Franschhoek Tatler - December 2022

Lourens and Loumarie Hugo with his grandfather’s Ford truck and the first plums of the 2022 harvest.

On Saturday, 5 November, a group of volunteers gathered at the entrance to Mont Rochelle Hotel on the Dassenberg Road for their monthly litter clean-up. They were joined by members of the Franschhoek Valley Football Club.

The volunteers were pleased to find that with the exception of the streambed either side of the road bridge the area was relatively clean. This is no doubt due to the efforts of the privately-sponsored clean-up crew that is working to keep the valley’s littering hotspots tidy. Current sponsors of the clean-up crew are: Terbodore Coffee Roasters, BP Franschhoek, Franschhoek Sign Co and PaintSmiths.

The monthly volunteer clean-ups are an initiative of the Franschhoek Heritage and Ratepayers Association and take place from 08h00 – 09h00 on the first Saturday of every month. Anyone wanting to take part is advised to keep an eye on local social media channels for the location of the next clean-up.

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Ashley Bauer

The start to this year’s plum harvest was ten days earlier than usual, says Lourens. Rather than the more usual third week of November this year’s first plums – of the African Rose cultivar – were ready on 8 November.

Text:

Some of the volunteers who assisted at the November Franschhoek Clean-up.

reception@marelisebester.co.za

Classic Car Cornucopia

“Church St has probably never seen such a bevvy of beauties,” was one of the overwhelmingly favourable comments that greeted the pre-launch of the 2023 Franschhoek Classic Car Festival (FCCF) that took place on Saturday, 19 November.

Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards

The Franschhoek leg of

September,

The WCPAA was originally initiated in 2002 by the Hex Valley Table Grape Association. It was established to give recognition to the valuable and important contribution of the agri worker to the sustainability and growth of agriculture in the Western Cape.

By presenting the WCPAA the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) wants to broaden the agri workers’ scope and understanding of the agricultural sector and expose them to new life experiences. It further serves as a means to motivate agri workers to improve their knowledge and skills base in order to unlock opportunities and personal growth for future career path development.

Prestige Agri

More than 20 classic and modern classic cars lent their graces to Church St from 09h00 to 11h30 before driving down Huguenot St in a cavalcade.

British marques were particularly well represented with two Rolls Royces, two Bentleys, an Aston Martin, two MGs, an Austin Healy and several Jaguars on display. Continental Europe was represented by a Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Almost half the cars belonged to valley residents.

The FCCF is the brainchild of former advertising

The competition is sponsored by Shoprite South Africa and co-sponsored by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. Franschhoek agri-workers compete against each other in 9 of the 11 different categories at the regional level. Regional winners proceed to the provincial level to compete for the title of Western Cape Agri-worker of the Year.

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: FWV

Bumpy Road for Roads Master Plan

A new

Master

(RMP)

Stellenbosch,

The RMP is a full review of the RMP completed in 2012 and will inform the compilation of the next Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP). Roads in the municipal area belong to the municipality, provincial government, SANRAL and private land owners. This necessitates a means “to assist in integrating and coordinating the planning and implementation process for future road infrastructure.” The RMP, therefore, is “a key guide for local, district and provincial authorities in determining and allocating the funding for future improvements.”

The compilation of the RMP included an assessment of the road network, development of a transport network model, collecting of traffic data and incorporating of the latest information from the Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF), Housing Pipeline (planned housing developments) and Integrated Development Programme (IDP) to ensure that it reflects the latest municipal information. Results of the simulations were analysed and recommendations were made for infrastructure that “will ensure an effective road layout for the Municipality.”

As can be expected, most of the RMP deals with issues in and around Stellenbosch town. In addition to the controversial eastern bypass, discussion and analysis of a western bypass and the R44 – both as it passes through Stellenbosch and on the way to

Somerset West – takes up much of the document. Franschhoek wasn’t ignored though. Reference is made to the 2011 CITP’s proposals for Franschhoek, Groendal and Wemmershoek which are assigned a high priority in the listing of proposed road projects for the municipal area. These proposals included:

“The road environment for the R45 should be reclassified, which reduces speeds through the town and assigns a road environment to particular portions of the R45;

• “The Stellenbosch Municipality should ensure that sufficient space is reserved for the northwestward extension of Dirkie Uys Street to Beaucoup de L’eau Street;

“The Stellenbosch Municipality should ensure that sufficient space is reserved for a route that will link the MR5618 to Bagatelle Street;

“The one-way bridge where Robertsvlei Road crosses the river should be widened;

“Proposed roundabouts at the following intersections:

Main Road / Uitkyk Street / Cabrière Street intersection;

Huguenot Street / Lambrecht Street intersection;

R45 / Le Roux Street intersection;

R45 / La Provence Road intersection,

R45 / Nerina Street / Bagatelle Street.”

The extension of Dirkie Uys Street to connect with

La Provence Street, thus connecting Groendal with Franschhoek, is assigned a medium priority, while the extension of Nerina Street (presumably via Bagatelle Street) from the R45 to Middagkrans Road is not assigned a priority. Both these projects were also identified in the 2011 CITP. It should be noted that in assigning priorities to projects where the road authority is the provincial government it has to be done in conjunction with the provincial authority.

The RMP notes that “The proposed roundabouts were not implemented and SM is in the process to appoint consultants to draft new proposals.” It is not clear why new proposals are required for some of the roundabouts as engineers had already prepared drawings for them in 2011 and no reason is given why these are deficient. (See picture.)

Further information on projects listed in the RNP and subsequently in the new Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP), “will only become available once preliminary approvals are obtained and more detailed assessments carried out. Projects commence only once public participation processes are concluded, funding sources are confirmed and all relevant approvals are obtained.”

The Roads Master Plan also makes reference to projects planned by the provincial government in the next five years. Of particular interest to Franschhoek residents are the upgrade of the R301

(Paarl road) from the R45 to the N1 and the upgrade of the R45 from the R310 (Allée Bleue intersection) to the R101 (Old Paarl road).

Text & Image: Editorial Desk

ng ne stock is ai ng for o !

Follo s on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest ne s on ne prod cts and specials!

We are "Delicio sl Different!"

executive and founder of The Jupiter Drawing Room, Graham Warsop – now styled as the event’s ‘patriarch’. Graham says, “We are immensely grateful to the car owners who made their cars available for our pre-launch. It was a wonderful morning, shared with like-minded people. We look forward to hosting an even better two-day event on 18 & 19 November 2023 on the Train Camp Campus.”

Text & Image: Editorial Desk

Franschhoek Classic Car Festival ‘patriarch’ Graham Warsop (front right) with the team of car minders that ensured the safety of the cars on display during the FCCF pre-launch.

Roads

Plan

served before the Stellenbosch town council at its October meeting. The council however referred it back to the administration as it included provisions for an Eastern bypass in

which is highly controversial in the town. Despite not being accepted by the council it is a very informative, albeit quite a technical document.

Engineer’s drawing of the roundabout proposed for the Uitkyk St/Huguenot St intersection in the 2011 Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan.

the 2022 Western Cape

Worker Awards took place on Friday, 30

at the Franschhoek Cellar. John Williams from Freshness First was crowned Regional Western Prestige Agri Worker of 2022, and Babylonstoren won Best Performing Farm of 2022.

John Williams (centre) was the Franschhoek region winner in the 2022 Western Cape Prestige Agri Worker Awards. Flanking him are Shoprite’s Pieter van Zyl and Franschhoek Wine Valley CEO, Ruth McCourt.

Security Initiative: Boots on the Ground

A privately-funded security initiative aimed at ensuring safety along the village’s main road –from Uitkyk St to the Huguenot Monument – was launched on Tuesday, 15 November.

The initiative brings together several security partners, including: SAPS, CSG Security, Dogs and All and Pepler Alarms. Ashley Bauer represents the Franschhoek Heritage and Ratepayers Association, while Pat Jacobs represents Franschhoek Wine Valley.

Officially dubbed the FWV Franschhoek High Street Security Initiative it is planned to last five months, of which the first three are currently funded. FWV CEO, Ruth McCourt, says: “We urge businesses and individuals who haven’t contributed to the costs of the initiative yet to please do so to ensure that we can keep the extra security guards patrolling our main road throughout the tourist season. When our tourists are safe, our livelihoods are also safe.”

The initiative sees four security guards from CSG Security on duty in the main road when it is busiest from 11h00 to 23h00. They will be in close contact with SAPS, Dogs and All, the Pepler Alarms control room and Stellenbosch Law Enforcement to ensure that any type of incident can be addressed.

Members of the public will be able to easily identify the uniformed guards who will be wearing black trousers, dark blue shirts, red caps and a red logoed vest. Each guard is equipped with pepper spray and a two-way radio to keep them in contact with the Pepler Alarms control room.

“Please assist in reporting and photographing incidents or individuals of concern so that we can achieve Franschhoek’s goal of a safe and pleasant

The KUSASA Academy Is Born

Our school started in 2012 with a small group of very young children in a local church hall –our first Grade 0 class. The name “Early Learning Centre” (ELC) suited the initial years of our school’s establishment, reflecting our focus on the best education from as young as possible.

experience for our visitors and residents alike”, concludes McCourt. For more information on the initiative, or how to contribute, please contact Pat Jacobs on 073 535 0007.

The school has since grown from strength-tostrength, getting bigger, better and more effective each year. Over 11 busy years the ELC has developed into a fully-fledged educational institution, offering six years of schooling from grade 0 to grade 4 and is much more than just an ordinary school. Our excellence is evident in a number of areas: Academic excellence. We offer a cutting-edge curriculum in English, top-notch teaching facilities, the best equipment and teaching methods around.

Top staff. Our school has the most dedicated, professional teachers you will find anywhere. They are constantly innovating and retraining themselves to be better and better at what they do. Holistic care & support. We don’t just teach school lessons:

We provide nutritious meals and medical, dental, ear & eye care to all our learners. Our environment is a calm, safe, motivational space for the children. We support special learner needs – offering in-

house occupational therapy, a social worker and a myriad of other support mechanisms.

Parent support. We work with parents/guardians to grow their children – through parent workshops, parent volunteer hours and a generally high level of parent involvement.

With the help of numerous loyal donors, our school has become an extraordinary place of special training and learning. That’s why we have decided to give the ELC a new name that better reflects who we now are:

“The KUSASA Academy” is born!

The KUSASA Academy is a programme of The KUSASA Project Trust. Our governance structure, trustees, staff and supporters remain unchanged and as committed as ever to “Education for a Brighter Future” for the children of our community. It’s all about the kids, as always!

www.thekusasaproject.org

Text: Saskia Blaisse | Image: Supplied

The KUSASA Early Learning Centre is now the KUSASA Academy.

The organisers, managers and operational staff of the security initiative that was launched on 15 November.

Franschhoek

Dieu Donné Vineyards’ Chardonnay Unwooded 2022

The vines are situated high up on the steep southwest facing slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains. This tempers the sun, ensuring cool summer conditions and slow ripening of the grapes with high natural acids. This Chardonnay matured on its lees for six months, making it soft and rounded with more complexity and creaminess. Lemony undertones on the palate.

Cellar Door Price - R90.00 per bottle

T 021 224 0667 E sales@dieudonnevineyards.com

The Country Grand Franschhoek Restaurant’s Tempura Prawns

Ingredients

5 Prince prawns, deshelled with tails on. Tempura flour 210 grams Soda water 250ml.

Method

Pour flour into mixing bowl.

Pour Soda water in a steady stream and whisk to incorporate batter. Mix evenly to eliminate pieces or lumps of flour forming. Mix should evenly coat your

finger without any air bubbles. Dust the 5 prawns (deshelled with tails on) in seasoned flour and shake off the excess flour. Dip into tempura batter (cold batter) and drop into fryer. Fry until batter is crisp and golden in colour. Serve on a flat plate on top of a bit of rocket and serve with a soy, ginger, lime Yuzo dressing and a wedge of freshly sliced lemon.

T 021 569 9352 W www.grandafrica.com

Outstanding Ratings for Anthonij Rupert Wyne

Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2023 awarded Anthonij Rupert Wyne four 5-star ratings and fourteen 4.5 star ratings for wines in their portfolio. The latest edition of SA’s go-to wine guide was released in late November.

This year’s five star line-up includes L’Ormarins Blanc de Blancs 2017, the maiden release of L’Ormarins Private Cuvée 2014 – also awarded as category winner, Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2021, and Cape of Good Hope Altima Sauvignon Blanc 2022. This is the fourth consecutive year that Cape of Good Hope Groendruif has been awarded the coveted 5-star rating. These latest accolades continue to reaffirm the team’s commitment to quality, producing the best possible from their vineyards and building an impressive track record for their wines.

The 2014 vintage and maiden release of L’Ormarins Private Cuvée, a wine which was eight years in the making is made exclusively from the Tête du Cuvée, hailing from selected vineyard blocks from the high altitude Altima Estate. This pristine sumptuous and elegant wine composed of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir spent an extraordinary 72 months of on the lees before disgorgement. It remains tangy and vivid with lemon and marmalade flavours coupled with sourdough notes. This wine can be purchased from the farm or via the estate’s online shop at R470 per bottle.

The beautifully-structured L’Ormarins Blanc de Blancs 2017, made from Chardonnay grapes, presents with a mesmerizing stream of fine bubbles. The complex nose presents a distinct maritime breeze, brine, whiffs of cream cracker and lemon zest. A crisp, tangy citrus-laden palate combined with rich biscuit and lees elements speaks of complexity and refinement all the way through to the complex finish.

Available online or directly from the Tasting Room at R230 per bottle.

As part of the Old Vines Initiative, the Semillon grapes for the Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2021, were sourced from Henk Laing’s farm, Trekpoort – on the Skurfberg Mountains near Clanwilliam. This complex, engaging and highly limited wine shows perfect harmony between fruit and lees and will reward patience and careful cellaring. Although Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2021 is already sold out, the 2022 vintage is already available from the estate and the online shop at R155 per bottle.

Another award-winning wine in the collection and completing the 5-star line up is the Cape of Good Hope Altima Sauvignon Blanc 2022. The Altima vineyard is situated in a pristine valley north of Villiersdorp and is surrounded by a steep mountain range that rises 1km from the valley floor. During the winter months these mountains are typically covered with snow and coupled with the elevation of 600 to 700m, equates to a very cool climate. This unique terroir produces wines with a high natural acidity and upfront aromas. The wine is best described as displaying grapefruit, granadilla and subtle pea pod nuance further revealing its cool climate origin. The palate is textured and round, revealing lightly smoky lees element. Altima Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is available online, or directly from the estate at R145 per bottle.

Text & Image: Editorial Desk www.rupertwines.com.

Mark Tanner

News flash! The world’s best wine was announced in October 2022. Where is it from? Probably one of the outstanding growths (Cru Hors Classe) of the Haut-Medic in Bordeaux; from Chateau Lafite Rothschild of Pouillac, perhaps? Or a Chateau Pichon-Lalande? Not quite. The winner is Taylor Estates 2022 Shiraz, from Clare Valley, a small wine-producing area just north of Barossa in South Australia – and it sells for 22 Australian Dollars!

This means that, as lightning never strikes the same place twice, those at Taylor’s Estate should enjoy their limited fame while it lasts. It also means that some committee somewhere came to a decision. I have no idea which challenge or contest made the award, but I feel that it was probably made without any input from the Cirencester Wine Society, or the Bottoms-Up Club down at the Fox and Hounds. One may wonder how such awards are arrived at without any mentioned connection with Robert Parker, The Wine Spectator, Decanter Magazine and other impeccable sources of wine culture and influence. Anyway, I raise my glass to Taylor’s Estate and wish them well.

I visited McLaren Vale a few years ago, not too far from Clare Valley, and found their red wines very much like ours. There are of course exceptions and I recall one Shiraz that succumbed to chewing rather than sipping. At neighbouring Longhorne Creek, I visited a winery that matured it’s wines in barrels made of wood from the Blue Gums that encircle the property. While no doubt cheaper than importing from France, the results were not particularly encouraging. Again, an acquired taste should solve any problems. Unlike our vineyards, the winelands of Australia generally have few restaurants so that one may have to journey elsewhere to

experience the local fare. So that if ‘18 months in a Blue Gum barrel’ red does not perform at the table one could always assume that it doesn’t travel well!

* * *

What’s in a name? Ataraxia in the Hemel an Aarde Valley makes an excellent range of wines, well presented and in a stunning location. Ataraxia is from the Greek and means “freedom from pain”. Marras Wines in Riebeek Kasteel produce an unusual dry white Hanepoot from Piekenierskloof grapes that is another favourite of mine. The label identified it as “Kop Sanitizer”. I doubt however if either producer intended to suggest any independence from hangovers.

* * *

Time for a short quiz. The following are from a local Young Sommelier’s exam a few years ago.

1) Name the grape varieties used in Champagne.

2) What is Battonage?

3) In which year was Mouton Rothschild promoted to Premier Cru?

4) What is “dosage”?

5) What is the dominant grape used in a Côte Rôtie wine? And name the other cultivar that may be used?

6). In which region of Australia and by who was the famous “Hill of Grace” wine made and what cultivars is it made of?

7). What principles did Rudolf Steiner introduce in 1924?

8). Who produced the first commercial Bordeaux style red wine in South Africa, and on which estate?

9). Name the four Premier Grand Cru Classes (1er GCC) of the 2012 classification of St Emillion.

The above come from a list of 69 questions put to would be Sommeliers. It gives an idea of the level of learning that is necessary to qualify. Students also have to identify both wine and spirits at a blind tasting as well as presenting and serving Champagne at a set table, among other trials; and all while dressed in appropriate formal attire.

Have a blessed Christmas and a winederful 2023.

As the holiday season approaches our thoughts turn gratefully to all our clients, family and friends you have supported us and been loyal to us throughout the past year.

We stock a full range of Midas oil based) and Earthcote products for wall and floor surfaces (300 colours to choose from). We also stock Thales Decontamination Solution for treating fungus and anti-fungal additives to add to all paints.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a healthy and very Happy New Year.

We also stock waterproofing products, Rolls of torch-on (3mm & 4mm) and various sizes of waterproofing membrane. Plascon water and oil-based paints. paint brushes, rollers, trays and tray-sets, crack fillers, sand-paper, masking and buff tapes, turpentine, lacquer thinners, putty and a full range of drop sheets and rolls of plastic to cover floors and furniture. For DIY enthusiasts, we stock ladders, overalls and drop sheets.

Please note that our operating hours are: 08h00 - 17h00 Monday to Friday | 08h00 - 12h30 on Saturdays

For any specifications, technical advice, products or services please do not hesitate to contact Paul on 082 567 6162 / shop on 021 876 2082.

We look forward to being of service to you. From your Paintsmiths Franschhoek Team

We also stock a full range of Woodoc ‘food for wood’ in various colours and a full range of Duram products, including Duram Roof paints in various colours and Duram Showfloor Polyurethane floor paint, also in assorted colours. We can also supply twin pack epoxy paints for specialised applications. All textures and colours are on show in our showroom. Pop in and have a coffee with us, whilst leisurely selecting your paints and colours.

Please note that we will be closed from 12h30 on 21 December 2022 and reopen on Tuesday, 3 January 2023, at 08h00.

For FREE technical advice, paint specifications and quotations contact Paul 082 567 6162

Sterstatus Wink

Daar was Franschhoek verteenwoordiging by die première van Mark Matroos se nuutste film, ‘Bloedbetaal 2’, wat op 4 November by die CineCentre GrandWest plaasgevind het. Franschhoeker, John Jacobs, was deel van die rolverdeling van die rolprent.

John se eerste akteurservaring was op laerskool, by Weseind Primêr. ‘n Groep Belgiese onderwysers was op daardie tydstip in Franschhoek as deel van ‘n uitruilprogram met Dilbeek – Franschhoek se tweelingdorp in België. Hulle het ‘n opvoering van ‘Alice in Wonderland’ gereël en John was die ‘white rabbit’. Die opvoering het in die gemeenskapsaal plaasgevind en is op video opgeneem. John het dus al vroeg geleer om ‘vir die kamera te speel’.

Op hoërskool het John dramaklasse geneem en was later deel van Jeremy Davids se Youth Affair dramagroep, waar hy twee beste akteur toekennings gewen het.

Die oudisie vir Bloedbetaal 2 was John se eerste professionele oudisie. Gelukkig het alles goed afgeloop en ‘n week later was daar goeie

nuus – hy het ‘n rol gekry! ‘n Maand later, temidde van die Covidpandemie, het die kameras begin rol.

Die film is binne net vier dae in Strandfontein en Schaapkraal, Kaapstad, verfilm. Benewens sy akteursrol was John ook ‘n produksie-assistent tydens die verfilming.

In die gewone lewe is John die verpakkings- en bestandelebestuurder by Three Streams. Dit beteken natuurlik dat hy sy verlof moet gebruik om sy akteurspassie uit te leef.

Net die tyd sal leer wat die toekoms inhou, maar John het reeds sy volgende akteursprojek voltooi.

young minds are inspired; where individual care and attention is combined with a distinctive, progressive education and where changemakers are equipped with skills for a world beyond our imagination. Bridge House is a leading independent, co-ed day and boarding school, situated in a beautiful, safe setting in the Franschhoek Valley.

An independent (IEB) Matric examination accepted by universities worldwide

· An excellent academic track record – 100% pass rate to date

· A wide variety of traditional team and individual sports and cultural activities

· Four, spacious, modern boarding houses for students from Grade 6 to 12

· Extensive facilities on 28 hectares of land

Open Day is any day you want it to be.

Contact Gill Malcolm gilmal@bridgehouse.org.za or +27 (0) 874 8100 for a bespoke tour of the school or an online interview with the Head. www.bridgehouse.org.za

Hy mag

was

kortprent teenoor

bekende akteur. Die kortprent sal teen middel 2023 op VIA uitgesaai word.

Teks: Redaksie | Foto: Verskaf

John Jacobs (regs) saam met sy medesterre Micheala Jackson en Gino Thaysen by die première van Bloedbetaal 2 by die CineCentre GrandWest bioskoop.

And that wraps up the year for us, a whirlwind year that flew past for some and dragged along for others. I think most readers will agree that we all need a break from our daily routine by now. For those going on vacation, the beach or bush will provide refuge, for those of us who stay at home our gardens are our best resort. What better way to shake up that routine than getting up an hour earlier this December to spend in the garden? You will experience the therapy of working up a sweat as you watch the summer sunrise while ensuring that your garden is in tip-top shape for Christmas. To get to that tip-top shape there is plenty to do in the garden this month. You should be well rewarded for all your hard work through the year with a garden full of scents, flavours, colours and food by now. Deadheading spent flowers and picking vegetables and fruits regularly is one of your most important tasks in this abundant month. Good garden hygiene is important as this is the time of year with the greatest number of insects around. Bait against fruit and pumpkin fly, apply beneficial bacteria against caterpillars and monitor the rest so that you can act accordingly. Our dry autumn has kept most diseases at bay this year but watch out for the normal culprits like powdery and downy mildew and black spot and start your preventative programme with the first signs of trouble. A cooler day is ideal to feed the garden – I recommend a combination of foliar and granular feed. Your local garden centre assistant will be able to help you with this. The garden centres are brimming with colour, don’t be tempted to buy flowerpots and seedlings that are in full bloom, rather buy young seedlings and time your display into the future. A tired-looking lawn can be spruced up with a thin layer of fine soil or compost or a sprinkling of high-nitrogen fertilizer. Set your mower higher as the days get warmer, it helps to save water.

You should spend most of your time in the food and medicine garden. Summer

is a time of abundance, and our vegetable gardens should be starting to pack out with squashes, peppers, tomatoes, green beans, sweetcorn, and all the other warm-season foods. Pick regularly, remove fallen fruit, and feed producing plants with a high potassium fertilizer. Keep up succession sowings of beans and sweetcorn. Late plantings of pumpkins and squashes are not very successful around here because of the abundance of pumpkin flies. Should you have some time on hand for a project a good idea is to add some weather protection to your food garden. A tunnel or net house can turn your veggie garden into a real retreat while providing yearround food in abundance. I love hand watering, but even a simple irrigation system can free up time that you can spend more productively elsewhere in the garden. Should you be one of the lucky ones that are off to the beach, you must make sure your plants are kept moist. Apply a thick layer of mulch around vulnerable plants and water well before you leave. I am always amazed at how long the lower levels of the soil stay moist if we protect the top layer against the sun.

Summertime is when we get to brag about the produce from our garden. Readers will know about my obsession with cooking most if not all our Christmas lunch out of the garden. Even if that is not feasible a basket of fresh produce makes an impressive replacement for a bunch of flowers as a dinner gift. Summer is also jam cooking time.

Plums, apricots and peaches will all be ripening soon and turning excess into preserves, chutneys and jams saves money and makes excellent gifts. Happy gardening, see you in 2023.

Franschhoek Bowling Club

PAUL SLEATH

Spring cleaning is always a buzz word for householders in England and here at bowling clubs across South Africa it is no different. Many bowling clubs have just undertaken their annual Spring treatment, which entails scarifying, verticutting and top dressing the bowling lawn. For a smooth bowling surface technology comes to our rescue and many contractors employ laser levelling equipment to ensure the top dressing is placed just in the correct place for an almost level playing field. Bowls as a sport began in South Africa around 1882, when the first bowling green was commissioned and a lawn bowls club was subsequently established in Port Elizabeth at St Georges Park. The South African Bowling Association was founded in 1904 as the governing body for the sport of bowls

in the country and afterwards, the growth of the women’s game led to the establishment of South African Women’s Bowling Association in 1935 to control and promote the women’s game. The two controlling bodies merged in 1996 to establish Bowls South Africa.

Our club is located under the mountains at 1 Lambrechts St, a right turn to a rough road that leads to Le Lude restaurant. Our club is well signposted from the main road.

We play “social bowls” on Wednesdays and Fridays so if you would like to play or just come and watch, please contact our President Le Roy (081 557 0557) and he can inform you of the times of play and even place you on our WhatsApp players group for more information.

First-class Karate

Franschhoek’s

Eight Franschhoek karate students who train at the Samurai School of Karate at Franschhoek Health Club under the tutelage of Sensei Chris Ensil took part in the United Martial Arts Federation’s provincial championships on Saturday, 29 October. The championships took place at the Paarl School of Skills.

SHARF

JUANI BEUKES

At The End Of 2022

Team SHARF shouts out a tremendous “Thank You!” to every person, organization, business or company that supported us, in any way, during this year. We are sincerely thankful and would not be able to have come this far without you.

Our year was extremely challenging, specifically with regard to paying huge veterinary bills, transportation of rescued or surrendered animals and finding emergency foster homes and safe places for animals being surrendered. But because of our wonderful supporters we could negotiate the challenges.

In 2022, we did over 400 sterilisations of cats and dogs; Juani had her hands full with emergency care at all hours because of dog fights, car accidents, violent attacks on dogs, parvo and distemper cases, starved and hungry animals, litter upon litter of puppies, as well as animals surrendered daily and needing urgent foster homes; Abigail handled the cats and kittens, keeping her busy with hours of vet visits, sorting out cat transport boxes for safe pick-ups and sterilisations of numerous cats every week. She also opened her

The group brought home five bronze medals, six silver medals and four gold medals.

Kayla Nyamayaro, who won gold in three categories, was the best competitor overall. Definitely not a group to be toyed with!

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Supplied

foster door day and night for emergencies; Bettina is the keyboard warrior who tirelessly phones and types away to find homes or rescue organisation’s for all our surrendered animals, working all hours to find the best homes. She also handles all our administration.

In light of the above, we have a little wish list…

• Foster homes (short term & long term) for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies. (This is a BIG NEED as all three of our homes are already brim full foster animals).

• Volunteers to help with transport

• Dog and cat food

• 100 Club sign ups or monthly donations

May you all have a wonderful festive season, travel safely, enjoy the company of family and friends and may we again take hands in 2023 to address all the animal welfare needs of this beautiful valley.

With love, Juani, Abigail and Bettina

Banking Details: Safe Hands Animal Rescue Franschhoek | FNB | Acc. No. 62836203076 | Branch: Paarl | Branch code: 200110

Our vet account: Wellington Animal Hospital | Standard Bank | Acc. No. 072 229 845 | Branch code: 05-10-01 | Ref. Safe Hands Animal Rescue See our FB page for more animals needing a forever home | NPO Number: NPO 235-331 076 327 4939 | info@safehandsanimalrescue.org.za

Open Gardens 2022

It is once again a pleasure for the Open Gardens Committee to record a very successful Open Gardens Festival, which took place during the last weekend of October. Attendance was exceptional, despite other larger garden events taking place on the same weekend, demonstrating the enduring attraction of our beautiful village and its gardens. We were pleased to include four very special new gardens - adding to the variety of our gardens which is always a drawing card for our regular supporters. This year we were especially fortunate to have three days of wonderful weather when the gardens were at their best.

No event of this kind can ever be a true success without the ongoing willingness of the owners to put their gardens on show. The generosity of the local sponsors to meet necessary expenses and the enthusiasm of numerous supporters to act as garden sitters over the three days of the festival were all crucial to the festival’s success. To all these, we give our deepest thanks. Indeed, to all garden enthusiasts in Franschhoek who always support this event. One interesting observation was the increased number of young people who visited the gardens compared with previous years – forming,

perhaps, the next generation of our gardening community?

Visitors were fêted to a talk by Jeanne Roux, our local fynbos expert, who gave a fascinating talk on flower arranging using local flora, as well as propagating proteas and fynbos for your garden.

Nick Norman, our professional geologist, joined her to explain how geology is one of the key influences on which plants grow where.

Finally, a reminder that all funds raised stay in Franschhoek to support local initiatives.

Enjoy the summer – garden well!

Where the Adventure Begins: A Kusasa Production

There was cause for celebration on 5 November 2022. The Kusasa Project staged its yearend production with children and teachers performing alongside each other to bring alive a heart-warming tale of the vast possibilities opened up to us when we embrace our inquisitive natures. It was most fitting to combine this occasion with a graduation ceremony for the grade fours of the school, congratulating them for their accomplishments.

The concert was hosted at the beautiful Bridge House Theatre, a venue that did justice to the great deal of hard work and care put into the production. The dialogue, choreography, lighting, costumes, and music culminated in a production that was a great success. Named “Where the Adventure Begins”, the performance told a story of a young girl aspiring to be a scientist. She embarks on an adventure with her friend, developing all of the essential qualities needed along the way in order to reach her dream.

This kind of event has great significance for both the learners and their parents, both of whom are able to feel proud of their progress and the hurdles that many of these children have overcome through their educational journey at Kusasa. Moreover, the motifs explored in the production convey meaningful messages to both learners and parents – messages of hope, resilience, kindness, and hard work. The production was not only a celebratory occasion but a testimony to the incredible service that the Kusasa Project provides to the disadvantaged community of Franschhoek. It was clear from the quality of the performances and the speeches delivered by the graduating grade fours, that the learners attending this school are receiving a quality education and benefiting from a holistic approach to their well-being. Not only does Kusasa provide learners, from preschool to grade 4, with the literacy and numeracy skills needed for further learning; but they also

ensure that other key components of early childhood development are addressed. These are: health, nutrition, therapeutic services, safety, as well as the emotional, social, and cognitive support needed to ensure their healthy development. Kusasa is, indeed, providing these children with “education for a brighter future”, as their logo states. Celebrating its 15th birthday, The Kusasa Project is a great force for sustainable change in the lives of Franschhoek’s children.

For more information on Kusasa, and the services they provide for the community’s children, visit their website: www.thekusasaproject.org.

Text & Image: Leila Shirley

Local Amateur Crowned National Golf Champion

Franschhoek amateur golfer Craig Whitson enjoyed a dream debut on the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series as he teamed up with Sunshine Tour professional Malcolm Mitchell to win the National Final of this prestigious pro-am series at the Pinnacle Point Estate in Mossel Bay on 26 October.

Whitson, a nine handicap who plays his golf at Pearl Valley, and Mitchell finished the 36-hole competition with 87 points and earned the title of 2022 Vodacom Origins of Golf champions, edging out Merrick Bremner and his amateur partner Marco dos Santos who finished second on 83 points.

“What a fantastic experience. This was my first experience of the Vodacom Origins of Golf and when we came off the golf course I actually said to Malcolm that I’ve got a tear in my eye about the fact that it had to end. As amateur golfers we were treated like professionals,” said a delighted Whitson.

“Malcolm was just wonderful to play with. We became like brothers over these two days. We had so much fun. The highlight for me was being exposed to what professional golfers are exposed to. It’s just an absolute treat to see up close how these professionals approach the game and the decisions they make on the golf course. It gives you newfound respect for them.”

Mitchell was equally thrilled to add his name to a long list of pro-am winners on this series, which dates back to 2004.

“The Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments are always a pleasure to play, and this week was that much more special for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner this week than Craig. It was

Hospice News

COLLEEN DOUGLAS

The Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival takes place on 3 and 4 December at the Huguenot Monument. Franschhoek Hospice will be selling freshly-baked croissants filled with cream cheese and smoked salmon for R50 each. Please support us. They’re perfect with a glass of bubbles!

Christmas Break

The Hospice office will close on 15tDecember 2022 and open again on 9 January 2023.

There will be a Sister on duty for patients. (Call 082 423 1844 to reach her.)

Hospice Shop

great,” he said.

This was the 18th season of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series on the Sunshine Tour. The National Final brought together the top five finishers from each of the previous regional tournaments played around South Africa this year in their quest to claim overall honours.

Editorial Desk | Image: Perfect Exposure

The shop will be closed on the following days: Friday, 16 December 2022; Monday, 26 December 2022 and Monday, 2 January 2023.

Please be patient when trying to contact the shop. There is very poor cell phone reception at the centre. * * *

Franschhoek Hospice would like to thank everyone in the Franschhoek Valley who supported us during 2022 and wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a Prosperous 2023.

Safe travels during the Festive Season!

medal-winning karate students. Front row FLTR: Jayne Wunder, Curstley Williams, Ethan Nyamayaro, Kayla Nuamayaro, Riley Mienies, Bradley Dzikira, Ryan Dzikira and Lucky Nyamayaro.

Back row FLTR: Johan Viljoen (Franschhoek Health Club manager) and Sensei Chris Ensil.

The Kusasa Production at Bridge House Theatre

Text:

Amateur golfer Craig Whitson (left) celebrates with Sunshine Tour professional Malcolm Mitchell after they were crowned the 2022 Vodacom Origins of Golf national champions at the Pinnacle Point Estate.

Sponsor a Child’s Christmas Gift!

Make a child’s year this Christmas by sponsoring just R100 towards a gift from Santa, arranged by superchef Margot Janse’s Isabelo Charity.

Every year, Isabelo arranges a wonderful Christmas party for the kids of KUSASA’s Early Learning Centre and Valley Kids crèche, also in Franschhoek.

Isabelo’s very jolly and realistic Santa pays a visit and takes 30 minutes out of his busy schedule to answer an array of interesting questions thrown at him by the children before handing each and every child a special Christmas gift. It is often the biggest and best gift the kids will receive that Christmas, if not that entire year. Each gift is funded and handpicked by the Isabelo team and is age and gender appropriate.

Please help Isabelo to fund at least 200 gifts this Christmas for the kids. You can donate as little as R100, but preferably a bit more… Visit the URL below to donate. Because no child should experience Christmas with an empty stocking. https://www.givengain.com/cc/sponsor-a-childschristmas-gift/

Franschhoek Wine Valley News

RUTH McCOURT

Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival Returns!

Bubbly lovers will be delighted to hear that after a two-year absence, the Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival is back!

Once again presented by Sanlam Private Wealth, the two-day event is set to take place at the Franschhoek Monument on Saturday December 3 and Sunday December 4 from 11:00 to 16:00. Tickets are now available from Webtickets and cost R450 per person – including a souvenir tasting glass and 10 tasting coupons. The first 100 buyers can take advantage of an early bird special and purchase tickets for only R400 per person.

Festivalgoers will get to enjoy Cap Classiques from Graham Beck, Anthonij Rupert, Villiera, Morena and many more as well as Champagnes from a still to be confirmed list of French producers. Fabulous fare from a variety of stalls and local favourite restaurants will keep the hunger pangs at bay, and live music from local superstar Amy Jones and DJ Shen FM will add to the elegant yet laid back atmosphere of the garden-party-style event.

As in previous years, the dress code is Blue & White, and those judged the best dressed will be in line to win great prizes on both days.

Festival organiser Darielle Robertson says: “The 2019 Cap Classique & Champagne Festival was completely sold out weeks before the event, and tickets for the 2020 show were selling like hotcakes before we had to cancel due to the pandemic. Last year’s festival became another Covid-19 casualty due to lockdown restrictions.

“Tickets will be much sought after as bubbly lovers are going to want to make up for the missed two years, so pre-booking is essential as the new look and feel allows for a limited number of guests only.”

Adds Theesan Moodley, CEO of Sanlam Private Wealth: “As always, we are excited to partner with this luxury lifestyle event as it provides us with the perfect platform to collaborate with fellow experts in their craft and create an exclusive experience for guests.”

A full list of the Cap Classique and Champagne producers attending the festival will be released soon.

Local Shatters Weightlifting Records

Male and female weightlifters travelled from all over South Africa to compete in their respective classes throughout the weekend. They were all competing for two things: to win a national title and to qualify for the World Masters Weightlifting Championships in New Zealand in 2023.

Clive qualified for the 2022 World Masters Weightlifting Championships. A couple of operations early in 2022 however, set back his training. He decided to focus on training for New Zealand 2023 rather than attending this year’s contest in Orlando, Florida.

Clive has been training hard all year, putting in four 2-hour sessions a week. He also followed a healthy diet and abstained from alcohol for a few months before the Championships. His high expectations and training efforts paid off. Not only did he win another South African title, but he also broke two records and, best of all, qualified for the World Masters next year.

His three attempts at the Snatch all saw good lifts with 54kg, 57kg and 60kg. In the Clean and Jerk Clive set his first attempt at 77kg, achieving a successful lift, and followed it with another successful lift of 81kg to set a new South African record in the 65-69 age group category. His third lift was to increase the record he had just set, so he elected to lift 84kg. This lift too was successful setting another South African record and, in addition, giving him the overall new South African title for setting a record for the combined weight

lifted from the Snatch and Clean and Jerk. Clive’s training programme was designed around his previous weightlifting history but had to be adapted because as the body gets older and less forgiving training must be adapted to suit what is mentally and physically possible. Clive also has an old lifting buddy in the UK who is an Olympic weightlifter so advice was only an e-mail away if required. Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Mynhardt Photography

Siegfried Schäfer

Dear Readers,

If you’ve been reading my letters long enough you’ll know that I’ve on several occasions made the point that based on what they promote and approve, I don’t believe that our local authorities understand the impacts of tourism – particularly of the mass-market variety. And that too much of a good thing, is a bad thing.

It’s not as though it’s difficult to predict the effects of what’s become known as ‘over tourism’. In fact, one doesn’t have to predict them at all –examples abound on the internet. But you don’t have to look further than parts of Franschhoek to see them for yourself. An off-season stroll around some of our residential areas reveals almost entire blocks where hardly anybody is living permanently. Second homes and Airbnb’s (the latter usually without planning permission) leave parts of the village practically deserted thus promoting crime while at the same time squeezing locals out of the property market and hollowing out the local community.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not against Airbnb and similar sites. I’m against entire houses/apartments being listed all year round when these could provide homes to permanent residents. I’m also against houses being used as businesses and the owners not paying business rates to the municipality.

(If Stellenbosch Municipality were serious about getting the property rates income it should be getting, it would have a land-use inspector spend a few days in Franschhoek knocking on doors ensuring that proper approvals and zonings are in place. I’m not holding my breath though, as that would mean somebody would have to cross the nearly-impenetrable barrier of the Helshoogte Pass…)

With tourism rebounding after Covid, a recent Bloomberg conference noted that some destinations are rethinking what kind of visitors they want to attract. Venice is finally getting tough on day trippers that bring little economic gain to the city. They’ve instituted an ‘entrance fee’ for day trippers and are cracking down on the giant cruise ships that disgorge them by

the thousands. In Amsterdam, the CEO of the Amsterdam and Partners foundation stated boldly: “We don’t want to grow tourism anymore. We totally shifted from quantity to quality.” Cape Town is apparently working with Airbnb “to better attract high-value tourists.” Specifically, says Enver Duminy – CEO of Cape Town Tourism – they want to better understand and embrace digital nomads, who tend to stay longer and spend more than short-term visitors. “We need the right infrastructure and technology to leverage that longer stay,” he continued, “and make them part of the local community.”

What is considered new, post-Covid thinking was however already practised in Franschhoek in the early 2000s when the tourism association defined its target market as ‘high-end, independent travellers’. Why? Because they stay longer, spend more and have fewer negative consequences than the great transient hordes. These days I fear we’re in danger of suffering a bout of the ‘Venice disease,’ if we’re not careful.

If you need any more proof of our municipality’s lack of understanding of tourism in Franschhoek their responses to two proposals submitted as part of their Integrated Development Programme (IDP) give you all the proof you need. The first proposal asked for a policy to be implemented that would ban ‘formula restaurants’ (typically fast food franchises) from the village’s historic area. The aim of the proposal was simple: to protect Franschhoek’s reputation as a culinary mecca. Officialdom’s response? Not a single word. Not even, “We’ll think about it.” The second proposal was for a policy to regulate the use of entire homes as Airbnb’s/short-term rentals in order to mitigate some of the negative effects I’ve already mentioned. Their response?

You guessed it!

I’m forced to conclude that Stellenbosch Municipality has no interest in preserving what makes Franschhoek such a successful tourist destination in the first place and is not interested in getting fly-by-night accommodation providers to pay their fair share in rates either. They’re happy to share in the glow of glittering awards though... Go figure!

All that remains for me is to wish everybody a blessed festive season. To quote Oprah Winfrey, “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”

Until next year!

Leading Voices

The choir of the Franschhoek Sinothando Arts & Culture community group has established itself as one of the most gifted gospel choirs in the Western Cape. In addition to winning numerous awards in competitions this year, the Sinothando choir was recently ranked fifth out of thirty-six gospel choirs in the province by the Western Cape Clap and Tap Federation.

“Our new rank feels great and we are so happy. We always wanted to inspire our community with the incredible talent we have here in Franschhoek,” says conductor Masande Nicolas. “Now more young people are choosing music over a life on the street. Most of all, this achievement feels like a reward for all the challenges our organisation has overcome.”

Sinothando, which translates to ‘love’, has been operating since August 2008 out of the Langrug community and offers a selection of art programmes to disadvantaged youths living in the area. Today the group improves the lives of forty-five junior members and thirty-five senior members who can develop their skills in areas such as music, drama, dance and poetry.

According to local jazz musician Derk Blaisse who assists with the choir, the Sinothando group has helped to develop the remarkable singing talent that lies within the Langrug youth. “This choir has set apart their repertoire with life and vocal excellence,” says Blaisse. “To help them reach their full potential we brought in a special coach from Khayelitsha and we study the best choirs in the world very closely.”

Some of the notable events this year where the Sinothando choir came out on top in their respective categories include the Ubizo Arts Festival, the Zabalaza Drama Festival and the Boland Arts Festival. The Sinothando Choir was

also recently chosen out of eight choirs at the prestigious Buyel’Ekhaya Music Festival in the Northern Cape to participate in the final round scheduled for March 2023.

The most enduring challenge for the Sinothando Arts & Culture programme is securing the necessary funds to participate in competitions and festivals. To cover costs for uniforms and transportation the choir relies mostly on donations from their community when they perform at birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or even funerals.

The Sinothando choir, therefore, intend to hold several fundraisers before their big event in March at Buyel’Ekhaya. The choir also intends to make itself available for any kind of celebration where they can perform for a reasonable fee. According to Masande, the best place to interact with the choir and stay informed on their performances is to follow their Facebook page.

Pieter Naudé

Text:

An ensemble of note! The Sinothando Choir

Franschhoeker, Clive Vandepeer, travelled to Mossell Bay to compete in the South African Masters Weightlifting Championships held over the weekend of 22 & 23 October 2022 at Eden Fitness Gym.

Clive Vandepeer broke two SA Masters weightlifting records.

Selling Your Business – Plan Well, With a Tax Benefit

When You Retire

Adiligentbuyerwillwantuptofiveyears’worth ofprofitandlossstatements,bankstatements,tax returns,leases,supplierandvendorcontracts,and customerdata.”(BarbaraFindlaySchenck–author “SellingYourBusinessforDummies”)

The reasons why a business owner might decide to sell their business are many – perhaps to pursue a new or more exciting business opportunity, relocation, health reasons or retirement. Selling a business to family, to the other partners, to a loyal employee or a group of employees could also be part of a succession plan; or the business owner’s exit strategy may involve selling to an outside buyer, perhaps a competitor, a supplier, or a customer, or even an investor.

Whatever the reason for selling, a smooth transition requires:

• Planning well and in advance,

• Determining a fair value for the business,

• Getting books, accounting records and financial reports in order,

• Collating the required paperwork,

• Managing stakeholder relations, and

• Exercising a legal duty of care.

The outcome of this approach is a business sale to the right buyer at the right price, with little to no disruption to business operations and no negative impact on staff morale or other stakeholder relationships.

Plan well and far ahead, and beware the tax implications

Planning well and ahead provides more control over the process, as well as time and opportunity to strategically enhance the business to ensure its full value is realised when you sell, and also ensures financial and tax implications are well understood. As just one example, the disposal or deemed disposal of assets, including the sale of a business,

will attract capital gains tax (CGT), levied at a stiff 18% for individuals.

Planning to Retire? Do you know about this CGT relief?

There is fortunately some CGT relief – little-known but very advantageous – if you are older than 55 (or in situations where the disposal is “in consequence of ill-health, other infirmity, superannuation or death”) of up to R1.8 million on the disposal of an interest in a small business; or of active business assets of a small business; or the sale of a small business. Of course, many conditions apply, including that the total active business assets of the taxpayer do not exceed R10 million and that the R1.8 million exclusion is cumulative over the taxpayer’s lifetime.

Such a single tax implication can make all the difference between a profitable sale and one that is not. For example, let’s say you bought shares in a company 7 years ago for R2 million, and have since been actively involved in running the business. You decide to sell your share for R4 million, triggering a capital gain of R2 million. At 18%, the CGT liability would be R360,000. If you are over 55 years of age and meet all the other conditions, applying the R1.8-million exclusion would mean only the remaining R200,000 is taxed at 18%, reducing the tax liability to R36,000.

Seek professional advice

Consult with your accountant to ensure that you understand all the potential financial and tax implications of selling your business and ensure that the necessary legal documents are in place, such as non-disclosure agreements for potential buyers and a legal sales agreement. Ask your accountant whether you should consider employing a business broker.

Finding fair value

As the seller, you want to ensure that you get the best possible return for the money, time and effort invested in your business. Similarly, all potential buyers want a business that is financially stable and profitable and that will deliver a good return on their investment.

To set a fair price, you will need to determine the value of the business, and the expertise of an accountant or a professional valuer is highly

recommended. This is because there are different ways of valuing a company, as well as many factors – mostly intangible – that affect the valuation beyond simply the financial reports.

This means choosing the right method for valuing your business is important because it will influence the price you can ask for it. The three common methods used to evaluate a business are assetbased valuations (difference between assets and liabilities, also called the book value, net asset value or equity); market-based valuations (considers comparable sale prices for businesses sold in the industry); and income-based valuation (average profit year-on-year for at least the last three years), together with a profit forecast for three or more years ahead.

All of these valuations will be influenced by factors such as location, the condition and age of equipment and fittings, new competitors in the market, branding and goodwill, reputation and customer loyalty.

Get your financials in order

To determine a fair value for your company, you will need a comprehensive picture of the company’s financial situation. Potential buyers, too, will want to see full financial records.

• A minimum of 3 years – but preferably 5 years – of financial statements, audited where necessary

• Monthly management accounts covering the period since the most recent financials

• Profit and loss statements

• Balance sheets

• Tax returns and assessments

• Tax clearance certificate

• A complete detailed list of plant and machinery, furniture and fittings, and equipment

• Complete inventory if the company holds stock

• Three-year financial plan.

Paperwork required

In addition to the above, prospective buyers will likely request records to assist them in conducting a due diligence, which is an investigation or review of factors that influence value or market price, some of which are listed below.

• Formal contracts with suppliers and clients

• Organisational charts and employee records

• Material agreements such as property lease agreements, credit agreements, and joint

venture

agreements

• Details of crucial advisors, such as accountants, attorneys and insurance brokers

• An up-to-date business plan, with growth projections, overheads and working capital

• Marketing and sales strategies, profit margins and sales targets

• SWOT analysis evaluating the business in the current market environment and identifying areas to increase the company’s value

• Statutory documents such as memorandum of incorporation (MOI), shareholder agreements and regulatory authorisations.

Managing stakeholders

Selling a business can take months – if not years

– and during this time, business owners should maintain ‘business as usual,’ while also making the business more attractive to potential buyers by establishing a clean and friendly working environment, keeping equipment well-maintained, and improving processes.

It will also be important to manage relationships with stakeholders when it becomes known that the company is up for sale. Employee morale may be impacted if they are fearful of losing their jobs or of a change in working conditions or status. Clients may feel uncertain about receiving the same level of service, while suppliers and creditors may be concerned that the business will continue to honour its commitments. It is advisable to be upfront and honest with everyone concerned before announcing the sale or engaging with prospective buyers.

Duty of care

Among the responsibilities of business owners is the duty of care – a legal duty to take reasonable care not to cause harm when it could be reasonably foreseen.

This duty is certainly relevant when selling a business and creates a legal responsibility or obligation not to omit any information, procedure or activity when it can cause harm to others or the business, including physical harm or financial ruin, and intangible damages such as reputational damage.

In line with this, if you are thinking of selling your business, you are well advised to enlist professional assistance from your accountant to ensure the best possible outcome for all concerned.

Ruth Morgan of Morgan Chauffeurs

Some

new work guide the journey

lies ahead. Ruth Morgan is firmly in the latter category as the story behind Morgan Chauffeurs attests.

Ruth was eagerly looking for her next opportunity after retiring from thirty-nine years of teaching Afrikaans. Her inspiration came from her brother who was working as a tour guide. She was always fascinated by the colourful characters he encountered. He also helped Ruth to understand that Franschhoek’s international visitors deserved a reliable and professional chauffeur service in the village.

With a business plan and a few tips from Uber, Ruth launched Morgan Chauffers and today everyone from tourists to local school children regularly uses her services. Much like her work as a teacher, she loves that her new business enables her to work with interesting people and to discover exciting destinations.

Today Ruth is particularly proud of how Morgan Chauffeurs has consistently treated every customer as a VIP. Whether needing a shuttle to Cape Town International Airport or simply down to the grocery store, there can be few transport services that take the adage of ‘safety first’ as seriously as she does.

Ruth Morgan can be reached at 072 029 8475 or ruthmorgan2201@gmail.com for any requests.

Text & Image: Pieter Naudé

purpose of this article.

Checkers Still Giving Away Cars

Franschhoekers who are Checkers Xtra Savings members still have three more chances of winning a new car before Christmas. Checkers has been giving away a car a week since the beginning of November and will be doing so until Christmas. Just imagine, there could be a Toyota Corolla Cross XR Hybrid in your Christmas box!

The Toyota Corolla Cross XR Hybrid was voted South Arica’s 2022 Car of the Year. It was also the category winner in the New Energy category, and its reduced environmental impact aligns with Checkers’ sustainability journey to lower its carbon emissions.

To enter the Win a Car competition, shoppers must purchase any three participating products and swipe their Xtra Savings rewards cards at any Checkers, Checkers Hyper and Checkers Foods nationwide between 7 November and 25 December.

Sixty60 users who have linked their Xtra Savings cards to their profiles in the app, and purchase three participating products, will also stand a chance to win.

Joining the Checkers’ rewards programme is free,

easy, and paperless. Shoppers can sign up for Xtra Savings in store or via any of the following channels: WhatsApp (add +27 87 240 5709 as a contact and say “Hi!”) | USSD (simply dial *134*569*CARDNUMBER#) | Online (visit checkers.co.za) Terms and Conditions apply.

TONY FROST

Being Positive!

Last month we commented on what a messy world we live in. This messiness can easily make us negative, speak negatively and focus on only the messy negative things in our environment, not only in South Africa but anywhere in the world.

It is almost impossible to be in the company of others whether at a braai, a dinner, a social event or any other gathering without the conversation deteriorating into a cacophony of moans about Eskom, the government, the municipality, Jacob Zuma, politics, the state of the country, the state of the world economy, climate change, the mess in the UK, the war in Ukraine. I could go on. I will not. You have heard it all and that is not the

The question is not what is happening about us and how bad it is but what we can do to maintain equanimity and focus in the midst of all of this so that each of us can be the ray of positive sunshine for all we encounter.

There is an ocean of difference between optimism and positivism. We frequently forget this.

Being optimistic means believing that everything will be all right in the end, even if we do nothing.

Being pessimistic means there is no chance of things being all right in the end and, therefore, there is no point in trying to do anything because it will have no impact.

Neither of these two approaches is particularly helpful. Neither result in action and inaction leads nowhere.

If we look at two icons of the past, we can learn so much about being positive and behaving accordingly.

Winston Churchill was the solid, unyielding rock in World War Two. He fervently believed that they would overcome, notwithstanding the almost

overwhelming odds against them. He thoroughly recognised the odds stacked against his country and its allies. But he resolutely refused to yield. He famously ended one of his most famous speeches with the words:” …but we will never give up.” This is being positive. He gave the efforts of the allies a backbone and belief that they would, in the end, overcome; which they did.

Our own Nelson Mandela also approached his world with great positivism. His speech on his release was almost a mirror image of his speech at the Rivonia trail. A positive belief that never wavered for 30 years. Being positive means being patient. It means that being positive requires a powerful vision of the future and the behaviour and actions required to reach that future. It certainly does not mean ignoring or playing ostrich with the harsh facts around you. On the contrary, it actually means seeing and recognising those facts and deciding to overcome them no matter what the personal cost. There are far too many of us that bemoan our fate and look for anything or anyone to blame rather

than look the demon straight in the eye and figure out a way to achieve the positive end goal ourselves for the good of all.

Of course, there are risks! I am sure Churchill and Mandela, and many others like them, recognised the risks and went ahead anyway.

We all make mistakes. Absolutely! But these too are opportunities for us to learn, try something different and move on. There is no sin in making a mistake. The much bigger sin is not having tried at all! A positive effort is usually recognised. Inertia never.

Each of us has within us the capacity to make a positive difference. This starts with a positive mindset. We can look no further than President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, a small man with a big vision and an even bigger heart, to see a unique and powerful positive mindset being turned into positive action. An approach that has most of the world supporting his little nation in one way or another against the big Russian bullying bear! We can learn much from him and his compatriots!

tony@siroccostraegy.com

Mini Me Lexus ES Maxes on Style

Cinderella Lexus ES 300h impresses on all fronts

Look at this car. It’s a big Lexus, right? Yes. But it’s not the big one. This is Lexus Junior. It’s a large, luxury saloon with all the bells and whistles. But at a fraction of the price you may expect. No, this is not the full-fat LS limo, it’s the Camry-based frontwheel drive ES. And it has most of the bells and whistles anyway.

ES is no copy watch. It’s a real Lexus Not quite a copy Rolex or Louis Vuitton, this is a genuine luxury Lexus. It’s the real thing and perhaps then some. In fact, I came away quite impressed by it. This is a hell of a lot of car, especially for the money. And it’s come quite a long way since Toyota’s luxury arm first toyed with an affordable yet quite compelling compromise too.

When Lexus first introduced ES, it seemed a little too much Camry. Remember Toyota’s lofty large saloon that was on sale in SA for many years? And so perhaps a bit too little Lexus. But the luxury brand has addressed all that and this ES is now very much a Lexus. In fact, you’d need to know those little nuances to tell them apart, so let’s just say it’s a pretty real Lexus nowadays!

It’s nothing new, but the ES recently benefited from the expected Lexus nip and tuck. That smile has freshened teeth and there’s a really cool new high-resolution 12.3-inch widescreen display The Lexus Navigation EMV unit better fills the dash and moves 100 mm closer as it debuts some new touch-display functionality for the front occupants.

A few little ES 300h refinements

The driving position has also been refined. There’s a more natural steering wheel angle, better pedal positioning and a 10-way adjustable seat. They even stole the steering wheel from the LS, complete with wood trim to match the dash, and integrated heating to go with the front seats that warm your winter butt.

Anyway, we enjoyed ample time with ES and came away convinced by it. Positioned as an alternative to the LS which many may confuse it with, it looks, feels and rides close enough to the flagship to fully earn that association. This

hybrid driveline just drives that quality feel home even further – the petrol electric drivetrain adds a definite air of superiority to it...

On the road, ES may lack the kind of deft steering you’d expect of a 3 Series. But does that really matter? This car is all about copious space and all the luxury you could possibly cram into it. Not that it handles badly at all – it’s solid to drive and is most impressive on gas. And performance is solid too.

Some would not believe it’s not an LS

We took friends out to dinner with the ES, including a brisk run over a nearby pass. It took some convincing to explain this ES was not the full-blown LS. It took a little explaining as to the differences. They were doubly impressed once they understood. Which is the point of this car.

Sure, this Mini Me is by no means as sophisticated as its flagship sibling. It’s more of the rough stepsister who buffs up good to steal the show. Now what was her name again?

QUICK TEST: Lexus ES300h SE

Engine: 160kW 220Nm 2.5-litre hybrid petrol I4

Drive: CVT automatic FWD

TESTED:

0-60 km/h: 4.16 sec

0-100 km/h: 8.35 sec

0-160 km/h: 18.95 sec 400m: 16.1 sec @ 147 km/h 80-120 km/h: 5.18 sec 120-160 km/h: 7.74 sec

CLAIMED:

VMax: 180km/h

Fuel: 4.6 l/100km CO2 104 g/km

Warranty/Service 7y 105Kkm

LIST PRICE: R1.001M

RATED: 8

Images & data: Giordano Lupini

Giordano’s Splendid Maiden Polo Cup Season

Franschhoek race driver Giordano Lupini enjoyed a great year in the 2022 South African national CompCare Polo Cup championship. B Com student Lupini ended best of the first year turbo Polo Cup drivers racing his Bullion IT Polo the country. It started on the front foot with a shock pole position at home at Killarney, before a crunching learning year travelling to Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Delmas and East London. Back at home in September, Gio was back on one of the closest pole positions in Polo Cup history before winning his first race. “I was delighted to win in my first season,” Giordano admits. “I also had two pole positions and set three fastest race laps to end up sixth overall and best the first year drivers of 2022, so mission accomplished. “Thanks to Bullion IT, all our other backers, my dad and

CHEV WOODY PICK-UP

One of the new vehicles on display in Hall B is a 1926 Chev Pick-up. It was based on the Type B Superior that was launched in 1923, and in keeping with tradition, when the 1926 Superior appeared in the middle of the year; it was coded as the Series V. It was essentially the same as the outgoing Series K but boasted a belt-driven generator and different tyres. Visually, a tie-bar connecting the headlamps was an obvious styling difference. From the shiny wooden dashboard rearwards, it has an opensided cockpit with a fabric screen enclosing the rear of the cab. Behind, there is a bespoke flat-bed body with extended sides made also from wood with the same marine varnish finish that glistens in the sunlight. On each side, metal running boards connect the mudguards that cover wooden artillery wheels – the overall effect is certainly attractive.

The wood-rim – what else? – steering wheel sits atop the long steering column, which sprouts from the floor between the brake and clutch pedals, with the small, central accelerator lying beneath them.

BMW R80RT

During the recent lockdown, FMM was honoured to receive the donation of a 1982 BMW R80RT by Alet de Hart in remembrance of her late husband, Martin. The bike’s ownership history that we were given goes back three people. As received, the bike was in a poor state of repair but the FMM undertook Alet’s wish to get it looking as good as new, which was always Martin’s plan.

Basically, the R80RT is a touring motorcycle (RT) powered by a Type 247 engine, an air-cooled flattwin with two valves per cylinder, also known as the ‘airhead’ boxer. As fitted to our R80RT, the motor

A stout handbrake is a long reach away but the spindly gear lever falls readily to hand, topped by, you guessed it, a small wooded knob…

The Series V was powered by a 171 ci (2802cc) inline-four with a single-choke Carter carburettor and produced 19 kW at 2 000 r/min. Designed by Arthur Mason and first introduced in 1913, the block was cast iron and the crank ran in three main bearings fed by splash lubrication. The engine featured exposed pushrod-actuated valves in a detachable crossflow cylinder head, which Chevrolet referred to as a ‘valve-in-head’ design. This drew considerable publicity in a time when most rivals’ engines were flatheads. The engine was mated with a three-speed sliding transmission with a cone clutch and shaft drive. Wood-spoke wheels were standard and external contracting brakes acted upon the rear wheels. Wheelbase was 103 inches (2 616 mm).

The four-pot fires up with ease and the Chevy pickup, bakkie, truck, ute – you name it, endearing terms

has a capacity of 798cc produces 36,5 kW and 59 N.m of torque at only 6 500 r/min. It was one of the first to use an electronic ignition system. It wasn’t a racehorse and with a five-speed gearbox only achieved a top speed of around 170 km/h. However, the R80RT was perfect for long open roads and was able to manage a fuel economy figure of 4,9 litres/100km.

The R80RT was one of the first motorcycles to feature a full faring as a standard feature, which led the way for so many other brands. The riding position is upright and still very comfortable considering its age, and the windscreen still does its job well. The gearbox and driveshaft are still

all – pulls away with no fuss. First gear in the typically American three-speed manual gearbox proves to be load-lugging low, while second is the workhorse ratio, allowing the Chevy to roll from walking pace to near cruising speed without hiccup. Top is almost an overdrive and, certainly when unladen, maintains momentum without labouring. The bench seat is surprisingly comfy; in fact, the whole driving position is relaxing. The ride is not as harsh as I had expected and the steering, too, is nicely weighted. It is a classic example of early American ‘simple yet strong’ auto

my NDT team for a fantastic season.” Looking ahead, Lupini is keen to chase the 2023 Polo Cup championship. “That all depends on backing, but if we get the chance we will be there!”

slickly smooth, despite this old R80RT having ‘been through the mill’. It is currently on display in Hall D.

technology and its robust nature was instrumental in Chevrolet’s sales success.

Chevrolet pulled ahead of Ford in terms of sales in 1927 with the best-selling truck in America and so the long-running Ford versus Chevrolet rivalry began. For its last year of manufacture – 1928 – the Mason four-cylinder gained a revised carburettor, a higher compression ratio, aluminium pistons and larger valves that helped raise maximum power to 26 kW at 2 200 r/min. In 1929 Chevrolet produced its half-millionth truck but the Wall Street Crash happened in October of that year and devastated America’s economy.

Superior in name, practical in nature, the Roaring ’20s pick-ups cemented the foundation for Chevrolet’s now century-old pick-up legacy – one of the bow-tie brand’s unsung heroes.

VISITING FMM

FMM’s opening time are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 18h00 (last admittance 17h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00).

FMM will be closed on December 2, Christmas Day December 25 and New Year’s Eve December 31. On all other days in December and January, the museum will be open during the usual times. Visiting the museum is by appointment only and via online booking. Entry fees: R80 adults, R60 pensioners and motor club members (with membership ID), R40 children (ages 3-12). Only electronic payments are accepted. The famed FMM Pitstop Deli is open throughout the visiting hours. For booking tickets and any other information as well as signing on for a free monthly newsletter, logon to www.fmm.co.za or phone 021 874 9000 or e-mail fmm@fmm.co.za

Gio and admirers

When did your journey begin at Haute Cabrière and how are you settling into your new role as cellar master?

It has not been a fast and quick change as I have worked with Haute Cabrière since the first of December 2014 which adds up to eight vintages.

Former cellar master Takuan Von Arnim began preparing me for the role about three years ago so I had lots of time to settle into my new appointment. Takuan often jokes that the only way I could become more part of the Haute Cabrière family is if they adopted me!

You are the first cellar master at Haute Cabrière who is not a von Arnim. Does this endow your new position with more responsibility?

Yes, I certainly feel some pressure. The von Arnim family is synonymous with the excellent standard of wine crafted at Haute Cabrière and our buyers expect me to preserve their legacy. However, as I mentioned they have always made me feel part of

Poetic Licence

HARRY OWEN

I’m cheating this month because this column first appeared in Grocott’s Mail some years ago. But having just been blessed by the arrival of a new grandchild, our fourth, it seems important to remember Finuala Dowling’s superb, if deeply disturbing,poem.

While writing this week’s Poetic Licence, I found myself ambushed by a poem forwarded to me by Ismail Mahomed, and I had to pause.

So powerful was the effect of this work on me that I must delay the original column for another day and say something about it now.

Although first published over a decade ago, Finuala Dowling’s poem is as relevant today as it was then – and, as with all really good poetry, will remain so. Here it is:

To the doctor who treated the raped baby and who felt such despair

I just wanted to say on behalf of us all that on the night in question there was a light on in the hall for a nervous little sleeper and when the bleeding baby was admitted to your care faraway a Karoo shepherd crooned a ramkietjie lullaby in the veld and while you staunched there was space on a mother-warmed sheet for a night walker and when you administered an infant-sized opiate there were luxuriant dark nipples for fist clenching babes and when you called for more blood a bleary-eyed uncle got up to make a feed and while you stitched there was another chapter of a favourite story and while you cleaned a grandpa’s thin legs walked up and down for a colicky crier and when finally you stood exhausted at the end of her cot

the family and I still work with most of the same team on site as I have over the last eight years. Some have been here far longer than I have and we are very close.

Can you mention some of the cellars where you worked before you arrived at Haute Cabrière?

After completing my studies I cut my teeth at Jordan Wines as assistant winemaker for five years. Here I discovered my love for both Chardonnay and my wife who was employed there at the time. Next was England where I busied myself in the sparkling wine scene before spending some time in Napa Valley, California. New Zealand then followed on my experience itinerary where I worked mostly with Sauvignon Blanc before I spent one harvest in Bordeaux. I finally returned home in late 2011 to a family-owned winery in Somerset West named Lithos which is where Takuan found me.

What keeps you busy right now at Haute Cabrière?

My team and I are having our annual conversations with our growers in the valley to gain a better picture in terms of pricing and volume for the upcoming harvest. We grow about twentyfive hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at the cellar and the remainder of the grapes comes in from other farms in the valley. Emptying tanks and bottling next year’s vintage is another big focus right now while also blending and stabilising all our reserve wines which have spent the last eight to eleven months in barrels.

and asked, “Where is God?”, a father sat watch.

And for the rest of us, we all slept in trust that you would do what you did, that you could do what you did. We slept in trust that you lived.

Finuala Dowling FromIFlying(2002),Carapace

One of the ways in which genuine poetry earns its keep is by telling the truth. This doesn’t mean lecturing or hectoring; it mustn’t preach. But it places, honestly and courageously, a truth before us and asks us to respond.

But of course there are many ‘truths’. We cannot deny that the world holds countless horrors; they are everywhere and we only need watch the TV news to know it. Murder, rape, torture, corruption, drug abuse, war, disease, poverty… the list seems endless. Poets should never shy away from acknowledging such things, and indeed they don’t. That the rape and sexual exploitation of children goes on in South Africa is beyond dispute and is a source of deep national shame. But Dowling’s poem, while honestly acknowledging this fact, reminds us of something else equally important yet all too often overlooked: that our world simultaneously contains the opposite of evil. Sometimes, in concentrating on the bad, we fail to see the kindness, the love, the genuine human goodness that is everywhere too.

The doctor in this poem who treats the brutalised infant feels himself (and it is important in this case that the doctor is male) to be molested and violated by the sickening actions of another man. He is, as the title reminds us, driven to despair by it.

The poet expertly places the horrors of the rape alongside the joys and selfless protection that real fathers, real grandfathers, real uncles bestow out of the love they feel for the little ones in their care: “while you staunched … while you stitched … while you cleaned … a father sat watch”.

And then that lovely, hopeful, grateful ending:

For the rest of us, we all slept in trust that you would do what you did, that you could do what you did. We slept in trust that you lived.

Is there anything that has really impressed you personally about Haute Cabrière over the years?

It has to be the incredible attention to detail the von Arnim family has invested in this winery. This is particularly true with regards to Tanja von Arnim who joined in September last year and has nurtured the restaurant and tasting room into the high-end offering that Haute Cabrière deserves. Equally impressive to me is when people tell me that we make their favourite wine. It is really special to me when a winery can achieve that. How do you intend to negotiate tradition versus innovation as cellar master?

Haute Cabrière’s iconic blends like the Tranquille and the Chardonnay Pinot Noir are central to our identity and we intend to preserve the legacy of these incredible wines. Nevertheless, there is room for small alterations in crafting these wines and I think of it as polishing a diamond. Moreover, we are very passionate about showing the unique diversity of wine that is available in Franschhoek and how Haute Cabrière can craft these wines. We are just as good at crafting niche, unique wines as our iconic range.

What wines from Haute Cabrière are you particularly excited about at the moment?

Haute Cabrière stopped making a Pierre Jourdan Blanc de Blanc from 2011 until 2015. We started making Blanc de Blanc again in 2016 and rather than starting from scratch we decided to put a vintage on it with five years on the lease. This is the first vintage cap classique for Haute Cabrière and Pierre Jourdan. We have just started selling the 2017 and the reception is overwhelming positive. By far my favourite.

Book Review

CHARLOTTE VAN ZYL

The Last White Man

By Mohsin Hamid. Publ: Hamish Hamilton. 180 pages

This brief, mesmerizing novel surprises on many levels. The provocative title suggests a polemical discussion of race relations with an apocalyptic ending. The sort of story that in South Africa could cause predictable reactions from all sides of the political spectrum, from the EFF to Afriforum. So, the first big surprise is the gentle flow of the narrative as it recounts the story of how a young white American man in a typically small Midwestern town wakes up one morning and finds that his skin has turned brown. This situation has been played for laughs in a few movies over the years. Predictably the racist white learns his lesson when the tables are turned.

But in this story, the young man, whose name is Anders, at first withdraws from all social contact, only venturing out wearing a hoodie and dark glasses. He experiences the isolation and fear of other brown skinned people, but essentially remains the same gentle person he always was.

The second surprise is that other white people also start to turn brown. Most people are simply quietly bewildered and adjust their lives accordingly. After a while Anders must confront his girlfriend Oonagh, who accepts his changed appearance with love. The two older characters in the novel react differently. Oonagh’s mother cannot accept the changes and worries about the colour of her future grandchild, while Anders’s ailing father, who mysteriously remains the “last white man” in the town, is kind and accepting.

This novel is written in the third person, with no dialogue in quotation marks. All the action is observed and reported from the outside. This makes the prose flow in long rhythmic, beautifully constructed sentences. This cadence captures the moods and thoughts of the two main characters as Oonagh also turns brown and their life continues to marriage and beyond that to parenthood.

In spite of its comparative brevity the novel raises intriguing issues of race and identity and culture without in any way being argumentative or judgmental.  Amongst these questions is the relationship between race and colour. Does Anders change race when he changes colour? How does colour influence how we see ourselves and see others?

The novel is about seeing and being seen. The only “real” black person we meet is a cleaner at the gym where Anders works. After his conversion Anders offers to train the man as a gesture of

Outside of Haute Cabrière was there a stellar wine you encountered in your work abroad?

It would have to be the 2009 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole that I tried in Burgundy this year in June. More than eight thousand Euros per bottle, this wine completely blew my socks off as it shows what Pinot Noir can do and how vineyard selection can transform a wine. Pinot Noir can turn on you quite easily in the cellar so that La Tache was truly an achievement.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your work?

It has been quite a two-year learning curve for cellars. If anything, the pandemic has forced wine cellars to slow down and really economise their wine making methods. We are considerably more handson now and I saw the pandemic as an opportunity to return my focus on the minutia of making wine. We take a more calculated approach now.

friendship. The man rejects this and asks for a pay rise instead. Anders then realizes that he does not know the man’s name. Similar skin colour did not bring solidarity.

Finally, the novel is about holding on and letting go of an identity that is based on something like skin colour.

In a moment of self-reflection Oonagh thinks: “”She could shed her skin, as a snake sheds its skin, not violently and even coldly, but rather to abandon the confinement of the past and, unfettered, again to grow.”.

In this enchanting book Hamid reminds us of our capacity to go beyond our limited vision of ourselves.

with Tim Hoek, New Cellar Master at Haute Cabrière

A PROUD SPONSOR OF...

CARER / BABYSITTER / HOUSESITTER: Available after business hours for any of the aforementioned. Jennipher Duthie, 071 705 6331. (I work at The Hoek Coffee Shop.)

JOB WANTED: I’m Ncumisa Joni, a 32-year-old lady. I’m looking for a position as Receptionist, Administrative Assistant, Housekeeping Supervisor. I have certificates in Computer Literacy, Office Administration, Front of House and Accommodation Service. 073 478 7088 | 073 741 9182 | jonincumisa11@gmail.com

DOMESTIC POSITION WANTED: I’m Agnes Mhlanga, a 45-year-old lady. I’m looking for a job as a domestic worker. I worked at a lodge as a housekeeper for 4 years. I’m hard working, punctual and eager to learn new things. I currently work part time at a laundry. 074 736 6284

DOMESTIC POSITION WANTED: I’m Zoleka and live in Groendal. I’m looking for a job as a domestic worker. I have 10 years’ experience. 078 477 7600

BOOKKEEPING SERVICES WINELANDS: We provide affordable accounting, payroll and tax services to individuals, small to medium sized entities and trusts. We also offer cloud accounting and are certified partners with Sage, Xero & QuickBooks for cloud accounting and registered member of SAIT. Call Lee-Ann 076 321 5274

WANTED TO BUY: Crockery-pretty pieces. Cutlery. Tablecloths. Any vintage items. Debbie 082 825 5666. Nicky 072 871 9103

Need BASIC COMPUTER Services?

SECRETARIAL or BOOKKEEPING Services? Contact Ronelle Pinard 0736461687

HANDY MAN painting and renovation business for sale. Call 072 782 7482

RE-THINKING YOUR GARDEN? For Garden Consulting call Susan at 072 932 5393

RE-FIBRE GLASS YOUR POOL in any colour you like. Call RiaPools for a quote: 072 347 5355

WESTERN CAPE HOUSE SITTERS: We have many mature, kind, responsible, animal loving, live-in house sitter members who would love to care for your home and pets. Your furry children may miss you but their environment and routines remain intact which is why we at Western Cape House Sitters will provide a perfect win-win for everyone... Peter Walsingham 082 822 4200 info@westerncapehousesitters.co.za

CHANGING TO A SALT WATER SYSTEM? Let us advise & quote for you! Call RiaPools: 072 347 5355

JANE PARKFELT DESIGNS Ready for a new website? Or a website refresh? My website designs offer simplicity, good taste, affordability and easy navigation for small businesses, services or individuals. janeparkfeltdesigns.co.za | info@janeparkfeltdesigns.co.za | 071 161 7837

POOL PUMP PROBLEMS? Noise? We quote

and help you out! Call RiaPools: 072 347 5355

STUFF WANTED: All manner of clothing and household items needed for our ‘First Friday of The Month’ jumble sales. Please help us to help the animals of the valley. Please drop off at the SPCA clinic in La Provence Street, Groendal, or phone for us to collect. 021 876 4808

FRESH, ORGANIC FARM PRODUCE: Delivered weekly to Franschhoek, including vegetables and fruit in season, chicken, eggs, cheese, honey, etc. Lists of available produce received on Monday, orders placed on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery. A number of Franschhoekers are already receiving weekly deliveries. To be added to the list contact Sue Norman on 083 321 3442 or suenorman50@outlook.com.

DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT POOL LEAK? Losing water all the time? Let us quote and take care of the problem! Call RiaPools: 072 347 5355

PROFESSIONAL POOL SERVICE REQUIRED? Keep it local! Get a quote. Call RiaPools: 072 347 5355

Community Events

SPORT

FRANSCHHOEK TENNIS CLUB: Social tennis is played at the club on Fridays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 08h30. For more information contact Ross. 078 278 4843.

PARKRUN: Saturdays at Rickety Bridge Wine Estate. Time: 08h00. Cost: Free. Register at www. parkrun.co.za (May not take place, depending on Covid regulations)

CHURCH SERVICES

METHODIST CHURCH: Sunday service 10h00. Rev Russell Norman. 021 872 3580 or 082 662 4509.

NG KERK: Sondagdienste 09h30. Geen aanddiens. Ds Peet Bester. 021 876 2431. Besoekers welkom.New Apostolic Church: Le Roux Street, Groendal. Sundays 09h00, Wednesdays 19h30. Rector: Charles Leibrandt.

ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH: Groot Drakenstein. Sunday Services: Holy Communion and Sunday School 10h00. Revd Wilfred Meyer 084 407 1280. Office - 021 874 4008. willowdale@cybersmart.co.za

SHOFAR CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Services - 09h00 & 18h00 English services at 7 Lambrechts Street. Pastor Richard Wade. 083 225 8529. All welcome!

TRINITY CHURCH: Worship Sundays at 09h30 at L’Ermitage Chapel, with Holy Communion. Weekday service Thursday at 10h30 at Fleur de Lis. Contact Gavin – 083 799 0726.

UNITING REFORMED CHURCH: Sunday service 09h30. Dr Shaun Burrows. 021 876 2632. Visitors welcome.

GENERAL

Alcoholics Anonymous: WED evenings 19:00,

Groendal

Useful Numbers

ACCOUNTANTS

Tax Shop 021 876 2676

Bookkeeping Services Winelands 076 321 5274

ATTORNEYS

Susan Charlesworth 021 876 2592/072 402 9469

Snipelisky & Killian 083 250 0943/021 876 2084

BURGLAR ALARMS

Pepler Alarms 021 876 3308

CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS

Boland Bridge Club 021 876 3031

Franschhoek Tennis Club 078 278 4843

FHK Heritage & Ratepayers Ass. 083 441 8280

Groot Drakenstein Games Club 021 874 1906

- Craig Mc Naught: Captain 080 845 1014

- Lejean Pieterse, Hiring 082 490 0405

Lions 021 876 3775

Stb Masonic Lodge (Chris) 072 211 9991

Franschhoek Rotary Club 082 891 4613

Franschhoek Probus Club 021 876 3179

ELECTRICAL

Franschhoek Electric 074 313 7829/021 876 3640

Rensburg Electrical 021 876 2120/083 309 2923

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Franschhoek Pharmacy 021 876 2261 Franschhoek Health Club 021 876 3310

HOUSE & GARDEN

Clock Repairs 028 840 1716

Lighting & Accessories 021 876 3640

Ria Pools (Franschhoek) 021 876 2612/072 347 5355

Sue’s Gardens 083 321 3442

Valley Garden Service 071 591 0342

INTERNET ACCESS

PostNet 021 876 3025

OPTOMETRIST

Marelise Bester 021 872 3530

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Claire Horn 021 876 4234/082 582 1029

PLUMBERS

Franschhoek Plumbing 021 876 3759

PSYCHOLOGIST

Danielle Smith 082 812 1476

PUBLIC SERVICES

Hospice 021 876 3085

Library 021 808 8406

Post Office 021 876 2342

Welfare (ACVV) 021 876 2670

SPCA 083 745 5344

SHARF 076 327 4939

SCHOOLS

Bridge House School 021 874 8100

Franschhoek High School 021 876 2079

Groendal Primary School 021 876 2448

Groendal Secondary School 021 876 2211

Wes-Eind Primary School 021 876 2360

Dalubuhle Primary School 021 876 3957

STORAGE

Franschhoek Storage 021 876 2174

TOURIST INFORMATION & SERVICES

Info Office 021 876 3603

Winelands Experience 021 876 4042

Huguenot Memorial Museum 021 876 2532

VETERINARY

Fhk Animal Clinic (plus surgery) 021 876 2504

Emergencies/Weekends 021 863 3187/082 8089 100

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Stb Fire Dept. (Buildings) 021 808 8888

District Municipality(Bush & veld) 021 887 4446 021 886 9244

Police 10111/021 876 8061

Eskom 086 003 7566

Omnipage Farm Watch 021 852 3318

Plaaswag 021 876 2346

N1, N2 & R300 Emergency number: 021 946 1646

DENTISTS

DOCTORS

Dr Bernard Fisher 021 876 4622

AUDIOLOGIST

Audiologist Tracy-Ann Morris 084 264 0000

EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE

Medicare EMR 074 363 7744/021 876 4316

MUNICIPALITY

(Ward 1) Clr Pfeiffer (DA) 079 597 2765 (Ward 2) Clr Petersen (DA) 082 404 5055

(Ward 3) Clr Manuel (DA) 074 686 2364 (Ward 4) Clr Adams (DA) 073 446 5411

Municipality (Office Hours) 021 808 8700

Municipality (afternoon only) 021 808 8890

Municipality 24hr Service 021 808 8700

Lifestyle

South African property buyers, like many of their global counterparts, are looking for green-building lifestyle developments that address the various aspects encompassed in the drive for sustainability. More specifically, in this country, purchasers are beginning to consider installed solar power and related clean energy technology as crucial to cushion the lack of energy security.

An excellent example of this is Paarl’s Drakenzicht development, which offers cutting-edge greenliving that includes electric car-charging systems, in addition to a number of other features that have earned it an ‘advanced’ rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa’s (GBCSA) EDGE.

The GBCSA’s EDGE, is a quantifiable way for property developers to reduce the resource intensity of building, which is a significant step toward

assisting the industry’s transition to sustainability. In fact, it sets a minimum of 20% reduction across three categories that directly impact sustainability. These include energy consumption; water consumption as well as embodied energy, the sum impact of all greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a material during its life cycle.

“As a leader in green building, we have won the first 6-star net zero rated award for our head office in Johannesburg and are entering the Living Building Petal Challenge for our new commercial development in Melrose, Johannesburg. All our residential developments in Johannesburg are achieving EDGE Advanced ratings from the Green Building Council of South Africa. We are bringing our vision of green building to the Western Cape to the Drakenstein area in Paarl as we believe green building is the way of the future,” explained Mr. Andre Pillay (CA) Finance Director, Legaro Property Development.

Another

Legaro Property Development launched this development in the Western Cape, on 26 November 2022. Having just received the 2022 - 2023 African Property Award for Best Leisure Development South Africa, the company is confident that Drakenzicht, a secure luxury residential estate, will be equally well received.

With an impressive portfolio of upmarket residential and commercial developments in Gauteng, and well known for architecturally impressive green design and the seamless integration of luxury interior design and onsite lifestyle amenities, Drakenzicht is a fantastic introduction to Legaro in the Western Cape.

In keeping with Legaro’s green-building accolades such as achieving the first Living

cutting-edge green-living features such as electric car-charging systems, and solar power.

Drakenzicht will comprise 205 villas and two penthouses featuring premium finishes such as Stephen Pikus chandeliers, Smeg appliances and Oggie hardwood floors. The state-of-the-art lifestyle centre will include a heated pool, Training Science gym, yoga and pilates studio, padel and basketball courts, running track, children’s play area and splash park, and a dog park.

Homes start at R6 999 900 and interested buyers are welcome to join the launch Saturday 26 November 2022 – by contacting zoe@legaro.co.za, +27 10 035 3410.

unique feature is the development’s inclusion of an onsite Little Hill Montessori school, which reduces commuting, further cutting back on residents’ carbon emissions.

Building Challenge Petal Certification for an Office Building in South Africa and the first Living Building Challenge Water Accreditation in the World for a Medical Facility, all the 3- and 4-bedroom villas at Drakenzicht will have an EDGE Advanced rating from the GBCSA and feature

Unpacking Alternative Power Options

The reality of ongoing blackouts remains ever-present for South Africans. Households and businesses, in particular smaller businesses that do not have the luxury of large generators in an office or warehouse environment, continue to seek alternative power sources to keep the lights on.

According to Gregor Kuepper, Managing Director of SOLARWORLD Africa, there has been a marked uptake in renewable energy solutions as consumers start preparing for the worst –ongoing stage 6 loadshedding. “Solar used to be only a solution for large scale businesses or those with adequate space to house enough panels to support electricity consumption. Thanks to innovation in this space, homes and small businesses now have several options available to either provide temporary support when there is a power cut, and potentially, long term relief as the preferred ongoing power source.”

There are different types of energy systems: ongrid (grid-tied), off-grid, and on-grid with backup. “Grid-tied solar PV systems are most common in South Africa, as these are the most affordable and

have the best business case. However, this does not necessarily ensure that you will be able to enjoy that cup of coffee during loadshedding. Grid-tied solar PV systems will generally be programmed to switch off during load shedding.”

Why is this? It comes down to international safety standards. However, it does not mean South Africans have to remain in the dark.

If you’ll pardon the pun, Kuepper ‘sheds some light’ on the different solutions:

Solution 1 – Grid-tied Photovoltaic (PV) system

A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. The two main components are PV panels (DC power) and a grid-tied PV inverter (DC to AC).

What is meant by “grid-tied”? The inverter

Property Outlook Positive

While the interest rate hikes mean that home loans will cost more and the buying market will be a little thinner, Samuel Seeff, chairman of the Seeff Property Group says there is still plenty of positivity for the market into next year.

The SA market has remained healthy and generally outperformed world markets over the last few months, he says. While SA follows world patterns, we have not experienced the dramatic highs and lows and consequent shocks that we are seeing in other markets.

Despite our property boom, price appreciation remained well below the global highs of 30 to 40 percent which means that we are not likely to see the dramatic price adjustments that those markets are now experiencing.

Our interest rate, while slightly above the prepandemic level, is still below the 20-year average. Comparatively, US rates have tripled, resulting in

house payments doubling and tripling in some instances. The US is expecting the worst property year since the Great Depression.

Seeff says that following the market and firsttime buyer boom of 2021 and early part of 2022, we have seen a market correction resulting from the normalisation of the interest rate. That said, we may still end the year slightly above the pre-pandemic level.

We expect to head into 2023 on a fairly solid footing with a stable market, but with several sub-plots due to area and price band differences. The strongest market is likely to be the Western Cape, boosted by semigration and a return of international buyers. We may even see more Europeans looking to invest

synchronizes the frequency and the output voltage to its connected grid. If solar energy is insufficient, a grid-tied PV inverter switches and starts drawing power from the grid into your home. It ensures there is a seamless power supply.

“This option saves electricity in the long run, no backup required. The pure PV inverters are grid-tied, this means they require the grid to switch on and convert the direct current (PV) into alternating current power which is required by appliances in your home.”

Solution 2 - On-Grid with Backup 2.1 PV and Battery

This is a backup and later self-consumption optimization (SCO) option. “When it comes to PV and battery, this can be served by either a hybrid (meaning PV and battery) inverter or separate battery and PV inverter. Your batteries act as backup power when the grid has failed e.g. loadshedding or a power outage. During a normal day, PV can provide power in a house and charge these batteries. This stored power can then be used during the night which is what we call selfconsumption optimization (SCO).”

2.2 Battery Backup

This is purely a backup solution and usually sized to make sure that your essential loads are up and running during loadshedding/power failure. Under the banner of pure battery backup, you also have various options. Such as a UPS, battery together with a charge controller and then of course battery and

here given the challenges in their own economies. We have already seen a notable uptick in sales above the R10 million to R15 million mark for the first time since 2017 in the Cape. Prices are likely to hold firmly and may even push up. If there is a level of semigration to the KZN North Coast and certain Eastern Cape areas, we may also see it play out positively in terms of prices.

Other inland areas do not benefit from the added demand from semigration and international buyers and are likely to see lower turnover and pressure on asking prices. Those looking to semigrate from up north may potentially need to sell at a discount. The lower price bands and first-time buyers have been most affected by the rate hikes. The market above R3 million is less sensitive to rate hikes, but more to economic conditions and business confidence. We are also seeing lots of new buyers coming into the market driven by the growing Middle Class, especially from previously disadvantaged demographic groups.

battery inverter. Of these, a battery with a good and reliable battery inverter is the most reliable solution.

2.3 Battery and hybrid inverter

This is the same as the battery and battery inverter option except consumers have an opportunity to install PV panels at a later stage and do not have to add the extra cost of a PV inverter, as it would be PV-ready.

Solution 3 - Off-grid

In the current South African energy climate, this option sounds very enticing. It does however require careful planning and sizing of your system. You would require a large enough PV array to serve your daily loads and charge the batteries for use at night. And in turn, a large enough battery bank to serve the loads during the evenings and possibly during daytime, when there is not enough PV generation. There is of course the option to add a generator or to use the grid as backup.

Kuepper advises that a tailored approach will see various renewable energy solutions and products being recommended and made available. “Consult the experts, weigh up the options and also find a solution that not only meets your electricity consumption needs, but that is also financially viable - and always consider the long term benefits as certain products are designed to go the extra mile.” www.solarworld.co.za | 021 421 8001

Text: Editorial Desk

The rental market has largely recovered from the pandemic with drastically improved payment trends and positive growth in rental rates. Semigration and a return of tourism have also boosted rental demand with some areas now reporting stock shortages, providing buy-to-let investment opportunities.

Generally, it remains a good market for buyers although they will need to factor in higher repayments and potentially higher deposit requirements on home loans. The bank lending landscape remains a positive for the market and there are still ample reasons to invest in your own home.

With fewer buyers in the market and the likelihood that they will look for more negotiability, realistic pricing will be a prerequisite to conclude a sale. As there are no foreseeable prospects of higher prices going into next year, serious sellers should not waste the opportunity of a serious offer.

Text: Editorial Desk

FEATURE PROPERTY

FIVE BEDROOM HOME – SECURE ESTATE

Exclusive Mandate.

This gorgeous home on the La Ferme Chantelle Estate offers secure living amongst vineyards and within walking distance to the village

Large double-volume living areas with exposed timber and thatch ceilings create a warm and inviting home. Fully-equipped, country-style kitchen open-plan to a generous dining and living room area with feature fireplace. Spacious, enclosed terrace with further indoor/outdoor dining and living space with stacking glass doors allowing this to be used all year round.

Gorgeous views across the vineyards.

Further separate tv/media room, and his-and-hers home offices. Five bedrooms, three in the main house each en-suite and two in the annex sharing a bathroom, ideal as a teen pad, granny flat or guest accommodation.

Low maintenance garden, heated pool and double garage. A stunning property, viewing highly recommended.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194

FEATURE PROPERTY

R13 999 000

FIVE BEDROOM FAMILY HOME ON 1 HECTARE

Exclusive Mandate.

The best of both worlds!

Spacious family living in a countryside setting with breath-taking views, but just a short distance from Franschhoek Village. The heart of this home is the huge open plan double volume light filled kitchen/ breakfast/living room with feature fireplace and patio doors flowing onto a covered stoep.

In addition there are seperate formal dining and living rooms and a large playroom/study/media room, five spacious bedrooms with four bathrooms, large scullery and double garage.

Large swimming pool, lawns, vineyards, outbuildings and two bedroom cottage with separate access, ideal for holiday or longer term lets.

This is a magnificent property and a rare find.

Price excludes VAT, no transfer duty applies.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194

R29 950 000 ex VAT

LA EMEURE

Rare

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee

EQUESTRIAN FARM

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R30 000 000