Khuluma August 2017

CHOCOLATE TRIP TRAVEL

E xperimenting with chocolate started when I read a magazine story about
artisanal dark chocolate. I was fascinated and decided I wanted to try
and make my own. I researched online and bought books on how to make
chocolate from bean to bar.

Most South Africa chocolatiers buy Belgian chocolate, which they melt and then
add nuts or other ingredients to. They sell it on after modifying it. There are some
well-known chocolate brands out there that don’t even make their own chocolate.
They get a company in Italy – whose name doesn’t appear on the wrapper – to make
it for them.

We do something different – we make chocolate. That means we make contact
with cocoa farmers, and we take the process right the way through – from the cocoa
beans that we source from the farmer to the bars that we package by hand.

pictures: xxxxxxx

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TRAVEL CHOCOLATE TRIP

Chocolate- at the little market in Hermanus. After
making equipment a few months, someone from Pick n Pay
is expensive, so I built all came past, saw what I was doing, and
my first machines myself asked us to supply them. I had to decide
– out of recycled washing whether to keep doing it as a hobby or
machines, basins I found on take a risk and do it full time. So things
scrap heaps and 40-litre Hart pots. suddenly got serious.
I converted old stoves into roasters, and
I worked in my garage. After three Cocoa beans are the seeds of a fruit.
months, I managed to make a batch We roast the beans just like coffee – I even
of chocolate. I thought it was amazing use a coffee roaster, but temperatures
because of all the work I’d put in, but are much lower and roasting takes longer.
everyone else thought it was awful. I’m As with coffee roasting, this is the stage
quite stubborn, so I carried on trying. And when you bring out the inherent flavours
as the chocolate improved, I took a table in the bean, and you can manipulate that
flavour according to how you roast. You
might roast one batch for 50 minutes
and another for 90 minutes, and get two
extremely different flavour profiles – it’s
incredible for me to taste. It’s where I can
really put my personality into the product.

After roasting, the cocoa bean’s
protective husk needs to be discarded.
To do this, we crack the bean and use
a process of winnowing, similar to the
dehusking of wheat. Inside is the cocoa

100 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com





CHOCOLATE TRIP TRAVEL

nib – it’s 100% chocolate in the form of satisfaction I get is from being involved
a nut. About half of the nib is fat, which at every stage – from meeting the cocoa
we call cocoa butter. As soon as we start farmers in Uganda or Madagascar, all
grinding the nib, we separate the
oils or fats and it becomes a kind the way through to handing the
of a liquid that we call cocoa chocolate to my customer.
liquor, which looks like an oily Together with my small team,
chocolate or hot chocolate drink. I physically load the machines
Then we start adding our ingredients.
myself and roast the beans. It’s
Chocolate contains no moisture. So hard work, honest manual labour, but
when you add sugar to the liquor, it doesn’t at the end I can literally taste the results.
dissolve. The only way to integrate other And we go beyond that, because we have
ingredients is to grind them down so that a tasting room here in Paarl – seeing the
the cocoa butter will coat them – this is faces of people who taste what I’ve made
what enables your tongue to experience is awesome.
smoothness. To achieve this, there’s a
process of grinding, refining and kneading.

In its natural form, chocolate is
unstable – that’s why when it melts and is
put into a fridge, it comes out looking old.
To get it into its hard, shiny form, we need
to temper it. And then we age it for about
a month.

It is magic. It really is. We have so
much fun doing this, but the real

Interview: Keith Bain; Photographs: Supplied As a
pictures: xxxxxxx chocolate company
based in Africa and owned
by Africans, most of DV’s
chocolate is made with cocoa beans
sourced from the Bundibugyo district
in Western Uganda. The beans are
produced by small-scale farmers who
are also responsible for harvesting,
fermentation and drying. All of the
cocoa beans that DV gets from
these farmers are UTZ

certified.

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 103

TRAVEL CHOCOLATE TRIP

GOING RAW An inspiring trip to New York defined Honest Chocolate’s kitchen behind Photographs: Allison Foat
their common vision and, back in Cape their Woodstock Exchange shop
By Allison Foat Town, they teamed up in their quest for is a calm workspace. A small
Even as chocolate in all its forms the best possible raw organic product. team of chocolate makers
continues to enslave its sweet-toothed They opened their first store on Wale sort, melt, mix and stir in
devotees, there are major concerns about Street in the city centre, followed a few small batches, following
the side-effects of ingesting vast amounts years later by a chocolate emporium a time-intensive
of it, mostly because of the overload of serving tarts, drinks, spreads, truffles, old-school approach to
refined sugar, low-quality ingredients and banana bread bunny chows and dreamy make chocolate from
numerous nutritional pitfalls. vegan shakes. raw cocoa beans, retaining
the high nutritional value
At worst, cheap commercial chocolate by producing cacao, which
can be riddled with all the additives you
probably don’t want polluting you from is a minimally processed and
within. Savvy consumers are turning to unroasted alternative to cocoa
raw chocolate. It's an acquired taste, butter. Ultimately the rich brown
but once you’ve crossed over to the dark substance gets transferred onto a
side, it becomes harder to tolerate the rectangular granite surface where it
excessive sweetness associated with the is cooled and then reheated. This
mass-produced stuff. process is known as tempering and
is essential to achieving the desired
This is what prompted Honest smoothness and texture and is what
Chocolate’s Anthony Gird to start gives that satisfying snap when you
experimenting with raw. ‘I couldn’t find take a bite. The chocolate is then
an organic chocolate I liked, so in 2008 poured into moulds, allowed to set,
I began making it at home,’ he says. As he and wrapped in gold foil and the now
studied the art and science of chocolate famous sleeves featuring illustrations
making, his friend Michael de Klerk was in by great local artists.
London doing similar try-outs.
THE MAYAN MUTI SAGA

‘I hate chocolate,’ said no one ever, unless they had procured it in 500AD from a Mayan
trader as a bitter reddish liquid called chocolātl. Traditionally mixed with wine and
infused with spices and wild honey, it was consumed during rituals by priests and
warriors who believed it to be the magical pod of the gods.

Columbus is said to have brought the first bitter beans back
from the New World in 1502, but it was Spanish conquistadors
who identified cocoa’s retail potential, hauling sacks of seeds
back to their country. There is scant evidence of just how
these Europeans perfected the recipe, but suffice to say they
quickly realised that adding sugar was the game-changer.
The weird-tasting beverage thus went from being barely
palatable to very desirable, a privilege for the posh.

104 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com



Lift off
This month marks the 16th year of high
flying for kulula.com and, in celebration,
Yolande du Preez looks at the history of
local aviation and highlights a few of the
many milestones achieved by the airline.

106 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com

KULULA DOT COM BEHIND THE SCENES

k ulula.com might not have Kimmerling was employed by Voisin Competition soon followed
invented flying, but the Freres, a French aircraft manufacturing with the establishment of
airline has certainly made company, and had been sent to South Commercial Air Services (Comair).
a mark in aviation in the past 16 Africa to promote the company. Luane Lavery, the company’s
years. Erik Venter, CEO of Comair, brand communications manager,
has always said the success of the After his first successful flight, explains that new South African
airline is rooted in healthy paranoia he moved the plane up to the aviation regulations in 1948
Transvaal (now Gauteng, Limpopo and allowed Comair to begin its first
and a deep fear of lagging Mpumalanga), where he completed scheduled service using a new
behind. Today, three more flights. The following year, Cessna 195. Carrying a pilot
‘lagging behind’ he transported the first fare-paying and four passengers, the Cessna
passenger in South Africa, Thomas followed the daily return route from
isn't even an option. Thornton, who was also a member of Joburg to Durban via Kroonstad,
And while some might the South African Aero Club. Thornton Odendaalsrust, Bloemfontein,
call it destiny, others paid him 100 Pounds Sterling for a Bethlehem and Ladysmith.
– like Erik – recognise short flight at Sydenham Hill near
that it’s been a longer Orange Grove, Joburg. However, a regulated service
journey than the airline’s was not commercially viable for
16 years suggest. Although history had been made, Comair at this time, and when
It was French aviator Albert it took a few years to convince the requests for government support
Kimmerling who completed the public to take flight, and more so the were turned down, it was announced
first successful flight in South Africa authorities who controlled it. that the service would have to come
– at the Nahoon Racecourse in East to an end.
London in 1909. Unlike Icarus of Greek Much later, in February 1934, the
mythological fame, the plane did not government took over the assets and But, as luck would have it, the
make it to the sun, but it did manage liabilities of Union Airways, the first Anglo-American Corporation asked
to lift six metres off the ground, flying South African commercial airline Comair to retain the service – at
at around 48km per hour. Instead of that operated independently between least to the Free State Goldfields –
burning its wings, the flight afforded 1929 and 1934, and the country’s and agreed to subsidise any losses.
Kimmerling the honour of being the first national carrier was born. Renamed This enabled Comair to continue
person to fly a heavier-than-air powered SAA, the company formed part of the operating a scheduled route, and
aircraft in South Africa. At the time, South African Railways and Harbour its future was secured.
administration.

'It's been the unconventional approach
kulula.com has taken with branding and
marketing that's probably had the biggest

impact on the national psyche.'

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 107

BEHIND THE SCENES KULULA DOT COM

kulula.com timeline Comair began plying the main
domestic routes in 1992, operating
2001 with Boeing 737-200s and Fokker
aircraft and carrying almost 100 000
August. kulula.com ies for the very passengers each year. At this stage,
rst time – between Joburg and Cape Town. the route network included services
to Cape Town, Durban, Richards
2003 August. kulula.com’s millionthis own. Jo’burg to Bay, Skukuza, Manzini, Gaborone
George ights are added to the network. and Harare, with 200 departures
January. kulula.com is voted best domestic April. kulula.com’s route network is extended per week. Then, in 1996, Comair
airline by Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA). to Port Elizabeth. became a franchise partner with
British Airways, which then became
2004 British Airways Comair.

March. Computicket starts selling kulula.com And five years later, in June, came
products – it’s the rst deal of its kind. the announcement: kulula.com – the
country’s first budget airline – was
2005 October. Flights between Joburg and Windhoek, about to take to the skies, changing
and between Joburg and Harare are introduced. South African aviation history forever.
May. kulula.com ies passenger number three million. April. kulula.com joins forces with Discovery Health
to give Vitality members savings on ights. The airline was set up on a
2006 shoestring budget that enabled it to
see profits from day one, because,
February. Lanseria International Airport opens as Erik explains, it’s very easy to lose
with daily kulula.com ights to Cape Town. money in aviation. Although funded by
Comair, kulula.com had to be careful,
2007 August. kulula.com wins Skytrax’s Best free copy swipe me if you like me april 2012 so the first reservation system was
Low-Cost Airline in Africa award. built in six weeks at a ridiculously low
April. kulula.com partners with November. kulula.com launches Project FsmOeeRugbTnaoHcctEkhMptahiEgeNeesU? Easter Bunny cost of R300 000. ‘But time has proven
FNB’s eBucks platform to facilitate air Green with Food and Trees for Africa. that we were simply pushing the
CBAALMYNPTGEHEYELBaunrdggetiUrhv’nseeesstaheLrinortsdyhii’tdssivoeSegBcrshaeialdealek boundaries a bit – which we intend to
ticket purchases. continue doing, even if we are now 16
PLUS Guides to pmLSLeA‘oHcioxyonhopeiygslwldaaoeeiys‘slluWooGtgkiopufnteohtiBetmtwBlceeanyruniear?itoe’dvhrs’lutdoighate?haew’ters and all grown-up,’ says Erik.
2008 beer, not war
CT, Jozi, Durbs The airline's unconventional
February. kulula.com introduces more fuel-e cient approach to branding and marketing
and planet-friendly planes to its eet. and Garden Route has probably had the biggest impact
on the national psyche – strategically
2009 • Makes fresh, exciting and always fun, its
branding campaigns have captured the
June. kulula.com gets into the soccer spirit ahead December. kulula.com launches its new look in ight South African imagination. ‘We have our
of the 2009 Confederations Cup by adding magazine, khuluma, featuring di erent South African own internal graphics department that
comedians on the cover each month. handles our promotions, and while our
soccer ball radomes (nose cones) to its entire eet. December. As it upgrades to more fuel-e cient and advertising is outsourced, we place a
August. kulula.com earns second place in the ‘sky-friendly’ planes, kulula.com introduces the rst strong emphasis on building the image
Sunday Times Top Brands Survey. 737-800 into its eet. and culture of the brand internally
British Airways Comair places rst! too,’ says Erik, who is known for his
tongue-in-cheek introductions to the
2010 November. khuluma magazine wins best newly launch magazine you’re holding.
magazine at the 41st Annual PICA Awards.
May. kulula.com expands its network
with ights to Nelspruit.

September. kulula.com’s World Cup 2010 You Know What?
campaign wins gold and bronze Loerie awards.

2011

May. To celebrate its 10th birthday, kulula.com
buys land on Mars and shares it with fans.

2012

November. kulula.com adds East London to
its route network.

2013

Jaunary. kulula.com takes to the skies with
‘The Most South African Flight Ever’.

2014 December. kulula.com is voted Best Low-Cost Airline Pictures: mexrix/shutterstock.com, Supplied,
in the Airline Excellence Awards.
April. Flights to Nairobi with Kenya Airways October. kulula.com announces a code-share
can be booked on kulula.com. partnership with Air France.
October: kulula.com gets its sixth Next-Generation Boeing
2015 737-800, giving the airline South Africa’s youngest and
greenest commercial aircraft eet.
June: kulula.com is rated the Top Low-Cost Carrier in an December: kulula.com is again named the Best
independent customer-satisfaction industry report. Low-Cost Airline by AirlineRatings.com.

August: kulula.com wins SA’s Top Business Airline Award in
the 2015 Sunday Times Top Brands Survey.

August: kulula.com celebrates the arrival of its fth Boeing
737-800s with comedian Marc Lottering.

2016

kulula.com is voted the Best Low-Cost Airline in
Africa at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, and is also named

Best African Low-Cost Airline at the
Business Traveller Africa Awards.

2017

August. kulula turns 16 years old.

108 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com

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envyTEEN
Growing up is hard to do. It
requires engaging with adult
things like getting out of bed,
even when it’s cold, and making
decisions that have actual
consequences. While some
of us spend our entire lives
figuring out whether we’re ever
going to feel like real adults,
Andrew Thompson sought
out a few rites of passage that
leave an indelible stamp on
the transition into adulthood.

THE GAP DECADE kulula.com

As with our own amaXhosa teenagers, East Africa's Maasai boys between the
ages of 10 and 20 will undergo circumcision. The ceremony is preceded by a
night spent sleeping outdoors, drinking cow’s blood and milk and alcohol, and
eating loads of meat. Bravery is measured through the boys’ reaction to the
circumcision, which marks the official passage into warriorhood – any flinching
counts against them and brings shame to their families. Once cut, the young men
spend 10 years living in dedicated warrior communes where, during their time as
protectors, they are tutored in preparation for the next phase in their lives, when
they’ll become senior warriors and will able to choose a wife.

110 AUGUST 2017

COMING OF AGE SWEET SIXTEEN

DOING THE BOVINE BOUNCE

As a boy belonging to southern Ethiopia’s Hamar tribe,
if you want to marry, have children and own cattle, you
have a few hurdles to overcome. Literally. And they’re
in bovine form. When the boy’s parents deem him
ready, tradition requires that he gets rubbed with sand
and smeared in dung. The boy must then leap onto and
run along a line of up to 15 cattle, at least four times,
after which he’s free to marry the wife of his parent’s
choosing and raise a herd of his own.

ON THE HUNT

In Inuit households on North Baffin Island, as soon as a young boy looks
strong enough to survive an epic journey, dad flicks off the TV and hands
him his coats. Then they head out into the brutally cold wilderness to
survive off the land, which, in the Arctic Circle, is no easy task. These boys,
aged between 11 and 12, will temporarily follow a traditional Inuit way of
life that involves hunting, eating their catch and playing traditional games.
Which, in a land where temperatures seldom rise above freezing, is hardly
your average summer camp.

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 111

SWEET SIXTEEN COMING OF AGE DRESSING FOR SUCCESS

ADVANCED BUNGEE For Krobo girls in Ghana’s eastern reaches,
the Dipo festival is like a crash course in
If you thought heading into adulthood felt a bit like walking womanhood. The festival aims to equip
off a cliff, maybe you should’ve tried jumping off of it. This is adolescent girls with the basic tools and
how young boys on Pentecost, a small island that forms knowledge that elders deem important,
part of the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, do it – it’s a with the primary objective of making them
death-defying ceremony called naghol. Boys as young as five good wives. It’s a festival reserved for virgins,
launch themselves off the lower platforms of precarious wooden who must dress up in traditional attire, don
scaffolding, with nothing but inelastic vines wrapped around their some goat intestines, and perform a series of
ankles. It doesn’t end there. As they grow older, every subsequent rituals, tests and tasks.
year between April and June, they must continue to increase
their manliness by launching themselves from ever taller kulula.com
platforms. The feat demands falling as terrifyingly close to the
ground as possible without sustaining permanent head injuries
– the ultimate is to graze the earth with the crown of your head.

DANCING INTO WOMANHOOD

Girls of some Apache tribes in North America
face a sunrise ceremony that many believe
will prepare them for womanhood. Over the
course of four days, starting on the 4th of
July, girls from the age of 13 must pass
through a gruelling series of ancient tests
that some families believe will improve their
strength and character. The ceremony
covers the Apache creation story and, much
like many other coming-of-age ceremonies,
culminates in an all-night dance that will test
stamina and endurance.

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COMING OF AGE SWEET SIXTEEN

Pictures: Ninaras, Wikimedia SWEET 15
Commons; David Yarrow;
George Rose; Dennis Wagner; Quinceañera may have started out as a traditional coming-of-age
Bruno Kelly; Retlaw Snellac, festival for Hispanic girls in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba, but these
Wikimedia Commons days it’s turned into a bit of a competition with Sweet 16 celebrations that happen
with such gusto in the US of A. When the girls hit the age of 15, they don lavish
floor-length gowns and a tiara, pick up a Bible or prayer book, and make their way
to their local Catholic church. Once the traditional religious elements are out of
the way, the true celebrations begin, usually involving limousines, a lavish feast,
impressive dance moves, and troops of well-behaved lads in borrowed tuxedos.

SPRING FEVER THE GLOVES
ARE ON
Each September, as spring takes
hold in Zululand, a few hours north Nothing will prepare you for
of Durban, Zulu girls from across the adulthood quite like sticking
country arrive at eNyokeni Palace your hands into custom-made
to participate in the centuries-old mitts packed with angry tropical
tradition of Umkhosi woMhlanga – the bullet ants. At least that’s how
Zulu Reed Dance. Over the course of the Amazon's Sateré-Mawé
several days, these youngsters will tribe sees it. When boys in the
make the transition to womanhood by tribe approach the 13-year mark,
engaging in traditional song and dance. they must venture out into the
Older Zulu woman use the opportunity jungle to collect the little critters,
to school the younger girls in whose stings are 30 times
important traditions and the imminent worse than that of a bee. One
difficulties of being an adult. The event 10-minute glove-wearing session
culminates in a colourful reed-giving might sound torturous enough,
ceremony, at which point men emerge but if these boys want to be
to show off their mettle with songs considered true men, they’ll have
and mock fighting. to don them at least 20 times
over the course of the year.
kulula.com
AUGUST 2017 115



CURBING TEEN BOREDOM HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY

antidACTIVE otes
Teen tedium has a cure, writes Delia du Toit.
If your once family-centric child has suddenly
become a typical teen who finds family
vacations not only boring but also just ‘sooo
embarrah-sing’, it might be time to turn the
holiday prep up a notch.

T he family vacation. Those nine hours a day staring at screens. With a
few days a year that you slew of apps and social networks, novelty
used to spend giddily and excitement is the norm on a teen’s
sipping cocktails with your partner; then phone. Which explains why your formerly
experiencing the beach and its every little thrilling family holiday is now just another
seashell through new eyes with your little day spent with the family – there’s so
one; and now … watching your teen glued much more novelty on that screen.
to a smartphone, only lifting their eyes
to roll them at your attempts at quality But that doesn’t mean you don’t want
family time. your quality family time, regardless. And
you’re not in the wrong. A 2015 study
But, really, it’s not their fault. Starting in by the University of Toronto showed
early adolescence, elevated levels of the that quality family time, however
risk/reward-hormone, dopamine, cause infrequent, leads to better grades
young people to gravitate towards thrilling and emotional wellbeing in teens.
experiences. In fact, a teen’s baseline level
of dopamine is lower than an adult’s, which The onus is on you, the parent.
can explain why teens feel ‘bored’ unless By finding novel ways to spend
they are engaging in some stimulating time together, you’ll get your
or novel activity, says Dr Daniel J. Siegel teen’s brain firing in all the
in his best-selling book, Brainstorm: The right places to guarantee a
Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. harmonious holiday. Here are
a few ideas on how to
One recent study by American non- make the next one
profit group Common Sense Media memorable
showed that modern teens spend up to for your teen:

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 117

HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY CURBING TEEN BOREDOM

GO ON AN ADVENTURE

When it comes to balancing those wild
teen hormones, nothing comes close
to physical activity. But that doesn’t
necessarily mean forcing your kid to hit
the gym every day, says Sarah Drew
from Active Escapes, a local adventure
tour company. She suggests one of these
family activities:
Slackpacking. Sure, you want adventure,
excitement, nature … but you also want
to sleep somewhere that doesn’t require
you to fold up a tent or squat down for
a veldtie. Slackpacking is the answer.
You’ll do and see everything you would
on a backpacking hike, but you’ll get to
sleep in lodges and hotels at night. Active
Escapes’ three-day amphitheatre hike will
take you to the top of the Drakensberg
escarpment, with jaw-dropping views on
the way.
Rafting. There’s just something about
paddling through raging white waters
that somehow gets teens to put their
phones down for a while. The Tugela
and uMkomazi rivers are popular
rafting destinations in KwaZulu-Natal –
meanwhile, the Sabi and Vaal rivers in the
north of the country, and the Palmiet River
in the Western Cape, are also alluring.
Turtle tours. From November to March,
Kosi Bay becomes a turtle paradise.
Because the area isn’t easily accessible,
organised hikes will get you up close and
personal with these gentle sea creatures.
There are also amazing snorkelling, scuba
diving, boating and fishing opportunities.

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CURBING TEEN BOREDOM HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY

VOLUNTOURING KEEP IT BRIEF

It’s a big, big world out If being active isn’t your idea of a relaxing holiday, stick to short, exciting
there and letting your day trips followed by lazy beach days for the best of both worlds. Here
teen experience it on are just a few coastal day-trip ideas:
their own, while helping Berry picking. Redberry Farm near George not only lets you pick
worthy causes, is sure to strawberries all year round, but also offers bumper boats, a hedge maze
make the smartphone less and inflatable bubble balls to bounce around in on the farm dam. And
of a priority – at least for there’s a wine and cocktail bar for grown-ups. Hooray!
a while. Check out these Paintball. Get all that pent-up family tension out by shooting each
volunteer holidays: other with paintballs. Then pretend it was all just a game. Visit
gopaintball.co.za to find venues across the country.
Go Eco o ers volunteer Go-karting. If you’re vacationing in or near Cape Town and are
opportunities abroad for taller than 1.5m (sorry if your teen hasn’t had that growth spurt yet),
teens aged 16 and up. Some visit Kenilworth Karting for some adrenaline-fuelled go-kart racing in
projects are also available 160cc karts.
in South Africa, such as
working with orphans in
Cape Town. goeco.org

GVI o ers international
volunteering programmes
for teens aged 15-17.
Projects include building
schools in India and marine
conservation in Mexico.
While pricey, you can be
sure that all the projects
have been vetted and that
your teen will always be
supervised. gviafrica.co.za

Community Hours
matches youths to a host
of local volunteering
opportunities. With causes
in a long list of cities and
towns, it’s a great way
for them to escape their
surroundings without
venturing too far.

communityhourssa.co.za

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 121

HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY CURBING TEEN BOREDOM Pictures: Kumer Oksana/shutterstock.com, Cookie Studio/shutterstock.com,
Vanoa2/shutterstock.com, christab06/shutterstock.com, Lonely/shutterstock.com,
GET WEIRD Kotin/shutterstock.com, lightpoet/shutterstock.com, xpixel/shutterstock.com, Supplied

Novelty is the key to getting, and retaining,
a teenager’s interest. Try one of these quirky
activities to get the ball rolling:
Acrobranch. These treetop adventure courses
offer zip slides, high ropes, tunnels and
bridges all set up in forest canopies. Admire
the scenery from the metres-high walkways
or strap into a zipline harness to get the
adrenaline pumping. Acrobranch has seven,
ahem, branches in Gauteng and the Western
Cape. acrobranch.co.za
Bakkie skiing. Yes, you read that right.
At Thota Lodge in the Kalahari, the desert
surroundings are no reason to miss out on a
fun skiing session. The lodge provides all the
equipment necessary to turn your 4x4 into a
dust road speedboat. Simply hop on, hit the
accelerator and watch the 2 000ha expanse
rush by. thotalodge.co.za
Color Run. If your family is relatively fit (or
willing to at least plod along for 5km), Color
Run events are sure to be a great bonding
experience. Every runner receives bags of
brightly coloured powder to bombard fellow
racers with, and hilarity always ensues. Events
are held almost weekly in various cities across
the country. thecolorrun.co.za

122 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com





TOTALLY & UTTERLY LOCAL FASHION & DESIGN

designSWEET BY We asked four South African
designers participating in
100% Design South Africa to
tell us about their work, their
inspirations and why local is lekker.

DAVID KRYNAUW processes are alike and that is the beauty

I’ve never studied design, so I have no of design. Every product has a story to
reservations or constraints. I allow the
process to take the lead towards the end tell and that is what makes this job so
goal, which always results in something
useful or functional. incredibly interesting.

I’m inspired by what surrounds me. I believe South With
I’ve always had a fascination with nature, Africans possess a full-blown
organic shapes and trees – I believe nature a unique set of local design focus,
has been so meticulously created, and part circumstances 100% Design South
of my aim is to bring that into the world in that inspire Africa happens alongside
another form. the creation Decorex Joburg; Gallagher
of unique and Convention Centre, 9-13
I believe that it’s our unconventional beautiful things. August, 100percent-
approach to woodwork that sets us apart. design.co.za.
By breaking the traditional mould, we are
able to come up with alternative ways to We are makers,
design and build. Computer numerical
control (CNC) technology makes this entrepreneurs, creatives,
possible. We developed our own design
language, called the ‘Joburg method’. This collaborators – because we are required
allows our designers to create freely within
a process, which determines our aesthetic to be. The end result is always inspiring,
and sets our products apart.
and the sparks of creativity here are
All products come standard with a
brief, brainstorm, several prototypes, the unlike anywhere else on earth.
refinement process and, finally, the end
result. Some are harder than others, but We are very excited to reveal
it is always an interesting experience.
Along the way are several learning curves, our 100% Design Café to the
but we enjoy the journey and get wiser
every time. We tend to use what we have public. It’s an example of our
learned to spark the next process. No two
new modular building technique

– entirely scalable, it can be

used to create a piece

of furniture or a house.

The sum of the parts

makes up the size of

the structure. It is

affordable, sustainable

and can be assembled

within a matter

of hours.

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 125

FASHION & DESIGN TOTALLY & UTTERLY LOCAL

THABISA MJO SIAN ELLIOT

As a designer, I’m driven primarily by storytelling. In We’re driven by process. We ask ourselves questions like, ‘How does
my work, I’m always trying to achieve a balance of this material work?’, ‘What tools do we need and how do these tools
function, aesthetics and storytelling. At the best of operate?’ Or ‘Can we make our own tools for this?’
times, it literally feels like God just drops the ideas
into my spirit, which is what happened with my Tutu We are invariably trying to achieve something
2.0 pendant light, for example. There's no formula that is gorgeous, delicate, robust, experimental,
per se, but I always start with the story: Who am innovative – something we've never seen before.
I speaking to? What am I wanting them to know? The shapes we design and create come from a
Whom will this serve? It’s also about how I feel: lot of trial and error, playing with the materials –
Am I in a playful mood? Am I trying to make some and from the process of turning two-dimensional
or other point? sheet material into three-dimensional objects.
The materials want to take a certain form, and
Diversity is the thing that sets South African we just follow what they tell us! It is sometimes
designers apart from the rest of the world. We don't a long process, but sometimes I think of a shape
all come from the same background, but all our straight away. It all depends on the state of mind.
influences are uniquely South African.
South Africa’s fortunate to have a lot of
entrepreneurial designers and a lot of small
industry-manufacturing operations, engineering
works, and fabricators. If you put those two
together, you see that we have a beautiful future
as a design nation, because it means that small
design companies can collaborate directly with industry to create
product lines. Large industrialised countries don't give smaller designers
the chance to develop stuff.

100% Design is a chance to showcase all our new designs under one
roof. So we’ll be showing the whole shebang.

126 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com



FASHION & DESIGN TOTALLY & UTTERLY LOCAL Interviews: Keith Bain; Pictures: Supplied

MPHO VACKIER kulula.com

I am driven by the desire to create
sophisticated, authentic and functional
furniture inspired by global cultural
patterns and motifs. I love to think of my
furniture as a celebration of global culture
and modern classic design, resulting in
pieces that have a story and are relatable
to the modern customer.

Ultimately, through the interpretation
of cultural signs and signifiers, we can
discover and explore commonalities found
within multiple cultures, and therein begin
a conversation where the relevance and
importance of culture are celebrated.

You have to be in the right mind space
when designing; for me, it's meditation and
being aware of the quality of my thoughts.
I begin with a shape or form inspired by
multiple ideas – ranging from art, music,
jewellery, fashion, graphics and many
more – then from that I will sketch the
inspired form or line, constantly playing
around with it in my mind. I find that the
form or line or spark of an idea inspires the
function of whatever piece I create. Then,
once the piece has – I guess – ‘revealed
itself’, I edit. I find that stripping down an
idea to the most basic form results in a
more powerful and striking design.

I love how we South Africans – and
I guess this is true of all African designers
– are using our varied cultures and
backgrounds to tell amazing stories
about ourselves through design. I love
the stories and energy behind locally
designed products. There is vibrancy
and authenticity in the way that African
designers approach the creative process.
There’s also a culture of community
– a ‘village culture’, if you like – wherein
designers come together and feed off
each other’s energy, and that results
in original products that have a unique
global appeal.

128 AUGUST 2017



Teen Like many South
Africans, his first car was
a Volkswagen Citi Golf.
Not the fastest wheels
around, but cheap, reliable
and full of character – and
Aaron Borrill still misses
it to this day. While modern
safety laws and the ethos
of greener living have
brought in a slew of safer
and more efficient vehicles,
the zeitgeist of the student
car still remains. Here are
five such offerings that are
worth a look.

mobile
Mister reliable: Volkswagen Polo Citi Vivo

The Volkswagen Polo Citi Vivo pays homage to the original Golf of the 1980s – it
was the car that gave freedom to students all over South Africa. Unlike its forebear,
however, the Vivo is a much safer chariot with a raft of safety features that the Golf
could have only dreamed about, including ABS and dual front airbags. Standard
options include air conditioning, a four-speaker audio system and remote central
locking. In terms of performance, the Vivo benefits from one of the firm’s tried-
and-trusted power plants: a 55kW/132Nm 1.4-litre petrol engine. Don’t be
fooled by its meagre outputs; it’s a hardy little motor with a proven track
record in terms of reliability and fuel economy. But what makes the
Vivo especially appealing is the character it exudes, rekindling all the
emotions of the Golf with three funky colours to boot: Flash Red,
Sunflower Yellow and Cornflower Blue. It truly looks the part and will
appeal to many first-time buyers wanting something a little different
and quirkier than the glut of ubiquitous commuters flooding our roads.

130 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com

THEIR FIRST RIDE ROAD TRIP

The trendsetter: Opel Adam Victor ludorum : Ford Figo Ambiente

The Adam has been a messiah of sorts for Believe it not, the Ford Figo is essentially a rebadged fifth-generation Fiesta,
the Opel in South Africa and accounts for and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it’s built on a solid platform and
roughly one third of the total sales in the retains a large portion of the original car’s personality. In fact, save for the
luxury supermini segment – you can thank larger headlight clusters, tail lamps, Aston Martin-type grille and fenders,
the Mini and Fiat 500 for its existence. the Figo is practically identical to the Fiesta. In terms of niceties, the Figo
As such, it’s been designed to offer is the most well-appointed in the segment: a radio/CD audio system
comprehensive personalisation options, with auxiliary connectivity, power steering, air conditioning, dual front
and both the spec sheet and the marketing airbags, central locking, ABS and a boot-release switch are all standard
propaganda are decidedly ‘lifestyle’. fitments. Not bad for an entry-level car, hey? But what of its performance
credentials? Well, from a handling perspective, the Figo’s compliant
And what about its name? Well, it’s suspension arrangement leans more towards comfort than sportiness
named after founder Adam Opel and while – which is good – and is an enjoyable car to drive regardless of the road
this all sounds a little odd, particularly surface. It also makes use of an updated power plant – a 1.5-litre petrol
to those who aren’t entrenched in the unit that’s good for 83kW and 135Nm. Acceleration is impressive, as is
automotive world, it does give the car the fuel economy of 5.9 litres per 100km.
a certain character. While its compact
proportions lend it a sporty façade, they The Figo is not without fault, however. The most obvious foibles being
also make themselves known inside the the uncomfortable seats and the manual window winders, but these are
Adam, where occupants may find sitting in negligible issues when you look at the value it brings in other sometimes
the back a little claustrophobic. neglected areas. Manufactured in India, the Figo has no real hiccups when
it comes to build quality – at R175 700 it’s a bargain and comes with a
That said, the Adam is aimed more standard two-year/40 000km service plan.
at the individual and caters for buyers
looking for something more expressive AUGUST 2017 131
and less practical than a humdrum
hatchback. Under the bonnet lies a
naturally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engine
that produces a handy 74kW and 130Nm
– more than enough oomph to propel
this pocket rocket around town both
effectively and efficiently. Furthermore,
the list of standard items is sure to
seal the deal – ESP, hill-start assist, six
airbags, ABS, tyre-deflation detection
system, daytime running lights, rear fog
lamps and cruise control are just a few
of the Adam’s many features, which
you get for R206 500, including a
three-year/60 000km service plan.

kulula.com

ROAD TRIP THEIR FIRST RIDE

The black sheep: Sexy in the city: Renault Clio
Datsun Go 1.2 Lux
When it comes to pure aesthetic drama, there’s nothing quite like the
Ah, yes, the Datsun Go. In terms of Renault Clio, and that’s because it was penned by one of the most talented
affordability, there’s nothing really on the car designers on the planet: Laurens van den Acker. Known for his austere
market that can trump it, but there is a sneaker collection and suave dress sense, the Dutchman is single-handedly
snag: the Go is unfortunately not as well responsible for the design renaissance we’ve seen at Renault in recent
endowed as its contemporaries when it years. He was tasked with making Renault a beautiful brand again and
comes to safety features. Let me explain: creating a clear visual identity for the portfolio. I think he’s succeeded.
there’s no ABS, and a driver’s airbag The Clio range comprises a host of offerings that appeals to all walks of
was only recently added to the model life and, as such, there’s something for everyone.
amid a slew of safety concerns from
pundits around the world. Look past this For a first-time buyer, the Clio Authentique is a sound choice in terms
contentious issue and what you get is a of standard safety features (driver, passenger, front and side airbags;
pretty impressive car – it looks great and electronic stability control; ABS and emergency brake assist; and cruise
has a pretty decently appointed cabin with control) not to mention its versatile engine – a 66kW/140Nm 1.0-litre three-
enticing standard features such as power pot 66kW turbo. Despite its relatively tiny capacity, the car packs a mean
steering, air conditioning, front electric punch and is appreciably frugal, capable of returning 5.5 litres per 100km
windows, and a USB port rounding off the on the combined cycle. Impressive!
list of mod-cons.
As a starter car, the Clio is certainly up there – it’s great to look at,
Despite the negativity surrounding its fun to drive and comes with a range of efficient engines. It’s also one of
safety features, the Go is still a helluva lot the safest superminis around, and comes in at a lofty R206 900 with a
safer than some of the cars we drove as standard three-year/45 000km service plan and a five-year/150 000km
youngsters – yes, the Citi Golf and Toyota mechanical warranty.
Tazz are prime examples, yet there are
still thousands of those on our roads. For
some, however, the allure and prestige
that come with purchasing a brand-new
car will always trump the more pertinent
issues at hand. It’s priced at R114 900 with

a three-year/100 000km warranty
and optional service plan.

If you prefer cars with a bit more punch or enjoy ogling vintage models, then make your way to next month’s Pictures: Supplied
SA Motoring Experience, a dedicated petrolhead festival with 4x4 activities, displays of elite classics and
supercars, plus pit access and a circuit schedule with opportunities for you to be driven by professional drivers
or to personally test drive a few of the latest models. ere’ll also be a food court and a play area for children.
Your entry ticket will also get you into the Johannesburg Boat and Water Show. Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, 1-3

132 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com





TIPS FOR TEENS MONEY MATTERS

to selfNOTE Katherine Graham gives
her 16-year-old self some
vital financial advice.

Dear Kather ine… It’s me – you! And I have some money tips worth heeding, so put down your phone.

IminkantYhkooeewu-’muraepda,1ulcl6lltw,oinatitghnhedisysInoak’utnnrsdofowrbmieetneahdtuahsttiy.nmBgpueryoatodntuhusicrnyetkosau.allAbylinokweduattenoivtt,estirpsoyetdsnhopdaatrmirrgeeohacntleelnynyotpwoirsn,ebspyupoateuringrnstigvedelyufom.ruRineifggoyhrtothutnohrsoefewutloe,lyunaogdtuhtlee’rfisnesntsiaohpnnolcau–isarpshl lichenlaagimnsoegau!itntegotnohuatt

lies ahead? not have a lot of moola right now, but you can still be intentional about how you spend it. Please,
You might
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good – trust me. splurging. I know, as an impulsive 16-year-old, that’s going to be
Katherine, I cannot say this enough: stop to have what everyone else has and do what they’re all doing, but

difficult, and there’s loads of peer pressure
get more of a kick from saving than you will from careless spending.
I promise you’ll concept of delayed gratification – it will stand you in good stead for the day when you own you
Embrace the card. Besides, you’ll be learning genuine patience and self-discipline that one day will help

your first credit
avoid extravagant purchases that could get you into financial trouble.
Get into the habit of saving every month. No matter how little it is, just start saving. It’ll be easier to do if
for an account that doesn’t allow
you have a bank account with a built-in savings feature – better still, look

impulsive withdrawals. investing. Open a unit trust fund and get the family
And even though it may sound way too grown-up, start Christmas presents. Weird as it sounds, the earlier

to deposit money into it instead of giving you birthday and
start investing, the more valuable your money will be in the future.
you you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re in good company. But don’t stay confused – find someone who is money
If
sbmaInadkrotanal’rtnedmadaeysa,knbtuthoteysmopuot’iolllthhheaelvppeyagorotuyo.,dIKkmantoohwneeryiynoemu, habnauvategoenthmeaedtnaotyldhyeaorbuci’tloslutohsnaincnewkyhmoouej.usNtsatortltaoennadlryendwinhiglilsayfioprursothpjaoevbres–maalosaknryeh.yimin. the

Now don’t blow it – and good luck!

Love, Katherine

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 135

MONEY MATTERS TIPS FOR TEENS Baby-
Boomer s
MONEY GAP:

FINANCIAL ATTITUDES
THROUGH THE
GENERATIONS

Millennials Gen Xer s Pictures: AVS-Images/shuttersstock.com, Cherkas/shutterstock.com, Astephan/shutterstock.com, Fedorov Oleksiy/shutterstock.com

BABY-BOOMERS (born between to their profession rather than their drift from one job to another. They
employer. Like baby-boomers, they are expect to be paid high salaries without
the mid-1940s and the mid-1960s): hard-working and prepared to learn on the pain of acquiring experience first.
This generation was born in the period the job. Having fought for what they
after the Depression and World War II. They achieved, they are self-reliant and are GENERATION Z are those
tend to value money more and are more often reluctant to help others.
conservative with their cents, preferring to young folks born in the period between
save as much as they can. They make loyal MILLENNIALS (born after 1995 through to 2012, many of whom
employees and are not afraid of hard work. are coming of age right now. Coming
1980): Also known as digital natives or next? Some trend specialists are
GEN XERS (mid-1960s through to Gen Yers, millennials are comfortable calling people born after 2010
with change and innovation, but easily 'Generation Alpha'.
early 1980s): Gen Xers tend to be loyal

HELPING GEN Z GEAR UP FOR THE FUTURE

e High School & Career Market is a free expo providing schoolchildren and their parents with insight into what’s available for their
secondary and tertiary education. It’s a chance to see what’s on o er at public and private high schools – aside from learning about an
institution’s academic curriculum, you can also nd out about special programmes and extracurricular activities, and inquire about
admissions criteria. Also at the expo, there’ll be representatives from universities, technikons, further education and training colleges
and other tertiary institutions, along with expert advice on securing student loans and managing nances while living away from home.

Bayside Mall, Blaauwberg, Cape Town, 9am-3pm on 25-26 August, career-expo.co.za

136 AUGUST 2017 kulula.com





OLDER, WISER, CHEEKIER KEEPSAKE

Illustration: Flas100/shutterstock.com; Photograph: Supplied JohnDEAR
Dear 16-year-old me…
First of all – don’t sweat it! Those are pimples, not tumours.
The people who you think shape the world right now will grow up into balding,
angry, average men who nobody will remember, not even their kids.
They’ll be afraid and huddle around braais with others just like them. They’ll be
lousy in bed, smell bad and, as they make charcoal out of animals, they’ll tell athletes

on a screen what to do.
Fight the urge to fall in line. Stay out on the edge, with the outcasts. What makes

them freaks now will make them interesting in time. The gay friend whose father
doesn’t love him will teach you empathy; the one with no palate will show you what
tough really means; and the fat guy who can barely walk is going to become a

genius advocate.
You’re right to hate marching on Fridays – you won’t get the hang of it, and it doesn’t

matter. There never was a reason for you and 12 other guys to turn left at the same

time – never ever.
And don’t worry about getting the girl – there’ll be plenty. One of them will

take away your house.

Much love,John

John Vlismas founded the annual South African Savanna
Comics’ Choice Awards. The seventh edition of the awards
happens at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, Joburg, on

9 September, comicschoice.com.

kulula.com AUGUST 2017 139













4040 CLUB CAPE TOWN

4B Buiten Street • Cape Town

In the heart of Cape Town’s City Centre, Open Thursdays,
4040 Club Cape Town offers the ultimate Fridays & Saturdays
sensory experience with a distinction.
Mixing luxurious and sensuous decor Tel: (021) 422 2027
with rich textures, cutting-edge screens, Email: [email protected]
intense sound and visual effects, vibrant Website: www.4040clubcapetown.co.za
lighting and brilliant colours, the club
has multiple environments, including 4040clubcapetown
the sophisticated VVIP champagne and
cigar lounge, main headliner room, VIP
area, exterior patio and landing bar.
4040 Club Cape Town is known for one
of the best main rooms in town. The
energy level here is unmatched. The
venue boasts a high-end service
of immaculate professionalism to satisfy
even your most demanding needs,
making it the perfect venue for your
evenings out, private parties or any
other celebrations.