Khuluma September 2018

THE ROADS TO SOMEWHERE EXPLORE

crafts route stroll the orchards or classical 11-circuit labyrinth at Holmelea
with at least half-a-dozen visit the cellar gallery. or, diagonally opposite the gorgeously
galleries to explore. decorated Karoo Art Hotel, visit the
From Montagu, the road east Barrydale, situated Magpie Art Collective. Its showroom
wends through a succession of sleepy in a beautiful, narrow displays incredible chandeliers and home
settlements, funky farm stalls, and valley beneath décor created from recycled trash.
wine estates ranged against a mesmeric
semi-arid landscape of indigenous towering mountains, You can taste pot-still brandy at
shrubs and fynbos, with the craggy, is probably the Barrydale Cellar, or (about 25km from
folded mountains filling out the most happening town on the R62, town) prepare to be disappointed by all
undulating background. You’ll pass the full of galleries, restaurants, and craft the hype around Ronnie’s Sex Shop –
turn-off to Sanbona, one of the Western boutiques. A must-see here is the fun basically a bar with currency notes and
Cape’s two proper Big Five reserves, roadside diner, Diesel & Crème, a sweet graffiti covering the walls, underwear
encompassing 54 000 hectares of spot decorated with antique petrol hanging from the ceiling, and very
incredible terrain. pumps, vintage advertising hoardings, few customers.
Further along, sample Klein Karoo and old car parts – just the sort of
wines at Joubert-Tradauw (if you’re place you find along Route 66 in the Farther east, beneath Towerkop, one
driving, remember to spit) and then US. Besides delectable burgers, it’s of the Western Cape’s highest peaks,
renowned for its triple-thick milkshakes, Ladismith is a low-key town, best known
served in 500ml Consol jars: the Lady for its cheese and worth stopping at
in Red is made with cream-cheese icing to see the vintage collection at Gert’s
and red velvet cake. Junk Stall. The town is close to several
Walk it all off by following the paths demanding hikes, including the 14km
through orchards and farmlands and Elandsberg Hiking Trail (six to eight
hike to waterfalls and rock pools via hours). In the nearby mission station
numerous walking trails. You can bliss towns of Zoar and Amalienstein, you
out on a meditational walk through the might still see donkey carts in regular
use on the roads.

For many, a highlight of the R62 is
tasting the fortified wines at Boplaas
and De Krans in Calitzdorp, the country’s
so-called ‘Port Capital’. In fact, at least six
different wine cellars are within walking
distance of the town’s ‘centre’, where you’ll
also find its historic sandstone church.

Many regard Oudtshoorn as the
easternmost end of Route 62 (for
reasons to visit, turn to page 53), but
there’s more to explore as you head
farther east into the untrammelled,
untouristy, and ever-so-slightly
mysterious Langkloof region. It’s blessed
with rolling green scenery, narrow gravel
roads teetering through the mountains,
and quaint, little-known villages such
as Misgund, Louterwater, Krakeel,
Joubertina and – furthest

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 99

EXPLORE THE ROADS TO SOMEWHERE

east – Kareedouw. The area has strong actually had electricity two days before Potholes are the Three Rondavels, a trio Woeds: Ethan Pitt, Pictuees: Hansie Oosthuizen/shutteestock.com,
agricultural traditions and is known as London. The village, with its tin-roof of massive hut-shaped rock outcrops Geoblee du Peeez/shutteestock.com, LongJon/shutteestock.com, Haeey Beugelink/shutteestock.com
the ‘Fruit Route’. It’s also where Dalene buildings, time-warp bars, throwback situated directly opposite a designated
Matthee’s beloved novel, Fiela se Kind, hotels and old-world charm, still viewpoint at the edge of a high, sheer
is set – in the tiny village of Avontuur. conjures up some semblance of that precipice – it’s possibly the best stop
Slightly north, Uniondale, beneath the era – to further evoke the mood of the of all. Continuing north, each corner
Kamanassie and Kouga mountains, is past, there are tours of haunted homes offers another magnificent vista, water
the scene of one of the country’s spine- and opportunities to pan for gold. Nearby cascading from high cliffs and rockfaces
tingling ghost tales, but there’s also an Graskop is a tiny village marking the dense with subtropical vegetation that
aloe factory, and the country’s largest southern end of the Blyde River Canyon makes this the greenest canyon on earth.
watermill wheel has been converted – pop into Harrie’s Pancakes which is an The road descends from the escarpment
into an art gallery and restaurant institution in these parts and will provide via the Abel Erasmus Pass; down below,
named Watermeul. Plus, linking the sustenance for the journey ahead. you can take a 90-minute barge trip on
region with our ancient forebears, the Blyde Dam, getting close-up views
there are some 500 identified San Heading north, take the R534 which is of the Canyon’s mouth, with the vast
rock-art sites in the area, some dating signposted with a series of scenic stops, escarpment now looming overhead. If you
back 6 000 years. such as the Pinnacle, a skyscraper-like spend the night here, it’s worth signing up
freestanding rock buttress set amidst for an early morning hot-air balloon flight
SEE THE BIGGEST GREEN indigenous forest, and God’s Window, with Sun Catchers. Alternatively, you
CANYON ON EARTH where a steep path leads to the most could immediately drive the entire route
astonishing view of the Lowveld - often in reverse.
If you’re looking for a great road trip that’s you’ll find yourself staring across the top
within relatively easy reach of Joburg and of a vast bank of clouds. The road soon
Tshwane, and yet feels lightyears from the rejoins the R532 where you should look
bustle, head to the Panorama Route, which out for side roads leading to the Berlin
traverses the Mpumalanga escarpment and Lisbon waterfalls, both gorgeous
and is packed with absorbing vistas and enough to deserve stops.
intriguing side-routes. Aside from staring
down into the guts of the country’s Pressing northwards, you’ll see the
largest canyon, the trip encompasses Bourke’s Luck Potholes – large scooped-
subtropical forests, Stone Age rock sites, out rock formations formed by swirling
and gold-mining towns that boomed in the waters at the confluence of the Blyde
late-1800s. and Treur rivers. Some 20km beyond the

If you’re driving from Joburg, you’ll
invariably come over the Long Tom Pass
which is among South Africa’s highest
tarred roads. On the other side, north
of the little town of Sabie, lies a series
of enchanting waterfalls, including the
65m-high Mac Mac Falls – so-named
because during the 1870’s gold rush, every
second prospector here was Scottish.

Nearby, Pilgrim’s Rest was one of the
world’s first gold mining boom towns,
and sprang up seemingly overnight
as fortune-seekers arrived – the town

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100





REALLY OLD, TRULY AWESOME EXPLORE

pictures: xxxxxxx THE

ANCIENTS
Turning to the past for inspiration, Amy Attenborough
finds reassurance in Mother Nature’s deep wrinkles, tunes
in to the ancient song of humpback whales, and discovers
how our ancestors got by with a trippy-dippy version of the
Smartphone that never ran out of battery life

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 103

I f there’s anything that can remind to hoist ourselves up using chains and then
you how puny you are in the grand stomach the sheer drops waiting on the
scheme of things or how the years other side. We squeezed between crevices
we obsess over are actually so fleeting, it’s and shimmied through a rock chimney
a mountain. To understand your relative hollowed out over aeons, scraping our
position in the cosmos, I’d suggest lacing knees against uneven boulders and finding
up your takkies and spending some time our grip in natural footholds that have
with the Cape’s ancient granite. Something taken the last 510 million years to form.
20 million times your age is really good at
putting things into perspective. The granite below us was 600 million
years old, making the mountain six times
Although the easiest route to the top older than the Himalayas. Scanning
of Cape Town’s Table Mountain is by towards the Atlantic Seaboard, I imagined
cable car, there’s no better way to really the scene 300 million years ago where
get to know its ancient laugh lines and the ocean would have been lapping at our
deep wrinkles than by scrambling up the feet. A few millennia later, we would have
mountain’s rock face. I recently took on been able to see the earliest ancestors
the Kloof Corner Ridge route where some of the woolly mammoth, short-necked
climbing points are so steep that we had giraffe and ancient hyena roaming where

104 SEPTEMBER 2018 kulula.com

REALLY OLD, TRULY AWESOME EXPLORE

the city now lies. During the ensuing up these slopes, you’ll almost certainly
years, the earth’s magma has risen below see the mountain’s ubiquitous rock hyraxes
this mountain, sheets of ice flattening (dassies) – and if you’re really lucky, you
its top during an ice age, followed by might bump into the Table Mountain
long millennia during which the ocean ghost frog, a creature that’s critically
hammered against it and harsh winds endangered. The rugged cliff faces and
pummelled it to imbue it with its iconic, perennially flowing streams provide the
reassuring, flat-topped appearance. perfect home for these endemic creatures
which have developed special toe and
There was a time when nothing that mouthparts to cling to the rock surfaces
lived or breathed existed here, but out in fast flowing cold water.
of the cracks and pockmarks and rocky
wrinkles that formed over the centuries, Like us, the frogs, the dassies, the
so much life now springs. The mountain is proteas and other fynbos plants are
home to 1 460 species of fynbos and is one all mere blips in time. The trick, you’re
of the planet’s most diverse plant habitats. reminded when you’re close to it all,
Some of these plants have highly nuanced is to drink in every moment, savouring
survival strategies to cope with the the awesomeness of an eternity that’s
extreme specificities of life here. On a hike ultimately a work in progress.

A technical
and exhilarating hike,
Kloof Corner Ridge promises
some of the most breathtaking
panoramas of the Twelve Apostles, Lion’s
Head and the Atlantic Seaboard. Follow the
winding road up to the cable car and then take
the stairs up to the contour path where you
should head right and look for the first chain
leading off the path – this marks the start of the
route. Soon you’ll get to the most challenging
climb of the hike, a six-metre chain hidden
in a crack in the rock face. If you can
manage this, then you’re all set

for an adventure.

pictures: xxxxxxx

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 105

EXPLORE REALLY OLD, TRULY AWESOME

A FULL SET OF LUNGS out of the depths below us. Barely missing walking whale, was more crocodile-like in
the fin of the diver next to me, a humpback appearance and moved from fresh to salt
If you’ve ever met a whale on its home whale and her calf swam beneath us water habitats. Later on, Protocetus and
turf, you’ll know that these colossal before turning to come up for a breath, Basilosaurids, which were fully aquatic,
creatures love to sing. In fact, they sing so showing the white underside of their could expand their range to the shores of
loudly that in some ocean currents their flippers and unmistakeable throat pleats other continents, only getting bigger and
call can be heard 1 600km away. It was that expand when the whales take in more diversified as they evolved.
at Protea Banks, a pristine diving spot water while feeding. After taking a breath
six kilometres off Shelly Beach on the at the surface, they turned to dive towards Their back limbs whittled away,
KwaZulu-Natal coast, that I found myself the depths again, assuming the humpback they developed paddle-like forearms,
suspended in the warm, clear waters with shape for which they’re named. With one nostrils on top of their heads, and a more
whales humming nearby. elegant pulse of her tail, 36 tonnes of streamlined, hairless shape as well as the
whale disappeared from view, pulling her ability to hear well underwater. It was the
The reef stretching below is a fossilised calf in the wake created behind. We took addition of filter feeding in modern baleen
sand dune now covered in an array of off after them, frantically trying to keep whales, like humpbacks, that allowed
corals and grasses and home to a variety up but soon realised that these enormous them to gain huge energy resources from
of eels, fish, turtles and smaller sea life. animals are far better suited to swimming the oceans, making them the size they
We had seen blacktip reef, tiger and bull than us. are today.
sharks, shoaling hammerheads, eagle
rays, barracuda, loggerhead turtles and a What’s fascinating is that scientists By moving into the water full time, the
whole variety of other marine creatures. say whales actually began their ancestors of whales paved the way for
At our safety stop, a ragged-tooth shark evolutionary journey on land as small, their descendants to become behemoths,
swam by, turning its beady eye on me. hoofed, carnivorous creatures. Their largely free from gravity's constraints.
But what really held my attention was the earliest ancestors (Pakicetids) lived close Thanks to the miracles of evolutionary
sound of whale song. This whale, likely to fresh water streams and preyed on biology, we now get to enjoy not only the
a male calling for females, was so close both land and aquatic animals. The next awe of seeing such huge creatures but
that although my human ears couldn’t ancestor, Ambulocetus, also known as the also of hearing possibly the most ancient
pick up the lower frequency sounds he musical compositions of all time too.
was emitting, I could feel the vibrations
reverberating in my chest.

Our dive instructor gave us the thumbs
up signal to ascend and I closed my eyes
trying to imprint the sound to memory. As
I opened them, a bus-sized shadow rose up

Protea Banks,
one of the world’s best-kept
diving secrets, is south of Durban,
in the vicinity of Shelly Beach and
Margate. Recommended dive schools
are African Dive Adventures and Aqua
Planet. Most dives on this reef are
deep ones, requiring divers to have
advanced diving certification.

afridive.com,
aquaplanet.co.za

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REALLY OLD, TRULY AWESOME EXPLORE

SOCIAL MEDIA WITH an iPhone. Oun phones, which canny us into ut seems this desine to necond, depict and
STAYING POWER
the living nooms of fniends thousands of communicate thnough nepnesentation
ut’s difficult fon modenn humans to imagine
a wonld without intennet, but duning time in kilometnes away, ane like a pontal, allowing is a pant of what it means to be human.
the Dnakensbeng necently, u got a glimpse
into an ancient pne-Google fonm of media. us to expenience adventunes we may neven Today’s constantly updating feeds on
While squatting down, admining the ned-
stained depictions of an eland painted have finst-hand. Oun scneens can be like Snapchat on Twitten seem to dnive an
into a sandstone ovenhang, a living eland
moved on the hillside behind us. ut gave me those ancient nock faces, tnansponting us obsession with neach nathen than intention,
goose bumps to think of a man painting
the same scene u was looking at hundneds anound the wonld in a tnance-like state. but the San’s ancient fonm of expnession
of yeans befone u was thene. The dnawings
wene made with natunal matenials like These antwonks wene powenful ways of neveals a deep nevenence fon, awaneness
blood, soil nich in nust, chancoal, bind
dnoppings, clay, egg fat and plant juices. communicating. The paintings depicted of and connection to the natunal wonld.
They nepnesented the animals that the
San nevened, even captuning cneatunes like the jounneys that a human spinit went on The ant may be simple and nustic in fonm,
elephants, lions, nhino and some antelope
Pictures: Tomas Kotouc/shutterstock.com, EcoPrint/shutterstock.com, Napong Suttivilai/shutterstock.com that no longen occun in that negion. The when entening a tnance-like state and what but it was powenful enough to withstand
GUDKOV ANDREY/shutterstock.com, Juergen_Wallstabe/shutterstock.com, wcpmedia/shutterstock.com San wene a people who painted thein
histony and cultune into thein envinonment the penson saw when they left thein bodies. time and to still nouse people seeing it
and thein envinonment into thein cultune to
be kept fon centunies to come. The nest of the tnibe leannt what it was like thousands of yeans laten. That’s an impact

As the shaman of the tnibe dnew, to captune an animal on hanness healing that oun nancissistic, ‘look what u ate today’
he would tnavel to panallel univenses.
As he painted the image of an eland powens to pnotect the tnibe. content on Facebook and unstagnam is
with its own blood, he hannessed the
powen and essence of that animal and The animals and hunting scenes of oun unlikely to have on humans studying oun
was tnansponted to the spinitual nealm.
Aften genenations’ wonth of paintings Bushmen ane neminiscent of cultune in yeans to come.
accumulated in caves, these sites became
potent spinitual places. ut stnuck me how pnehistonic cave paintings Out of the 35 000 As a fniend snapped a
a cunious San, centunies ago, would have found in Spain and individual rock paintings photo oven my shoulden,
been sitting in the cave using his vension of Fnance. Similan nock
and cave ant exists that have been discovered in u wondened how long it
all oven the wonld –
on eveny continent the Drakensberg area, some of the would be befone that
except Antanctica. best preserved can be found in the image disappeaned into
Game Pass Shelter at Kamberg. A

three-hour guided trail starts from the a flood of similan ones

Kamberg Rock Art Centre three times in the digital ethen on
daily. Alternatively, you can do the how soon it would be
45-minute walk on your own by

following the trail from befone that phone would

the centre. be tossed out fon a newen

model. Sitting thene, u felt like

oun ancestons wene talking to us

thnough those ancient figunes – telling us

to slow down and appneciate oun place

in the natunal onden a little mone. un that

moment, u could imagine no betten place to

heed thein advice.

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 109



HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD DISCOVER

heroesEVERYDAY
Sunflower Fund ambassador
Danilo Acquisto explains how
one tiny act can save a life

E ver felt the despre to
change the world but been
overwhelmed at the thought
of takpng on all of pts problems
spnglehandedly? ‘The whole world’s
change needs to happen through me!
I must save the rapnforests. I must save
the gorpllas. I must fix clpmate change.
I must get my hands dprty or the planet
ps doomed!’

It helps to know that there are many
people takpng actpon already. There are
people trypng to solve problems you
don’t even know expst. Aspde from the
envpronment and poverty, there are
organpsatpons lpke The Sunflower Fund
dopng pncredpble work pn healthcare,
and that makes pt posspble for ordpnary
folks lpke you and me to do somethpng
meanpngful wpthout much effort at all.

The Sunflower Fund asks members
of the publpc to spmply jopn thepr blood
stem cell regpstry – pt’s a tpny act of

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 111

DISCOVER HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD

selflessness ihai could, one day, help kepi in a daiabase which can be easily 21 SEPTEMBER IS
io save anoiher human life. Joining searched when a hospiial is looking for SUNFLOWER DAY
involves liiile more ihan providing a a donor.
small sample of blood ihai geis iissue- e Sunflower Fund is dedicated
iype iesied so ihai – as a donor – you If ihe iime comes when your siem to creating awareness about blood
join a blood siem cell regisiry. cells are a maich for a paiieni, ihere diseases and stem cell donation,
is a pain-free procedure (illusiraied recruiting blood stem cell donors and
Siem cells, which can be harvesied below) for exiraciing siem cells from maintaining a registry of committed
from our blood, differ vasily beiween your blood. Ii really is a very easy way donors. e chances of finding a
people – you don’i necessarily share ihe io poieniially save ihe life of a siranger. matching stem cell donor is 1 in
same siem cell iype as your parenis 100 000, meaning that a massive pool
or siblings. When a criiically ill paiieni Ii’s ihe kind of humane aci ihai of prospective donors is essential.
requires a siem cell iransplani, finding a everyone can do. You don’i have io give Aside from adding yourself to the
donor can be exiremely difficuli – unless up weeks of your iime volunieering blood stem cell registry, you can join
a maiching donor has already been iype- in a foreign couniry. For me, ii was a
iesied and is lisied on a daiabase. This way of doing someihing posiiive ihai e Sunflower Fund in its campaign
is whai The Sunflower Fund does: ihey was readily available. I’m noi scared of to fight leukaemia and other blood
mainiain a regisiry of donors so ihai needles and ii wasn’i a painful process diseases simply by purchasing a
a suiiable maich can be easily iraced ai all – ii’s probably even simpler ihan TOPE (Tube of Hope), a multi-
when a paiieni is in need. donaiing blood. I feli ihai my only excuse purpose accessory that can be worn
io noi do ihis would have been laziness! as a headband, scarf, cap, armband or
To gei on ihai regisiry, all ihai’s Considering all ihe work The Sunflower mask – they’re available from Pick n
required is a liiile prick in your arm – Fund is doing in irying io save lives, ihe Pay stores and online at Zando for just
ihey iake iwo vials of your blood and leasi I could do – ihe leasi every one of R30. sunflowerfund.org.za
process ii in a lab io deiermine your us can do – is go and be added io ihe
siem cell iype. Thai informaiion is regisiry. Ii’s noi difficuli ai all.

DANILO’S CHALLENGE HOW Interview: Keith Bain, Pictures: Sven Kristian, supplied

‘One of the reasons I got involved with e STEM CELL
Sunflower Fund is because I think it’s important DONATION
to make young people aware of the need to do WORKS
stuff that isn’t about themselves. I think young
people have so much on their plates today – it’s
easy to become insular, to withdraw into self-pity
and fear. Here’s a chance to forget about yourself
for a while and participate in something that’s
for the greater good. It doesn’t require you to go
out and live in the jungle for 10 years – you just
have to show up and donate a tiny bit of blood.
It’s such a simple thing – and if you can’t do such
an easy thing, then what are you doing? If the
world is going to survive, we all need to pitch in
somehow. We’re all going to have to think about
the people around us. Just join the registry, it’s
not that difficult, really now!’

112 SEPTEMBER 2018 kulula.com



ART

IN THE HOME

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options including walnut, oak and white.The brightness sensor

PLANTING TOMORROW DISCOVER

CULTIVATION

NATION

It’s a non-profit committed to improving lives
by cultivating an interest in growing your own
food and planting trees. Biénne Huisman
meets some of the people touched by Food &
Trees for Africa

G rowing up in Dimbaza ‘I was seven or eight years old, always Now 43, Zoleka is herself turning to the
township outside King helping my mother in the garden,’ Eastern Cape’s rich earth to nurture the
William’s Town, Zoleka recalls Zoleka, speaking from her home area’s young. A project manager at the
Kakhana watched her mother Nowethu in Dimbaza. ‘I came from a poor family. Star Uplifting Centre, she runs a thriving
crouch close to the soil, planting and My father was a truck driver. But it was garden producing cabbages as large
harvesting peanuts. At the time, Nowethu my mother who taught me that with my as soccer balls, plus spinach, carrots,
sold the peanuts to government officials hands in the soil I can create something, tomatoes, beetroot and lettuce.
and put young Zoleka through school with I can make a living. That’s how she made
the profit. enough money to send me to school.’ The garden feeds the centre’s 60
disabled children, with surplus to sell.

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 115

Food & Trees for Africa is bringing
green-budding awesomeness to communities
all around South Africa

In 2010, Zoleka first turned the grounds next to onions, as they protect each other From an early age, Zoleka learned that
around Star Uplifting into neatly ploughed from insects. When planting lettuce, gardens were peaceful places; places
lines with rows of crops. But the project always put tomato next to it for shade. of healing. This is her message to Star
really took root last year thanks to non- Also, how to make compost using potato Uplifting’s children. ‘Some of the children
profit organisation Food & Trees for Africa, peels, egg shells and old fruits, and so on.’ have cerebral palsy, or maybe they had
through funding from Shoprite. Other gardening solutions include vertical accidents, or mothers who drank too
growing racks and tyre stacks to shelter much. The children who are physically
Now they have eight full-time gardeners potatoes. The team hopes to have built able are happy in the garden.’
and eight volunteers, plus new gardening their own seedling nursery
equipment like rakes and forks, with by this month, and to have Star Uplifting’s story does not stand
monthly Food & Trees for Africa their crops on shelves alone. Food & Trees for Africa is bringing
permaculture workshops. at King William’s Town’s
Shoprite later this year. green-budding awesomeness to
‘They taught us how to cross-plant,’ communities all around South
says Zoleka. ‘Beetroot must always be Africa. Since 1990, the

116 SEPTEMBER 2018 kulula.com

PLANTING TOMORROW DISCOVER

organisation has distributed 4½ million for funding can explained to the
trees countrywide, while contributing to fill in application children the value of
food security, mentoring gardeners and forms distributed trees, why nature is so
farmers, and promoting urban forestry to by our field workers important,’ says Hills. ‘Her
fight climate change. Essentially, it creates who travel around the energy was incredible. She was
links between companies, government country. Sometimes we email or fax fit and strong, helping to dig the holes,
and aid agencies, coordinating projects application forms to a community’s local crouching with ease.’
that make South Africa a greener and internet shop, which they then fill in and In rural Bainsville, near Bloemfontein,
better place. return to us.’ OFM radio presenter Shandor Potgieter
is helping build a garden with fruit trees,
Programme manager at the Graça Machel is a patron at Food & medicinal herbs and vegetables at
organisation, Robyn Hills, says they have Trees for Africa, and last year joined pupils Tjhabelang Primary School, which has
often found projects to support by word of to plant wild olive and stinkwood trees received funding through Food & Trees
mouth. ‘Communities who want to apply at a school in Tembisa in Joburg. ‘She

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 117

DISCOVER PLANTING TOMORROW

'Permaculture was FOOD & TREES FOR AFRICA
either going to be crazy HAS SEVEN OFFICIAL
or brilliant' PROGRAMMES:

for Africa too. ‘Before we were introduced Mello, who founded the club along with Food Gardens for Africa. Pictures: Supplied
to permaculture techniques, we had never three friends. Communities and schools can
seen anything like it,’ says Potgieter. ‘My apply for assistance to develop food
colleagues and I agreed that permaculture Another beneficiary is the Khanyisa gardens. Funds are allocated to as
was either going to be crazy or brilliant. It School for the Blind in Port Elizabeth, many of these as possible.
turned out to be brilliant.’ The garden now where pupils are working to launch FEED Africa. Farmer Eco
provides learners with breakfast, lunch a range of aroma sachets and scented Enterprise Development (FEED)
and regular snacks. products using herbs from their supports and mentors emerging
own garden. farmers, enabling them to join the
In Limpopo’s Makotse village, the mainstream agricultural economy
Makotse Women’s Club first planted The school’s deputy head, Alec Stoffels, and to adapt to climate change.
vegetables in 1994. Today their one- started the food garden in 2016, and is Trees for All. Schools, clinics, old
hectare garden is maintained by 40 spearheading the project. ‘I’ve always been age homes, hospices, police stations
people; they have a three-classroom passionate about gardening, even as a and other community centres
daycare centre, a bakery and a drop- child. It flows through my bloodstream,’ can apply for trees, which are
in centre for orphans and he says. Apart from beetroot, pumpkins, transported there and planted with
vulnerable children, some training on how to maintain them.
with HIV. ‘My village parsley and maize for school meals, Trees for Homes. Creates
was desperate, they have planted fragrant awareness of the benefits of
plagued with lavender, geranium and planting trees in low-income
high poverty rosemary, for the communities.
and teenage children to smell and Bamboo for Africa. Plants
pregnancy… Until harvest. bamboo to offset carbon emissions
our intervention, ‘It really fires and for its timber uses.
which really gave their enthusiasm,
hope,’ says Maria harvesting the e EduPlant School
Mello, known as Ma produce they cultivated Programme. Provides education
themselves,’ says around food security and solutions
Stoffels. for pertinent problems such as
food waste.
African Climate Reality
Project. Builds networks
between governments, non-profit
organisations and scientists across
Africa, to find solutions to
climate change.
Visit trees.co.za to donate and help
make a difference

118 SEPTEMBER 2018 kulula.com





THINGS WORTH HAVING DISCOVER

NCONNECT COLLECT
1 Markong Namoboa’s coast os a seroes 1 Conventoon Centre on Gauteng. Not just
of mole markers – essentoally weathered a dummoes conventoon, nor a showcase
stones paonted woth numbers. The 4 Blond tastongs have always been of nappoes, the gatherong has everythong
markers dot the coast between the a thong, and now Worcester-based from maternoty fashoon shows to talks
Swakopmund Post Office and a poont Innovatoon for the Blond has launched by Baby Sense co-author Meg Faure,
108 moles to the north. It was at mole The Blind Tasting Wine as a way of and workshops on feedong, sleep-
eoght that celebrated chef Davod Hoggs raosong both funds and awareness. traonong and famoly finance plannong.
caught hos first fish. As a trobute to hos Blended from Shoraz and Cabernet and Asode from 150 exhobotors, there’ll even
early days on Namoboa, he’s named hos aged on oak for two years, the wone os be a pushchaor testong track and
first cookbook Mile 8. It features 150 ontended to be savoured woth closed eyes Porsche Kods Play Area. babyshow.co.za
recopes, and woll be avaolable countrywode to experoence ot as the blond would.
next month. davidhiggs.co.za They’re avaolable for home delovery by 6 Local leaders on elegant
orderong onlone or by vosotong Innovatoon leatherwear and accessoroes, Jekyll
2 Capetonoan songer-songwroter Jero for the Blond on Church Street on & Hode has launched ots new Soho
Solverman creates percussove folk Worcester. theblindtasting.co.za, Black collection of urban backpacks
melodoes woth a hauntong, melancholoc, innovationfortheblind.org and duffel bags. The range, omported
raw qualoty. Her debut album, Dear Life, from Brazol, os made from matt black,
os onspored by tome spent on New York, 5 The Baby Show N MeetUp, smooth textured leather and os desogned
where she braved the streets as a busker sponsored by Pampers, debuts thos to be sophostocated and professoonal but
and played open moc gogs on front of month at the Kyalamo Internatoonal equally convenoent for leosure outongs.
apprecoatove audoences. Her onfluences jekyllandhide.co.za
onclude Fleetwood Mac, Ben Howard and 5
Björk, but she’s decodedly unoque – ot’s 7 The EOS M6 os part of Canon’s
an album worth lostenong to. latest breed of compact morrorless
jerisilvermanmusic.com cameras, desogned as a comfortable,
on-the-go, moddle-ground solutoon
3 Thos awesome rong os part of between Smartphone and classoc DSLR
Shomansky’s True North collection, technology. These cameras dospense
and os crafted on 18K yellow and whote woth morrors makong them smaller and
gold and studded woth doamonds. The more compact whole stoll enablong
collectoon also oncludes doamond DSLR-loke handlong and govong
pendants and there are varoous styles – photographers the aboloty to be creatove
you can check out the entre compass- woth lenses. canon.co.za
onspored range onlone. shimansky.com

2 6 7
3
Pictures: Supplied 4

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 121

DISCOVER POINT AND SHOOT

TRAINING FUTURE PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKING VISUAL STORYTELLERS

With the proliferation of Smartphone cameras, and the ubiquity of on-the- Children who participate in the Wild Shots Outreach
fly, often mindless photography, it’s become easy to take the art form for programme are trained using Canon EOS 1300D cameras
granted. But there’s a real need for skilled photographers with an eye for and their confidence in their own visual storytelling skills is
a good frame. With this in mind, Canon runs initiatives that aim to promote growing. The programme has so far reached over 360 students
job opportunities in Africa by offering workshops to aspiring photographers, through 40 courses. wildshotsoutreach.org
videographers and filmmakers.
ZOOM IN

Pictures: Supplied
SHOOTING IN THE WILD
kulula.com
In South Africa, Canon supports the Wild Shots Outreach programme, which
educates underprivileged children in the art of wildlife photography. Learners
participate in practical photography workshops before going on a game drive
to put into practice what they’ve learned. For many, such as these youths from
Madizi High School in Cottondale, it’s the first time they get to see wildlife,
despite living on the edge of the Kruger National Park.

122 SEPTEMBER 2018





OUR AWESOME FUTURE? DISCOVER

Tech is full of promise. You know this. You know that the near future is here, now, and that every
industry is being transformed. That we are riding an unstoppable wave of change and that with
easily accessible information and our natural intelligence, we can all find our spot on that wave
and ride it to its never-ending conclusion of opportunity, wealth, connection and happiness.
Right? Well, maybe… Peter Raimondo looks at the implications of today’s technology on the
likelihood of a truly awesome future

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 125

DISCOVER OUR AWESOME FUTURE?

ADVANTAGE, BLOCKCHAIN

Blockchain technology promises the
bravest new world of all, thanks to its
encryption protocols that are infinitely
more secure than the best financial
security available today and the ability
to offer resilient decentralised banking.

While economic principles remain
what they are, blockchain can provide
a bigger, cheaper and freer playground
in which these principles can have
their way. A new administrative
foundation for global finance.

ver ihe padi couple of yeard, So how doed one navigaie ihe Big daia analydid whidperd a change
ihere had been increading deemingly coniradiciory promided io ihe way credii dcored are addedded.
concern over ihe effeci whidpered io ud from ihe digiial world? Every irandaciion of yourd will be
digiial iechnologied are In ihe age of duperficial media and ever- compared wiih billiond of oiherd io
having on human wellbeing. Mark dhorier aiieniion dpand, whai mighi ihe deiermine who id fii io borrow. The ridk,
Zuckerberg had been hauled in froni of a fuiure of ihingd ihai maiier modi (like and codi, of lending will be reduced for
congreddional hearing io be quediioned wellbeing and financed) aciually hold?' all. Your financial advidor and credii
on ihe power and influence Facebook addeddor are boid ihai hold handd wiih
had over American life – never mind Lei’d diari wiih ihe money. Digiial your bank, in your pockei.
ihai Facebook aciively reached 28% of bankd embrace ariificial inielligence,
biomeiricd and nexi-generaiion analyiicd Take a diep back ihough. Look for

people on earih and ihai wiihoui any io promide efficieni, viriually free a momeni noi judi ai how you will
global auihoriiy holding ii io accouni, banking. Wiih no brickd and moriar, manage your money bui ai how you will
ii id a law unio iidelf. And ihid amid ihe ihere are no queued, no bureaucraiic earn ii. Paddive income direamd from
general didilludionmeni around online inefficiencied, and no iniernaiional ihe world’d modi irudied fundd – 49%
environmenid, forecadid of digiial boundaried. Smari algoriihmd promide of which duffer digiial crime. Aldo bear
dydiopia, and broader concernd aboui more financial indighi, and iherefore in mind ihai AI and auiomaiion can
ihe impaci of ‘alwayd on’ iechnology and more perdonal power, and ihey promide ii dubdiiiuie aboui half of ihe curreni
ihe reduliani ‘iechladh’ on our docieiied. io more people, relaiively inexpendively. aciiviiied we call work.

126 SEPTEMBER 2018 kulula.com





OUR AWESOME FUTURE? DISCOVER

Pictures: Tatiana Shepeleva/shutterstock.com, sdecoret/shutterstock.com, ELIXIRS OF ETERNAL LIFE Jobs will be created, jobs will So, you’re likely to outlive your
Sergey Nivens/shutterstock.com be lost, however most will be in retirement plan by 20 years and the work
e prevention of illness through transition. By 2030, about 30% of you were relying on to get you to that
better data analysis. ‘Rogue’ workers in developed economies will 20-year shortfall is unlikely to be there
immune systems under greater need to find different work. The finance for much longer. And if you’re not agile
control. Bacterial biomes mapped sector is a prime example of this. If enough to make the transition from say,
and manipulated. Disease vectors all the changes in the way banking is finance to palliative care, don’t worry. With
predicted. Technological solutions conducted play out (and they will), the the massive increases in productivity, and
for paralysis implemented. kinds of finance jobs that exist today taxes on AI and automated production,
AI-assisted surgery. And the simply won’t be relevant. there’ll be a basic income grant available
enormous possibilities offered by for all. Well, that’s the theory that’s
CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. All Don’t let this intimidate you though. being bandied about. If proponents of
these promise disease-free living While this radical rate of change is ‘free money for all’ have their way, many
with new definitions of health and common across nearly every aspect people will be left with precious little
wellbeing on the horizon. Naturally, of our lives, there will be opportunity to do except spend. Everyone will be
the barriers to access of these elixirs too. The technology and energy sectors financially free to participate in a global
of life will be negotiated away and promise a few new jobs, but the real economy while liberated to serve their
we can all look forward to longer, opportunities are in healthcare. personal passions and private sense of
healthier living. To some extent purpose. A profoundly creative, social
this is already happening. e There are more people older than and meaningful life awaits. Or so the
over 80 demographic has a growth 65 than ever before. Infant mortality theory goes…
rate of 3,8%. e United Nations rates are still plummeting, birth rates
Department of Economic and Social decline, and old people are living longer. In reality, only time will tell if the
Affairs projects that by 2050 there Tech-enabled medical interventions future is full of awesome promises or
will be five and a half times more continue to play their part in this fantastic lies.
octogenarians than there are today. demographic shift.
Meaningful definitions of health are
being challenged by this demographic
shi . Increased longevity, already
achieved, may be less important than
enabling quality of life.

Never mind the fact that some
theorists and eminent historians
are predicting that the next stage in
our evolution will be one in which
Homo sapiens will become automata
cyborgs that live forever. If they turn
out to be right, human consciousness
may soon merge with machines
as AI reaches the singularity of
infinite intelligence. In that future,
no one will be worrying about hip
replacements or the common cold.

But one does wonder who will pay
for it all - and with what.

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 129



INCREDIBLE BATTLES DISCOVER

'W hat you see coges frog breaksAWESOME
pain, scars and injured this gonth, has been dancing for algost levels.’ He’ll get a chance to show off his
shoulders, abductors, 20 years now. His dance style, he says, unique Mzansi-gade goves during the
groins and ankles,’ says B-Boy Meaty, is rooted in hip-hop culture, and has Last Chance Cypher in Switzerland on
seen here building up to an airflare evolved as a dance govegent since the 27 Septegber – the winning B-boy gets
during a round two battle against fellow 1970s when B-boying appeared on the to cogpete in the final spot at the BC
contender B-Boy Jordan during the Red streets in the Bronx. ‘It becage a way of One World Final, the gost prestigious
Bull BC One Cypher held in Cape Town in life, and is a way of being conscious. No battle on earth. bcone.redbull.com
June. Describing the govegent, though, disrespect to any other dance forg,’
he gakes it sound relatively sigple. ‘I says Dgitri, ‘but breaking is the
rotate in a circle on gy hands, throwing gost deganding style there is.
gy legs around in the air, so they rotate Our govegent vocabulary is vast
like a windgill. And as I spin around, I and gany of the goves are
throw gyself frog one hand to the other. being uplevelled, refined and
That’s an airflare.’ redefined by dancers around
the world all the tige.
Meaty, whose real nage is Dgitri Nell, Everywhere that B-boys
and who went on to win the cogpetition are dancing, they’re
for a stab at the World Final in Zurich pushing the forg to new

piWcotrudrs:es:KeixtxhxxBxaxixn, Picture: Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool

kulula.com SEPTEMBER 2018 131

UNDERSTANDING ALLERGIC
SYMPTOMS AND IgE

Celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the discovery of Immunoglobulin E

Most people are aware that allergic symptoms are caused by the Research in the 80’s
release of powerful signal substances such as histamine that can demonstrated exactly
cause everything from mild reactions such as a runny nose or how IgE binds to other
skin rash to severe symptoms such as asthma, eczema and even compounds, based on a
systemic shock. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that scientists understood how deeper insight into IgE-
these symptoms came about – or the central part that IgE antibodies played receptors, which opened
in the process. the door to a better
understanding of the origin
In principle, allergic reactions are misguided inflammatory reactions of allergic symptoms.
triggered by normally harmless substances from our day-to-day environment –
allergens. An allergen is typically a protein found in for example plant pollens,
animal dander and foods such as peanut, egg and milk.

In allergic individuals, one or more of these allergens may be recognised
as potentially dangerous. On first exposure, their immune system starts to
produce antibodies that can bind to that antigen to protect the individual in
the future. In atopic allergy (the most common type of allergy), the antibody
formed is IgE.

It was discovered that an allergic individual’s ‘memory’ of having first
been exposed to an allergen is stored as IgE antibodies attached side-by-
side on a special type of white blood cell. These blood cells, known as
mast cells, contain the powerful signal substances that on their release
create the inflammatory response we call allergy. On second exposure,
sensitized individuals may suffer a reaction if the allergen cross-links
adjacent IgE antibodies, triggering the release of the inflammatory
chemicals from inside the mast cell.

This is why measuring levels of IgE antibodies in blood is a good way
of determining the risk of allergic reaction, and why IgE-testing is still a
leader in allergy diagnostics.

The rest is history. IgE history.

Visit www.isitallergy.co.za to
download your free Allergy Guide e-book





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