Simbithi Eco-Estate Newsletter September 2023

Disclaimer: This e-newsletter is produced especially for residents of Simbithi Eco-Estate to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by Fab Creative, on behalf of the Simbithi Eco-Estate. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Simbithi Eco-Estate HOA and/ or the Publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.

FroM the General manaGer

Dear Residents,

Recently, the SEEHOA team celebrated Arbour Week and the beginning of Spring by planting trees and plants at an exclusion plot. (Read more about it further on in the newsletter). As we walked Nsimbi trail in the crisp morning air, some of the team got to chatting about how naturally lovely Simbithi is. I’m sure you would all agree.

us, nature was beginning to bloom: a vibrant Coral Tree, a burbling stream, even a bushbuck munching on a few leaves. Spring is here, in all its glory. The season reminds me of rejuvenation, which is a great metaphor for this time of year at Simbithi.

As we ease out of the AGM period, we begin reconstituting our committees and, of course, planning financially for the 2023/24 budget. Our adjourned AGM takes place on the 12th of this month; owners would have received notice on Friday, last week.

I hope to see you all there for this important gathering.

I took the team the long way around back to the office and, after a few grumbles, we stopped to admire the glassy beauty of Oriole Dam, one of my favourite birding spots. All around

We look forward to starting a ‘new’ year and, under the direction of the 2023/24 Board of Directors, reviewing our

the GeNerAL MANAGer

strategy to improve Simbithi and propel us even further toward realising our mission.

As we enjoy this new season, may I encourage you to take a walk on one of our five trails. You are bound to have a wonderful time exploring Simbithi and you may even spot our newly released guineafowls! If you do, send us a photo or tag us on social media. We would love to see Simbithi through your eyes. Have a great month!

Marc Mc Clure

FroM

FROM THE Club General Manager

There is a feeling of expectancy in the air in this, the first week of Spring. I’m glad to say goodbye to the slightly chillier days and looking forward to longer days full of that classic North Coast sunshine.

We recently hosted our annual GM’s cup and it was an amazing day out. Thank you to our sponsors, Fidelity Security Services, for partnering with us on this event. The helicopter flyover was certainly a great way to start the day. Congratulations to our winners. The golf course improvements are going well – thank you for all your feedback. We would love to hear how you feel the course is playing. Pop me an e-mail, or stop by the Pro Shop to chat to the team about your notes and suggestions.

By now, I’m sure you would have noticed the giant screen on the deck. Oh, yes, rugby fever has gripped South Africa and it’s no different here at Simbithi Country Club. Castle Lager has come on board to establish a ‘BokTown Simbithi Fan Park on the deck and we’re excited to show the games live. Join us, as we cheer our boys on to hopefully reach a fourth win. Dates are later in the newsletter.

We’re heading toward the end of the year, and I’m sure many are looking forward to their year-end closing events. Our conference venues are the perfect spot to close out the year, and we’re happy to chat to you about customising an event suitable to you and your team. Give us a call on 032-946 5403.

Have an awesome September!

Craig Nell

Board of Directors

CONTACT DETAILS

Jeff Leaver: Chairman Director Marketing & Communications board8@simbithi.com

Clive Mc Creadie: Vice-Chairman HOA Director Security board4@simbithi.com

Andrew Mackenzie Director Finance & IT board3@simbithi.com

Tracy Levinson Director Design Review Committee board5@simbithi.com

Gavin Dunlop Director Technical & Maintenance board7@simbithi.com

Lisa Southey Director Legal & Appeals board9@simbithi.com

Derrick Lilienfeld Director Environmental board6@simbithi.com

Frank Bradford: Vice-Chairman SCC EXCO Director Simbithi Country Club board2@simbithi.com

The Board of Directors are your elected representatives who volunteer their time and expertise without remuneration. Approaching a Director should be your last resort.

Plant

of the month

AristeA ecklonii

Aristea ecklonii , commonly called blue stars, is a spreading, evergreen, rhizomatous perennial with stiff, upright, sword-like leaves. It grows 30 to 70 centimetres tall in a tight clump. Found naturally in areas with reasonably good rains in

forest margins and grasslands.

The amazing pale to deep mauve blue, star-like flowers attract Carpenter bees and butterflies to the garden.

Belongings to the iris family, this plant is always a sight to behold

Aristea ecklonii in flower on Nsimbi Trail. Photo

taken by Ayanda Duma

during the mornings when the plants are in bloom. This plant requires morning sun as the flowers open in succession early in the day and close up in the afternoon.

If cultivated in the garden, the soil should be humusrich, with plenty of moisture and full sun. Lack of this may result in nonflowering of the plant. It grows best in moist conditions near ponds or well-watered areas. Blue stars spread primarily from seeds, which are produced in abundance. However, it can also be propagated by dividing rhizomes.

Coastal Gold leaf

Coastal golden leaf, Sweetberry or Mitzeeri – these are all common names for the gorgeous Bridelia micrantha tree. Fairly common on Simbithi, this is a fast-growing tree suitable for larger gardens as it has a spreading crown providing great shade.

In autumn, the leaves turn a golden orange hence the common name of coastal golden leaf. Presently they are in flower – the tight clusters

of small yellow flowers are found in the leaf axils (micrantha means small flowers). The fruit, smallish oval berries, are far more obvious and turn black when ripe and sweet. Edible, the berries are loved by both fruit-eating birds and vervets in addition to people. Of interest, it is also the host plant providing food for the larvae of several butterfly species including the Paradise Skipper, Giant Emperor and Morant’s Orange Skipper.

I am often asked how to differentiate the coastal golden leaf from the Tassel-berry (Antidesma venosum) when they are not in flower or fruit as the leaves are very similar in size and colour. Turn the leaf upside down and if the veins run to the margin of the leaf creating a herringbone pattern, it is a coastal golden leaf, whereas if the veins are raised and loop before reaching the margin of the leaf, it is a Tassel-berry. The leaves of the Tasselberry also have short hairs on them so feel the textures of each as they are easily identified that way.

hanging flower spikes, yellow in male and reddish in female, with a strong honey-like perfume. The hanging spikes of white to red fruit are purplish-black when ripe and, like those of the Bridelia micrantha , are edible and enjoyed by fruit-eating birds, monkeys and people. Both species grow readily from seed if the birds have left any fruit for gardeners to harvest the seed!

of the plant species making a comeback since we reduced numbers of porcupine on Simbithi are the beautiful arum lilies and the yellow-flowered grass orchids (Eulophia speciosa).

The while-flowered arum lily

In flower, the Tassel-berry is unmistakable with a profusion of

As Prof Corrie Schoeman so aptly mentioned during a recent Simbithi Environmental Talk, no species is selflimiting. In a confined area like Simbithi, we have to work hard to maintain a balance of both our fauna and flora. Two

(Zantedeschia aethiopica) is a wonderfully rewarding plant for the gardens of Simbithi and an excellent, long-lasting cut-flower. They are happy to be grown in full sun or shade. Sunnier positions result in smaller plants and shaded areas result in larger plants. Although they grow very happily in soil, they are also adapted to grow in wet areas and in time will form dense colonies in our marshy wetlands.

The leaves of the arum are adapted to withstand wet conditions as they contain water stomata. At night, through a process of “guttation”, the water is forced out of the leaves under pressure, preventing waterlogging. Crawling and flying insects are common pollinators, and the white crab spider visits the flowers to feed on the insects. These spiders do not spin webs as the white colour is a perfect camouflage allowing the spiders to “hide” on the white spathe and ambush the visiting insects.

harvest berries remove the pulp and plant the grey seeds in a seedling mix. Alternatively, arums are easily propagated by the division of rhizomes once a clump has formed. They are fast growing so enjoy well composted soil.

Birds eat the succulent yellow berries resulting in seed dispersal. As mentioned, porcupines eat the rhizomes (thickened underground stems) so ensure you protect them. If you

No wonder this beautiful plant and flower were of the earliest South African plants to be sent to Europe, reportedly before Jan van Riebeeck had even established the “refreshment station”. It is also fascinating to note that in the Western Cape (winter rainfall), it is dormant in summer but grows and flowers during our summer and is dormant in winter. It is evergreen in wet or marshy conditions but deciduous in drier conditions and will even tolerate snow!

Based on-site in Simbithi, Ballito.net Properties has been practicing in holiday and permanent rentals on the Estate for over 17 years, offering full management of your holiday or permanant let with our professional team. Let us give you an expert rental valuation on your home today.

Scadoxus puniceus

words Margi Lilienfeld

Commonly known as the Paintbrush lily or the Snake lily. The name Scadoxus is derived from “doxus” meaning glory or splendour, and punicues meaning crimson or scarlet. This glorious lily is now seen all over the Estate. It is a deciduous perennial which bears a fluffy, scarlet, brush-like flower head (up to 15 centimetres in diameter). It has strap-shaped leaves which grow in a cluster to form a false stem.

attractive fleshy red berries which are eaten by monkeys.

There are nine species of Scadoxus , of which three ( Scadoxus puniceus , Scadoxus multiflorus and Scadoxus

membranaceus ) occur in South Africa and are on the Simbithi-approved planting list.

The nectar-rich flowers attract birds like weavers, sunbirds as well as insects. The flowers are followed by

The Scadoxus puniceus may be propagated from seed which must be sown fresh. It is slow-growing and will take four to five years before flowering.

The three common reasons why many plants do not flower in garden settings include:

1. Over-watering: As Scadoxus puniceus is dormant in the dry season, it’s best to avoid watering during winter to ensure that it does experience a dormant period. We’ve found that plants that do not experience this “rest” period tend to have poor flowering in the subsequent season.

2. Depleted soil: Consider feeding the soil with compost and mulch to enrich the soil.

Click here to read more about the trees of the year for 2023.

3. Low light conditions: Scadoxus puniceus does not grow well in heavily shaded conditions so perhaps there is too much shade in that position.

FreeMe Wildlife shares their monthly newsletter for August 2023. Click here to read it!

arbourinG Goodwill to our environment

Happy Spring!

In celebration of Arbour Week and to mark the first week of Spring, the SEEHOA team took a morning to explore the Estate and care for the environment.

we split into two teams, and each walked the Nsimbi trail, off Cussonia Way. En route, we stopped to see a few birds, learn about the trees and plants on the trail and – an absolute treat –watched a bushbuck feeding!

Led by our Environmental Manager, Ayanda Duma, and Environmental Assistant, Rowina Kanniappen,

We then stopped at an exclusion plot on the trail: an area that is fenced off to allow for the

specific planting of trees to increase fauna on Simbithi. Once the trees have matured, the fence will be removed, and the area will form a natural grazing area for animals.

earthworms, which proves Simbithi’s soil is rich and fertile.

This programme is in line with our Environmental, Social and Governance strategic initiative.

Every staff member flexed their green fingers, and we found a few

Reaching our

Community

Our Environmental Manager, Ayanda Duma, recently embarked on a journey with Partners for Possibility. Several of our senior staff members have benefitted from the leadership workshops associated with the course and, as a founding North Coast participant of the programme, our Estate has managed to impact hundreds of young lives through partnering with local schools for skills sharing.

Ayanda’s partnered school, Mavivane Primary School, recently hosted a Women’s Month celebration and were treated to gift bags from Simbithi. Ayanda also attended the morning’s festivities at the school.

Ladies! Well Done,

At SEEHOA’s recent quarterly staff meeting, Mayuri Pillay and Shantal Chithiya were awarded for their commendable work ethic. Here they are receiving certificates from General Manager Marc Mc Clure and HR Manager Justine Mia.

Walking You R dog

Residents, we encourage you to be mindful when taking your dogs for a walk. Recently, we have had a few reported cases of dogs on a lead charging at other dogs on a lead, resulting in injuries.

• Do not let your dog off the lead when out of your property.

• Fouling by pets must be removed immediately.

• Safety is a priority. Be considerate to other road users and other dogs in the vicinity.

Please take cognizance of the following recommendations:

• Have full control of your dog on a lead

• Understand what triggers your dog's behaviour and take the necessary precaution to have full control.

• Extra precautions should be taken if one person is walking two or even three dogs.

• Dogs threatening or injuring humans or wildlife is a serious offence.

Please immediately contact our 24-hour Control Room on 032 946 8373/4/5 if you need to report an incident.

sittinG Pretty!

If you have been down to the Fig Tree Restaurant recently, you would have noticed our stylish, newly reupholstered seating in the restaurant. The trendy design and reinforced seating completes the refreshed look outstandingly.

BUILDING STATS

Single Residential

Single Residential

Sectional Title Units

Sectional Title Units

TOTAL DEVELOPMENT: 1478of 1625 = 91% developed

Watch the Springboks in action on the deck, featured on our giant 6.5-metre screen. there will be food stations, bucket specials and a lucky draw. come dressed to impress in your green and gold. No reserved seating.

14

QUiZ NiGht

the country club brings you Quiz Night, sponsored by harcourts Dolphin coast and hosted by “the Quiz Guys”.

venue: the Fig tree restaurant

Time: 18:00

Limited a la carte menu served.

bookings: foodbev1@simbithi.com or 032 946 5403

France vs New Zealand

8 September at 21:00

22 SEpTEmbER

SA vs Scotland

10 September at 17:45

WiNe tAStiNG: erNie eLS

venue: Dragonfly restaurant

Time: 18:00

SA vs Romania

17 September at 15:00

SA vs Ireland

23 September at 21:00

SA vs Tonga

1 october at 21:00

Cost: r175pp

booking essential: events@simbithi.com

23 SEpTEmbER

WiNe pAiriNG DiNNer: erNie eLS

venue: Dragonfly restaurant

Time: 18:00

Cost: r650pp

Booking essential: events@simbithi.com