenic effect; Tuhan embroidered the truth by
It’s difficult to describe what we saw and experienced along telling us we’d see ‘purple unicorns dancing on the mountains’.
the way without going full David Attenborough, but Marc We never did try smoking it, but I did chew as much as I could,
(pictured above) and Tuhan could talk at length and with great
insight about a bewildering succession of birds and plants and

kulula.com APRIL 2020 75

just in case. No unicorns, purple or The real joy Being immersed in this kind of
otherwise, though. of walking in unspoiled world also opens up space
the bush like for personal contemplation. It’s a blank
Our rangers introduced us to beetles this is how the canvas, a liminal space that can jolt you
that spray toxins and creatures known as experience into consciousness. On walking safaris,
assassin bugs. We witnessed Marc trying to frees up your especially, I’ve become aware of losing
catch an adult version of an ant lion flying mind myself in space and time, ‘tuning in’ to the
between the flowers and we got to meet world around me in ways that live on long
monkey beetles and better understand We also learnt some startling truths. after the walk has ended and I return to
how tok-tokkies tap out a specific For example, zebras are not really as the city and the daily grind.
frequency in order to win the affections nice as I’d always assumed. Tuhan
of a potential mate. We saw a fat spider- and Marc explained that the stallions Speaking of which, by far the hardest
hunting wasp and learnt about wild sometimes kill orphans in the herd after part of the Gondwana Pioneer Trail was
rosemary, a natural laxative also known they’ve lost their mum to a predator. not putting one foot in front of the other,
as kapokbos. All the while, we traipsed ‘The stallion will kick a crying baby nor even the occasional uphills and
at an easy pace through forests, across zebra until it shuts up – or until it’s steepish descents. The hardest part was
wide-open meadows, over the sides of dead,’ Marc said. Not only that, but when re-acclimatising to the ‘real’ world. Going
mountains, and down into pristine valleys. a stallion fights another stallion for back to the city was tough. Even if the
dominance and wins, he will typically post-safari depression lasted only a day,
And, of course, there was the treat of kidnap all the best females in the herd I felt my whole being yearning to be back
chancing upon pockets of animals: eland and go off and start a new herd with on the trail listening to Marc and Tuhan
performing seemingly choreographed them. Turns out zebras aren’t just share their passion for the paradise in
routines across the horizon; rhinos hoovering donkeys in pyjamas after all. On the which they get to work every day.
up the grass; impala bolting across the plain, second day’s hike, we stopped for
startled by a renegade springbuck named a while at a gorgeous little spring (deep
Rambo who’d been evicted from his herd and enough to dive into) to cool off – there
now thinks he’s an impala. were fish that nibbled at our feet like we
were at a spa and there’s even a foefie
slide for a bit of extra fun.

Of course, the real joy of walking in
the bush like this is how the experience
frees up your mind, liberates you from
all the day-to-day gunk and gloom, from
deadline pressure and the news updates.
Walking is a great healer and walking
in nature even more so. It declutters
and unclogs. Without all the usual
distractions, you become rewired.

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The Gondwana Pioneer Trail runs over

four days, with each of three nights

spent in a different tented camp. The

campsites, set up with just four tents

each, are marvellously hidden away,

exaggerating the sense of isolation,

heightening the feeling of being in

purest wilderness. It works a treat.

While we were tucked away in the

bush, off-grid and beyond the realm of

Google updates and all the latest (bad) power, gas-heated hot water, full-on ROOMS WITH
A VIEW
news, we were spoiled from start to bathrooms (with slipper tubs) and Each camp has four en
suite tents with proper
finish. If we’d been looking for rough, loads of thoughtful touches. Meals mattresses and linens;
there’s a lounge tent,
rustic camping, this wasn’t it. From were themed, too, and for each day’s too; and Tuhan makes
a mean morning coffee
the wine offered on arrival, to the 4X4 hike we carried a supplied backpack on the fire

transfers to our first camp, to the drives with snacks and water and lunch for

that took us to the start of the many stops along the way.

each day’s walk, and the G LAMPING And – yes – if the carrot
full bar service and cake is brought out as
after-dinner soirees in a high tea reward, don’t

the tented lounges, this skip it no matter what

was first-class glamping diet you’re following.

without ever losing There’s an open bar

that close-to-the-earth AT where you can help
camping sensation. yourself if no-one’s
GONDWANA around, and there is time
I won’t spoil the surprise

of each camp’s theme, but between hiking and eating to

unexpected elements that held me read, snooze, or get to know fellow

included the view from our tent ‘stoep’ hikers. Sometimes, though, simply

on the second night, and the open-air staring at the enfolding mountains

showers that made it possible to stare is enough.

up at the stars while lathering up. The reserve is malaria-free,

The tents are pretty audacious, too, covers some 11 000 hectares

with seriously awesome mattresses and incorporates rich biodiversity.

on proper beds to ensure you get an Although the trail was only launched

amazing night’s rest after the hard last October, it has proven so popular

slog on the trails. They’re decked out that the first season has already

in lots of natural textiles with gorgeous been extended until the end of May.

linens and a stash of blankets (because After that, it stops for the winter and

it gets surprisingly cold at night) to reopens on 1 September.

dip into. We had electricity or solar gondwanagr.co.za

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Sidewinders desert garden, stories everywhere, ancient
and landscapes, excellent dinners around
Chardonnay a table, comfy stretcher beds in a bedroll
with a pillow and duvet and even a hot-
Getting lost in the Namib dunes sound water bottle when it got a little bit chilly,
all serviced and laid out.
like fun? Well, it’s unlikely, but you can
Even your daily pack is carried for you.
pretend, says Peter Frost of the time And it was reassuring to know that the
quiet confidence of the hiking guide came
he did just that from years spent in a landscape like this.
And, happily, no question was too stupid;
With Tok Tokkie Trails in Namibia’s happen to me. I blame the infinitude of not even, memorably, ‘will I be able to
NamibRand Reserve, you’re led into the wonder I beheld, and the desire to capture see a penguin today?’ That one is not
desert where an able team will set up these creatures on camera. attributable to me. But you know how
camp, feed you and send you off to bed with Americans can be.
just a blanket of stars as a roof. Despite getting, um, sidetracked, the trail
is likely the most memorable three days I’ve I was overjoyed the first time I saw a
You’ll only get lost if you ignore the very ever spent in my life: walking through the tok-tokkie beetle actually execute a perfect
capable guides, wander off counting barking headstand (to catch the morning fog moisture
geckos, tok-tokkie beetles or sidewinder on its back legs, we were informed) – it’s such
adders. I can plead guilty, since it did indeed a delight to watch, it might have you rolling in
the dunes with laughter. If not, the cool little
knock-knock dance to attract a mate might
just send you guffawing through the desert.

There were similar delights every
moment of every day. A sidewinder
climbing a dune, the cooling breeze on
your face at three in the morning, the
taste of fresh coffee at dawn in the
desert – there’s quite a bit of awe over
every dune.

A three-day hike into the NamibRand
will restore your faith in pretty much
everything – people, nature, silence,
laughter, simplicity, the connectedness
of things. That you can do something like
this without joining the French Foreign
Legion and can have someone friendly
cart all your kit around for you, is an
added bonus. If physical exertion isn’t your
thing, then perhaps you might want to stay
away; however, while there’s a fair amount
of walking, stops are frequent and the pace is
pedestrian, so even the exercise-phobic can
potentially endure. toktokkietrails.com

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EXPLORE GO OFF-GRID

Breaking the rules All my apprehensiveness about leaving the protection of the
vehicle was soon assuaged by François and his assistant. It’s not
From digging for water to sniffing out clues in a mound of dung, so much the heavy rifles they carry, but their calm confidence,
Hlengiwe Magagula learns how to flout Kruger’s first rule based on many years of bush life. With our kit assembled, we
listened intently to their safety talk: stick together, single file, be
I was a little giddy, filled with apprehension about the fact that quiet, be alert.
we’d soon be breaking the first rule of safari, which is to stay in your
vehicle. Anyone who has visited Kruger National Park knows that Staying alert is not a challenge. The people who sign up for
rule, and all but the seriously stupid tend to stick to it. Kruger’s Backpacking Trails tend to be the curious types, so there’s
frequent excuses for a pause and a query. Who – or what, rather –
But sometimes you get full permission to break that rule, such as made that track? Is that burrow occupied? What’s that strange call?
when you’re on a dedicated walking safari with an armed ranger.
A pile of rhino dung is not something to step over, but
It’s the first day of four on foot in Kruger, and our little group was something to break up and analyse: neatly sheared twigs show it
already one down. A lady has phoned to cancel at the last minute. came out of a black rhino – they prefer to feed on branches while
Our guide, François, was disappointed. ‘If I’d had the chance to talk their white cousins are grass grazers.
to her, I’d have changed her mind,’ he speculated.

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Pictures: Keith Bain, Supplied François says he loves the questions; It’s not so
even after over half a century in the bush, much the
he says he’s still learning. From a vehicle, heavy rifles
this part of Kruger is a blur of mopane they carry,
forest in shades of brown. But on foot, but their calm
the complexity is revealed, and by the confidence,
end – with the help of a tree specialist in based on
the group – we’d counted nearly 40 types, many years
including magnificent figs and the glossy of bush life
Natal mahogany.
It seeped, trickled, endured; and yet still
The trail we were on was a step up in it created a green corridor of life. On the
intensity from the hugely popular Kruger Olifants’ banks, nature was thriving: storks
Wilderness Trails. As the name hints, the and spoonbills, solitary fish eagles and
difference is that walkers carry everything little flocks of green pigeons; raucous
needed for four days in the bush, including Egyptian geese sharing pools with stealthy
tent, stove and food. One of three trails crocodiles. Elephants materialised in the
in the northern part of Southern Africa’s middle distance, then melted away.
greatest park, Olifants follows the
eponymous river, so water is sourced by On the first day, we only walked for
scooping a hole in the sand and adding three or four hours. The pace dial was set
a dash of purifier. for enjoyment, not endurance, and there
was consensus on the best time and place
After an hour’s walk, we got our first to make camp. For François, the key was
view of the river, a deep section sheltering picking a place where it was safe to dip in
dozens of hippos from the strengthening the river.
sun. After a couple of years of poor rain
in the region, the river was barely flowing. The second day was much like the
first; the third like the second. It’s hard
to remember now which day we saw the you casually walk through the wilderness,
eagle owl, or when exactly we ate lunch there’s little chance of seeing lions doing
while sitting at a little waterfall. But does battle with buffalo, or a cheetah tackling
it matter? a giraffe. But leaving your vehicle behind
opens up an experience that might not
These days, we are all a little spoiled by make good TV, but certainly connects us to
the drama of nature documentaries and our ancestors, from the time humans first
videos shared on YouTube. In reality, when walked in Africa. Whether you’re scrutinising
a leopard print – teasing out the clues that
tell you whether it’s fresh or days old – or
lying beneath the stars playing ‘guess the
sound’, time unshackled from the vehicle is
wondrous indeed.

Leave your watch behind, forget your
phone (there’s no signal anyway) and next
time you plan a trip to Kruger, consider
signing up for an experience that allows
you to break that first rule of safari.
sanparks.org

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CAPITAL OF COOL EXPLORE

Fortitude
city

Harare. Pot holes, unmarked
roads, queues for this, no
power for that… It’s tragic.
Except, hang on – get past
the doomsday rhetoric and
there’s a city as energetic,
entrepreneurial and

entertaining as any you’ll find
in the world. Epic people too,
as Peter Frost discovered

kulula.com APRIL 2020 87

C apital Daz Anna Fleming sells art off her verandah in Emerald Hill, Jasmine Fonseca
e trades in peri-peri chicken among the warehouses of the industrial areas in
the south, Gift Moyo sells plants by the side of the road in Mount Pleasant
Try this for a day and Sarah Carter across town at Twala trades in compassion, offering
out in Harare a home to the country’s rescued wildlife. What they all have in common is
a quiet commitment to a city and a country that could hardly be called easy. Power is
patchy, currency is all kinds of confusing, infrastructure needs work, fuel queues are
still a way of life. Yet despite these challenges no-one’s going anywhere – quite the
contrary; they represent the best of Zim’s can-do attitude. They might export
a lot of talent down here, but Zim keeps a good deal back home too.

08h00 Up early for brekkies at NURSERY COOL How indeed. Gift, like so many, hoped
Ian Munn’s 40 Cork for a new dawn after Mugabe was ousted,
Road in Belgravia, as much for the Gift Moyo looks like he doesn’t have a care but the light has yet to shine bright. ‘I don’t
cool breezes under the jacaranda as in the world relaxing on his tree-trunk blame Mnangagwa, there is so much to fix.
the full English. facebook.com/ lounger, but the informal nurseryman At least the roadblocks and the police have
kwamambo by the side of the road knows about gone (Mnangagwa is army, Mugabe was
challenges. Harare’s famous climate police). That alone is worth celebrating. It
09h00 Take a 30-minute drive and rich soil means everything grows cost a lot in bribes to get to work back then.’
to the Kuimba Shiri everywhere – check out the mielies in
Bird Sanctuary down the A5 on the random fields, avo trees, flowerbeds
banks of Lake Chivero. They rescue and champion gardens. Enterprising
and rehabilitate raptors of all kinds opportunists have colonised huge areas
and it’s possible to get up close and of unused roadside and bring flowers in
personal with eagle owls, hawks, from surrounding areas. Gift catches an ET
eagles and more besides. facebook. (emergency taxi) in every day and waits for
com/kuimbashiri.birdpark.58 trade. It’s not his gig, but selling flowers for
a boss is better than starving. At night, the
11h00 Head back to the nearby fuel station security guard watches
city for elevenses in the the flowers. ‘Sometimes I arrive at 7am and
expansive gardens of Aroma Caffé at there are pansies missing. Always pansies.
the One67 precinct on Enterprise I think it is the Malawian nursery on Golden
Road. Epic Italian fare and you can Stairs Road. It is easier to steal mine than
shop afterwards for choice Zimbo transport in from Domboshawa. But what
ceramics at Hippo Studio, kit out at can I do? How do you tell one pansy
Brace Clothing, stock up at Vegan from another?’
Vibes and mooch around the Down to
Earth Nursery. facebook.com/
one67enterprise

NOON If you’re feeling brave
head to the Mbare
Market on the other side of town,
home to absolutely everything
imaginable but definitely not
organised. A superb place for vintage
clothes, pirated music, handmade
crafts. If not the chaos of Mbare, Anna
Fleming’s Verandah Gallery is not
far on Woodholme Avenue in Emerald
Hill. She’s a legend, the art interface of
all things art in Harare, and the
selection of work for sale (literally on
her verandah) is astonishing. Proceeds
go to the artists too, good news.
verandahgallery.co.zw

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CAPITAL OF COOL EXPLORE

The art expert 13h00 Lunch is at Queen of
Hearts on Hurworth
Anna Fleming is also pleased to see the back of the roadblocks, though she admits Road, a collection of funky, trendy
the daily grind, well, grinds you down. Her annual art sale at her home, the Verandah shops, eateries and salons. Have
Gallery on Woodholme Road, was an institution for decades, but she’s all spent. ‘It’s no your hair cut at Pretty ’N’ Pink, take
longer worth all the work, much as I love it.’ Instead she carries on with her gallery, an a quick lunchtime class at The Yoga
intermediary all these years, the place where Zim’s established and developing artists Room and leave with fresh donuts
get to sell work, right there on her wide verandah, mostly for not very much money at from Cottage Bites, the artisanal
all. Percy Manyonga, Justin Gabe and others bicycle in to bring work, some walk. The bakery. facebook.com/
art world and Anna is still processing the January death of Anthony Bumhira, arguably QueenOfHeartsCafeHarare
the country’s best-known artist, recently profiled at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. There’s
talk of a retrospective over at the National Gallery, but who knows? Money is tight. 14h00 Head to the
In the meantime, his trademark semi-abstract urban scenes are selling well. ‘It won’t Mukuvisi
bring him back though, we’d all rather have that.’ verandahgallery.co.zw Woodlands, Harare’s privately run
green space. The reserve, a national
treasure, has well-kept trails for
running or biking, game viewing of
animals including crocs, giraffe, kudu
and zebra and there’s a market on
the last Sunday of the month. Chill
too – there are picnics and the café is
open all day.
mukuvisiwoodland.co.zw

16h00 Time for a check-in at
Sam Levy’s Village
in Borrowdale. The original pedestrian
mall has grown as the suburb
becomes the de facto economic heart
of the city. It’s now the shopping area,
good for anything and everything,
from luxury cars to bespoke
chocolates. samlevysvillage.com

19h00 After freshening up at
base, time for a bit of
live music at Andrew Mama’s
Amanzi Restaurant on Enterprise
Road. It’s much more than a
restaurant, more like a stately home,
the gardens alone worth the visit.
Jazz or blues compliments the
evening meal on Thursdays, good for
forgetting the pot holes and currency
issues. Popular with the diplomatic
set. amanzi.co.zw

22h00 Still awake? Cool but
calamitous is the
insanely popular, pretty rowdy Tin
Roof pub, also a dance spot once the
libations have been absorbed.
Pabloz for the real dance divas is
next door. We warned you. facebook.
com/tinroofzim; facebook.com/
pablozvip

kulula.com APRIL 2020 89

HARARE – THE DAY THE DOGS GET FED
WHO KNEW?
Sarah Carter’s just getting into tourism.
✪ Harare has one of the best climates Twala, the rescue and rehabilitation
in the world, thanks to its altitude centre she runs with veterinarian Dr
(almost as high as Joburg). It’s much Vinay Ramlaul out of town on the
further north so should be far hotter, but Arcturus Road has had a good press and
the altitude means it misses out on the rightly so. Local outreach is an important
tropical temperatures and humidity. part of the deal and every week the rural
community of Goromonzi gets to bring
✪ Harare is sometimes called the blue their dogs along, feed and inoculate
and orange city for the jacarandas and them and learn the basics of successful
flamboyant trees planted in avenues pet rearing, all free of charge. Helping to
next to each other. The first jacarandas pay for all that is the centre itself which
arrived from Cape Town in 1899, just is open to the public, with lion feeding,
six seedlings. They have flourished in no observation spaces, a dam, and sloping
small part because they make terrible lawns good for picnics, braais and just
firewood and were not harvested by taking a load off. It’s the best of what
the poor and the desperate in the lean Zim does so well, quietly getting on with
Mugabe years. making the world a better place, despite,
despite, despite. twalatrust.co.zw
✪ It’s not all collapse and decay in
Harare – the country’s new parliament
buildings near Mount Hampden should
be completed soon. Built to echo Great
Zimbabwe near Masvingo, the money
comes from a $1.5bn loan from the
Chinese which will also help rehabilitate
the Hwange power station and aid the
redevelopment of Harare’s international
airport (which sports one of the longest
tarred runways in the world).

✪ Harare boasts one of the greenest
buildings in the world, Eastgate in
the middle of town. It was built to be
entirely self-heating and cooling; it stores
heat from the day to warm it at night
and vice versa. Planting inside regulates
temperature as well. Portcullis House in
London was built to emulate Eastgate,
sporting similar trademark giant
‘chimneys’, or ventilation ducts.

✪ Comedian Barry Hilton hails from
Harare. By all accounts he made a
miserable electrician and an even worse
gigolo. Luckily a mate told him to pack in
both and concentrate on making people
laugh. Give that man a Bell’s.

90 APRIL 2020 kulula.com

YEMEN BY CAPITAL OF COOL EXPLORE
WAY OF
PORTUGAL AND APRIL 2020 91
ARDBENNIE

It’s the eyes that hold
you – Jasmine Fonseca’s
striking blue-green gaze
is almost as unexpected

as her little oasis in
the industrial area of
Ardbennie, south of the
city centre. Tinkabell is

a restaurant and
a legend, a quiet spot in

a sea of Pepsi
warehouses and
engineering workshops.
Once her grandmother’s
house, it’s been
transformed into her idea
of magic – a wine shop,
music festival venue,
sweet shop and a huge
patio that serves some
of the best peri-peri
chicken in the country.
Punters come from the
city and beyond to enjoy
it, as well as her curries.
‘We’ve been through
so much in Zim, but at
the end of the day you
do what you love best,
keep the standards up
and people still come.
There’s a rule here – look
after the local market,
be good to them, and
you’ll stay in business.
Tourism? We can’t be
that optimistic yet. But
there’s always hope.’
tinkabell.co.zw

kulula.com



CAPITAL OF COOL EXPLORE

SECOND VERSE: Growing up in the township was no hardship, I had excellence
MOLLY DZANGARE all around me. My dad’s focus came from his years at Howard High
School, where the lesson was always the same – give it your best.
The songbird from Chitungwiza is at UCT Opera School, When the choir conductor was away, it was his job to lead. He gave
prepping for a career that’s going to be huge. it his all and accepted nothing less from us. Still, there’s so much
to learn. My Italian is getting better, my sight reading too. Before,
They all say I haven’t a clue who Beyonce is because my I learnt music from memory. Now I’ve learnt to read music and can
childhood was all Bellini, Bach and Bruch. I suppose that’s mostly work a score. It’s tough though – look at the La bohème libretto, it’s
true – I grew up listening to classical music rather than pop. My not for the scared.
father headed up the Chitungwiza Singers – he was classically
trained and all of us children have followed his lead. My brothers Pretty Yende is a role model for the way she has risen above the
have excellent voices too. It’s all about how you approach your gift, crowd. She’s proof that a girl from Africa can perform as a confident
what you do with it. I’m not going to waste this. woman on the most celebrated stages of the world. She was
a pioneer. But really, in terms of the complete performer, it has to
be Anna Netrebko, the Russian coloratura, for her stage presence
and personality. I adore her and can only aim for confidence like
that. Watch her live the role of Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata.
Amazing. Opera is obviously about the voice, but it’s also about
becoming the character, expressing the emotion. Nobody does
that better than Anna.

kulula.com APRIL 2020 93

EXPLORE CAPITAL OF COOL

GEMMA GRIFFITHS now. Other hangouts? Tristan’s, moments with him on stage, Pictures: Peter Frost, Supplied
Pabloz if you want a good dance on including his 65th birthday
Zimbabwean indie/folk acoustic a rooftop, Gava’s is great for sadza, and concert in Cape Town where
soul singer and composer the monthly Hustler’s Market – where we sang together to a sea of
Gemma Griffiths has been you can buy all manner of design goodies Zimbabwean flags waving, the
killing it internationally and – is my fave when it’s on.  same day as the march in Harare
locally, taking home four Zimas in November 2017.
last month and now recording We all miss Oliver Mtukudzi,
in London. a founding father to our music here in Harare, what a place – red soil,
Zimbabwe. I shared some very special msasa trees, sudden downpours,
My style is… well, if Afrobeats street nurseries, crazy driving,
and Soul had a baby, that’d be the warmth, the buzz and above
it! I loved the soul classics – all, the good people. Good people
Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin under jacaranda avenues, in the
– and then listened to a lot of Mbare Market, on the street,
the African greats like Oliver getting by, despite the hardships.
Mtukudzi, Miriam Makeba and Home.
Hugh Masekela. The fusion began
then, and has gradually grown I’ve spent the past year-and-
into the music I make. a-half driving through Africa
in a Land Rover Defender
The music scene in Harare is with my studio and an awesome
crazy right now. Dancehall is always filmmaker, Marc Neilson. We’ve done
a pumping genre – with music videos South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania,
being released constantly. Chillspot Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia,
Studios has had a makeover, based in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and
Mbare, a room painted with palm trees Angola. That Landie is where I go to be
and filled with musos and friends alike. connected, because every single day
People come to hang out, to watch the I am feeling that earth beneath my feet,
recording sessions and to share their whether it is on the beaches, in the bush
verses with the producers. Lots of or cities, there seems to be an underlying
albums are on their way to release right pulse that can only be found in Africa.

WHERE TO LAY YOUR HEAD IN THE CAPITAL

✪ Meikles Hotel ✪ Woodlands Guest Lodge
Frequented by diplomats, air crew and the Catering to the increasing economic traffic in
foreign press, this hotel – the gold standard the northern suburbs as the city centre loses

in the capital – is about to get its lustre, this family-run establishment is
a major makeover. Not that there’s much a stone’s throw from Sam Levy’s Village,
wrong with it, especially the beautifully
appointed old-school suites in the North the heart of the new centre. It has 12
Wing. Afternoon tea is an institution and spacious rooms, a pool and a wide verandah,

service is next level. A real treat. good for sundowners before dinner.
meikles.com woodlandsguestlodge.com

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STRANGER THINGS ON YOUR PLATE EXPLORE

There is a certain kind of comfort
in knowing that you’ll get milky
cornflakes for breakfast, some
kind of spread-on-bread for lunch
and the usual tripartite dinner
consisting of meat, greens and
a starch. We’re creatures of habit,
mostly unwilling to try new things,
especially when it comes to food.
Mart-Marié du Toit wonders
about the benefits of trying strange
fruit and stranger vegetables

Strange fruit

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T aste, texture, flavour and
presentation make us try and
– later – crave certain foods,
just as the distinctive aroma
of favourite childhood dishes evokes
strong memories of years gone by.
This visceral reaction to food
starts with a simple concept:
availability. You can’t crave
what you don’t know, just as
you can’t buy what is
not available.
In the 2015
documentary Fear
No Fruit, fresh produce
powerhouse Frieda Caplan
describes how she single-
handedly introduced 200
exotic fruits and veggies to American
supermarkets from 1962 onwards. The
so-called Queen of Kiwi could talk produce
buyers into stocking then-unusual products,
like kiwi fruit, shallots, ginger and African
horned melons, making them staples in
many American homes.
In the 1960s, supermarket shelves here
and abroad could be described as barren
wastelands where you could find one type of

Try, Gia Kramer, founder of Gia’s Kitchen in Charmaine Ramalope-Makhubela,
Cape Town Culinary artist and founder of GlamFoodie
lotavsete, Nasturtium leaves and wild garlic are two It’s impressive to see more retailers stocking up
incredibly different ingredients that are not often on indigenous herbs and plants such as spekboom
Shake up your home used in everyday cooking. The leaves and the petals – the delicious citrus flavour is great in salads
kitchen with these of the nasturtium plant are packed with nutrients and this easy-to-grow succulent is excellent
and contain high levels of Vitamin C. They have the for tackling carbon emissions. Staples such as
expert tips most delicious peppery notes and are often used sorghum and samp are finding their way onto
fresh to garnish a plate. Wild garlic is known for its fine-dining menus. I particularly like the innovative
98 APRIL 2020 antibacterial properties and acts as an antioxidant use of sorghum as popcorn, it’s yummy!
in the body. It can be eaten raw or cooked and adds
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a really beautiful flavour to a sauce or pesto.