COMMUNITY

An ode to NATURE

SO MANY INTRIGUING MYTHS AND LEGENDS SURROUND THE AFRICAN BAOBAB TREE, BUT ON HERRWOOD DRIVE, IT’S MORE ABOUT SCULPTURE, ART AND A POINT OF ARRIVAL, THAN FICTION AND FABLE, WRITES ANNE SCHAUFFER

announced to the N’kosi. It’s the point where you pause, take a decision, then move towards your goal. At Izinga, it’s likewise – the moment you decide to enter.”

Lucas found the “model” for the baobab sculpture on a visit to Rato, a farm bordering the Limpopo River. He was completely taken by the characteristics of what he describes as, “these giant living sculptures, their rough markings over time reflecting weather and animal onslaught.”

The key challenge in designing the tree was to position flat boxes in radial order to give the perception of a round stem or three-dimensional quality. “We decided on ‘less is more’,” says Lucas. “We wanted it to be stylised rather than realistic, so kept it unpolished and slightly rough, so it can age … which adds to the character. We made metal boxes, and welded them together – they were massive.”

Earl Moller and Tim Wilford from EFM Engineering manufactured the baobab. Eight metres tall, it’s fabricated from Aluminium (AL-Mg) Wrought Alloy, and weighs in the region of two tons. The Uys & White team designed tapering, shaped pieces to give emphasis to the base of the stem, which is its outstanding characteristic. An additional unplanned bonus are the figures which » T he Bushmen believe the baobab tree aggravated the gods, and when thrown out of heaven, it landed upside down. Africa is full of colourful stories about this iconic tree, and no matter how many times one looks at a baobab, it’s always intriguing. There’s something about them that goes beyond their looks, to their history and longevity … often over 2 000 years old.

The most recent of Africa’s baobabs however, is younger and right here in uMhlanga. Travel along Herrwood Drive, past the KZN Sharks Board towards Izinga Estate, and there, imposing, towering, undoubtedly surprising, is a vast baobab sculpture dominating the landscape. It’s magnificent, a landmark designed and created by the team at Uys & White Landscape Architects – Lucas Uys, Bianca Heath and Ignes de Beer.

It wasn’t simple. Creating a commanding sense of arrival at Izinga was complicated by the concrete storm water retention dam which lies beneath the circle. It was about marrying two concepts: a reference point of arrival, and the road landscape link to Izinga.

“We, as Africans, relate well to the African tradition of a tree as a point of arrival,” says Lucas. “It’s where the community waits to be We wanted it to be stylised rather than realistic, so kept it unpolished and slightly rough, so it can age … which adds to the character”

emerge from the positive and negative spaces in-between the base of stems.

Making it was one thing, erecting it quite another – like a massive Meccano set, separate elements welded together. In construction, the time-consuming element was that each stem has two sides with a tapering closing edge bent to follow the stem’s profile. Weeks turned into months of many welders making the “boxes”. They were then welded together in sizes to fit road restrictions and, thereafter, welded on site into separate branches.

Lucas explained the site preparation: “After roadworks were completed, and the water retention dam was constructed below surface,

Making it was one thing, erecting it quite another – like a massive Meccano set, separate elements welded together

NOTE: Uys & White Landscape Architects KZN are locally and internationally involved in many prestigious projects, such as the newly completed temple in Izinga, the new Heleza Boulevard, developments in Sibaya, as well as the north coast estate of Elaleni.

the area was flat. We raised the centre of the island with a metal stand, and covered it with soil to visually add to the size and impact of the sculpture.”

Baobabs are considered the – or one of the – most water-wise plants on the planet, storing up to 75% water in their trunks. At a time where water is a critical resource in Africa, the symbolism of this isn’t lost. Aside from its water-wise properties, the baobab is considered the tree of life for many different species – including our own – and standing tall, there, at the entrance to Izinga, it’s appropriate to pause in awe. To feel that sense of place, that point of arrival.

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POWERING technical transformation

NETWORK CONFIGURATIONS IS ALL ABOUT HELPING YOUR BUSINESS GROW THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

At Network Configurations – or Netconfig – we see massive opportunities to help small and medium sized businesses succeed, make a difference and see results. Through digital transformation, every company is becoming a tech company. Network Configurations is not just a Technology Services company, it is about empowering people and businesses through technology, making a difference, so that businesses in various industries, don’t just succeed. They thrive.

Our focus is about driving Digital Transformation and building a Modern Workplace for our clients and their teams, through leveraging and implementing solutions around Microsoft Cloud Services, Customer Relationship Management

ABOVE: Iain Emerson, MD at Netconfig, with client Zandile Mdima and Erica Floweday, Operations Director at Netconfig.

(CRM) Applications, Business Applications and IT Support Services to ensure productivity of the team.

We realise there is often so much untapped potential within a business that could be leveraged via people and various technology solutions to make businesses more agile.

Most businesses start out with limited technology, and just like building a company, becoming techno savvy is a process that no business should struggle through alone. The Cloud, for instance, has caused massive disruption in all industries due to the change in traditional IT processes, flexibility and scale, so we are here to hold your hand and guide you on this exciting journey.

In South Africa we often see businesses losing money through hacking, ransomware and phishing due to incorrectly implemented solutions, and lack of enduser training. We recognise that businesses need a lot of education around these risks and how to protect their digital assets. The people in our business are individually matched to our clients to ensure we serve and deliver the customers expectation. They will work with you with regards to support and product supply, and form a partnership focused on your business problems, your business needs, business intelligence, and business training. The better we know our customers, the easier it is to have the conversation around how to better support their business. After all, it is all about execution, and if you are partnering right and you are executing right, the better off your business will be.

As you plan your next quarter, take a closer look at your partnerships and ask the following questions. Who is adding real value to your organisation? What will it take to get your business and team to the next level? Assess what is working for you – could you be using technology more effectively to have a competitive advantage? Is your team ready to join you on your Digital Transformation journey?

We simply help people and businesses to become better versions of themselves using technology. And technology helps us connect to each other in ways nothing else can.