Wanted Magazine: June Edition 2020 by SundayTimesZA

d e t n wa

Alexis AlexisPreller, Preller,Head Headof ofaaMapogga MapoggaWoman Woman R600 R600000 000--800 800000 000

Modern, Modern,Post PostWar Warand andContemporary ContemporaryArt Artand andFine FineWine Wine including includingImportant ImportantSouth SouthAfrican AfricanArt Artfrom fromthe theProperty Propertyof ofaaCollector Collector Monday Monday27 27July July2020 2020

Cecil CecilSkotnes Skotnes Figure Figurewith withRaised RaisedArms Arms(detail) (detail) R400 R400000 000--600 600000 000

Athi-Patra Athi-PatraRuga Ruga Versatile VersatileIvy Ivy(detail) (detail) R700 R700000 000--11000 000000 000

Portia PortiaZvavahera, Zvavahera,Pakatangira PakatangiraRudo Rudo (Where (WhereLove LoveBegan) Began)(detail) (detail) R250 R250000 000--350 350000 000

The Theauction auctionwill willrun runas asaalive livevirtual virtualauction auctionon: on: www.straussart.co.za www.straussart.co.za Enquiries: Enquiries:+27 +2711 11728 7288246 8246 || jhb@straussart.co.za jhb@straussart.co.za || www.straussart.co.za www.straussart.co.za

Erik ErikLaubscher, Laubscher,Still StillLife Lifewith withPear, Pear, Avocado Avocadoand andTomato Tomato(detail) (detail) R500 R500000 000--700 700000 000

Register Registerand andBid BidOnline Online Online Onlinebidding biddingfacilitated facilitatedbybyInvaluable.com Invaluable.com

04 text

ED’S LETTER

06 / 2020

Sarah Buitendach

TIME AFTER TIME

HEN MY grandpa Andrew Buitendach retired as the consulting mechanical and electrical engineer at General Mining in the late 1960s, they gave him an Omega Constellation Pie Pan watch. He passed away at the age of 93 in 1998 and the timepiece went to my dad. Two decades later, and through a process of some father-smokkeling, I now wear it on my wrist. Every time I put the old girl on I think of Andrew. That watch saw some things – a lot of fierce rivalry on bowling greens, and at bridge tables especially. It lived in Bulawayo and Durban, Krugersdorp and Harare, and would have been up close and personal with my gran’s poffertjies and stews and the Rand Daily Mail and The Star on a daily basis. Not a bad gig, really. In fact, whenever I look at its face, imagined vignettes of his life pop into my head. One is of Grandpa B, as we called him, walking down Main Street in town to the BHP Billiton building. It’s a

entirely evident in this issue’s feature on some of the country’s leading watch distributors and brand custodians (page 12). These are people who are mad about what they do and all have heartfelt stories of how they came to love watches so much. Their passion is palpable and that, as an attribute, can never be understated. It’s also something we’re seeing in spades at the moment. In the struggle to keep their businesses alive during this pandemic pandemonium, South African entrepreneurs have stepped up. The fundraising for staff, the pivoting to online sales, the delivery of food by restaurateurs (them actually doing the delivering themselves), the PPE-making. It’s a staggering show of chutzpah and hustle and one we all need to support. If you can, buy those cases of shiraz, nab that painting, top up the brandy, get that gourmet hamper (see more on Luke Dale Roberts’ offerings on pages 7 and 38), support your favourite local fashion designer, and plan that bush-lodge escape. Now is the time to indulge in little luxuries that will have a big impact on local companies, jobs, and your own wellbeing.

typically harsh, bright highveld day, the trees are changing colour, and he’s lost in thought about the new coal mine he’s working on. I think of him as a young man navigating the streets of a tramlined Joburg during the Spanish Flu of 1918. Of him queuing outside the mines on the edge of the city when the Great Depression struck – trying to get work, any work. I conjure up his meeting the Prince of Wales as a Transvaal Rugby player in Durban and him on the pitch at the old Wanderers Stadium, where Park Station now stands. I see him taking one of the first Boeing 707 flights to the northern hemisphere to study the “cutting-edge” mining technology of the day. This is the power of heritage pieces. Knowing their provenance and having some ties to a person who once loved them makes them all the more special. One day your ancestors will hopefully think that of your treasured items. “Remember how dad adored that Nelson Makamo painting?” they’ll say. Such emotional connections are

Cover credits Yellow and white diamond Threads necklace (total weight 44ct), Graff, 021 885 8160

F O R

A L L

YO U

S E E

H E R E ,

P L U S

P L E N T Y

Left: Andrew Buitendach (centre) Right: Omega Constellation Pie Pan

M O R E , V I S I T

WA N T E D O N L I N E . C O . Z A

EDITOR Sarah Buitendach (sarahb@arena.africa) MANAGING EDITOR Matthew McClure 011 280 5605 (mcclurem@arena.africa) CREATIVE DIRECTOR Anna Lineveldt JUNIOR DESIGNERS Carike de Jager

and Manelisi Dabata FASHION DIRECTOR Sharon Armstrong (armstrongs@arena.africa) FASHION EDITOR Sahil Harilal BEAUTY EDITOR Nokubonga Thusi (thusin@arena.africa) FASHION INTERN Nombuso Kumalo DÉCOR DIRECTOR Leana Schoeman (leanas@sundaytimes.co.za) GROUP MOTORING EDITOR Denis Droppa (droppad@arena.africa) SUBEDITOR Benazir Cassim

FINAL EYE Elizabeth Sleith DESIGN HUB ONLINE EDITOR Stephen Haw (haws@arena.africa) WANTED ONLINE DIGITAL EDITOR

Katharynn Kesselaar (kesselaark@arena.africa) BUSINESS DAY EDITOR Lukanyo Mnyanda PUBLISHER Aspasia Karras HEAD: Advertising Sales Eben Gewers MANAGING DIRECTOR Andrew Gill BUSINESS MANAGER Yvonne Shaff 082 903 5641 (shaffy@arena.africa) ACCOUNT MANAGER Johannesburg Tamara Nicholson 083 604 0949 (nicholsont@arena.africa) ACCOUNT MANAGER Western Cape Samantha Pienaar 082 889 0366 (pienaars@arena.africa) ACCOUNT MANAGER Durban Gina van de Wall 083 500 5325 (vdwallg@arena.africa) Wanted is available with Business Day nationwide. Subscription enquiries: 086 052 5200 PRINTED by Paarl Media for Arena Holdings, Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Empire and Hillside roads), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193

10 Carolyn Steyn on the state of the arts in SA

18 Lots of sparkle: The best of Strauss & Co’s jewels

22 The future looks fantastically floral

CONTENTS 26 Praise be! The new Lauren Beukes book has landed

28 The supercars to turn you on and rev you up

30 Lose yourself in gardens of earthly delight

06 text

06 / 2020

WAT C H E S

Gary Cotterell

QUALITY TIME

PART FROM NEW DIALS or lightweight, hi-tech case materials, you’d be forgiven for thinking that most watches look like facelifts of past collections. To experts though, it’s a different story. And while some brands might not be as bold as others, the industry’s insatiable drive to innovate and improve means that, hidden in plain sight, these miniature machines are forever being fine-tuned for better performance and accuracy. What makes us truly excited about mechanical watchmaking though are the designers and engineers who abandon convention and break the rules. The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept is the perfect expression of this. Produced entirely in-house by pushing the boundaries of horological micro-engineering, the master of thin watches since 1957 has created a piece that’s just 2mm thick, making it the world’s thinnest mechanical hand-wound wristwatch. To achieve this, it features an integrated Piaget Altiplano case and movement Ultimate Concept design, an integrated winding crown, an ultra-thin crystal (0.2mm) and new construction for the barrel and energy regulation. There has been a growing appetite for elegant, slim watches in recent years, with more manufactures returning them to their lineups. The manufacture and assembly of ultra-thin movements requires just as much skill as any high complication so it’s been game on for the “world’s thinnest” titles mainly between high-end brands like Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Bulgari and Piaget. The exception is Rado with its minimalist 4.9mm-

thick True Thinline Automatic offering us a friendlier value proposition in this category. When it comes to record-breaking, Piaget and Bulgari have produced most of the showstoppers over the past five years — the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P at 4.3mm thick (World’s Thinnest Automatic Wristwatch, 2017) and the 6.9mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic (World’s Thinnest Automatic Chronograph, 2019) references among the biggest stars. The elegant Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee at 4.05mm thick held the title of Thinnest Mechanical Watch In The World for 2013 until it was usurped in December that year by the 3.65mm Altiplano 900P with its integrated case and movement on full view. The Altiplano 900P passed that baton to the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept in 2018 at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, where it was first revealed as an experimental piece. The mainspring barrel, the source of power, is mounted on a single, ceramic ball-bearing within the frame of the watch and, when fully wound, the movement can run for up to 40 hours. The dial is set offcentre with its hour hand replaced by a revolving indicator disc to reduce height. Inside its 41mm cobalt-based alloy case, the Manufacture Piaget 900P-UC contains 167 individual microscopic parts, some of which are embellished to the highest Piaget standards. Because Piaget understands that creating unique features is key to a luxury watch, buyers also have around 10 000 permutations in the bridge and dial colours, the finish of the hands and the main plate, and the selection of straps. POR, piaget.com or RLG Africa 011 317 2600

NEWS 01.

EXPOSÉ The Rado True Square Open Heart is one of the standout skeletonised watches establishing the trend for 2020. In full view inside the injected monobloc hi-tech ceramic case, the C07 automatic movement is exposed as a reminder of why we get so emotional about these miniature mechanical wonders in the first place. Available in glossy black, white, and “plasma”. rado.com or Swatch Group 011 911 1200

02.

HAUTE SPORT Laurent Ferrier is tapping into a growing trend for luxury allsteel sports watches with its 44mm Grand Sport Tourbillon. This is the first time it has equipped a watch with an integrated stainlesssteel bracelet and its cushion-shaped bezel frames an opaline dial, with hands and indexes in sporty dashes of orange Super-LumiNova. laurentferrier.ch

03.

NEW HORIZONS Among IWC’s Portugieserfocused releases for 2020 is this 44.6mm, 18kt gold Yacht Club Moon & Tide. Powered by the new 82835 calibre IWC automatic movement with 60-hours power reserve, it features a double moon phase indication at 12 o’clock for both northern and southern hemispheres with leap and spring tide display, and tide timer at 6 o’clock. About R525 000. IWC.com or RLG Africa 011 317 2600

OBJET

2020 / 06 photography

Frans Marais

H ampers from R 1 500 – R 4 500

STOCKIST LUKEDALEROBERTS.COM

FANCY DINNER? Get this irresistible tiramisu, wagyu ribeye, crayfish salad and more in top chef Luke Dale Roberts’ lockdown hampers, which are packed with delectable ready-made delights

06 / 2020

STYLE NOTES

Nokubonga Thusi Matthew Mcclure

text &

THE GOLDEN AGE

which not only provides a bitter-spicy sweetness but is also a natural antiviral. Grab this 50ml spray bottle pocket treat with all the Saint d’Ici aesthetics that we love at the Brik Café, Rosebank or shop online. Saint d’Ici Hand Sanitiser, 50ml, R150

Age with grace and by using a few drops of gold slathered onto your face with the new gold elixir from Diego Dalla Palma. With the help of golden collagenine, aminopeptidecomplex, and hyaluronic-acid microcapsules, wrinkles will appear less prominent and skin will look more luminous and plump, thanks to the stimulation of collagen regeneration. Diego Dalla Palma Icon Time Gold Elixir, 30ml, R1 595

ren’t you totally over having irritated, sanitiser-dehydrated hands all day? Johannesburgbased niche parfumerie Saint d’Ici is taking matters into their own… hands by making its own hand sanitiser. Staying true to the house’s naturalingredients philosophy, the formula uses highgrade perfumer’s alcohol derived from sugar cane, which is kinder to your skin, and star anise oil,

In safe hands

Winter waits for no one — cue persistently dry, tight-feeling skin. Tap into the healing powers of bees, courtesy of Apivita. Powerful ingredients such as propolis, hyaluronic acid, Greek thyme, and beeswax help to smooth and hydrate the skin. Apivita Aqua Beelicious Comfort Hydrating Cream, 40ml, R435; Apivita Royal Honey Rich Moisturising Body Cream, 150ml, R280; Apivita Moisturising Lip Care with Chestnut, R110

DRUM UP SUPPORT

autiful

Bee-

saintdici.com

Do the guys at Love Jozi ever stop producing cool new merch? We hope they never do. They’ve partnered with the iconic Bailey’s African History Archives to bring the evocative and historic images by Drum magazine photographer Bob Gosani to life again on A0 posters and cards, available from Hello Africa at Arts on Main in the Maboneng Precinct.

info@helloafricamarketplace.com

IMAGES SUPPLIED

POWER COUPLE

outh Africa’s creatives are alive and kicking. Faatimah Mohamed-Luke and Al Luke have collaborated with The Herd and Wanderland Collective to craft these beaded scatter cushions that are must-have additions to your lounge and an homage to their different art forms. The husband-and-wife team is perhaps best known for their work on the vivid Zoo Lake basketball court paintings in 2017 and their colourful upgrades to Joburg’s public bus-stop shelters that made our morning commutes way more interesting. wanderland.co.za

DOWN TO BUSINESS

2020 / 06 text

Lukanyo Mnyanda Freddy Mavunda

PORTRAIT TREATMENT MANELISI DABATA

portrait

TRUTH HURTS

UMANITY’S epic struggle with the coronavirus, which at the time of writing has had us locked down for seven weeks with no end in sight, has been likened to war. So it is rather apt to think of the saying that when it comes to war, truth is the first casualty. It’s also ironic that the question of who first came up with the saying is also heavily disputed. It may have been uttered by US senator Hiram Warren Johnson in 1918, although this was not recorded, according to The Guardian. But it may also date back to the 18th century, via Samuel Johnson. The struggle over the past couple of months has pretty much also been about whose version of truth you choose to believe. And social media hasn’t helped, with its ability to spread myths and halftruths with clinical efficiency.

Even “facts” that are seemingly obvious and out in the open are subject to dispute. Take the curious story of Sweden and its more lax attitude to physical distancing. It was often cited by those opposed to lockdowns as a model of success despite its higher death rates compared to neighbours such as Norway. Even the US, which by the middle of May had the highest numbers of infections, had fewer mortalities per 1-million people. And here in SA, one had to decide whether they believed the government’s line that the virus was the source of our impending economic destruction, or the official opposition’s view that the mitigation efforts, including the punishing lockout, would kill more people than the virus. The latter seemed, to me, to be advocating something dangerously similar to the cavalier approach that did

nothing for UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s reputation and landed him in hospital for his troubles. As for me, I’m happy to mostly stay at home and binge on Netflix when not working. A herd-immunity strategy sounds great but I’m not keen to end up in hospital — or worse. If not downright lies, it’s also been a time for hyperbole. By some accounts, we’re living in the Soviet Union ruled by a command council, with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as Joseph Stalin’s enforcer. You’ve probably seen the one about the government acting like the Taliban. I enjoyed the response pointing out that, supposedly, Mullah Omar never went as far as banning cigarettes. Social media has its role in these dark times. But were the warnings about a government developing an unhealthy authoritarian streak that far from the truth? It seems a long time ago that we were told we could have a little bit of freedom and leave our homes to exercise for three hours in the morning. That novelty quickly wore off for me as I struggled to get out of bed by the 9am deadline, let alone get up, go for a run, and be back in my “prison” by then.

T SHARE IN THE LUXURY text

Paul Theron

“A herd-immunity strategy sounds great but I’m not keen to end up in hospital — or worse” But that’s not the point. That first weekend, I managed, just. As I headed back I looked at the time and realised it had just gone past 9am. And then there it was. A police van driving towards me. For a split second I was transported to a different SA, and it was not a good feeling at all. Mnyanda is the editor of Business Day

HE LUXURY-GOODS sector has not escaped the effects of the Covid-19 disaster. It will take time to see if the spending patterns of wealthy individuals change permanently, or whether they will be back to normal in time. The cosmetics, haircare and fragrances business deserves a closer look. Our preferred holding in the sector is the French multinational giant L’Oréal. It released first-quarter sales numbers a few weeks back, and sales had fallen 4.3%. The second quarter could also be ugly. The company’s professional portfolio was more affected than its consumer business because of the widespread closure of salons. Interestingly, its e-commerce platform delivered growth of 53% and now constitutes 20%

of sales. Business has resumed in China and rebounded well, and management expects demand in other geographies to recover quickly as lockdown measures are lifted. Let’s hope that they are right. I have mentioned before that young people posting selfies on Instagram will be good for beauty-product sales. The kids have to look good for those! Mind you, Instagram filters like Butterfly Pretty could be a threat. Butterfly Pretty is an AR (augmented reality) filter that neatens your face and then adds three blue and green butterflies before posting. If you don’t know what I’m on about, look at the Instagram profiles of celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Dua Lipa. Beauty companies are well aware of this trend, and are now collaborating with AR artists, as well as their existing make-up artist partners. As always, the best advice when investing in the luxury industry is to accumulate quality and hold for the long term. Theron is CEO of asset manager Vestact

I NTTEERRVVI E I EWW IN

Matthew McClure

IMAGE SUPPLIED IMAGE SUPPLIED

text

06 / 2020

2020 / 06

’ M ZOOMING with Carolyn Steyn. From my flat in Melville, I’m instantly transported into the luxuriously decadent sitting room of this doyenne of South Africa’s cultural and philanthropic world. In the background, Steyn’s two faun-coloured Yorkshire terriers dart back and forth under plush sofas and wingbacks. Steyn is perhaps best known as the founder of the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day initiative, a seven-year-old project that has seen thousands of underprivileged and previously disadvantaged people receiving warmth when they need it the most. I’ve met her before, when she kindly allowed Wanted to take over her home several years ago for a shoot with the Joburg Ballet. She’s as effortlessly gracious and charming as I remember her. The reason for our virtual chat is that Steyn is soon to join the board of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, known colloquially by classical-music aficionados as the JPO. She tells me that Bongani Tembe, the JPO’s chief executive and artistic director, approached her at a dinner with the offer of a seat on the board, but she was initially reticent. “I said, ‘Bongani, I’m not a corporate person, I’m not a lawyer, I’ve never been on a board except my own for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.’” Tembe, however, wouldn’t take

Philanthropist Carolyn Steyn, newly appointed to the board of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, believes in the power of music to inspire hope

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

no for an answer, and motivated for her position at a subsequent board meeting. “Bongani phoned me afterwards, very excited, to say they had unanimously agreed that I could be an asset.” Steyn’s passion for the performing arts goes back to her days as a student at Joburg’s Jeppe High School for Girls. She reminisces about when a group of actors from the old Performing Arts Council of Transvaal, or Pact as it was known then, first performed for a group of excited schoolgirls at Jeppe, where a star-struck and painfully shy Steyn was in the front row. “You could almost reach out and touch them… I just thought, ‘This is magnificent. This is what I want to do.’” She went on to audition for and star in the role of Saint Joan in her school’s production of the Bernard Shaw piece by the same name, a part that she got over the school’s most popular girl. A brief acting stint in Los Angeles ended with her return home for family reasons, but her dedication to and support of the arts and those who keep the shows going and the instruments playing has never waned. Government backing for the arts and culture in South Africa is famously lacklustre, and has been so for many years. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, there’s now the added challenge of adjusting to a new normal where social distancing means fewer audience members and fewer tickets sold. I ask Steyn the inevitable question: in what way does she see herself contributing to the support of the JPO and the arts in general in her new position? “The talent in this country is extraordinary. We have worldclass performers, world class musicians,” she tells me. For her, strong leadership and financial backing are the two primary pillars that she wants to focus on in her new role as board member of the JPO. “Government needs to become more involved. Johannesburg is a big city, and what is a city without an orchestra?” “The songs I love come from musicals. I’m a musical fanatic,” Steyn confesses to me. She adores Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, and cops to the fact that she organises whole holidays around the musical offerings in certain countries. Her favourite composer? “I love ballet music, so I’d have to say Tchaikovsky.” You might well wonder: What does someone like Carolyn Steyn do to keep herself busy during lockdown? “Some of my friends talk about being bored during Covid-19. I’m not bored. I’m so busy!” she tells me. Aside from learning French and co-ordinating the 67 Blankets project, she also hosts (now from her lounge) the Classic Lunch from noon to 3pm Monday to Friday and the Weekend Wind Down on Saturdays from 6pm on Classic FM 102.7. I’ve been a religious follower of her sets for over a year now. Her mix of firm classical favourites with show tunes and big-band numbers is the ideal accompaniment to a glass of wine and a good book on a Saturday evening. She’s also a fan of long walks through the lush, landscaped surrounds of the Steyn City golf course, where she lives with her husband Douw. And yes, she has also been acquainted with the exploits of Joe Exotic, the principal character in Netflix’s Tiger King series. Steyn believes that technology has a crucial role to play in keeping South Africa’s creative community alive and pumping as we stream performances directly into our sitting rooms and continue to support and engage with local talent virtually. The JPO, she says, has co-ordinated virtual concerts where individual musicians perform pieces of a composition from their homes and, through the miracle of editing, these segments are stitched together to form a complete orchestral piece. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music and musicians to bring people together, to calm fear and anxiety and to sow hope where there is despair. Steyn’s advice for South Africa’s creative community in the time of Covid-19? “Hang in there. We’re all going through a terrible, unprecedented time. The theatres will open. The auditoriums will open. We will experience life again, maybe not quite the way we knew it, but we will appreciate it all so much more.”

12 text

WAT C H E S

06 / 2020

Gary Cotterell

What does quality time mean to you? Being able to do the things I want

to — spending time with loved ones, learning a new skill, picking up a book or series and binge reading or binge watching guilt-free. Three favourite watches in your collection? All Patek Philippe

pieces: a men’s Aquanaut (Ref 5066A, now discontinued), a ladies’ Annual Calendar (Ref 4936J, also discontinued) and a ladies’ Haute Horlogerie Gondolo (Ref 7042/100R). What do these pieces say about you? The Ref 5066A is a men’s watch

created over 20 years ago. It was a hand-me-down from my late father and therefore holds a special place in my heart. Despite its being a men’s watch, at 36mm it is relatively small in today’s terms. It sits really well on my wrist. I am usually in corporate wear so I like to dress it down with other accessories such as this watch with its sporty, tropical, rubber strap. It livens up the corporate looks. It is also a very understated watch and does not shout “look at me!”

THAT

ANGELINA TAN Patek Philippe “I guess my love for watches started very young with a gift when I was 10 years old,” says Angelina Tan, who has been a familiar, friendly face in the local industry for almost 18 years. Part of GMT-Investcorp, headed by Christina Tan, Angelina started out managing the luxury-brand franchises of Gucci and Bally while also being custodian of Patek Philippe, which is now her sole focus. Her watch collection clearly reveals her love, or as she says, “bias” for good reason, of this haute-horlogerie manufacture. Your first watch? A Seiko dual time with quartz movement. I was only 10 when I was gifted the watch by my late father. Unfortunately, I lost it after a couple of years.

SENTIMENTAL FEELING

Of course they’re more than just for telling the time, they’re also loaded with meaning and history and love and life. Gary Cotterell spoke with the purveyors of SA’s finest watches about their own timepieces and stories

The Ref 4936J has been a favourite since its launch in 2005. It is a combination of what I want in a watch — elegance and practicality. The Ref 7042/100R is just sheer elegance. Three new watches you are eyeing?

My selection is “slightly biased” and again all Patek Philippe: The ladies’ Perpetual Calendar Ref 7140R, gents’ Nautilus Ref 5711/1R. and the ladies’ Chronograph Ref 7150/250R.

12.

13.

/ 06

DONALD GREIG Charles Greig Jewellers Charismatic sculptor Donald Greig, along with brothers Christopher and Richard, is part of the fourth generation at the helm of Charles Greig Jewellers. Their greatgrandfather Charles was a young watchmaker from Aberdeen, Scotland, who made his fortune in early Johannesburg. He set up his first business in 1899 to take advantage of the new investment and the people (engineers, financiers, geologists) moving to Joburg for the gold rush. “He knew

that they all needed pocket watches and clocks, and so the legacy started,” says Donald. Around 1915, Charles Greig became one of the world’s first stockists of Rolex and the brothers have an impressive collection, including a Rolex that dates to that year. “We have carried the Rolex brand for over 100 years and have acquired over 45 vintage Rolex watches and pocket watches, which have our company name printed on the dial. Pre 1940, this was a fairly common practice. In those days the brand was as important as the retail outlet.

1. Patek Philippe Haute Horlogerie Gondolo Ref 7042/100R 2. Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref 5711/1R 3. Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref 4936J 4. Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref 7140R 5. Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref 5066A 6. Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref 7150/250R 7. Vintage Rolex 8. Panerai Luminor Submersible Bronzo 9. Vintage Rolex 10. Rolex Daytona stainless steel 11. Panerai Luminor Submersible Bronzo 12. Breitling Superocean ‘57 13. Breitling Chronomat B01 42mm 14. Breitling Superocean Heritage B20 46mm 15. Breitling Avenger GMT 45 16. Breitling Chronomat Blackbird ‘“Bluebird’”

These watches would have all been sold by my great grandfather in the early 20th century, and today they are still in fine working order.” Your first timepiece? A Longines, which my father gave me on my 18th birthday. I acquired my first steel Rolex at the age of 25.

10.

Favourite pieces in your personal watch collection?

My favourite two watches are my Rolex Daytona in steel with a white dial, which I wear every day. And my Panerai Bronzo Submersible, which I wear when I am playing sport or on holiday.

11.

IAN PIGUET Breitling The affable Mr Piguet is the epitome of the warm-hearted Joburger and the perfect representative for Breitling’s re-emergence as a much fresher brand for people with active, purposeful, outdoor lifestyles. He has a long-standing family history in watchmaking and jewellery dating back to 1897, with both his father and grandfather having trained as watchmakers in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Combine this with the fact that his surname is the same as one of the founders of another rather famous watch brand and it was inevitable that he’d eventually end up in the industry. However, it was his sister Janine who brought Breitling to South Africa in the late 1980s and only managed to get him seriously hooked over a decade later. Your first timepiece? A bright yellow Swatch. What does quality time mean to you? Spending time with my family, preferably in the bush. Three favourite watches in your personal collection? Breitling Chronomat “Bluebird” limited edition of 250 pieces, released in 2000; a Breitling Navitimer B01 46mm; and a Breitling Superocean Heritage B20 46mm. What do these pieces say about you? I enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle, but also regularly find myself in formal situations, and these watches are ideal for me. The one watch you’d never part with? My Navitimer. Three new watches deserving of wrist-time? The new Breitling Chronomat; Breitling Superocean ’57; and Breitling Avenger GMT 45mm.

16.

How does your brand give back?

14.

15.

In South Africa we support Qhubeka, which has supplied more than 75 000 bicycles to underprivileged children, thereby enabling them to reach their schools far more quickly and easily, with measurable improvements in attendance and results. qhubeka.org

W WAATTCCHHEESS

06 / 2020

ALAN CARRINGTON The Carrington Group (includes flagship Shemer Jewellers Having run 11 Comrades marathons and completed eight full Ironman events, it’s fair to say that Alan Carrington is an active guy. And he has a watch collection to match. His introduction to the watch industry was through his father — a qualified, Swisstaught watchmaker who opened a small retail business

in Germiston in 1966, offering predominantly watch repairs but slowly branching out to offer watches and jewellery for sale. “Once I had finished my studies, it was almost predetermined that I would join the business, as I already had a passion for watches.” Carrington senior had been an apprentice watchmaker at Shemer Jewellers, which was acquired by the group in the late 1990s. Its newly renovated flagship store in Bedford Centre offers a shop-in-shop

style experience with brands such as Rolex, Omega, Zenith, Tudor and Tag Heuer. Your first timepiece? I can remember receiving my first watch as if it were yesterday. It was a hand-wound, mechanical Seiko with Arabic numerals, which I received for my sixth birthday in my first year of school. That was 1973, just before the quartz revolution. I still have that watch.

me greater pleasure than riding my bike on weekends with like-minded mates. My other passion is travelling. I will jump on a plane at the drop of a hat to visit a foreign country.

What does quality time mean to you? Nothing gives

my everyday watch that I wear in my store, but is very

Favourite watches?

My Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman”, Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase with Aventurine dial, and the Tudor Pelagos. What do these pieces say about you? My Rolex is

DAVID MOSS Picot & Moss As the duo who lead Picot & Moss, David and his wife Jennifer Moss have built a successful business over the last 40 years. Picot & Moss was built on David’s childhood passion for watches through his family’s business, which he bought back and reignited in the mid-’80s. Serendipitously, he started out trading watch straps, which had been sparked by his brother-in-law Michael Shkudsky (of Architects of Time and Boutique Haute Horlogerie) who bought him a strap on a trip to Hong Kong. One thing led to another and he soon found himself in Hall 1, “watch heaven” at the Baselworld watch fair. David and Jennifer started out with Swiss brand Enicar — “as it happens Jennifer’s first watch, a gift for her 18th birthday” — and Rado but always had their sights set on the edgy, elegant Tag Heuer brand, which was also the perfect fit for the sport-obsessed couple. Gucci followed, then Calvin Klein, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Zenith, Hermès, and more recently Bulgari. Your first timepiece? The very first watch I was given did not

last long. I was nine years old and my parents were in Switzerland. I so badly wanted a watch. A package was delivered to our house postmarked Switzerland. Overwhelmed with excitement, I tore open the box. It didn’t contain one watch but six… all made of chocolate! Tasty, but it didn’t quite get me ticking. What does quality time mean to you? The lockdown has been a gift of a lifetime. It has given me hours and hours to spend with my family: Jen, our daughter Alex, and especially our six-month-old granddaughter, Georgi. Favourite watches in your collection? The only watches I really collect are vintage. My favourite would have to be my original blue dial Heuer Monaco as worn by Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans. I also acquired an original blue-dial Heuer Carrera Skipper. Lastly, although not a wristwatch, I have a Westclox Baby Ben alarm clock that I still use to this day. What would you like to add to your collection? I’ve been eyeing a Richard Mille RM67 in rose gold for Jen, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Auto 3.95mm — the thinnest watch in the world — and of course the brand new Tag Heuer Connected.

1. Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 2. Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Moonphase 3. Tudor Pelagos 4. Original 1969 Heuer Monaco 5. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Auto 6. Big Ben and Baby Ben 7. Tag Heuer Connected 8. Tag Heuer F1 9. IWC Big Pilot Annual Calendar Edition “150 Years” 10. Heuer Carrera Skipper 11. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore The Legacy 12. IWC Big Pilot 13. A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater 14. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph

IMAGES SUPPLIED IMAGES SUPPLIED

2020 / 06

versatile for travel with its GMT functionality. The Omega is a very rare edition and generates so much conversation. The Pelagos is basically my no-fuss, no-nonsense holiday watch. The Pelagos, in my opinion, is the best value-for-money watch on the mark today.

The one watch you’d never part with? There are two, both

priceless from a sentimental point of view. My Seiko and a gold Eterna Matic, which my grandmother gave me for my 21st. shemer.co.za

13.

14.

First timepiece? An IWC Big Pilot Annual Calendar in white gold that I obtained from a lifelong friend, Andries Greyvensteyn.

10.

What does quality time mean to you? Amid the lockdown, I have

11.

12.

Favourite watches in your collection? I prefer newer watches, cars

come to value every passing second. Wasting, passing, or burning time is the evil of our age. Letting opportunities by without a thought of engaging with family, loved ones, my kids; rushing through a message, short responses, is horrific. I believe in harnessing every moment for a deeper encounter with all relationships.

JOHAN DREYER, TopWatch Johan Dreyer describes himself as an “overqualified smous” who travels the world in search of watches that grab his attention and then shares with his customers through TopWatch, one of the leading suppliers in South Africa of pre-loved, top quality and thoroughly inspected brand-name watches. He ended up in the business of watches by pure accident, through “an inflated cycle of buying, getting bored and then I started selling. One piece became a collection, which then became a business,” he jests. While Dreyer is a motorsport fan with what he describes as “a fast-paced, balls-to-the-wall life” to match, the family man reveals an altruistic side that keeps things very balanced. Dreyer has a sporty personal style that is reflected in his choice of big, bold watches that complete his look.

and bikes. I’ve a sporty style so I’m a fan of most 44mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore pieces. When it comes to classic style, I like the IWC Big Pilot and the formal dress styles of the A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. One watch you’d never part with?

The Tag Heuer F1 my wife bought me when I was 25, with a crowd-funded initiative as we were super broke. The new watches you are eyeing?

Richard Mille 35-02 and AP Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy. Your brand’s most impactful sustainability initiative? TopWatch

has a corporate-social responsibility initiative called Pym61, a youthempowerment organisation run by my wife Debbie-Ann. It reaches over 5 000 kids every day, for the full duration of their schooling and assists with everything from feeding schemes to leadership guidance. This gives us a great sense of purpose over and above profitability. topwatch.co.za

JEWELS

06 / 2020

THE

CUT

L U

1. 18kt gold ring with cushion-shaped, chequerboard cut, tube-set citrine, Charles Greig 2. Multi-gem neckpiece featuring lemon quartz, amethyst, citrine, peridot, aquamarine, and London blue topaz, all spectacle set in 18kt yellow gold and interspaced with South Sea pearls and pavé diamond wheels, Charles Greig 3. Fancy vivid yellow cushion-cut and white diamond earrings (total weight 5.2ct), Graff 4. Margery Hirschey x Gemfields Zambian emerald and 22kt gold earrings and Margery Hirschey x Gemfields Mozambican ruby and 18kt gold earrings, Gemfields 5. Bulgari B.Zero1 Rock 18kt yellow gold bracelets with pavé diamonds, Bulgari Boutique 6. Fope Love Nest bracelets in 18kt yellow, white, and rose gold, Charles Greig 7-14. All Messika, Boutique Haute Horlogerie 7. Lucky Move charm, 1.6ct diamonds 8. Gatsby ring, 0.26ct diamonds 9. Move 10th Birthday Pei cuff, 0.96ct moving diamonds 10. Move 10th Birthday Pei cuff, full pavé, (total weight 7.38ct diamonds) 11-13. Lucky Move 3 Fingers ring, 1.09ct diamonds 14. Move Romane bangles

STOCKISTS BOUTIQUE HAUTE HORLOGERIE 011 325 4119 OR 021 418 1889, BULGARI BOUTIQUE: 011 883 1325, CHARLES GREIG 011 325 4477 OR 021 418 4515, GEMFIELDS (JANET SILK) 083 266 7517, GRAFF 021 885 8160

2020 / 06

8 9

11 12

13 14

Sarah Buitendach picks the new local and international jewellery pieces that have her hot under the (diamond-studded) collar. Consider these pages of jewellery porn, from the finest local and international brands, a treat from us. Also, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome.

18 text

06 / 2020

J E WJEELW SELS

Vanessa Phillips

It’s been a decade since Strauss & Co’s first foray into the realm of jewellery auctions. Here the brand’s jewels aficionado, Vanessa Phillips, reminisces about cracker pieces sold over the years

Ten out of ten

TRAUSS & CO began selling jewellery in November 2010. The inaugural auction was assembled by Joanna Hardy and me. Joanna is an independent fine-jewellery specialist, conducting masterclasses and lectures worldwide, and is a well-known personality on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

2010 The auction included ravishing jewels from the 19th and 20th centuries, some with perfect provenance. A Cartier pearl-and-diamond brooch, formerly the property of Lady Enid Kenmare and her daughter, the author and animal lover, the late Honourable Patricia Cavendish, sold for R150 000.

2012 In October 2012 we auctioned the sensational Vivienne Linder collection of jewellery. The starlet had not only a sparkling voice and personality but also an eye for gorgeous jewellery. Highlights included a pair of diamond dress clips from the 1930s that realised R85 000. The quality of workmanship is probably the most important thing when looking at a piece of jewellery, and this collection did not disappoint the collector.

2013 A sense of craftsmanship was the hallmark of the Erich Frey collection. In February 2013, Strauss & Co offered 40 pieces of jewellery from his estate. Made in the 1960s and 1970s, this fine group of contemporary jewellery influenced by African design found its mark with collectors who appreciated this German jeweller’s fine work and use of local gemstones. Of significant note was a silver gilt-and-moonstone necklace which realised R28 000.

2020 / 06

2020 In May 2020 we offered a fine collection of Namibian green tourmalines enhanced with brilliant-cut diamonds. These handmade pieces had been produced on the bench by superb German goldsmiths. Coloured gemstones of exceptional quality are now highly collectable and we anticipate that the market is moving in this direction.

2015 In October 2015 we sold various important pieces of Art-Deco jewellery, including a diamond-andemerald brooch by the renowned jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels, which fetched R350 000. This splendid brooch was offset by four cabochoncut emeralds weighing approximately 3.5-4 carats.

2017 There is a sustained demand for coloured diamonds and semiprecious stones. In 2017, a diamond ring set with a natural yellow fancy emerald-cut diamond weighing 3.2 carats set between two emerald-cut diamonds weighing 1 and 1.03 carats respectively realised R310 000. Each stone was accompanied by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificates, an industry standard when purchasing diamonds.

THE EXPERT EYE: VANESSA PHILLIPS

The joint managing director of Strauss & Co, Phillips heads up the decorative arts department, which includes furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, and jewellery. She works with senior gemmologists who assist her in procuring fine jewels. She has overseen the disposal of numerous important domestic collections, among them furniture from the historic Vergelegen Estate in Somerset West, and Keerweder, an 18th-century home in the Franschhoek Valley. The group is now working on its October auction and accepting consignments of jewellery. To make an appointment to have an item valued email vanessa@straussart.co.za

Prices shown do not include buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premium

20 text

O OPPIIN NIIO ON N

06 / 2020

Jono Hall Shaun Uthum

illustration

was once dizzyingly shat out for reading a comic book. Let me explain. The book in question was called The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, a hyper-acclaimed work written by celebrated author Alan Moore that, at the time, was something of a white whale. Due to a bizarre publishing

dispute it was impossible to buy outside of the US. You literally had to be physically present in America with a shabby fistful of cash to get it. What this meant was that the book had taken on an almost quasi-mythical status amongst non-American comic readers. It was The Book You Couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Own. So, obviously, a friend and I spent the better part of a year trying to make an arrangement

to get our hands on it. The result was a rather convoluted plan involving coopting one of his brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business trips, a caravan of trained African swallows, a maraschino cherry, and two people in a pantomime horse costume smuggling a carrot. But we eventually got our hands on two precious (and rare) copies. Now, one of the peculiarities of this book was that the final chapter

No gatherings allowed Our Our pandemic-plagued pandemic-plagued world world has has made made Jono Jono Hall Hall think think twice twice about about his his onceonce-

2020 / 06

“Sneakers (only white), art, whiskey, cookbooks, movies — all of these things have become stuff I’ve ended up collecting rather than just owning one or two pieces of and being happy with that”

very-important very-important collections collections

had been illustrated with a 3D effect and included in the book itself was a pair of cardboard 3D glasses that you were meant to cut out and assemble in order to read the last chapter. Which, of course, I did. Because I wanted to read it. Which is what then prompted the Biggest Shitting Out of All Time by my comic-book co-acquirer. By cutting out the glasses, I had defiled it. It was no longer of any value. No-one would want it now. I had essentially drawn devil horns on the head of the Mona Lisa in koki pen. In contrast, my companion had read his copy only once, and without opening it far enough to crease the spine (which if you’ve ever tried is a supremely terrible way to read a book), then put it back in a speciallydesigned plastic sleeve, never to be opened again. Comic books are actually quite odd things if you think about them. Cheap, plentiful and, most importantly, designed to be consumed and then forgotten, they’ve somehow quite often become the opposite of that. Collectors manically seek anticipated titles, store them in their plastic sleeves — sometimes without ever even reading them — and keep them for their future value. Specific issues of particular comics are almost religiously revered. A copy of the first edition of Action Comics #1, which features the first appearance of Superman, sold for a reported $3.2-million in 2014. But even contemporary comics can fetch a pile — a mint-condition copy of the first The Walking Dead comic sold for $20 000. But outside of these specialist collector circles they revert back to being what they inherently are: somewhat niche, disposable entertainment. Like so many “valuable collector” items, it’s the collector community that creates the value. And the problem is that I can’t even be too snarky about this mania, because, confession time, I am actually a chronic collector of things. It’s so deeply ingrained into my being that it might as well check how my prostate’s holding up while it’s there. I’m hugely committed to the idea of assembling groups of things. I can’t just have a couple of vinyls lying around. No, now I must go and scour the racks of weird backroom shops every weekend to find the right pressing of such-and-such recording of Spencer Ratgut Whateverface from 19-voetsek. I’m not content to just enjoy wine. No, I must build a special wine rack that takes up most of an entire wall of my living room so that I can collect the stuff. Sneakers (only white), art, books, board games, magazines, whiskey, cookbooks,

movies, Tintin ephemera (yes really) — all of these things have become stuff I’ve ended up collecting rather than just owning one or two bits and pieces of and being happy with that. And up until this point it was the ownership of those things that made me happy. Simply that. Being able to walk into a room and know that yes, those were my things that I’d grouped just so and there they were. Waiting for me. But…waiting for what? Because do you know how stupid a collection of pristine white sneakers is during a lockdown? Very fucking stupid. Come Corona, and with the abrupt right-turn of a Kardashian video confession, suddenly a treasured wine collection has become something supremely pointless to just look at, while storing it for some unspecified future date. I am suddenly hyper aware of the delicious red liquid inside those bottles and that said Previously Unspecified Future Date has basically just kicked down my front door like a TikTok celebrity. I’ve started looking at the paintings that hang on my walls in a very different way. Do I actually like that artist? Or was I just accumulating their work so that I could get more of them? The stupidly large array of cookbooks has been feverishly taken down and plundered for recipes I’m actually cooking, rather than idly looked-over once a month as a rainy-day fantasy of the food that will happen on some vague future occasion. I had this theory a long time ago that I always found quite difficult to articulate properly, but I’ll try again here. It went something like, “Collections often cease to have meaning when the collector is no longer around.” It was somewhat founded on a story about David Bowie after his death. It turned out that Bowie had accumulated a lot of art that was professionally deemed as “pretty good” but not really “important”. It was mostly pieces that had made him happy, with not too much fuss given to whether it was valuable or fashionable. As a result, one or two pieces went to museums and wealthy individuals, but the rest was sort of put out to general auction, and the idea of David Bowie’s Art Collection, the assemblage that he spent his life putting together, sort of dribbled away, never to be seen as a group of things ever again. So, cut out the 3D glasses, uncork the 2006 Rubicon and drink it with your lockdown-hoarded spaghetti bolognese. Throw away the plastic sleeves and bend your books wide open as you read them. Take your cookbooks into the kitchen and let them get spattered with olive oil and tomato sauce. This is their actual value and the time is now.

22 text

06 / 2020

DDEESSI IGGNN

Aspasia Karras

EMILY

THOMPSON

FLOWERS

DOAN

flowery fables

AVID HOCKNEY, he of summer dappled pools and Miami pastels, has made a statement in this season of lockdown. He has painted daffodils in all their simple, sculptural glory. His is a charmed offering to the gods, a hope for a new season. A digital artwork for our time — to balm the spirits of our troubled world. His yellow vision washed over me and cheered my soul as only flowers can. Even digital ones. Hockney, like all great artists, has captured the undercurrents of the general mood. He’s given us the hope of renewal and the spirit of human ingenuity when it plays nicely with nature, while the

ephemeral quality of life plays its solemn tune just below the surface. This is what the best of contemporary floral design is about. An aesthetic tussle with matters of life and death. Perhaps my favourite floral artist — for that is what she is — is Emily Thompson. Her small corner of delight in the Roman and Williams Guild New York emporium and café radiates her talent across the world. She calls herself a butcher of flowers. A description of her art that captures the essential violence inherent in the act of creating an arrangement. Each floral display is a still life, or more accurately expressed in the French, a nature morte — dead nature captured for a fleeting moment. Her work is driven by seasonal

DOAN

Aspasia Aspasia Karras Karras meditates meditates on on modern modern floral floral masters masters

DOAN

2020 / 06

ALEXIS

CHRISTODOULOU

ALEXIS CHRISTODOULOU

EMILY

THOMPSON

IMAGES @doan_ly; @teealexis; @emilythompsonflowers; @david_hockney

FLOWERS

ALEXIS DAVID

EMILY

CHRISTODOULOU

HOCKNEY

THOMPSON

FLOWERS flowers sourced ethically and organically and #madebywildanimals, which she then re-contextualises and repurposes as dying art. Is there any art form that is more apt for our time? Her plague posies are small allegories for our circumstances. Her Instagram captions are a poetry for the mysterious present moment: “Concurrent emergence and rot! Fetid earth and birth. Always, never not.” In Paris my abiding love Christian Tortu is on the abundant end of the natural world’s spectrum: a maximalist whose forays into order have given way to great displays of lush disorder. In Berlin, Ruby Barber of Mary Lennox is giving the humble weed a sculptural floating renaissance. Weeping amaranth,

and and the the messages messages they’re they’re sending sending us us

smoke bush, wild grasses and Queen Anne’s lace — in dried and fresh-cut floating fantasies she teases out what we consider useful and what has been brushed aside in the world as invasive. She challenges our ordered ideas of what is valuable and beautiful. Here, her magnificent sweeping assemblages are all the suggestions for a new way of thinking about the future. A new way of engaging with nature – abundant, free, and, above all, sustainable. A new way to live post a plague that we may have brought down on ourselves by neglecting these fundamental lessons from nature. Based somewhere between Cape Town and the 3D realm of an architectural imagination, Alexis Christodoulou

seamlessly blends a fictional modernist aesthetic with abundant floral fantasies in scenes to blow your mind. Christodoulou is a self-taught 3D artist and designer whose global clientele are inspired by these alternate universes and a design ethos primed to “let nature in.” In the gentle lessons of Japan’s age-old Ikebana art, floral design comes home literally, bringing these spectacular installations to a small, human scale. A template for life considered and entirely of the moment — driven by a subtle respect for the natural world and our role in it. Doan Ly in New York brings a contemporary edge and inspires me to play, and hope, and dream of a brighter future.

PA R T N E R S H I P text

Brian McKechnie Shaun Uthum

illustration

SAFE AS HOUSES

Brian McKechnie suggests a long, cool dip into the property market right now

ESIDENTIAL property — a sure and steady ladder to financial security or the slippery slope of pauperdom and pecuniary ruin? Whether you’re on the lookout for a forever family home, an investment nest egg, or a fixer upper to flip, opinion on property pitfalls, market trends, and that elusive perfect purchase is seldom unanimous. For most of us, a home is both a long-term commitment and our most expensive asset, making the property plunge even more nerve wracking. If you’re still eyeing the water from the edge of the property pool, several indicators suggest that now’s the perfect time to dive in! SA’s prime interest rate dipped to a record low of just 7.25% in May, a fraction of the peak that decimated the

1990s property market. In ordinary terms, when the rate spiked at 25.5% in August 1998, repayments on a 20year loan of R100 000 cost R 2 139 p/m. Servicing that same debt today would cost just R790 p/m. Rock-bottom interest rates mean drastically reduced bond repayments, freeing buyers to splash out on a more luxurious property, or grab hold of that first rung on the property ladder, without breaking the bank. Additionally, lower rates offer welcome extra budgetary leeway to existing homeowners feeling the fiscal pinch. Our property market right now is flatter than New Zealand’s coronavirus curve. Traditionally, low interest rates bolster property markets, but weak demand and a lacklustre economy have stifled hopes of a quick rally.

The January FNB property barometer indicates that residential property prices rose by just 3.6% in 2019, down from 3.8% the previous year. In real terms property-price growth is tracking well below CPI. This is a far cry from the mid-2000s boom, when property-price inflation consistently hit double digits. FNB notes that while the lower end of the market has remained resilient — buoyed by buy-to-let investors, first-time homeowners, and downsizing trends — the upper end of the market remains sluggish; knocked by emigration, low demand, longer sale times and general oversupply in the segment. Despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, 2019 data from the SARB reveals an upswing in mortgage lending. Innovative mortgage solutions, such as South Africa’s first

green home loan, the Absa Eco Home Loan (launched by Absa and Balwin Properties), provides buyers with attractive finance options that are specifically tailored to green homes and environmentally sustainable residential developments. Climate-smart development is not only ecologically responsible but also substantially reduces the life-cycle costs of a home — important considerations when committing to a long term investment. South African residential real estate offers world-beating value. In 2019 the average Johannesburg home changed hands for just over R1.2-million. Durban homes recorded a slightly lower par of R933 000 and Cape Town, the poster child of SA’s property market, recorded median house prices around the R1.5-million mark. Comparisons to average prices in expat favourites like Sydney (R12.7 million), Perth (R6.2-million), London (R10.6-million), or Vancouver (R16.7-million) make the value in SA even more obvious. Granted, those cities are located in developed and apparently stable economies. While Zimbabwe does not compile official data on property prices or market trends, a quick comparison of Pam Golding’s listings in Joburg’s swanky Hyde Park with Harare’s Borrowdale or Mount Pleasant suburbs would have you choking on your Tasha’s bagel, if only we were still allowed out in public. South African property is a steal with excellent long-term growth potential. Real estate is undoubtedly attractive right now. However, buyers need to take a long-term investment view. While the environment is ideal for first-time buyers, existing homeowners trading up, or investors in search of bargains, it’s still important to keep affordability in mind. Stagnant economic conditions will impact rental demand for investment properties, as well as pricegrowth potential in the medium term. The South African property market represents good value and solid potential for long-term growth. Low interest rates, coupled with an attractive lending environment have reduced the sector’s barriers to entry. Property is often an emotional decision; while buoyant markets excite potential buyers, depressed markets offer better value and greater potential for longterm recovery and price appreciation. While finding the best property, in the perfect position, at the right price is easier said than done, market indications point to excellent opportunities right now. South African residential real estate has never looked this tempting and it’s ripe for the picking.

26 text

06 / 2020

READ ALERT

Michele Magwood Shannon Daniels

portrait

MAN ALIVE! The new Lauren Beukes book is out and its dystopian tale is scarily real

statues of naked cement men with their hands lifted up, thousands of them, like an army of Kouros boy statues, or Pompeii’s ashen dead, frozen in place.” This is a world inhabited and largely run by women, and if you think this means a kinder, gentler world, you would be wrong. This is Lauren Beukes, after all, who never lets a cliché or an assumption pass by unmutated. Sure, there are collectives of women helping each other and cooking things in Wonderbags; parking garages are turned into urban farms, Hilton Hotels are turned into refugee camps and homeless shelters. But in Beukes’ hands the female of the species is vicious. As Billie observes: “Girls have more to prove. You have to hit harder, meaner, crueller if you want to step into the Big Men’s shoes.” Billie is running with a ghastly band of skanks and “sinkhole bitches”, equally vested in capturing Miles and “hip deep in several atrocities”. They are getting worryingly close, and the tension is soaring when Cole and her now “daughter” Mila,

OVELS DESCRIBED as “high concept” can be tricky. Often it is a polite way of signalling “interesting idea but a hot mess”, or “boldly goes where no book has gone before or should go again”. Not, however, if the author is Lauren Beukes, the It girl of SA literature. Beukes, with her lagoon-blue eyes and matching hair, owns high concept. She is a writer of thrilling imagination that she hitches on to virtuoso storytelling, her strange worlds brilliantly realised but just recognisable enough to throw our own into unsettling relief. It is no wonder that she counts Stephen King, George RR Martin, and Neil Gaiman as fans, or that she has racked up several major awards, including the prestigious Arthur C Clarke. But even Beukes could not have imagined that her latest book Afterland (Umuzi) would be so prescient, so true-to-life as to chill the reader to the marrow. After all, she started writing it five years ago.

“Even Beukes could not have imagined that her latest book Afterland would be so prescient, so true-to-life as to chill the reader to the marrow” Says one character: “But then Eric got sick, and so did Devon, and then no one was flying anywhere. You can’t imagine how much the world can change in six months. You just can’t.” The story is set a few years from now, in a changed America. Ninety-nine percent of the world’s male population has been decimated in a pandemic, a virus that targets only men and boys. Cole and her American husband Devon had travelled from Johannesburg to Atlanta with their son Miles for a family reunion. Now Devon is dead and Cole and Miles are on the run. Miles, just 12 years old, is resistant to the disease, called Human Culgoa Virus, and everyone wants him, or more specifically, his precious sperm. It’s not only the authorities wanting to run tests on him, but Cole’s grifter sister Billie is also trying to sell Miles for a fortune to a private bidder. Blessed Be The Fruit, indeed. Beukes has the ability to get under the skin of cities and her novels have

a particularly vivid sense of place: the heaving Hillbrow of Zoo City, for instance, or the collapsing buildings of Detroit in Broken Monsters. The road trip of Afterland provides a wide-open canvas for her: a grotesque Book of Mormon sculpture park in Salt Lake City, an abandoned golf estate where billboards promise “Eagle Creek: Where Living Your Best Life is Par for the Course!” A bar in Lake Tahoe plays “nostalgia porn” on the TV screens — old Superbowl football games watched by the all-women clientele. Everywhere they travel they see memorials to men, faded photographs — “the wallpaper of grief” — or displays of stuff: “baseball caps, an Xbox controller, one of those talking fish on a plaque”. They see murals in different towns “from a crude rendition of action heroes to a sea of men and boys walking towards the parting in the clouds, golden rays of light beckoning them home, and in a field they passed,

AFTERLAND

Lauren Beukes

are taken up by a glorious group of neon-clad nuns. The Sisters of Sorrows believe that God is punishing the world by killing the men and that if they repent and proselytise He will heal the world and bring back the men. They come across the sisters in a rinky-dink casino in the boondocks. “‘I’m sorry,’ one screams at the ceiling. ‘We’re sorry,’ another wails. The chant is picked up by a third, then a fourth, until they are all caught up in an agony of sorrow, pulling at their robes in a hysteria of repentance and swooning against the machines with their flashing disco lights and scattered popcorn.” It’s utterly delirious. Mother and son make their way to the coast and a waiting ship, pursued not only by evil, but by grief and loss as well. For a husband, for a world. But Beukes reminds us of better things, too. Of hope and courage, wit and resourcefulness. And love, of course.

PA R T N E R S H I P

SIYA KOLISI IMAGE DAVID RAMOS/WORLD RUGBY VIA GETTY IMAGES AND SUPPLIED

KNITTING BONDS THAT ARE #STRONGERTOGETHER

F THE PAST FEW months have taught us anything, it’s that we’re all knitted together as a global community. As our worlds have shrunk to the size of our homes, there’s arguably never been a more necessary time for collaboration, working together for a common goal.

Back in 2013, Carolyn Steyn was challenged by President Nelson Mandela’s private secretary Zelda la Grange to knit or crochet 67 blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. The rest is history as 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day was born. The initiative swept the globe, and thousands of “KnitWits” (the term lovingly used to describe all those who contribute blankets and scarves to the 67 Blankets cause) eagerly took up their knitting needles and hooks to keep the underprivileged and disadvantaged warm during the cold winter months, all in honour of Madiba. The 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day movement is continuing its partnership with national rugby team captain Siya Kolisi with the largest Springboks blanket in the world now being created. It’s due to be unveiled next year at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth — Kolisi is an old boy. Not

satisfied with four Guinness world records — plus the largest portrait blanket in the world, which depicts the face of our beloved former president and visible from space — Steyn and the 67 Blankets team are aiming for the Springboks blanket to cover the entire Graeme Pollock cricket oval at Grey. The result will be so big that each individual blanket will make up only a single pixel of the overall image, which will include the Springbok emblem. This blanket will be a true testament to the power of collaboration in support of a common goal. Let the KnitWits unite and ready our hands to make this an act of kindness and generosity that would make Mandela proud, and show that we truly are #StrongerTogether. To get involved and to pledge your support, follow 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day on Facebook, @67blankets on Instagram, check out 67blankets.co.za or email info@67blankets.co.za

67 Blankets for Mandela Day is celebrating our world champs in a huge way

Clockwise from top: Carolyn Steyn; Siya Kolisi; the Springboks blanket due to be completed in 2021

28 text

06 / 2020

MOTORING

Denis Droppa

JUST SUPER With the open road beckoning after lockdown ends, Denis Droppa takes a look at the most eagerly awaited sports machines

HILE THE COVID-19 pandemic put the temporary brakes on some supercar launches, automotive factories around the world are now reopening and gearing up to produce some fastmoving precious metal (and carbon fibre). Extended lockdowns will have stirred a wanderlust in driving enthusiasts; a yearning for the open road and the forgotten pleasures of breakfast runs undertaken for the pure joy of driving. With that, here is our list of the latest supercars due to hit the roads once it’s safe to go onto the roads again:

LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO SPYDER RWD The name’s a mouthful but the badge tells you exactly what you’re getting: a rear-wheel drive, droptop version of an Italian raging bull. It’s the purest, most driver-focused version of Lamborghini’s V10-engined beast. With power going only to the rear wheels, instead of to all four like other Huracáns, the car promises a more drifty, engaging experience for drivers. “This car reminds the driver of Lamborghini’s pure engineering origins: the driver is at the centre of the Huracán EVO RWD’s performance, with unfiltered

2020 / 06

IMAGES SUPPLIED

feedback,” says Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali. Driving with the roof down is the best way to enjoy the roar of the 5.2l naturally aspirated V10 engine as you hammer from 0-100km/h in just 3.5 seconds. The Huracán EVO Spyder RWD will retail for R5.76-million in SA. FERRARI F8 SPIDER Staying with Italian supercars, the prancing horse recently opened the order books for its open-topped F8 Spider, which arrives in SA towards the end of this year at a base price of R6.1million — or R579,000 more if you want it in that special “Giallo Triplo Strato” yellow colour. Ferrari’s drop-top charmer is powered by the four-time winner of the International Engine of the Year award: a 3.9l turbo V8 that zooms the car from rest to 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, and onto a toupé-tugging 340km/h top speed.

The motorsport-inspired cabin is mostly minimalist and driver-focused, with an F1-style steering wheel and pedals, though napa leather bucket seats do provide some luxury. Only 275 owners will get to experience this limitedproduction two seater, which will be capable of a top velocity of over 350km/h. ASTON MARTIN VALHALLA Aston Martin has named its latest supercar the Valhalla, not after the suburb in Centurion but, as per Norse mythology, after the hall of the fallen in Asgard where the souls of warriors slain in battle find their final resting place. The mid-engined supercar is Aston Martin’s second collaboration with Red Bull Racing after the trackfocused Valkyrie, with the Valhalla pitched as a more useable, everyday car. Its F1-inspired powertrain marries a turbocharged V6 engine to a hybrid battery-electric system, though final power outputs are yet to be revealed. Production will be limited to 500 coupés, with the first examples reaching customers in 2022.

MERCEDES-AMG ONE This road-legal car will be the closest thing to driving a Formula One racer, says Mercedes-AMG. Like an F1 car, it has a lightweight carbon-fibre body, and a hybrid powertrain comprising a 1.6l petrol engine and four electric motors. It hammers out over 740kW to make it the most powerful AMG vehicle yet produced.

Clockwise from left: Lotus Evija; Aston Martin Valhalla; Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder RWD; Ferrari F8 Spider; Mercedes-AMG One

LOTUS EVIJA If anyone was still under the misapprehension that electric cars can’t be exciting, the Lotus Evija short-circuits that notion. It’s the world’s most powerful sportscar, with an astonishing 1 471kW produced by its four electric motors — one per wheel. It has more power at each wheel than the total power of any other Lotus road car yet produced. The performance is devastating, and the batterypowered British supercar will zoom to 300km/h in just nine seconds from a standing start (about the same time it took you to read that sentence). Dramatic curves give this silent speedster the visual venom to go with its performance. Tunnels optimise airflow through the car, and the rear tunnel exits are edged with a red LED reminiscent of a fighter jet’s afterburners. The super-exclusive car will be limited to just 130 units.

NAVIGATOR 06 / 2020

Di sp a t ch e s o n a l l t h i n g s c ool , c ove t a bl e , a n d c onve r s a t i o n - wo r t hy

gardens The verdant greens of our dreams

travel

drinks

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lion on our stoep in Botswana

Trust us, this selection of booze is essential

G R E E N F I N G E R S A N D I T C H Y F E E T

2020 / 06 text

Richard Holmes

Think of the natural world as a living, breathing therapy session. And these exceptional gardens as a shrink’s couch you should be lining up for

GIARDINI

MORTELLA

RCHITECT Frank Lloyd Wright found inspiration in the natural world. Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw laughter in flowers, while the Japanese have embraced shinrin-yoku, a concept simply translated as “forest bathing”. Whatever you choose to call it, we’re betting you’re in need of a long embrace from Mother Nature right now. Why not combine a little greenery with a dose of wanderlust for a stroll through these off-theradar botanical escapes?

JARDIM

BOTÂNICO

JARDIN

MAJORELLE

I T A L Y :

B R A Z I L :

M O R O C C O :

The volcanic outcrop of Ischia has never touted its attractions too loudly, one of which is the remarkable Giardini La Mortella. Laid out by acclaimed landscape architect Russell Page, this mesmerising garden is the life’s work of Lady Susanna Walton, wife of English composer William Walton, who spent 50 years transforming the steep 2ha site into a splash of green above the bright-blue bay of Forio. Walkways and dry walls divide the terraced garden into a lower section, The Valley, and an upper garden, The Hill. Wandering between them you’ll discover avenues of aloes, fountains and ferneries, hothouses, and Asian temples. lamortella.org

The Christ the Redeemer statue may draw most travellers to Corcovado Mountain, but Rio de Janeiro’s spectacular Jardim Botânico is equally worth a visit. Start at the impressive Avenue of Royal Palms, planted when the garden first opened in 1808. Then, you should make for the Amazonas section, notable for its snapshot of the rainforests, but also leave time for the lakes of Vitória Régia water lilies and the orquidário that houses 600 species of orchids. The themed trails — Arts, History and Noble Trees — are an excellent way to plan your visit. jbrj.gov.br

French painter Jacques Majorelle may have first planted it, but we really have designer Yves Saint Laurent to thank for this oasis. Together with his partner Pierre Bergé, in 1980 Saint Laurent saved the garden from being razed for a hotel development. The pair spent years reviving the garden, celebrating its Art Deco and Moorish architecture and rich collection of plants from across the globe. “Jardin Majorelle has provided me with an endless source of inspiration,” mused Saint Laurent. Amble down its walkways and you’ll no doubt feel the same.

Giardini La Mortella

Jardim Botânico

Le Jardin Majorelle

jardinmajorelle.com/en

06 / 2020

SHINJUKU

GYOEN

J A P A N :

Shinjuku Gyoen

THE

LOST

GARDENS

HELIGAN

Just 500m from the frenetic Shinjuku station in western Tokyo stand the gates of Shinjuku Gyoen. Once a private imperial garden, since 1949 this has been Tokyo’s most impressive urban public park. Within its 58ha are three distinct gardens, including formal French and English layouts, interspersed by wide lawns, woodlands, and greenhouses filled with tropical plants. But the heart of Shinjuku Gyoen — and its oldest part — is the traditional Japanese Garden where immaculately manicured shrubs surround lakes and waterways crossed by traditional wooden bridges. With hundreds of cherry trees erupting into blossom during March and April it’s a popular spot for hanami picnics, but is equally glorious in the auburn days of autumn. env.go.jp/garden/ shinjukugyoen/english

E N G L A N D :

The Lost Gardens of Heligan Few gardens can claim such a remarkable history as The Lost Gardens of Heligan, deep in the countryside of Cornwall. The estate had been the seat of the Tremayne family for 400 years, but when the estate’s workers went off to fight in the First World War the gardens and grounds slowly fell into disrepair. In 1990 they were rediscovered and rejuvenated in Europe’s largest garden restoration project. Today Heligan covers roughly 80ha, with space set aside for productive gardens — more than 300 varieties across a Kitchen Garden, walled Flower Garden and Melon Yard — as well as extensive pleasure gardens dating back to the mid-1800s. Wander the paths in the ancient Heligan woodlands, keeping a keen eye out for the iconic sculptures framed by glades of bluebells. heligan.com

PHOTOGRAPHY JARDIM BOTÂNICO, LISA WILTSE/CORBIS, GETTY IMAGES; SHINJUKU GYEON, RICHARD HOLMES AND SUPPLIED

D E LTA B L U E S

When you want to stop the world and get off, sometimes the universe obliges. Debbie Hathway discovered this in Botswana

HE DAY AFTER my father passed away, I boarded a plane from Cape Town to Johannesburg en route to Botswana. It was set to be the trip of a lifetime, prime game viewing at two reserves in the Kalahari region and one in the Okavango Delta. I decided to join the small expedition as planned, partly for my father, who was an avid birdwatcher, and partly for me, because I

CAMP

OKUTI

needed to find peace in the quiet of the bush. The invitation had come from Allan Eccles of Falcon Africa, in celebration of his company’s 30th anniversary. Eccles is a former SA Air Force pilot turned bush pilot and safari guide in the Delta. He knows the territory, not just here but across Africa. Well familiar with the annual wildebeest migration through the

Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, in Botswana Eccles accompanied a television crew to film the catfish migration up the main river channels of the Delta. “I assisted at a wildlife lodge in the Savute during a drought, which involved driving water trucks to the pans on the Savute Marsh to fill them with water. The lions would follow the truck to drink at our feet,” he says.

THE LAST DAYS In “normal times” Air Botswana flies direct from OR Tambo International to Maun International Airport in just two hours. In this, a final cross-border jaunt before lockdown, we used Safari Air charters to move between lodges, averaging about 40 minutes per flight, which meant getting incredible views of the diverse terrain. Ker & Downey Botswana

06 / 2020

guide Phefo Moheto was waiting to greet us at Dinaka, a private conservancy on the northern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. He met us at a tiny metal-roofed shelter alongside a short sandy airstrip, hand sanitiser at the ready. Back then, still slightly incredulous at the coronavirus pandemic becoming a very real threat to the global status quo, we quickly accepted this accessory du jour at every stop. Eccles had pointed out the noticeable drop in the

CAMP

OKUTI

number of travellers waiting to clear passport control in Maun. Formalities aside, Moheto was eager to show us around one of the most unusual areas of biodiversity in Southern Africa. Nobody was prepared for the glimpse of the elusive aardwolf lurking amid the grasses near the road to Dinaka. It is seldom seen because of its bashful nature and mainly nocturnal movements, so we were quick to capture the small animal on film — albeit a blur. At least we had evidence!

CLOSE ENCOUNTER Dinaka, meaning “horns”, is the latest acquisition by Ker & Downey Botswana, founded by safari pioneers at the end of the World War 2. Here, the semi-arid sandy savannah is home to more than 200 bird species including the Kalahari lion, cheetah, leopard, springbok, oryx, and brown hyena, as well as smaller mammals such as the honey badger, one of which sought refuge beneath the Dinaka deck that overlooks a waterhole. After dark, no-one dared venture

outside their roomy thatched safari tents (there are only seven, connected by wooden walkways) without an escort. The camp is unfenced and animals move through it freely. My deck seemed to be the chosen stage for that night’s lion opera. If I could have seen anything in the pitch blackness — once I’d shot up in bed wide-eyed as the first soloist began and crept out from beneath my draped mosquito net to peer outside — I swear I could have eyeballed her right outside my door. Instead, I

2020 / 06

was forced to retreat and be content with listening to them roar all night long.

IMAGES SUPPLIED

SAN WALK Day two’s highlight was exercise. After hours in flight or on the road, the chance to experience the Kalahari landscape on foot with San guides Voter Tsooqoma and Quma Xota was exhilarating. What a privilege to learn how they hunt, find water, make fire, and live off the land armed with nothing but a small shoulder bag of finely honed tools, a wealth of knowledge of the natural world, and loads of patience. Next up was a visit to Okuti, a Ker & Downey Botswana camp in Moremi Game Reserve, the oldest protected area of the Delta. The reserve supports a tremendous amount of wildlife and boasts more than 400 bird species. I’m no stranger to land safaris but a water safari along the Maunachira channel, which flows in front of the five masasas (meaning house of reeds) at Okuti, was a wonderful surprise. Even better was pulling up at a river bank for a sundowner after guide Baams Motsamai had deftly opened the throttle to escape a charging hippo soon after its rather terrifying display of territorial behaviour. Who knew their swimming rate was 8km/hr underwater? SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE SAVUTI We were largely sheltered from world events for two blissful days. The wonderful hospitality, catering, and care of the local staff in an almost off-grid existence eventually gave way to the reality of Covid-19 and the far-reaching effects it was going to have on us all. The mood was grim as tour operators, travel agents, hosts, guests, and guides exchanged perspectives. Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge was the first camp to have readily available Wi-Fi so the barrage of information allowed through was relentless. (Okuti limits access to Wi-Fi but

GHOHA

made an exception under the circumstances for us to connect with concerned family at home.) Despite the angst, I was beginning to recover. It was as though I could breathe again at this hilltop retreat. The energy was different. I felt grounded and calm. Mother Nature was working her magic. We were in the Chobe National Park in the north of Botswana, which has one of the highest concentrations of game and wildlife in Africa. Park

HILLS

rules are that safari vehicles may not drive off-road, and numbers are limited at a sighting, so venturing upon a nearby kill is pure luck, good timing, and strong instincts on the part of the guides. By the end of the trip we were able to tick off the Big Five — but not in every reserve and not around every corner. That is the beauty of the Botswana bush. Ker & Downey Botswana calls it a niche carved from eternity. And the Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge environment features

a landscape of lush grasslands contrasting with bleak stretches, a marsh, and the Bushman Hills formed nearly a billion years ago by volcanic activity. This side of the Kalahari has a special ambience. There are no fences and little power (Dinaka and Okuti are generator-powered while Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge runs off solar) — just the night stars which create a kaleidoscopic wonder that generates an indescribable inner peace. I shall return.

Hathway was a guest at Dinaka, Okuti, and Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge, thanks to Falcon Africa. falcon-africa.co.za.

36 text

06 / 2020

PP AA RR TN ER SS HH I PI P TN ER

Richard Holmes

Longing Longingfor forwide-open wide-openspaces? spaces?Put Putthe theend endofofAfrica Africa on ontop topofofyour yourlist list

HERE ARE SURELY FEW better places for some essential fresh air and escapism than the undulating fields and wide-open plains that run south from the N2 to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. You’ll find country dorpies and glorious nature reserves, empty beaches and charming wineries, high-end lodges and family-run restaurants.

EAT HERE

SLEEP HERE

HEAD FOR THE DEEP SOUTH

--------------------------------------Heading south from the N2, first pick up some padkos at the Napier Farm Stall. You’d be foolish not to leave with homemade pies and granadilla cookies. In the community of Kassiesbaai, Willeen’s does a brisk trade in traditional bobotie and fishcakes, while the Arniston Hotel is the spot for generous seafood platters. You won’t go wrong with a takeaway box from L’Agulhas Seafoods. Enjoy it on the public benches overlooking the Atlantic.

--------------------------------------The sprawling De Hoop Nature Reserve is as famous for its colony of Cape vultures as it is for the Southern Right whales that gather in the water from July to October. The reserve offers a range of comfortable self-catering options through the De Hoop Collection, but it’s hard to beat the suites at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge. Situated on a private concession in the east of the reserve, Lekkerwater offers just seven cosy suites, each with jaw-dropping sea views and unfettered access to kilometres of pristine coastline. Look forward to guided fynbos walks, beach picnics, and some of the world’s best landbased whale watching.

The Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve also deserves your visit: it conserves a unique slice of the Cape’s floral heritage, and offers self-catering accommodation in the old farm dairy. Now nicely done up, of course. Prefer to be closer to Agulhas? Try Langrug Lodge. This centuryold farm cottage offers a slightly rustic, off-grid escape on the shores of Soetendalsvlei. Did someone say woodfired hot tub?

2020 / 06

GO HERE, DO THIS

sailors who have foundered on the shores to the south over the centuries. Need a holiday read? Fiksie & Fantasie has the best range of secondhand books in the Overberg. From Bredasdorp, the road south splits: follow the R316 to the popular seaside village of Arniston, where the coastal walk to the Waenhuiskrans cave awaits. Or take the R319 to Struisbaai, where you can cast a line from the harbour wall while looking out for the inquisitive short-tail stingrays that hang out at the jetty. Rays not playing ball? Wander the wide, flat sands of Die Plaat beach that stretches on for miles. Social distancing is no problem here.

----------------------------------Winter and spring are the perfect time to visit the southern Overberg, with the summer winds at bay and the farmlands flush with wheat and ablaze with spring flowers. An hour from the N2 brings you to Napier, worth a stop for the string of antique stores to browse, as well as the stately church that has watched over the main drag since 1838. Twenty minutes farther down the R316 and you’re in Bredasdorp, the largest town in the area. Browse the boutique at Bredasdorp Square before wandering up to the Shipwreck Museum, which charts the ships and

IMAGES RICHARD HOLMES AND SUPPLIED

BREDASDORP ELIM ARNISTON HOTEL

AGULHAS STRUISBAAI

DRINK THIS

---------------------------This corner of the Cape is also making a name for itself in the world of wine. The wineries in and around the historic mission village of Elim take full advantage of these cool coastal conditions, crafting superb sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and Syrah. Leave time for a tasting at Strandveld Vineyards or Black Oystercatcher. The latter also hosts the excellent Fraser’s Folly craft brewery, with its unforgettable Moer Koffie Stout.

THE ONE THING YOU’VE GOT TO DO

---------------------------Pay homage to the southern tip. If you’re not afraid of heights — and wobbly, wooden ladders — brave the 71 steps to the top of the historic lighthouse for superb coastal views. Then follow the wooden walkways to the southern tip for the obligatory Insta snap. Just as memorable is the incredible Map of Africa Monument, a 3D relief map of the continent fashioned from reinforced concrete and stained metal powders.

DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE

LISTEN TO A LOCAL

----------------------------Heather D’Alton was born and raised on a farm on the Agulhas Plain. She co-owns LoveGreen Communications, an agency focused on telling sustainability stories. “My passions are hiking and trail running, and one of my favourite places in the world to walk is De Mond Nature Reserve. There’s a stunning route called the Sterna Trail, which starts in the milkwood forest at the entrance. You cross the bridge over the Heuningnes River, and the path then takes you into the dunes through beautiful limestone and dune fynbos. You come out at the ocean — then simply take a left and follow the path back to the entrance. Along the stretch where the Heuningnes River reaches the ocean, you’ll often see both greater and lesser flamingoes. It’s an easy trail, only about 7km, so you don’t have to be super fit.”

Sanet Oberholzer

Longing for a culinary treat and an escape from your own Sarah says: Our top cooking? restaurants come to the rescue

LUKE

DALE

OW THAT home deliveries are possible, many restaurants are finding creative ways of making their gourmet food available to you once again – and some are doing it with flair. Here’s what three of the big guns are offering.

ROBERTS

B O S C H E N D A L :

The beautiful Boschendal wine estate in Franschhoek is putting together “Taste Boschendal” boxes filled with delicacies from its farm shop in the Werf Restaurant. The boxes, which are available for pre-order daily, are filled with farm essentials to cook with and enjoy at home. They are packaged for two or four people and include a selection of quality meat such as bacon, breakfast sausages, ribs, and biltong from the estate’s butchery, plus free-range eggs and fresh-baked bread Boxes are available from R325 and orders can be placed with Boschendal’s reservations team via email or phone before noon, and will be available for collection from their pop-up farm shop in the Werf Restaurant the following day. boschendal.com/eat-and-drink/werfbutchery

IMAGES SUPPLIED

text

FOOD

06 / 2020

L U K E

D A L E

R O B E R T S :

LDR — yes he of The Test Kitchen and Pot Luck Club fame — is taking food delivery to the next level. To start with, he and his team have concocted a handful of hampers to choose from. Each one is filled with mouth-watering delicacies (and all are differentiated by size or dietary requirements). The epitome of deliciousness is hamper C, which costs R4 500, and includes 20 items you can spread out over a week. It includes crayfish and yuzu salad; slow-smoked Norwegian salmon fillet; braised lamb-shank pies; salt-baked celeriac and truffle salad; Beef wellington Rossini and pears poached in mulled wine. (Ed’s note: I admit to having gorged on this mountain of food with my family, and it was exceptional). These are available in Joburg and Cape Town. Add to that, Capetonians can also order deliveries from the Pot Luck Club. It’s pretty exciting really. You can get the Asian-inspired tapas that we always adore at the restaurant (think Cape-Malay kingklip with a brioche bun and braaied Asian pork rib with slaw) deposited right at your door. lukedaleroberts. com; thepotluckclubhome.co.za

Not your average takeaway

BOSCHENDAL

W O L F G A T

Wolfgat, the renowned eatery in Paternoster that won Restaurant of the Year at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards last year, has gone interactive. A hamper for two includes four courses inspired by its autumn 2020 menu. It promises to be an immersive experience as the elements of the meal are delivered cold, with instructions on how to cook, reheat, or finish the dish at home. Each box contains sourdough bread and homemade butter; seasonal snacks; a black or white mussel soup starter; a main course of Verlorenvlei lamb, mushroom and kelp; and a dessert you can finish baking in your kitchen. Typical of Wolfgat’s attention to detail, the hampers include special touches to lift your spirits: a map of the Strandveld, a painting of the view from Wolfgat’s veranda by chef Kobus van der Merwe, and even a special Wolfgat playlist to listen to while you indulge. Each box costs R800 and can be ordered online. Deliveries take place on Fridays and Saturdays and orders need to be placed on Thursday at the latest. Wolfgat offers delivery WOLFGAT to Paternoster and surrounding areas, and limited boxes to Cape Town too. wolfgat.co.za/delivery

2020 / 06

DRINKS CABINET

text

Wade Bales

MEET

CHRISTOPHER

WREN

ATER FROM THE Market Loch tucked high in the Paps of Jura (those are mountains, by the way) trickle down to the Isle of Jura Distillery — found in a wee village with only one road, one shop, one hotel, and this one distillery. There they make Jura Seven Wood — an intricately layered Scotch whisky, crafted using American white-oak casks and six different regional French-oak casks. Each sip invites you to “say hello to Jura”.

Finland’s BRIGHTEST Planted during Finland’s notoriously harsh winters and nurtured by its midnight summer sun, the barley used in Finlandia’s refined spirit is then blended with untainted glacial water. The result: an ode to Mother Nature in a crisp, innately pure vodka. For a fresh twist, try it with ice and lemonade.

T RY I T: MO RG ENS T ER LO U RENS RI V ER VA L L E Y 2 0 1 1

wice named Best Spirit in the World by the Spirit Journal, Highland Park’s 18 YO exudes intense, mature balance. Called Viking Pride, every aspect of its creation

VIKINGS ROAM THE WORLD AGAIN has been

given ample consideration… from slowburning, aromatic Orkney peat to the sherry-seasoned, European-oak casks used.

Way back in 1880,

Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle had the eccentric idea to create something avant-garde — a grand liqueur that would captivate the world. Over six generations later, Grand

Marnier’s Cordon Rouge still

R O U G E

HIGH

HIS CLASSIC Bordeaux blend of cabernet franc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit franc has a 4.5-star John Platter rating and is a rewarding and full-bodied red that’s as rich in aroma as it is in flavour.

T H E

I N

FROM UP

A part of the popular City of London Distillery range, this premium gin combines the subtle flavours of juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice, and sweet orange peel to yield a complex, flavourful gin. Other variants in the range include Old Tom and Square Mile gins.

hits the right notes. A secret blend of cognac and bitter orange liqueur, expect notes of hazelnut, vanilla, and orange marmalade — with a long, smooth finish. Enjoy on the rocks or neat.

With over two decades of experience in the luxury-drinks market, Wade Bales’ passion is sourcing really great drinks and sharing them with really great people

GIFTED

06 / 2020

avourite perfume? Fan Your Flames by Nishane. It’s my deal-closing scent! The building everyone should visit before they die? Uluwatu Temple in Bali. It’s less about the aesthetic of the temple and more about your experience there; it’s about where the temple places you in relation to nature. I saw the most majestic sunset high up on the cliff of the temple. Being there felt as though I was only then starting to live. What do you love most about Johannesburg? I love its fierce energy! But beware, you have to know what your story is otherwise it’ll gobble you up and spit you out dizzy. All-time favourite place to eat out? Wimpy! Of course the likes of La Boqueria,

Gemelli, and Bottega are fantastic, but warm nostalgia lives in my heart for Wimpy and the familiarity of the taste of their food. It reminds me of family road trips to the Eastern Cape, after-school lunch treats with my mama and sisters, and a love that I also share with my professional BFF [my business partner]. Your design inspiration? Architecture, art, travel, how we interact with our spaces and nature. So many, if not all, design elements start with nature. Reading? Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. Listening to? Little Dragon, Frank Ocean and emawk. I love me a melancholy playlist. And for the past few days my shower music has been a shuffle of Kanye West albums (excluding that dark-sided one

with all the weird sounds). Artist you’ve got your eye on? My eyes go giddy over Lionel Smit’s work! Best way to spend a Sunday morning? A looong bubbly brunch date or an excursion in the sunshine with bubbles in tow. Book, album, and luxury item to take to a desert island? The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, The North Borders by Bonobo, and black Prada sunglasses. Little luxury you miss most in lockdown? Eating out *sobs* and bottomless drinks with my friemily (friends who are family). Are you a collector of anything? I’m besotted with candles but I don’t think it’d be fair to say that I collect them because I burn them all. And I keep my perfume bottles. I still haven’t decided what the point of this is, but I know for

sure those scents will teleport me back to a different place in my life. What makes you happiest? The growth of my business; it’s a validation of my dreams. After working in financial services for 11 years I resigned from my corporate job to focus on my interior-design and décor company full-time. It has been the toughest and most fulfilling experience of my life to date. Dream dinnerparty guests? Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Mary Jackson, Shonda Rhimes, Philippe Starck, Rihanna, Madonna, and Kid Cudi. Next on your list of must-have items? Besides an AMG G-Wagon? A black floral sleepshirtand-shorts pyjama set from Superbalist. One indulgence you would never forgo? A pedicure. It might be basic to some but it’s such a treat for me.

IMAGES MADONNA BY MICHEL LINSSEN/REDFERNS, LIONEL SMIT PAINTING COURTESY EVERARD READ, AND SUPPLIED

5. 8.

4. 8.

ZIMKITA SIDUMO

Smart, stylish, and funny, the co-owner of interior-design and décor company Blaque Pearl Lifestyle is our kinda lady 1. Architecture inspired by nature: 2016 Serpentine Pavilion, London 2. Lionel Smit, Manipulated State 3. AMG G-Wagon 4. for ness by emawk 5. DHL by Frank Ocean 6. Prada sunglasses 7. Madonna 8. The North Borders by Bonobo

B OSCHENDAL N ICOLAS A luscious blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot , Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. BLENDED DISTINCTION.

CRAFT. MAN. SHIP.

Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph.

The filigree bezel and flat casing ring lend a touch

Ref. 39 07: A spor t y, elegant design, rugged

of unmistakable elegance to the 44-millimetre case,

construction, high-level water-resistance and

and the newly developed stainless-steel bracelet

an IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre with flyback

offers optimum comfort in wear. So, whether you

functionality: the new Portugieser Yacht Club Chron-

make your appearance aboard a yacht or on terra

ograph is a winner all the way down the line.

firma, you can be sure your nautically inspired

A totalizer at “12 o’clock” shows stopped hours and

sports watch knows absolutely no compromises.

minutes and is easy to read, even in a heavy swell.

IWC . ENGINEERING DREAMS . SINCE 1868 .

IWC Schaffhausen, Switzerland · www.iwc.com

R EG I S TE R TO E X TE N D YO U R I NTE R N ATI O N A L LI M ITE D WA R R A NT Y FRO M 2 TO 8 Y E A R S R EG I S TE R O N IWC .CO M/M Y IWC IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre · Self-winding · 68-hour power reserve · Date display · Stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds · Hour and minute counters combined in a totalizer at 12 o’clock · Flyback function · Small hacking seconds · Screw-in crown · Sapphire glass · See-through sapphire-glass back · Water-resistant 6 bar · Diameter 44.6 mm