Private Edition Issue 53

ISSUE 53

A Sense of Place LOW-EMISSION LUXURY A DRAM OF TERROIR SAFARI ON HIGH

We open the door to everything you long for.

NOTHING COMPARES ISANTI BIG-5 GAME RESERVE JANSENVILLE, EASTERN CAPE sothebysrealty.co.za | Web Ref: 5062829

FROM THE EDITOR IS SUE

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T WAS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO FEEL a sense of awe as we stared up into the night sky. We were far away in the Cederberg on a hot summer’s night with no cellphone reception to even Google what we were witnessing. The group of us who had gone away for the weekend gasped, battling to make sense of the string of bright lights moving slowly across the sky, too big to be an aeroplane. ‘Father Christmas’s reindeers?’ a hopeful kid suggested. No, this was very definitely an unidentified flying object. The more esoteric of us nodded knowingly until Patrick from Switzerland suggested, not too confidently, that it might be one of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, sent into low orbit with the intention of one day providing satellite Internet coverage to the whole world.

It was a magnificent sight, and apart from the disappointment of the kids and those with a love for all things mystical, it was one of those moments where the brilliance of being alive on this planet is felt on a visceral level.

The controversial Starlink is only one such wonderous event happening up in space. Another pioneering space venture currently underway is esteemed watch brand Omega’s partnership with ClearSpace to clean up space debris, the discarded material left from launch vehicles as well as pieces of spacecraft left floating in space in low Earth orbit. See ‘Cleaning up the Stars’ (page 22).

On Earth there are other things to marvel at. Innovations in virtual reality are producing encouraging results in healthcare. In ‘Medicine’s ‘Virtual Reality Evolution’ (page 26), we explore how VR is being used to help train surgeons, treat phobias and relieve chronic pain.

On the more aesthetic side of things, we visit hotels featuring cutting-edge design that’s environmentally informed and which offer immersive experiences in the great outdoors in ‘Location, Location, Location’ (page 32). And, finally, we invite you to be tantalized by delectable tastes and scents with our features on terroir whisky (page 50) and Franschoek’s spice restaurant Epice (page 54).

EDITOR SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE snewham@tppsa.co.za ART DIRECTOR SUE-MAÉ EASTON COPY EDITOR WENDY MARITZ ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE BERNICE BLUNDELL bernice@adplacements.co.za 073 618 1882 ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR SHANTEL PESKIN speskin@tppsa.co.za 082 385 6534 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK BEARE MANAGING DIRECTOR SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR JOHN MORKEL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER LIZ WOLFE FINANCIAL MANAGER NAEEMA ABRAHAMS

Stay inspired!

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SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE EDITOR

Editorial and advertising enquiries: PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018 Tel: 021 424 3517 Email: privateedition@tppsa.co.za Visit: privateedition.co.za Printing: Novus Print ISSN: 2218-063X

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PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY PEXELS

Private Edition is published by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, 9th Floor, Tarquin House, 81 Loop Street, Cape Town 8001. Copyright: The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd 2022. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from The Publishing Partnership or the authors. The publishers are not responsible for any unsolicited material.

The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Publishing Partnership or the editor.

CONTENTS ISSUE

53

2022

54 COVE R

1 0

40 E DI TOR ’ S

L E T TE R

Thoughts from the editor PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY STOCK

1 2

TH E

BR I E FI N G

The latest news from the world of luxury and investment

2 2

C L E AN I N G

UP

TH E

STAR S

OMEGA, in collaboration with ClearSpace, is launching its environmental initiatives into space

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ME DI C I N E ’ S

VI RTUAL-R E AL I TY

EVOLUTION

The implications and applications of Virtual Reality for the healthcare sector are simply remarkable

28

TH E

I C E

QUE E N

We discover more about South Africa’s Amber Fillary who’s taking under-ice breath-hold records to new levels

32

LOCATI ON ,

LOCATI ON ,

LOCATI O N

Travellers are seeking destinations around the world that offer a sense of place, peace and provenance

06

PRIVATE EDITION

THE BIG PILOT.

Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.

ognizes the dif ferent lengths of the months and

Ref. IW5036: The deep blue dial of this Big

l e a p y e a r s . T h e I WC - m a n u f a c t u r e d 52615 c a l i b r e

P i l o t 's W a t c h g i v e s t h e p e r p e t u a l c a l e n d a r t h e

w i t h P e l l a to n w i n d i n g , t w o b a r r e l s a n d a p o w e r

big stage it deser ves. Developed by Kur t Klaus

reser ve of seven days ensures precise drive.

i n t h e 19 8 0 s , i t s m e c h a n i s m i n d e p e n d e n t l y r e c -

I WC . E N G I N E E R I N G D R E A M S . S I N C E 1868 .

IWC Schaffhausen, Switzerland · www.iwc.com

D OW N LOA D TH E IWC A P P FO R VI R T UA L TRY- O N IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre · Pellaton automatic winding system · 7 days power reserve · Perpetual calendar with display for the date, day, month and year · See-through sapphire-glass back · Water-resistant 6 bar · Diameter 46.2 mm · Stainless steel

32

60 40

MATERIAL

WORLD

How a Sydney home was transformed into an urban oasis

46

CONTINUATION

CONU NDR U M

Continuation cars might promise to rekindle the passion of the originals, but not everyone is impressed

50

A

DRAM

OF

TERROIR

How one whisky aficionado is using the French winemaking concept of terroir to distil single-malt whisky

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ALL

THINGS

NIC E

The spice of life according to Epice’s head chef, Charné Sampson

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SAFARI

ON

HIGH

Opulence and unbeatable game viewing await at Kruger Shalati, The Train on the Bridge

12 08

64

WITH

LOVE

FROM

NAPLES

The city that inspires a sense of great passion and offers visitors the unique ability to truly live in each moment

PRIVATE EDITION

Photos Michel Gibert et Baptiste Le Quiniou, non contractuelles. Éditions Zulma.

French Art de Vivre

Mah Jong. Modular element sofa, designed by Hans Hopter Upholstered in fabrics by Missoni Home, Constellation collection.

Platforms in stained wood, Alezan finish.

Manufactured in Europe

CAPE TOWN - 26 Hudson Street, Cnr Waterkant St, De Waterkant. Tel: (+27) 021 286 0793 JOHANNESBURG - 27 Commerce Crescent, Sandton. Tel: (+27) 087 805 7090 MAURITIUS - Circle Square, Forbach. Tel: (+230) 244 3021/22

www.roche-bobois.com

The digital luxury guide

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTYIMAGES.COM

Private Edition Digital is a dedicated luxury news and lifestyle guide that features reviews, opinions, videos and stories about the best, most exclusive cars, watches, art, travel, style and much more.

Find us online at PrivateEdition.co.za, or like Private Edition magazine on Facebook and be the first to discover the latest developments and news from the world’s most covetable brands, curated by the digital team behind Private Edition.

You can also subscribe to our newsletter for a roundup of the latest trends and stories every two weeks, so you never miss a moment in luxury.

For the best life has to offer, PrivateEdition.co.za is an essential resource.

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PRIVATE EDITION

THE BRIEFING COLLECTABLES | OBJETS D’ART | DESIGN | DEPARTURES | TASTINGS

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PRIVATE EDITION

T H E

B R I E F I N G

DEPARTURES

The lesser-spotted game reserve WELGEVONDEN GAME RESERVE IS HOME TO MHONDORO SAFARI LODGE AND VILLA, WITH GAME-VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES WORTHY OF A CAMERA UPGRADE.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

Of all the private game reserves in Limpopo, Welgevonden must be one of the prettiest. With beautiful undulating hills and bright-green vegetation, the landscape is reason enough to make the two-and-a-half-hour journey from Jozi.

Popular with foreign tourists looking for an authentic safari experience, Welgevonden is home to small exclusive lodges catering to all types of travellers. One of the best family lodges on the reserve has to be Mhondoro Lodge, which is slightly larger than the others. It offers a dedicated outdoor play area, a gym and games room, and an underground tunnel that leads to a hide right next to a well-visited waterhole, renowned for frequent sightings of elephant, rhino, cheetah and large herds of buffalo – a huge hit with the kids. At ground level, the hide provides excellent photographic opportunities, as well as the excitement of getting really close to the game, any time of the day or night.

The guides are well trained and invigorate the game drives that almost always promise Big Five sightings. They’re also available for fishing and insect excursions.

Private and exclusive, Mhondoro sleeps a total of only 24 guests, with two family suites as well as a villa for larger families and groups. Most of the guest suites feature private, heated plunge pools, and if you’re looking for some extra pampering, there’s an exquisite spa on site. mhondoro.com

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THE

B R XI E X FX I N G

SUSTAINABILITY

Our perpetual planet ROLEX’S PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED IN 2019, SUPPORTS THOSE USING SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD’S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. One of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet projects is the Xunaan-Ha Expedition in Mexico. Pollution from cities and tourism is contaminating the aquifer that is the sole source of fresh water in the Yucatán Peninsula. For more than 20 years, German underwater cave explorer Robbie Schmittner has been entering the sinkholes, scattered in their thousands across the peninsula, to explore their vast, subterranean worlds, armed with a light and thin nylon line that prevent him from getting lost.

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In November 2021, Schmittner led a team of professional divers on the Xunaan-Ha Expedition, a two-week undertaking to explore five sinkholes and their underlying caves suspected of connecting the Holbox Fracture, a series of cracks in the limestone plateau thought to extend from Belize to just past Cancún in Mexico.

As a result of the mission – supported by Rolex as part of its Perpetual Planet initiative – Schmittner is a step closer to shedding new light on rainwater drainage across the Yucatán, with the twin discovery of cave systems that do indeed link to the Holbox Fracture and a new fault he has named the Akumal Fracture. He and his all-women team were also able to take water samples from nine sites near Tulum that will form a baseline for future water-quality testing. rolex.org

PRIVATE EDITION

T H E

B RI EF I N G

TASTINGS

Moments in wine WINEMAKERS LOVE TO WAX LYRICAL ABOUT THE ROLE OF TERROIR, BUT PERHAPS FEW INVEST AS MUCH TIME, ENERGY AND KILOMETRES ON DUSTY BACKROADS AS JEAN SMIT FROM DAMASCENE. BY RICHARD HOLMES ‘After working harvests in New Zealand, the US and Europe, California and the Northern Rhône were where I really learnt about seeking out vineyards you can relate to,’ says Jean Smit. After returning to South Africa, Jean earned his stripes as senior winemaker at Boekenhoutskloof in the Franschhoek Valley. After leaving in 2019, he partnered with David Curl, former owner of Château Gaby in Bordeaux, to launch Damascene.

Wines are crafted in their Elgin cellar, a glorious light-filled space framed by mature oak trees, that gazes out over orchards and vineyards. It’s a remarkable space, but for Smit it’s simply a means to an end: exploring the terroir of Cape vineyards through wine.

That journey is on best display with the Syrah. Here Smit has crafted three unique variations on the classic Rhône varietal, working with fruit from Swartland, Stellenbosch and Cederberg vineyards. It’s a fine way to discover how terroir comes into play in the glass.

Smit also explores the sum of all parts in his Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three sites in the Stellenbosch region. Similarly, Cabernet Franc is picked from a pair of Bottelary hilltop vineyards, while a Chenin Blanc taps into three unique sites planted atop wildly different soils. It’s an orchestra of flavours, brought into harmony by a skilled conductor.

Guided tastings at the Damascene cellar are offered by appointment. damascenevineyards.com

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T H E

B RI E FI N G

ACCELERATE

Low-emission luxury INTRODUCING A HANDFUL OF DESIRABLE CARS HEADING YOUR WAY THIS YEAR. BY RICHARD WEBB When Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience,’ she was unwittingly foretelling our automotive future.

Audi has embraced electrification wholeheartedly and it shows with their pretty RS e-tron GT. It shares tech with its Porsche Taycan sibling, but has an elegant grand tourer feel, with hushed refinement, and a range of about 300 miles.

The E-tron GT Vorsprung version I drove has two permanent magnet synchronous motors that, with its over-boost function, are sufficient to make the horizon shrink. This means the 2 347kg RS e-tron GT will reach 100km/h in 3.3 seconds.

As Ferrari celebrate record profits, they’ve readied their prancing e-horse – a 296 GTB with a 610 kW V6 plug-in hybrid engine and a pointless but exciting 328 top end. With visual cues from the 1963 250LM, the car looks even better in the metal. It has all the tech you’d ever need, but for me, the mannetino (a rotary switch on the steering wheel that I couldn’t stop fiddling with) is

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a stand-out moment. It offers eDrive, Hybrid, Performance and, gulp, the mind-blowing ‘Qualify’ for that track experience.

The antidote to all that face-warping excitement is the relaxing Mercedes-Benz EQS, an automotive equivalent to Yoga Nidra. I drove the EQS 450+ and think it’s currently the ultimate, luxury zero-emission car. Approach it and the doors swing open; as you settle into the driver’s seat, 350 sensors power up to make life easier and the optional MBUX Hyperscreen is nearly 1.5 metres wide. A passenger can watch Inventing Anna on Netflix, or fiddle with the car settings on a vast central touchscreen plus the driver has their own configurable digital binnacle too.

The single motor on the rear axle produces 242kW, good for a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds, but not if you want to achieve the maximum range of 484 miles.

While we will have to wait till 2024 for the full EV version of the Range Rover, I drove the 2022 MHEV (Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle). This is a personal favourite of mine and is only the fifth new iteration in 50 years. This Rolls-Royce Cullinan-trouncing icon has been reimagined with a fresh minimalist look, and loads of technology inside featuring a family of new hybrid engine options.

Integrated Chassis Control uses navigation data to tailor the car to suit different road conditions and it’s super-quiet, with an upgraded active noise cancellation system. I didn’t want to give it back. It’s that good.

PRIVATE EDITION

CLASSIC FUSION ORLINSKI 18K King Gold case set with diamonds.

Self-winding movement.

XXX

DEPARTURES

Beds you can bank on LUXE VOCO BRAND COMES TO MZANSI.

BY RICHARD HOLMES With a clutch of exciting new restaurants throwing open their doors (hello, The Test Kitchen Carbon), Rosebank is fast becoming the most glamorous corner of the City of Gold. And there’s no better place to lay your head than Jozi’s most luxurious new hotel.

Offering 131 rooms and suites, vocoTM The Bank Johannesburg is in the heart of Rosebank, slotting seamlessly into the live-work-play vibe taking hold in the suburb.

The vocoTM brand is part of the global IHG portfolio, which operates 6 000 hotels across 100 countries, and yet this beautifully boutique property is all about offering a deeply personal stay.

Reception greeted me by name each morning and my prerequested gel memory foam pillow was waiting on the bed

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when I arrived. Fine linens by the Better Cotton Initiative boast serious sustainability street-cred, while bespoke plant-based bathroom amenities are by Antipodes. Here, the details matter.

It’s a property that tailors equally well to both leisure and corporate travellers. If you’re here on business, you’ll love the high-speed Wi-Fi, comfortable desk space and hand-held clothes steamer in each suite. Plentiful plug points, including integrated USB ports, and a Chromecast-enabled screen make connecting a pleasure. If you need a more formal workspace, you can head down to Workshop17, the in-house co-working space that offers a mix of hot desks, private offices and boardrooms for rent.

When your work’s done, you can work up a sweat in the well-equipped on-site gym or pull up a chair at Proud Mary Modern Eatery and Wine Bar, the buzzy bar and brasserie on the ground floor. With its glamorous central bar counter, plush banquettes and creative cocktails, there’s a distinct Manhattan energy and style to the space. thebank.joburg

PRIVATE EDITION

THE

BRIEFING

TIMING

A joint mission OMEGA HAS COLLABORATED WITH SWATCH TO PRODUCE A PLAYFUL TAKE ON ITS ICONIC SPEEDMASTER CHRONOGRAPH. The design partnership, a first for OMEGA and Swatch, follows the popular trend of collaborations between luxury and street brands to create innovative new products that blend the best of both worlds. For OMEGA, the joint mission is both a fun undertaking and a respectful nod to the plucky company that risked it all to kick-start the ailing Swiss watch industry during the quartz revolution. The brands have drawn their design inspiration from space, to create a collection of 11 Swatches named after planetary bodies, from the giant star at the centre of the solar system to the dwarf planet at its periphery.

All of the Swatches are in Bioceramic, a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third material derived from castor oil. Although colours like pink and pale blue offer strong clues that these are not your standard Speedmaster watches, a hard-core Moonwatch fan would be hard-pressed to find the difference in the overall look. The key Moonwatch design features are all there: the asymmetrical case, the famous tachymeter scale with its ‘dot over 90’ and the distinctive Speedmaster subdials, and they all work perfectly. For more on OMEGA’s latest initiative, read ‘Cleaning up our stars,’ on page 22.

OMEGA.com

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THE

BRIEFING

TIMING

The wonder of watches IWC INTRODUCES THE NEWEST ADDITION TO ITS COLOURED CERAMIC PORTFOLIO AT WATCHES AND WONDERS 2022.

One of the novelties introduced on the first day of the world’s biggest watch fair, Watches and Wonders, held in Geneva, was the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition ‘Woodland’. Its dark-green hue is inspired by the flight suits and uniforms of TOP GUN pilots, as well as the vast forest landscapes whose airspaces these pilots use for training.

‘Woodland’ is the first model to feature this colour code.

Coloured ceramics are achieved through a sophisticated manufacturing process in which zirconium oxide is mixed with other metallic oxides. Because the colour changes during the sintering process, it takes countless trials and a lot of experience to determine the right blend of raw materials. The monochromatic design is completed by a dark-green dial and black hands. The pushers, crown and case back, which features an engraving of the TOP GUN logo, are made of Ceratanium®. This matte black IWC material is as light and unbreakable as titanium and as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic.

Inside the 44mm ceramic case, the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre is at work. The chronograph movement in a classic columnwheel design also features a day and date display at 3 o’clock. A soft-iron inner case shields the movement from the effects of magnetic fields.

This TOP GUN chronograph is fitted on a green rubber strap with textile inlay, whose colour has been perfectly matched to the ‘Woodland’ case. watchesandwonders.com

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DÉCOR

Rock on ROCHE BOBOIS’ EDEN ROCK BAR

BY DESIGNER SACHA LAKIC HARKS BACK TO A BYGONE ERA. Resembling the rolling filing cabinets of the 1950s, Roche Bobois’ bar unit features a thin white marble top and sliding doors in cherrywood slats. The interior features LED lighting, four mirrored shelves, bottle storage and two drawers. The brushed brass trims and other decorative elements provide the elegant finishing touches. roche-bobois.com

PRIVATE EDITION

THE

BRIEFING

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

A bracelet for our times A NEW CHAPTER OPENS IN THE ICONIC LV VOLT COLLECTION. With her L and V design, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for jewellery and watches Francesca Amfitheatrof instils a vibrant energy into the very heart of the Maison’s latest creations, reinvigorating its beloved aesthetic. A highlight of the new collection, the LV Volt Upside Down Play bracelet blends the beauty of contemporary design with the impact of a joyful, rhythmic pattern.

The bracelet’s interchangeable cord celebrates renewed connections with two graphic clasps. The epitome of bold beauty. eu.louisvuitton.com

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INNOVATION

CLEANING UP THE

Omega watches have been keeping time in space since astronaut Wally Schirra wore his personal Speedmaster on Project Mercury’s Sigma 7 mission in 1962. The Speedmaster also accompanied Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. Now the brand is part of a pioneering space clean-up.

WORDS: GLYNIS HORNING

‘TEN, 9, 8, 7, 6...’ there’s nothing quite like the countdown to a rocket launch to set a person’s heart racing – and there are few times when precision, reliability and durability matter more in a watch than on a space mission. There are also few frontiers more challenging for achieving the mechanics necessary. So when Omega’s distinctive black-faced, silver-banded Speedmaster became the first watch NASA approved for manned space missions in 1965, it was a major coup.

NASA had subjected the Speedmaster (105.003), along with timepieces submitted by other watch brands, to a battery of tests: from extreme temperatures and G-forces, to simulated conditions for space flights. The watch they chose for their astronauts needed to be waterproof, airproof, shockproof and able to withstand hard landings. Omega’s Speedmaster, with its stainless steel 38mm case, chronograph (timer) and tachymetre (to measure speed), was the only one to survive every test, and was selected for all manned NASA missions.

The timepiece’s star status was cemented when Buzz Aldrin wore his Speedmaster while landing the Lunar Module Eagle on the moon on 20 July 1969, at what would have been precisely 20:17 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). On 21 July, as Commander Neil Armstrong made his ‘one small step’ on the lunar surface at exactly 02:56 UTC, he left his Speedmaster in the module as trusted backup, because the module’s own timer had malfunctioned. And when Aldrin joined him exactly 19 minutes later, history was made for Omega as well as for mankind as he strode on the moon wearing it on his wrist. The Speedmaster instantly became one of the world’s most iconic and covetable timepieces.

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PRIVATE EDITION

INNOVATION

‘OMEGA IS NOW LAUNCHING THIS ICONIC TIMEPIECE INTO A NEW ERA.’

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I N NOVATION

ABOVE Omega is backing the first-ever in-orbit clean-up mission planned for 2025 by ClearSpace.

The Speedmaster has been worn by every astronaut who has been to the moon since. And over the years, including its modern X-33 evolution, it has remained the definitive timepiece of astronauts, actual and armchair, and become a top choice for space tourists. When Jeff Bezos made his 11-minute flight to the edge of space last July, he sported a Speedmaster.

Though little has changed in the Moonwatch’s outward appearance since the 1960s, internally it’s been taken to new heights. In 2021, it attained Master Chronometer status, meaning it’s been certified twice, passing stringent tests by the Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) as well as the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). It’s the only flightqualified watch suitable for extravehicular activity.

Now Omega is launching this iconic timepiece into a new era, partnering with Swiss technology firm ClearSpace in another pioneering space venture set to capture the prevailing zeitgeist. This time it’s to

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remove the space junk that’s accumulated since the first space launches, and which is now threatening manned missions and satellites used for everything from the internet to goods shipping, autonomous cars, weather prediction, climate-change monitoring and tsunami alerts.

Space debris is the material discarded from launch vehicles and pieces of spacecraft that are left floating in space in low Earth orbit at speeds of around 28 000 km/h. According to NASA, debris orbiting below 600km will fall back to Earth after a few years, but anything above 1 000km can float for 100 years or more. In December, the United States Space Surveillance Network reported that 15 000 pieces of space junk bigger than 10cm had been tracked, and there are an estimated 200 000 pieces between 1cm and 10cm, and millions smaller than 1cm. NASA notes that even the smallest fragment can cause major problems if it collides with a spacecraft.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED, GETTY IMAGES

RIGHT Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch is the only timepiece approved for extravehicular activities.

INNOVATION

Last year, the International Space Station (ISS) had to move 1 240m of debris from an old Chinese weather satellite, destroyed in 2007, from its path, and demolish a Russian satellite, which resulted in more than 1 500 larger pieces of debris and thousands of smaller ones that could collide with the ISS. According to UK-based firm RS Components, the amount of junk in space has more than doubled in the last few years.

In response, ClearSpace, with backing from the European Space Agency, is planning a mission in 2025 to capture and remove a European Vega rocket from orbit. This will be the first-ever in-orbit clean-up mission – and the start of a long-term plan to create an affordable service for space-junk removal. And Omega is supporting it.

‘It’s the logical next step for a brand with a proud history of both space exploration and Earth conservation,’ said Omega president and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann at the announcement this year. He noted that Omega has already partnered with the GoodPlanet Foundation on world-changing documentaries and joint conservation projects. He sees this new initiative as ‘one of the most important, inspiring and exciting projects since the launch of the Apollo missions’.

At a time of growing technological advancement and global green concerns, who would disagree? 

‘IT’S THE LOGICAL NEXT STEP FOR A BRAND WITH A PROUD HISTORY OF BOTH SPACE EXPLORATION AND CONSERVATION.’

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INNOVATION

MEDICINE’S VIRTUAL-REALITY EVOLUTION

INNOVATION

The Virtual Reality (VR) market has seen exponential growth in the last few years. And its applications – and implications – for the healthcare sector are simply remarkable.

V

WORDS KATHY MALHERBE IRTUAL REALITY (VR) IS AN artifical environment

that is created by software and gives us access to experiences that are out of our reach physically or economically. It’s extraordinary, as each experience ‘feels’ real. What seemed impossible 10 years ago is going to be reality in the not-too-distant future.

When you put on a VR headset there are no physical, geophysical or space limitations. Which is why, for example, a patient in palliative care can tick off bucket-list experiences from the comfort of their bed. If it’s the northern lights they wish to see, they can watch the aurora borealis appear in the sky as a river of eerie, greenish-blue light. They will be present, experiencing the light ebb and flow across the sky... It’s ‘as near as dammit’ to reality.

VR is not only transforming patient experiences; medical training is also benefitting with ‘hands-on’ immersive teaching. It’s a fascinating changing of the guard for both patients and doctors.

When used in conjunction with human interaction, VR can also make vaccinations for children less traumatic, treat phobias and relieve chronic pain.

Traditionally, innovation in healthcare has unfolded slowly and carefully, with governments, private healthcare funders, regulators and other stakeholders taking a cautious aproach to introducing new technologies.

However, Dr Benji Ozynski, Head of Business Development at Wits Healthcare Innovation, a division of Wits Health Consortium, says, ‘The rapid mobilisation of innovations during Covid-19 shows that we can create solutions for real-world problems at a rapid clip when necessary.’ South Africa may not be a new convert yet to VR in medicine, but it appears healthcare practitioners internationally are beginning to utilise it, especially in terms of training.

As imagination becomes a reality for the sci-fi fandom, VR has fascinating possibilities for researchers and medical practitioners too. VR is described as an ‘ultimate empathy machine’ that puts paid to the naysayers’ argument that it lacks the human touch and cannot show empathy.

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s place and understand why they act the way they do. As Atticus Finch tells his daughter, Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird: ‘You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’

Which is what VR can do.’

When wearing the headset, physicians will be able to experience the limitations and frustration of being old and frail so convincingly, that they are able to identify with and treat patients with a new level of empathy. At the University of New England this theory was put to the test by including VR immersion training in its curriculum. The results showed that students’ understanding and ability to experience age-related health problems gave them empathy for geriatric patients with vision or hearing loss or Alzheimer’s.

Surgical students can experience an operation holding a ‘virtual scalpel’ in their hand during an operation converting the learning experience into active rather than passive. In order to test the

efficacy of VR, a clinical validation study was conducted in 2019 at UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine. As measured by the Global Assessment Five-Point Rating Scale, participants in the VR group received significantly higher ratings in all categories compared to the traditionally trained group. There was an improvement of 230% in the overall surgical performance compared to traditional training methods.

VR-trained participants completed the procedure 20% faster than the traditionally trained group. They also completed 38% more steps correctly in the procedure-specific checklist. Both findings were statistically significant It was concluded that: ‘With a strained surgical-education system, rapid medical innovation and pending surgeon shortages, VR may offer an important educational tool to augment surgeon training and continue to offer patients the very best care.’

Patients too, can benefit from VR. For stroke or traumatic brain injuries, early rehabilitation is essential. VR training exercises are tailor-made according to patients’ needs. The therapy is more enjoyable and has greater patient buy-in. Even children with cerebral palsy who use immersive therapy have shown excellent outcomes compared with conventional therapy.

Pain and anxiety in hospital are being addressed with VR too.

Melissa Wong, a fellow in maternal-fetal medicine at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, led a study in 2019 using VR in labour. The aim of the study was to determine how effective VR is if used during natural birth by ‘transferring’ women to a virtual space. When patient in labour, Aviva Lahmany, put on the goggles and headset, she saw a large blooming tree.

A woman’s voice told her to breathe, coaching her to inhale and exhale in time to the movement of the leaves and branches. The scene changed, and she saw and heard waves crashing on a beach. She said, ‘VR takes you out of that hospital room. I was able to breathe. It really helped centre me and calm me.’ It also reduced her pain, she says, bringing it down from a 7 on a 10-point scale to a 3.

Even phobias can be treated. Health-tech company, Pious, uses VR with a physician’s guidance, to gradually expose patients to their phobias helping them face their fears and let them go.

One of the most effective applications of VR is treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A programme called Bravemind, developed for war veterans and soldiers, allows clinicians to gradually immerse patients into virtual environments representative of their traumatic experiences They manipulate the multisensory emotional stimuli, which patients receive, and monitor the intensity of the patients’ stress responses via advanced brain imaging and psychophysiological assessment techniques.

VR’s potential reach seems endless. However, regulatory environment, data privacy and management will be critical factors for its success. If this balance of advancement and proactive regulation goes hand in hand, VR will irreversibly change the face of countless medical interventions in the future. 

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

‘PHYSICIANS WILL BE ABLE TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH A NEW LEVEL OF EMPATHY.’

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QUEEN South African Amber Fillary holds the world record for breath-hold in under-ice swimming in both the female and male categories.

Private Edition finds out how she does it.

WORDS VERUSKA DE VITA

THIS PAGE Amber looks right at home under a blanket of ice.

RIGHT And also inside an ice hole.

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ENDU RANC E

A

MBER FILLARY sits on the ice and dangles her

tanned legs in the water of Lake Mysutjernet in Norway. She takes a breath and then slips into the water, submerging herself in sub-zero temperature. Swimming under a sheet of ice she counts her strokes and keeps her eye on a rope stretched along the bottom of the lake that stops her veering off course.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, she emerges from a hole cut in the ice that marks ninety metres. She has just broken the Guinness World Record men’s title for the Longest Under Ice Swim with breath held and without fins or a wetsuit.

It’s 5 March 2022 and Fillary is exuberant. ‘I did it! I could’ve gone to a hundred metres but I stuck with ninety because that’s what was prearranged with Guinness. But I could’ve gone further.’ Her smile and relief are palpable in the wireless space of the WhatsApp call.

The achievement was an early birthday present for Fillary who turned fifty in April, and it makes her a threetime World Record holder.

She also bears the torch for the Longest Under Ice Swim with breath held (no fins and no suit) in the female category as well as the Longest Underwater Walk with breath held.

Fillary is a natural in the water and started swimming competitively when she achieved Western Province Colours in high school. Her training for the World Record attempt began in Dahab, Egypt, with breath-hold coach Brian Crossland.

Her five-days-a-week regime consisted of gym and weight training, an hour of pool training and visualisation exercises to hone her mental focus. For the ice dive, Crossland flipped the usual breath-hold training because in water that hovers between minus one and minus two degrees Celsius, a long preparation isn’t possible.

‘The mammalian dive reflex needs to kick in without a warm-up. But Amber is a natural and her body relaxes the moment she touches water. She doesn’t react to high levels of carbon dioxide like other freedivers do. Her recovery is immense,’ says Crossland.

Crossland describes Fillary as an anomaly. Where other freedivers use neurolinguistic programming to associate the dive with positive feelings, Fillary doesn’t have this attitude. As other freedivers fill their lungs beyond their natural capacity, Fillary simply takes a big breath and goes under. ‘She is very determined and, as a coach, if you understand her, you get amazing results,’ he adds.

Her training then took her to Berlin where she spent a few weeks acclimatising to cold water.

PHOTOGRAPHS ALEKSANDER NORDAHL

‘YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ALONE BECAUSE YOU’RE HOLDING YOUR BREATH AND GOING AGAINST YOUR BODY.’

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Cold-water swimming is exhilarating for Fillary, who has overcome personal battles with various addictions. As a recovering alcoholic and bulimic, who also wrestles with depression, training towards an enormous goal keeps her focused.

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Since she discovered the discipline while working as a lifeguard at a public pool in London, Fillary has been passionate about cold-water swimming. In the middle of winter, she would run in a T-shirt to the Serpentine to swim in freezing-cold temperatures.

‘There are health benefits to breath-hold work and coldwater immersion; it helps to calm me down. The combination is very beneficial to me mentally,’ says Fillary. ‘When I panic, I get into water and I immediately relax. Cold water makes you feel fantastic, it’s like getting high without drugs. I’ve even convinced my dad to start doing it.’

Fillary has a point. Cold-water swimming has been shown to improve circulation, boost the immune system and reduce stress, but it’s important to acclimatise as it can be a shock to the body.

Breath-hold, if done correctly, stretches the lungs, immediately bringing focus to the present moment and lowering the heart rate and blood pressure.

For Fillary, the world record was a challenge, but it was more a challenge within herself. ‘I wonder how far I am able to push myself? How far I can get into that zone? There were other people involved, it was a world-record attempt so there was outside stuff going on, but I had to work with me and get totally focused on me,’ she explains.

‘It’s such a personal journey when you free dive. You’re doing something alone because you’re holding your breath and going against your body. In my mind I stay neutral because the more mentally busy I am, the more oxygen I use. So I have to keep my mind empty.’

What is next for Fillary? There is talk of her attempting new records in 2023, but for now, she is basking in the translucent light of her achievements. 

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ADVERTORIAL

SPACES OF

INSPIRATION Hazendal Wine Estate in Stellenbosch offers breathtaking venues for all occasions.

THIS PAGE Hazendal Wine Estate offers guests the promise of an unforgettable experience, whether they visit for a day, a night or longer...

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ADVERTORIAL

Venues Hazendal’s venues are not only functional, they’re distinct and innovative, providing creative spaces to suit myriad occasions and events. Whether you choose The Grand Hall, Glasshouse or Pavilion for your next gathering, you can be assured of one thing: while you propel your company to new heights, we’ll take care of everything else.

THE PAVILION The Pavilion at Hazendal is a take-your-breath-away floating platform with exquisite views of the Simonsberg mountain range, and simply perfect for staging innovative launches and unforgettable weddings.

THE GLASSHOUSE This private contemporary space features its own garden bathed in light. Its artful, biophilic design is complemented with intelligent climate control, creating a warm and natural atmosphere well suited to an intimate gathering.

THE TEAROOM AND WINE LOUNGE Discreet opulence is what you’ll find at the Tearoom and Wine Lounge.

The space blends luxury and contemporary style with grand flourishes in the form of exquisite chandeliers and ceiling murals. And its aquarium provides a soothing addition to enhance your overall experience. With views of the wine cellar and vodka distillery, this venue is at once charming and full of promise.

THE GRAND HALL At The Grand Hall, industrial chic meets ultimate functionality. Floorto-ceiling glass walls, intelligent climate and lighting control and state-of-the-art AV technology make it the perfect venue for staging larger-than-life events.

THE KRAAL For a comfortable, informal venue, you’re invited to enjoy the warm fires and contemporary décor of The Kraal. Whether you’re teaming up for a taco-building competition or simply kicking back with cocktails, Pivnushka’s al-fresco frivolity is a guaranteed hit.

THE EXECUTIVE CHAMBER Our Executive Chamber, situated alongside our elegant Wine Library, offers a striking space for exclusive corporate gatherings. Home to the owner’s acclaimed collection of rare whiskies and vodkas, the Executive Chamber promises a private destination for strategy sessions, as well as refined private dining in a memorably opulent setting.

TOP Hazendal’s Glasshouse presents the most perfect of venues for those who love the warmth of biophilic design and the privacy of an intimate space.

ABOVE The Executive Chamber offers a unique space for intimate gatherings and strategy sessions.

Weddings For an unforgettable wedding experience, Hazendal, in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands, boasts a variety of unique and exquisite venues, overlooking the magnificent Simonsberg mountains. Our events teams is here to make new memories with you and will tailor your wedding so your special day is one you will remember forever.

OUR WEDDING PACKAGES We know that every wedding is unique and our experienced planners will create a package to suit your needs, expectations and budget. We look forward to assisting you every step of the way. hazendal.co.za

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DE SI G N

LOCATION,

LOCATION,

LOCATION

Time for an escape? For a proper change of scenery? A sense of place, honest design that is environmentally informed, and immersive experiences in the great outdoors are what we want from travel in a post-Covid-19 climate.

WORDS MARTIN JACOBS

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PHOTOGRAPHY FLORENT MICHEL

W

ITH INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL back on the cards (for now), the pandemic has left many seeking out new and intriguing experiences. The same can be said for the accommodation we choose to call home when travelling. Gone are the days of checking into brand-name hotels, cookie-cutter replicas of each other dotted across the globe. Their step-and-repeat neutrality may suit the needs of a business traveller, but for those with a sense of wanderlust (and an appreciative eye for design) they offer little to satisfy a sense of place.

It is personality we’re after, be it in an off-the-beaten-track boutique escape immersed in nature, or a design hotel in the heart of a culturally rich metropolis. Key to their offering is insight into their surroundings through design and architecture. We’re talking a championing of unusual materials, cultural influences and historical inspiration. Say hello to six hotels that exemplify this shift.

D E SI G N

Embracing Hygge

48° NORD LANDSCAPE HØTEL BREITENBACH, ALSACE, FRANCE

ARCHITECTS: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter and ASP Architecture.

LOCATION: The hamlet of Breitenbach, nestled on the Vosges mountainside in the Alsatian region of France, considers itself an ecologically ambitious village, promoting wood-fuelled heating and solar-powered electricity. Walk its streets and you’ll find beehives, breweries and dairy businesses.

The hotel is located nearby in a Natura 2000 site, one of a number of reserves across Europe dedicated to preserving and protecting rare and threatened species.

THE X FACTOR: Fourteen cabins are modelled on hyttes, rural cottages

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traditionally used by Norwegians for cosy weekend retreats. Impressed by those he saw in Lapland, the hotel’s FrancoDanish owner worked with the architects to recreate them. ‘They are a meeting of my two passions, my two cultures: nature and architecture, Denmark and Alsace,’ he says of their design. They are intended to reconnect guests to wild nature – think ecotourism that’s rich in hygge. Elevated on stilts so as to minimise their environmental impact, the hyttes are clad with untreated chestnut wood sourced in the hamlet.

Their interior simplicity is crafted to focus guests’ attention outdoors. The

cabins range from the squatly-shaped Gräss hyttes at the bottom of the slope, to the Tre and Eføy hyttes – tower-like, one-bedroomed units over two or three floors – and lastly to the secluded twostorey Fjell hyttes at the top of the slope, that each sleep four. Some cabins include private jacuzzis and there is also a spa in the reception building.

ON HIS ARCHITECTURE: ‘My aim was to find a common denominator to both cultures, integrate architecture and site, and show that nature, ecology and modernity are not incompatible,’ says Ramstad. hotel48nord.com

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Ode to a Bygone City

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PHOTOGRAPHY PION STUDIO

INTERIOR DESIGNERS: Paradowski Studio LOCATION: Once Poland’s capital, Kraków’s legacy is that of cultural hotspots that include trendy must-see neighbourhoods Kazimierz and Zabłocie. Puro Krakow’s location couldn’t be more central; you’re metres from the train station, and a short walk from the historic old town.

THE X FACTOR: Cultural and historical references – specifically the city’s glamorous interwar cafés and mid-century modern cinemas – have informed Piotr and Zuza Paradowski’s overhaul of a socialist-era building. In so doing they’ve shed light on chapters of Poland’s design history largely unknown to foreigners. ‘Our parents’ generation hates socialist architecture and interior design as it’s emotionally related to their times,’ explains the duo. ‘But you can see a big change in our generation. We appreciate it and take it as a reference for our work.’ World War II and communist rule saw the demise of many of these cafés, so mid-century modernist interiors served as additional inspiration. ‘There are great examples of 1950’s and ’60’s interiors in the city – Kino Kijów for example, a cinema that’s still operating.’ The result is an entirely contemporary response to stepping back in time, a sophisticated interior grounded in Kraków’s past, but realised through the vision of the city’s most youthful generation of designers.

THE ART OF IT: Integral to the upgrade was the introduction of artworks primarily by artists from Kraków’s creative community, their works largely referencing local architecture and landscapes. In the reception area alone are a retro-inspired mosaic, a sgraffito ceramic wall and a wooden relief, all collaborations with emerging talent Tomasz Opalińksi. Collages, lithographs, woodcuts and photography line the walls of hallways, suites and recreational spaces, including the bar and restaurant, which are modelled on 1960’s school canteens. purohotel.pl/en/krakow

PHOTOGRAPHS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PURO KRAKÓW KRAKÓW, POLAND

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‘THE DESIGN OF THE LOBBY CREATES A COMMUNAL RECREATIONAL SPACE THAT HAS NO WALLS.’

The Art of Getting Lost

PHOTOGRAPHY IWAN BAAN

EL PERDIDO HOTEL EL PESCADERO, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

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ARCHITECTS: Estudio ALA INTERIOR DESIGNERS: LASÁL Estudio LOCATION: Known for its resort town Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is a northwest Mexican peninsula state.

Alongside the Pacific Ocean, its El Pescadero farmlands are cultivated for chillies, tomatoes and basil. Expect desert terrain, dirt roads, and a serendipitously stylish hotel.

THE X FACTOR: ‘In a region where the corrosion of culture and tradition is being accelerated by rapid development, El Perdido embraces its historical roots and material culture,’ explains Estudio ALA. On a coastline that includes big-name resorts like the Marriott, One&Only and Sheraton, with their concrete architecture and imported hardware, El Perdido’s mission is simple: to uphold the area’s traditional way of life. You’ll find a hotel that’s built by local craftsmen using local materials.

Rammed-earth walls and thatched roofs characterise the seven jacales (traditional huts that serve as guest suites) that hug the earth and are dispersed across the property. Like the hotel’s communal buildings, they are designed to blur the boundaries between indoors and out. Their exterior baths, hammocks, stargazing telescopes and views of the property’s indigenous vegetation draw guests outdoors. Their interiors are no less impressive, rich in regional materials and complete with dining areas and kitchenettes, should guests feel like preparing their own vegetables from El Perdido’s garden.

REIMAGINED PLAYSTATION: LASAL Estudio’s design of the lobby breaks with convention, creating instead a communal recreational space that has no walls and extends outwards. Alongside a sunken lounge and shared dining table are billiard, foosball and table tennis stations. Short walks away are a sand volleyball court and surf boards ready for use at Cerritos Beach. There’s also a lookout tower for taking in views of the coastline. elperdido.mx

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DESIGN

Industrial Reimagining DEXAMENES SEASIDE HOTEL KOUROUTA, PELOPONNESE, GREECE

ARCHITECTS AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS: K-Studio LOCATION: An hour’s drive from Patras or about four from Athens, Dexamenes straddles Greece’s Western Peloponnese coastline, with views of the Ionian island of Zakynthos.

CURRANT AFFAIRS: Greece has a rich history of currant cultivation, one that ended with the ‘Currants Crisis’ of 1910 that resulted in the collapse of the trade. Unsold berry stock was converted into wine, and a winery built in the 1920s on Kourouta Beach so that ships could be loaded with wine for foreign markets directly from its tanks. Dexamenes is a conversion of this abandoned and derelict winery.

THE X FACTOR: K-Studio’s design intentionally preserves the raw beauty of the winery’s structures and its rich history, converting austere functionality into a relaxing escape. Concrete, steel, timber and glass ensure the alterations tread lightly and leave the existing buildings relatively untouched. Two concrete blocks, formerly divided into 20 wine storage tanks each, have been reimagined as hotel rooms, each room a former wine tank.

Their original features – manholes, pipes and the patina of their interior walls – have been retained. The seafront and courtyard blocks are separated by a courtyard garden, with the winery’s steel drums surrounded by a shallow pool. Concrete steppingstones offer a pathway into these drums, their interiors now meditative spaces.

REPURPOSING MATERIALS: K-Studio cleverly reused existing materials from the site, including parts of the irrigation system once installed on the tank roofs, and now displayed as promenade railings. Reclaimed bricks line the floor and terrace of the hotel’s restaurant, originally a stone outbuilding.

THE ACCOLADES: Dexamenes has won an extensive list of architecture and hospitality awards, including the Ultimate Accolade Award and Best Creative Conversion Award at the AHEAD Global Awards, the Oscars of hospitality awards. dexamenes.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DEXAMENES SEASIDE HOTEL

‘MY CLIENT WANTED TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS SURREAL AND THAT DRAWS GUESTS AWAY FROM THE MUNDANE, A PLACE TO ENJOY NATURE.’

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Mythical Minimalism

PHOTOGRAPHY TIAN FANGFANG

THE SEEDS, TREE WOW HOTEL FAIRY LAKE, JIANGXI, CHINA

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ARCHITECTS: ZJJZ Architects LOCATION: Considered to be one of China’s most beautiful natural attractions, Fairy Lake – with its clear waters and archipelago – is situated in the eastern province of Jiangxi, and The Seeds located on its shore. Folklore has it that centuries ago a man fell in love with a fairy at the lake.

THE X FACTOR: ‘With this folklore in mind, my client wanted to create a place that is surreal and that draws guests away from the mundane, a place to enjoy nature,’ explains Xuanru Chen, one of the project’s lead architects. Four ellipsoidal cabins, punctured by circular openings, are clad in wooden shingles and mirrored aluminium tiles. Their pod-like shapes draw inspiration from nature. The mirrored undersides of the cabins are chameleon-like, altering the appearance of the buildings by reflecting the changes in the landscape and its colours as the seasons shift. ‘This metal surface takes on the lustre of red soil in winter, green plants in spring and summer, mist when wet, and sunshine on bright days,’ explains the architect. The circular openings too are intended to connect guests with nature – not only do they offer views into the trees separating the cabins, as well as upwards into the treetops and sky, but the unexpectedness of their form recalls childlike perceptions of fairy dwellings, linking them to Fairy Lake.

INNER SECRET: Clad with wood panelling that echoes the rounded shapes of the external shells, The Seeds’ interior walls are an exercise in sweeping curves and non-linearity.

Each pod’s primary living area contains a bed and bathtub with minimal furniture. A staircase ascends to a mezzanine that overlooks the living space below. zjjz-atelier.com

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D E S I G N

‘MY DESIGN PLACES CENTRE-STAGE THE VALUE OF BEING AWARE.’

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DESGIN

Mexican Wave

PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX KROTKOV

CASONA SFORZA PUERTO ESCONDIDO, OAXACA, MEXICO

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ARCHITECTS: TAX Architects LOCATION: Casona Sforza nestles on the shores of Mexico’s Oaxaca state. An hour’s drive from the hotel is Pueblo del Sol, a community that champions indigenous culture and values sustainability, and which is funded by the hotel and its founder, Ezequiel Ayarza Sforza.

THE X FACTOR: ‘The hotel’s interiors comprise pieces from regions renowned for their artisanal craft: rugs from Teotitlán del Valle, textiles from Oaxaca, hammocks, chairs and curtains from Yucatán and lamps from Veracruz,’ says community-minded Sforza. ‘These are combined with decorative elements made by ceramicists, cabinetmakers, farmers and beekeepers in the workshops of Pueblo del Sol.’ He continues, ‘Guests can visit the community to learn about

where the products consumed in the hotel come from, experience the forest, and learn about building such a community from the ground up.’ A decade in the making, Sforza’s vision for the hotel began with his wish to preserve the dying traditions native to Puerto Escondido. He imagined a boutique hotel that could finance the community, and tasked architect Alberto Kalach with its design. A series of vaulted arches are constructed from local bricks, pale yellow in colour which regulates the temperature. The arches are home to 11 guest suites, a restaurant and bar. Their volumes differ in height, and can withstand earthquakes. Doors and windows in the form of slatted wooden shutters provide privacy. Within the suites, sinks and bathtubs give the impression of having been carved on site as if the building was sculpted for habitation from a stone in the landscape.

ON HIS ARCHITECTURE: ‘My design places centrestage the value of being aware – of contemplating and understanding the beauty of an environment in balance,’ says Kalach. casonasforza.com 

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ARC HITECTU RE

MATERIAL WORLD Referencing the industrial architecture of Chicago and New York, the stylish design of a Sydney home offsets raw, Brutalist surfaces and hardware with softer, seductive furnishings.

WORDS MARTIN JACOBS

A wall of floor-to-ceiling retractable windows in the primary entertainment area frames views of the leafy suburb and welcomes in sunlight, adding warmth to the concrete interior.

I PHOTOGRAPHS MURRAY FREDERICKS AND DAVE WHEELER

‘I THINK A WELL-DESIGNED HOUSE

means that every room is used every day.’ So believes American entrepreneur Ethan Oberman who, when emigrating to Sydney from the US with his Australian wife, Lauren, and their two children, purchased a dilapidated Federation Era brick house in the harbourside suburb of Double Bay, mere kilometres from the city’s centre.

What was to become their new home had little going for it by way of its architecture.

Decades’ worth of careless renovations meant that by Oberman’s estimation, the existing house wasn’t well designed. In contrast, the property offered a soughtafter position. The site, straddling a hilltop and with a jaw-dropping change in elevation from street entrance to rear, was northwestfacing with impressive leafy views looking out towards Sydney’s skyline. It was this outlook, coupled with the Obermans’ desire to reference the industrial architecture of the stateside cities they left behind, that shaped their vision of an ‘urban oasis’ family home.

The marriage of an oasis, albeit urban, with industrial architecture is a partnership of opposites. Enter architect Matthew Woodward, responsible for their union in his design of the new build. ‘The Obermans wanted a home that was bold and raw, and that evoked feelings of warmth and honesty.

The time they’d spent living in Chicago and New York steered their material preferences,’ he says of an early briefing. ‘Functional aesthetics are important to me, and so I selected materials for a purpose, rather than for a superficial look or feel.’ Woodward’s introduction of concrete, glass and steel references the heyday of American skyscraper construction, with brass and American black walnut adding glamorous accents. For him, it’s this pairing of raw, Brutalist materials with clean lines that nods to mid-century modernism.

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ARC HITECTU RE

ABOVE The narrow dining-room table and banquette seating encourage intimacy.

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The kitchen is a study in mixed metals, its brass island offset by mounted plate steel shelving.

The family’s leathercushioned reading nook.

Modular shelving runs the length of a wall in the family room, which leads to the garden and pool.

Interior designer Anna Trefely collaborated with the homeowners on the design of this piece of bespoke furniture.

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‘When we started the project, the theme for me was this idea of industrial chic,’ says Oberman. Cascading over five storeys, the home reflects this, constantly balancing rawness with refinement.

It equally emphasises oasis-like moments of pause, both public and private. Apart from the expected public spaces – like an open-plan living and dining room, a family room and even a man cave complete with dramatic 007-style skylight – there are more cocooning, intimate spaces. ‘We unfolded this house as it was being constructed. We would uncover little nooks and crannies, opportunities the architecture provided that we could turn into other little spaces,’ explains Anna Trefely, Esoteriko’s founding interior designer and lead on the project. One such space is a leather-cushioned nook, a regular reading spot for Oberman and his children. Another is an indoor net hammock adjacent to a window that overlooks an excavated wall of floodlit rock.

‘Our material choices reference the natural beauty of the home’s surroundings,’ she explains, with particular reference to the open-plan entertainment space off the home’s entrance.

‘As with the architecture, it was important to the Obermans that

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‘THE OBERMANS WANTED A HOME THAT WAS BOLD AND RAW, AND THAT EVOKED FEELINGS OF WARMTH AND HONESTY.’

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‘I THINK A WELL-DESIGNED HOUSE MEANS THAT EVERY ROOM IS USED EVERY DAY.’

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ARC HITECTU RE

there be a level of truthfulness to the materials we chose.’ And so in the open-plan living and dining space, a room that could easily feel cold because of its raw concrete walls and ceiling, the brass kitchen island adds warmth. ‘By definition it shouldn’t work in such close proximity to the other metals in the room, but it does,’ says Woodward. Persian carpets, a wooden coffee table and leather furnishings add texture, while a narrow dining table with banquette seating was chosen for the intimacy it encourages.

Visual harmony and sensory reward are key to the ways in which Woodward and Trefely design. For the architect, spatial proportions, and the alignment between elements such as joinery or openings, is critical. So too when it comes to Trefely’s softer furnishings. For every industrial surface he has introduced, she has returned his serve with a tactile material that complements.

In a guest bedroom, exposed aggragate flooring is offset by a backlit furry headboard, and in the master suite, by a fluffy armchair. ‘When everything seems to relate to each other, there is a feeling of calmness,’ says Woodward. It is this functional beauty and design for serenity that, across five floors and in all of its rooms, sets this home apart as an urban oasis. 

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OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT A circular window at the base of the pool doubles as a skylight for Oberman’s home office.

Making the most of the site’s steep slope, the house is stepped over five floors.

An artful blend of natural light and industrial materials in the master bathroom.

An industrial stairwell connects the home’s floors.

THIS PAGE Sheer curtains, textured linens and a wall crafted from American black walnut add warmth to the master bedroom.

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ACC ELERATE

CONTINUATION

CONUNDRUM The glamorous world of continuation cars, assembled by a dying breed of mastercraftsmen, promises to rekindle the passion of the original car. But not everyone is impressed.

WORDS RICHARD WEBB

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ACC ELERATE

C

ONTINUATION CARS are peculiar things: neither

replicas nor originals. They sit in a unique niche in the classic-car market, not as desirable as the genuine car but still capable of commanding huge prices.

What’s the catch? Surely a freshly minted, factory-built remanufacture of an iconic classic sports car – at a cost lower than the original – sounds heavenly? But the question still remains: how does the classic-car world feel about these imposteurs?

The answer is influenced by the ‘type’ of the continuation.

In the 1970s, Cameron Miller made 12 Maserati 250Fs, which led the way to many more continuations from other brands. This allowed owners of the ‘genuine’ cars to keep racing, while the more precious originals were kept safely tucked away.

Perhaps the most desirable of all are Aston Martin ‘Sanction II’ cars. Demand for these vehicles, which are virtually indistinguish-

able from the original, far outstripped the meagre supply.

For example, just 20 Aston Martin’s DB4 GT Zagatos were minted in 1960, and by the late 1980s, they were selling at auction for up to R36 million.

Four original chassis numbers – originally assigned in period – were never built. So, in 1988, the DB4 GT Zagato Sanction II was born. Built with genuine 1960s serial numbers, all four cars were sold in 1991 for well over R20 million. In 2019, Aston Martin announced the Centenary Collection, limited to 19 more cars, except this time, you also had to order a DBS Zagato with it – in a deal costing a cool R126 million.

Jaguar’s Classic Engineering has built four continuation models to date: a Lightweight E-type coupe, the XKSS, the legendary Le Mans-winning Jaguar C-type and a D-type. Like Aston Martin, with their Sanction II DB4 GT Zagato, Jaguar argues that they were simply completing their original production run of cars as planned

Twenty-four examples of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival Corsa will be hand-built.

Famed for the brand’s performance in the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, the car should be a formidable contender in international historic racing.

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ACC ELERATE

THIS PAGE In celebration of the legendary Bentley Blower race car, the brand has produced 12 recreations, taking over 40 000 craftsmen hours.

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation is undeniably magnificent. A car that rejoices in the style, emotion and dynamics of a golden, lost age.

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM This Alvis Bertelli Sports Coupe is a recreation of the 1935 Paris Motor Show car, boasting a 4 300cc straight-six with a top speed of 173 km/h and a 0-100km/h time of under 10 seconds.

– but never built in period. But not every carmaker relies on the completion of period cars. Carroll Shelby’s continuation AC Cobras are here because he simply wanted to make them.

Then there are those questionable, unsanctioned replicas. Unauthorised Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato copies have been built up from standard DB4s, and special hand-built Alfa Romeo’s have also been replicated. Just 112 Alfa Romeo TZ1s were originally built, yet 500 exist now. This makes the authentication process of any of these cars fraught with difficulty.

But these unsanctioned replicas can usually be driven on public roads whereas most continuation cars cannot. They simply can’t pass modern emissions and safety legislation. This has not dampened the appetite, or enthusiasm, for continuation cars though. An original DB4 Zagato comes to market so rarely, with collectors often waiting years for one, so many will jump at the chance to buy a Sanction II or Sanction III iteration.

Not everyone is convinced, but all sanctioned cars tend to sell out.

Ultimately, collectors decide what they want to buy, and can happily ignore the views of purists, who are adamant that continuations are devaluing their ‘proper’ cars. But for me, I believe that replicas and continuation cars allow a wider audience to enjoy iconic cars. Just don’t pretend that they are what they are not.

The continuation business is here to stay; it’s what the car enthusiast community is truly all about – more people having more fun. 

ACC ELERATE

PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

‘I BELIEVE THAT REPLICAS AND CONTINUATION CARS ALLOW A WIDER AUDIENCE TO ENJOY ICONIC CARS.’

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TASTINGS

A DRAM OF

TERROIR In a former Guinness brewery on the banks of the River Suir, you can find Waterford, a distillery that brings the French winemaking concept of terroir to the art of distilling single-malt whisky.

W

WORDS RICHARD HOLMES

WHEN WHISKY DRINKERS hold a dram of single malt in hand, chances are it’s a windswept Scottish landscape of heather and highlands that springs to mind. Or perhaps, a dimly-lit barrel store where serried rows of oak casks slowly release their angel’s share to the chill Scottish wind.

But when Mark Reynier dreams of whisky, it’s a field of golden Irish barley that captures his imagination. For Reynier believes it is the humble grain of barley – not shimmering copper stills or expensive oak barrels – that is the true heart and soul of single-malt whisky. And he’s on a mission to spread the gospel of the magical grain that is Hordeum vulgare.

Though much of his career was spent as a wine merchant, Reynier is perhaps most famous for reviving the fortunes of Bruichladdich Distillery on the island of Islay.

Over the course of a decade, he transformed a rundown operation into one of the most innovative distilleries in Scotland, famous for both fragrant island malts and the peaty mouthful that is Octomore. But when shareholders sold Bruichladdich to Rémy Cointreau in 2012, against Reynier’s wishes, he left and went in search of new frontiers in single malt.

He found them across the Irish Sea, in a former Guinness brewery on the banks of the River Suir. It’s here that Reynier established Waterford, a distillery dedicated to celebrating the character inherent in each grain of barley, bringing the French winemaking concept of terroir to the art of distilling single-malt whisky.

‘There are more than 2 000 flavour compounds in barley; that’s why it produces the

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most flavoursome spirit in the world,’ says Reynier, who has poured enormous effort into sourcing unique parcels of barley from dozens of different farms, each with its own unique expression of the landscape.

To capture the character of each farm, a warehouse dubbed ‘The Cathedral’ stores thousands of tons of barley in dozens of individual bins to ensure each batch of barley is kept separate throughout the process of milling, mashing, fermentation and distilling.

‘Every barley, every terroir, reacts differently. The grains are different sizes, so they mill differently. The compounds are different so they ferment differently. Therefore, of course, they distill differently,’ explains Reynier. ‘So what we’ve learned is that we have to bespoke each individual farm. There’s no one size fits all. We bespoke malt, bespoke ferment, bespoke mill and bespoke distill.’

It’s a time-consuming – and expensive – way to make whisky, but for Reynier it’s a process that allows lovers of malt whisky to truly discover the complexity that terroir can bring to the malt.

And that concept of terroir expression in whisky is perhaps best discovered in Waterford’s Single Farm Origin series. In an ever-evolving line-up of malts and farms, you can sniff and sip your way through barley grown on the sandy soils of Co. Wexford in Bannow Island: Edition 1.1, the limestone of Knockroe 1.1 or the gentle Irish farmlands of Ballykilcavan: Edition 1.1. Many are released as limited editions, only fleetingly on the shelf, with much of the spirit set aside for Reynier’s larger ambitions.

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TASTINGS

‘THERE ARE MORE THAN 2 000 FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS IN BARLEY; THAT’S WHY IT PRODUCES THE MOST FLAVOURSOME SPIRIT IN THE WORLD.’

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If the Single Farm Origin releases showcase a specific place and moment, then the Waterford Grand Cuvée aims to harmonise a choir of individual Irish fields into a cohesive whole.

‘We’re taking these individual single-farm components and blending them to create a style built to achieve maximum complexity… one long release of flavour, one after the other,’ explains Reynier. ‘The aim is to create the most profound whisky possible.’

The next step in Reynier’s journey of terroir expression was the release in 2021 – and now available in South Africa – of the Biodynamic Luna 1.1.

This, the latest in Waterford’s Arcadian series of malts, which celebrate the flavours that can be unlocked through the use of heritage barley varieties and traditional farming methods, is the world’s first single malt to be made from biodynamic barley.

While the barley farmers following Rudolf Steiner’s principles for holistic agriculture no doubt do it for the health of the planet, for Reynier the use of biodynamic barley is for simpler reasons.

‘It’s the ultimate expression of terroir and for us, that is the point of biodynamics,’ says Reynier. ‘I’m not an ecowarrior. All I’m interested in is flavour, and this is the best way to get more of it.’

He’s not wrong, and the spicy complexity of the Biodynamic Luna 1.1 is impressive for what is: a single malt that is – remarkably – just three years old. So it’s early days for Waterford, the young upstart of the Irish whisky world that has fast found acolytes and opponents. Not that Mark Reynier is bothered. The famously outspoken distiller cares little for what others have to say. Instead of paying heed to critics and naysayers, here is a man who listens only to what the barley has to say. 

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LEFT Revered as the man who revived Bruichladdich Distillery on the island of Islay, renegade spirits entrepreneur Mark Reynier is tapping into the terroir expression of barley. Waterford Distillery is housed in a repurposed Guinness distillery.

ABOVE Tapping into the terroir of heritage grains and specific Irish farms underpins the distilling philosophy of Waterford.

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PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED, SUPPLIED, GETTY GETTY IMAGES IMAGES

TASTINGS

T A SXTXI X NGS

‘THE AIM IS TO CREATE THE MOST PROFOUND WHISKY POSSIBLE.’

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TASTINGS

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PRIVATE EDITION

ALL THINGS NICE What is the spice of life? According to Epice’s head chef, Charné Sampson, it’s spice itself.

WORDS BIANCA COLEMAN

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PREVIOUS PAGE The journey begins with Saldanha Bay oysters laced with apple, chilli and turmeric.

RIGHT At Epice, spicy morsels create taste sensations beyond your wildest imaginings.

FAR RIGHT Exquisitely plated tuna, avocado, cumin and mustard.

BELOW Head chef Charné Sampson loves the warmth derived from creating curries – one of the reasons cooking with spices gives her such immense pleasure.

has been described as a spice journey that begins from the moment you sit down to a signature cocktail made with rum, pineapple syrup, mint, turmeric and ginger, continues through 11 courses, and reaches a playful conclusion of matching chocolates with their respective spices.

It’s important to note that ‘spice’ does not equal ‘heat’. Nothing along this journey is going to sear the roof of your mouth or have you reaching desperately for a glass of cold milk. Here, spice is about subtle layers of flavour built on each other to create taste sensations. For example, the bread course, which is prepared at your table, is accompanied by swirls of Wagyu, dukkah, gremolata and beef jus and contains at least 20 different ingredients that culminate in overall deliciousness happily scooped up with sweet potato and caraway bread.

The creative brain behind Epice is 27-year-old Charné Sampson, who has been with the La Colombe Group – of which Epice is a member – since 2016. ‘She began as a Silwood student and did her third-year placement with us,’ says group founder Scot Kirton. ‘She stayed after graduating and her work ethic has always impressed us. She moved up quickly to chef de partie and then to junior sous chef. During her last year with, us she was the sous chef at La Colombe.’

It’s standard practice within the group that as new restaurants open, chefs are promoted from within to run them, which is what happened with Sampson and Epice in 2019.

Sampson previously wanted to open her own bakery. ‘It sounded good at the time,’ she recalls, ‘but every time I thought of leaving La Colombe, a new challenge would come up. So I stayed, learned more, and grew and grew.’

She adds, with a smile, ‘The funny thing was that I had a scholarship at Silwood and about two months before I got this promotion, they did a video of me saying I wanted to be doing my own thing within a year. And this happened, and I was like, “wow!” When they told me, I thought they were joking.’

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PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREA VAN DER SPUY

A

MEAL AT EPICE (the French word for spice) in Franschhoek

TASTINGS

‘AT EPICE, SPICE IS ABOUT SUBTLE LAYERS OF FLAVOUR BUILT ON EACH OTHER TO CREATE TASTE SENSATIONS.’

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‘YOU WOULDN’T THINK SPICE IN A SORBET WOULD CLEANSE THE PALATE...’

THIS PAGE Whether it’s black cardamom or vanilla, sweet or savoury, every course is memorable for a specific spice.

TOP LEFT The sorbet course is presented in an old-fashioned ice trolley complete with bell.

TOP RIGHT Line fish with squid, mussel, coriander and fenugreek – a pleasure to the eye and palate.

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PRIVATE EDITION

TASTINGS

Things happened quickly after that, with a 16-day trip to India in September 2019 for spice inspiration (‘We ate a lot!’ says Sampson). Epice opened before the year was out. Prior to lockdown, annual excursions to exotic locales was a regular event for La Colombe group chefs, the idea being for them to ‘taste the world’ and bring back their experiences for their diners. (This is happily being reinstated this year.)

During lockdown there were months of concern as to whether Epice would open again. Long story short, the restaurant reopened in 2021 at its new premises at Le Quartier Francais on Franschhoek’s main road. And still at the helm, guiding Epice with a deft and sure hand, and a maturity that belies her age, the composed and confident Sampson, who never dreamed she would ever do anything but pastry.

‘When we reopened, the spice element was there but we were a bit hesitant to use too much and overwhelm people with it,’ says Sampson. ‘We didn’t put spice in the sorbet or the petit fours.

But now everything is a lot more pungent. You wouldn’t think spice in a sorbet would cleanse the palate, but orange and fennel complement each other so well… You get the spice, then it disappears,’ explains Sampson.

Black cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cumin, Kashmiri masala, cinnamon - even vanilla - feature alongside chicken, tuna, pork, line fish, grass-fed beef, cheese and the sweetness of dessert. It’s an education for your palate.

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‘We’ve had guests from the US, for example, who don’t expect a spice journey that holds throughout the entire menu,’ says Sampson. ‘They can’t believe every single course is memorable for a specific spice. That’s quite touching to hear.’

Sampson’s background is Cape Malay. She grew up in a family that made ‘lots of curries’, and everyone had their speciality.

This naturally influences and inspires her culinary creations at Epice.

‘We had a Wagyu roti on the menu and everyone said we cannot take it off. I said, “We have to and we’re going to”,’ laughs Sampson. Now she’s included a chicken roti, which has turned out to be just as popular, with guests even requesting seconds.

‘When I think about making a curry, I always think of a whole lot of ginger, garlic and chilli blended with some sort of tomato paste. I cook that down, then add the spices,’ she says. ‘I’ve used that same concept when cooking the chicken – I poach it in a liquid that is flavoured with ginger and garlic, and it absorbs all of that. Then I make a korma chicken glaze, taking those simple elements and creating a dish that has so much flavour and where each bite has an extra punch.’

Sampson says she loves that warm feeling you get when you eat curries. ‘That’s what makes me love cooking with spices.

There’s nothing better than eating a curry, and your hands are all messy and …’

She sighs with pleasure. 

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A

SAFARI

ON HIGH

Suspended on a bridge over the great Sabie River sits Kruger Shalati, The Train on the Bridge, where opulence and unbeatable game viewing await.

WORDS LINDA MZAMANE

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PRIVATE EDITION

O

DEPARTU RES

OBSERVING WILDLIFE with uninterrupted views from the com-

fort of a king-sized bed is a privilege few will experience. When said king-sized bed lies within a refurbished stationary train carriage from the 1970s, the experience is that much more unique.

From this vantage point, one can see the bushveld horizon meeting the sky, ever more beautiful after a dramatic, passing thunderstorm. Stepping onto the carriage’s surprisingly spacious balcony brings the view into greater focus, allowing you to gaze at the hippos and crocodiles lingering down below. Elephant herds use the dry riverbed as a thoroughfare, a breathtaking sight as they emerge from under the steel bridge directly below. The three-hour game drives pass by in what feels like minutes because of the high density of wildlife (particularly bird species). Many come to see the

Big Five, but the experience with Kruger Shalati’s knowledgeable rangers teaches a great deal more about all animal encounters, big and small.

Until 1973, trains were the only mode by which wildlife could be observed in the Kruger National Park. The Selati Bridge is the exact location where visitors who explored the park nearly 100 years ago would spend the night on the train, disembarking for evening entertainment where Kruger Shalati’s Bridge House now stands. Those guests wouldn’t have been able to fathom the 21stcentury luxury aboard today’s carriages. Celebrating the best in African design, the glass-walled suites feature opulent fittings, a full-sized bath and views in every direction. Silk gowns, a handwoven seanamarena (a high-status Basotho blanket) and luxury

Kruger Shalati, The Train on the Bridge, offers a one-of-kind wildlife experience. From its refurbished carriages, guests can take in uninterrupted views while enjoying all the spoils of a traditional safari holiday.

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Cape Island diffusers, soaps and room mist sprays come standard in each suite and are available for purchase in the most carefully curated gift shop filled with one-of-a-kind items. As camp manager Tshego Mathole says, ‘You can never fully appreciate your countrymen’s talents until you see a curated body of their work.’ The centrepiece of the train is the pool and lounge, situated in the middle carriage. Jutting out from the bridge, the cylindrical infinity pool offers respite from the Skukuza heat, which can peak in the early 40s. Drinks and high tea are served daily. Children under 12 are not permitted on the train, but the land-based Bridge House offers family units where a second pool area can be enjoyed. The fresh air, wide open spaces and outstanding service at Kruger Shalati make it an experience worthy of an annual pilgrimage.  For more information: +27(0) 13 591 6000; Reservations: reservations@krugershalati.com or info@krugershalati.com

EN ROUTE TO YOUR SAFARI Travellers making their way through Gauteng to The Train on the Bridge can stay at The Houghton Hotel, a modern locale that hugs the Houghton Golf Estate. A meal at award-winning chef Freddie Dias’ restaurant SéJour within the hotel is nothing if not exquisite, with an Explorer menu that changes regularly and experiments with unique taste combinations for adventurous palates. The recently opened Sanctuary Mandela rounds off a trio of unique offerings from the Motsamayi Tourism Group and offers a contemplative experience in the place Nelson Mandela once called home. It boasts nine rooms, including the Presidential Suite which was Madiba’s actual bedroom. Guests are invited to enjoy a menu that offers a modified foodprint of all the dishes Madiba loved, including oxtail and an interpretation of ‘umnqusho’ (samp and beans) which he once packed for lunch on a trip to Ethiopia. Designed by Mandela’s personal and family chef, Xoliswa Ndoyiya, the anecdotes that accompany each dish make one truly appreciative of every single morsel.

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‘THE TRAIN ON THE BRIDGE IS WORTHY OF AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE.’

PRIVATE EDITION

D E PA RTU R E S

OPPOSITE PAGE A pool deck with a difference.

TOP Each beautifully appointed suite maximises views over the great Sabi River and beyond.

LEFT Game viewing encorporates creatures great and small.

PHOTOGRAPHS AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH: JEREMY AUSTEN, SUPPLIED

BELOW A welcome pause during a game drive.

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TRAVEL

FROM NAPLES WITH LOVE A city of contradictions and one that inspires a sense of great passion, Naples offers the unique ability to truly live in each moment.

WORDS SHARON FEINSTEIN

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PRIVATE EDITION

TRAVEL

I

T WASN’T ONE THING that made me fall in love with Naples. It was so much all at once. The dazzling light, music on every street, the smell of oranges and pizza. The cobbled Roman roads that wind up the hills, the young women with dark eyes and swaying hips walking arm in arm. The glittering Bay of Naples and the magical islands of Capri and Ischia in the distance. And the towering, enigmatic Vesuvius, which could erupt again at any time. One million people live between the volcanically active areas of Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius, and it is perhaps this volcanic threat that has taught Neapolitans to live for each day, and say they are reborn every morning.

It’s a city full of contradictions, its inhabitants both very religious and highly superstitious. Wherever you look, you’ll see the

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Neapolitan corno – the red, horn-shaped amulet claiming to keep the malocchio (evil eye) away – hanging from doorways, around people’s necks and in souvenir stalls. Neapolitans sing about love, believe in family, but have a strong relationship with death, and preserve skulls in some churches. There’s even a tradition where women adopt a skull, care for it and help it to pass over from purgatory. In the historic centre the dark, narrow streets are crammed with washing lines and graffiti, or iconic images of Maradona and Sophia Loren. With Vespas flying past ubiquitous churches dedicated to different saints, there’s a raw energy around every corner. And then there are the grand boulevards lined with palms and maritime pines, baroque flourishes and luxury shops, that lead to the glittering promenade along the seafront.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP A scene so typical of street life in Naples.

Traditional Neapolitan cuisine naturally includes pizza – the more simple the toppings the better.

Rum baba – a small yeast cake saturated in syrup and filled with cream – is a favourite among locals.

OPPOSITE PAGE A colourful cobbled street leading to the Bay of Naples.

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Neapolitans love their food: pizza of every description, pasta, ragù and, wherever you go, a cornucopia of cakes. The most famous is rum baba, rich and buttery and filled with rum. And, of course, there’s the wonderfully pungent Neapolitan coffee.

Every few hours you must have an espresso and something sweet filled with fresh ricotta cheese. Everything seems to taste better here. The epic pizzas at Ciro Oliva, where every course is like a scene from an opera, are presented with drama and flair. For the best fish, visit La Bersagliera in front of the yacht club, an eatery often frequented by film stars. I passed Ralph Fiennes on the way out. In Naples the food is traditional, handed down over generations ... it’s simple, seasonal and fresh.

Just as dazzling as the city is the Romeo Hotel, a great leap forward in the quality of hotels in Naples. Its foyer entices you

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PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY GETTY IMAGES IMAGES

TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

With its immaculate décor, fine dining and sublime views, the Romeo Hotel delivers at every turn.

with anticipation, escape and fantasy. Boasting cascading water, a striking Andy Warhol behind reception, handmade wooden and leather chairs, and extraordinary pieces of original art, you barely know where to look first. There is a lot of glass, tall white vases, cacti, and succulent desert plants. The owner is an art collector and has generously shared his Chagall, Guttuso and Clemente, as well as splendid sculptures and photographs.

The rooms are state-of-the-art with views across the Bay of Naples, and no comfort has been spared. I fell in love with Luca at reception, who couldn’t do enough for me, and the glamorous manageress, Gaia, who, while looking as though she’s come straight off the catwalk, instantly makes you feel at home. We dined together at Beluga on the ninth floor where the atmosphere is cool, casual, yet elegant. The chef had put together his own choices for us – luscious salmon and squid – with enticing light, fresh tastes, paired with a perfect choice of Neapolitan

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wine. Gaia was great company, a connoisseur of the art pieces in the hotel and a font of memorable anecdotes about the real Naples. The Michelin-starred restaurant Il Comandante, is the gem of the hotel, supremely elegant, and a special treat. There’s also a luxurious, sleek spa and great gym.

The mythical founder of Naples is the siren Parthenope who sang to seduce Odysseus. When he rejected her she cried so much that her tears filled the Bay of Naples. Today, Parthenope is everywhere in the city – on fountains, monuments and street names. The university is named after her, its main doors flanked by two giant sirens. More than 3 000 years later Parthenope is still the symbol of Naples, a city so beautiful it breaks your heart and so tragic it inspires great passion.  For more information: romeohotel.it, progettomuseo.com (Francesca Amirante Presidente), privilegeitalia.com

PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED

‘JUST AS DAZZLING AS THE CITY IS THE ROMEO HOTEL ... WITH VIEWS ACROSS THE BAY OF NAPLES.’

CAMPS BAY, CAPE TOWN

FRESNAYE, CAPE TOWN

Asking R85 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R89 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 5 garages

Enjoy a bespoke lifestyle with exquisite Italian finishes over 4 levels with elevator.

An opulently appointed living and dining area flows seamlessly to the Assirelli kitchen and terrace with breath-taking views. The lowest level an entertainers dream: kitchen, sauna, sensational aquarium, walk-in wine cellar and large terrace with pizza oven, bar, pool and landscaped garden. A further pool is situated off the spacious study on the top level. 4 Exquisite bedroom suites. One leading to superb cinema room and atrium. 3 Garages, 2 staff flatlets. Tesla Battery. Andrea Glew 079 893 9197 Office 021 401 4338 Sothebysrealty.com Web ref: C66Q4H

This bespoke & elegant Atlantic Seaboard property that is effortlessly cut into the slopes of Lions Head of Fresnaye, is offering its new potential buyer the absolute best of the good life. Step into this luxurious property from its very secure ground floor garage, impressive entrance gallery with elevator & marble staircase. Bask in the opulent entertainers salon, dining area & chef's kitchen that opens up to the large pool terrace overlooking the bay with its unsurpassed views across Robben Island. Magnificent finishing with imported fittings thoughout. Rudi Jordaan 066 307195, Grant Bailey 083 444 5171 Office 021 401 4338 Web ref: RL98906

BAKOVEN, CAPE TOWN

MOUILLE POINT, CAPE TOWN

Asking R21 million | 3 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms |1 garage

Asking R38 million | 4 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 3 garages

Magnificent views from this immaculate Bakoven Bungalow. The seamless wooden flooring and exposed beams of this home epitomise casual but very stylish beachside living. The open plan lounge/dining/kitchen areas flow out to a balcony overlooking the secluded rocks and beach of Bakoven and on the other side reveal a private courtyard for leisurely barbeques and a small pretty garden. There are three spacious bedrooms all en suite as well as a separate laundry and store room.The property includes a lock up garage with parking space for an additional car. Andrea Glew 079 893 9197 Office 021 401 4338 Web ref: RL94185

Super yacht living in the front row of The Waterclub Residential Estate. Tastefully renovated with modern features throughout, this one-of-a-kind duplex apartment has been meticulously designed to the highest of levels. The master bedroom welcomes you with awe inspiring views of the marina. Lie in bed and watch the yachts go by, with your own private garden and yacht mooring right in front of you. A huge living and entertaining area upstairs with floor to ceiling glass windows allows plenty of natural light in to brighten up the space. Keaton Korevaar 084 800 5763 Office 021 401 4338 Web ref: RL99410

To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

SENDERWOOD, JOHANNESBURG

BRYANSTON, SANDTON

Asking R8.9 million | 5 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R45 million | 6 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 6 garages

Modern – great accommodation and very spacious, but compact and open plan ideal for privacy and sunny family living. Double volume entrance hall marble staircase, huge study ideal for work from home lounge and TV room and study all open out onto patio of great proportions, glass railings, sparkling pool and treed garden. Wine Cellar open plan kitchen plus breakfast eating area opening onto courtyard, big scullery/laundry with extra ovens! Double staff cottage three garages and upstairs big pyjama lounge. Everything in this home is new modern and up to date as for the colour ambiance a once off! Charlene Leibman 082 448 0440 Web ref: 5172907

Uninterrupted views – “the pearl in the oyster” living in the midst of the most distinguished avenue in this very upmarket suburb.A truly stunning masterpiece boasting many enormous elegant reception rooms for lavish entertaining with executive bar room with snooker table, study/library & wine cellar - all opening to exceptional large covered, and enclosed patio with glass folding doors to pool & view deck to stunning landscaped garden, gourmet kitchen with top fittings – all this to grand scale entertaining areas. Elevator to 5 double bedroom suites, guest suite with lounge, upstairs family lounge. Home automation, 3 staff acc, d/s, 6 garages. Off the grid. Manuela Coelho 082 552 7119 Web re: 5029717

BEDFORDVIEW

PARKHURST, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R19.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 5 garages

Asking R5.5 million | 3 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

As you approach this modern home, the vast architectural lines invites you to explore further. Magnificently modern, exquisite architecture, with beautiful bespoke features, in a desirable boomed off enclave. The landscaped level garden, featuring a sparkling pool with electronically controlled pool cover, and swathes of green grass, is the perfect backdrop to this exquisite home. An enormous, double volume entrance hall with a breath-taking bespoke mural, welcomes you.

Walls of glass create the backdrop to the sweeping “floating” stairway, with curved glass sides and steel balustrade. A real “statement” piece of architecture.

Ingrid Hoaten 082 490 6246 Office 011 886 8070 Web ref: 4572443

Offering well laid out airy & open flow on two levels. The main indoor/outdoor entertainment & living area with large study or office space & guest bedroom suite are downstairs with the 2 main bedroom suites and centrally positioned informal entertainment or chill area upstairs. The expansive lounge & reception area feature a wall of glass & light on the northern side, flowing onto the undercover patio, garden, & pool area. Bespoke modern kitchen open plan to the living rooms & overlooks the pool area & garden. Willem Prinsloo 082 442 1497 Cornel Ridgard 082 468 8247 Office 011 442 2670 Web ref: 5171890 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

WEST CLIFF, JOHANNESBURG

INANDA, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R19 million | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R38 million | 5 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 4 garages

From the moment you enter this meticulously renovated home by expert architect Karen Wichers - you will know - ‘this is the one’. Contemporary elements blend seamlessly with the original frame. Off the grid? Yes. New automated full backup generator. Borehole and backup potable water systems with filtration system that allows the home to function off the grid. Solid double storey under slate with excellent flow to entertaining, dining, chilling, music and study areas.

4 Reception areas, flow to garden and the outdoors. Enjoy balmy nights with family and friends, heated swimming pool with electronic pool cover and newly surfaced tennis court. Beverley Gurwicz 082 412 0010 Web ref: 4980062

Set in a privileged position in an exclusive estate, One Forrest Road, one of the best addresses in Gauteng. The home was designed by architect Giuseppe Monzeglio to provide a luxurious level of comfort, ultimate privacy, and security.

This is a spectacular, luxurious, contemporary home that needs to be personally experienced to appreciate the stylish focal points and the attention to detail.

Soaring sheaths of glass invite you into the entrance hall, flooding the dramatic staircase and interior with light. Vistas to the garden beyond simply delight. The home is fully automated and uses solar and rainwater harvesting technology.

Karen Bosman 083 435 7703, John Bosman 083 271 0231 Web ref: 5173082

SAXONWOLD, JOHANNESBURG

PARKVIEW, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R11.8 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R8 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Exceptional finishes, to the highest standard, 1000m² under roof. Extensive undercover terrace, wine cellar, jacuzzi, steam room sparkling pool, 3 aquaponic systems for Koi. 3 Spacious open-plan receptions overlook garden & pool.

Office/study with sep entrance. Dining area adjoining kitchen, with a massive island, and SMEG gas/electric. Four gorgeous upstairs bedrooms all en-suite, balconies, pyjama lounge. State of the art security with guardhouse. Elsabé 082 414 6655 Office 011 886 8070 Web ref: 5025874

Experience the freedom of views to the East, West, South and North on the Parkview Ridge creating an ambiance of modern scenic living in this 20 year old home. Entrance opens into a large open plan living of kitchen, lounge and dining room, all opening to the garden and onto the covered patio and pool. There is a private study for working from home plus an en-suite guest room or family room. Live, entertain and work from the stunning self-contained studio apartment upstairs. Theodora Brickhill 082 553 8525 Web ref: 5026481

To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

LINDEN, RANDBURG

EAGLE CANYON GOLF ESTATE, RANDBURG

Asking R4.499 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R9.95 million | 6 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

Exceptional home, exceptional value, ultimate comfort, and privacy! Entrance flows into light and airy reception areas. Dining room, elegant lounge and entertainment room with indoor braai opening to the outdoors, TV / family room with fireplace. Solid wood kitchen, granite tops, induction hob, breakfast nook, large scullery, offering ample space for fridges and other appliances. Beautiful deck & solar heated pool. Large garden with lawn and trampoline. Large home office, gym or hobby room. Good staff quarters, double garage, double carport and extra parking space. Excellent security. Melinda Odendaal 083 399 4113, Maria Minik 083 380 2939 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 5166114

North facing architectural designed home with a view of the golf course. Large open plan living area downstairs to a formal lounge, TV lounge, dining room and kitchen leading onto a large, enclosed patio. Guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom plus separate study. Upstairs, 5 bedrooms, 3 are en-suite bathrooms and 2 bedrooms with separate bathroom. The main en-suite bedroom has and large patio and magnificent view of the Estate. Lovely spacious garden with swimming pool that borders onto the green belt. Additional features are a backup power invertor, wine cellar and under-floor heating. Staff acc and 2 double garages. Debby Woodward 082 889 7903 Web ref: 4489991

LINDEN, RANDBURG

FAIRLAND, RANDBURG

Asking R3.2 million | 4 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R3.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Unique, comfortable family home with nostalgic farm style flair. For nature lovers with creative artistic flair, searching for a special home as a private retreat with work from home options. Enter enclosed sunroom, opens onto front garden, dining corner by the kitchen, and a lounge area with fireplace. Modern kitchen fitted with skylight, Caesar stone countertops. Back garden with large pool, spacious patio. 4 Car lock-up garage and laundry/storeroom, or 5th garage.

Flatlet with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom plus staff bathroom. Extra ample parking, borehole, full sprinkle irrigation and good security. Melinda Odendaal 083 399 4113, Maria Minik 083 380 2939 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 5166080

Contemporary and Classy. No transfer fees. New cluster development. High ceilings double volume entrance, natural light. Innovative open plan living rooms - lounge and dining area, covered patio, with built-in gas braai and private garden.

Designers’ kitchen plus scullery. Double volume staircase. 3 Spacious, en-suite bedrooms with air conditioner. Master bedroom with a fully fitted dressing room.

Downstairs: Guestroom/study/work from home, linen cupboard, bathroom with shower, storage under stairs. Double auto garage, visitors parking & communal borehole. Close to excellent schools and your local amenities. Ria de Wet 082 824 6925 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4643676 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

HOUGHTON ESTATE, JOHANNESBURG

CRAIGHALL PARK, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R12.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R8.99 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Magnificent family home set on an acre of parklike lush green gardens. Sparkling pool and tennis court sized Astro sports court for weekend pleasures. Stylish and graceful reception areas, superb open plan kitchen flows onto the expansive outdoor patio. Just move in. 4 Superb bedrooms (mes) with walk-in dressing room, 3 bathrooms. Upstairs and downstairs study. Exceptional finishes throughout. Beautiful flooring and American shutters, North facing, sunny and bright. Tandem garages and off street parking, municipal gas, top end security and CCTV cameras. Staff accommodation and outdoor gym. Subdivision approval for ±1350m² in place. Sabina Seeber 083 254 6981 Web ref: 5154304

A stunning south entry north facing home situated on the Dunkeld and Craighall Park border. Designer built with beautiful finishes, this modern spacious home lends itself to lavish indoor / outdoor entertaining. Wooden stacking doors open onto the garden and pool. Open plan reception rooms flow through to the covered patio. Separate family room. 4 Double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and pyjama lounge. Off street parking, excellent security with beams and electric fencing. Di Kuhlenthal 082 960 5353 Debbie Parkinson 083 326 7739 Office 011 886 8070 Web ref: 5061421

JUKSKEI PARK, RANDBURG

NORTHCLIFF, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R2.65 million | 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R11.5 million | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 3 garages

Gated, private, cul-de-sac beauty, in the heart of Jukskei Park. Kitchen highlights this family home, featuring a temperature controlled wine cellar, gas hob, chimney extractor fan, eye level oven & microwave, prep bowl, granite tops, bulkhead with feature lights and scullery. Open-plan interior lounge and dining room with wood burning fireplace. 3 Laminated bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a study. Perfectly maintained ±1258m² garden with a pool and covered patio.

Double automated garage, fully plumbed Wendy House, alarm, fibre ready, extra storage space and much more. Tania Fourie 082 331 6948 Web ref: 5060838

Prestige position, supreme architecture, high end value with spectacular views.

Enter from the lower lever through a double volume grand entrance. Large kitchen, 2 staff rooms, separate laundry & storeroom. Bar area with built-in braai, open air jacuzzi & 1 bed flatlet. Heated indoor pool & jacuzzi. Indoor gym.

Formal lounge, dining room, TV lounge, guest bathroom. Guest suite, en-suite bedroom with 2 more large bedrooms opening onto patio, PJ lounge & bathroom. Excellent security. Solar heating, fibre, air conditioning, & underfloor heating. Moira du Toit 083 388 8820, Fikile Mashela 073 164 2453 Web ref: 5097343

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UPPER CONSTANTIA, CAPE TOWN

STONEHURST ECO ESTATE, CAPE TOWN

Asking R35 million | 5 bedrooms |5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R15.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Architecturally outstanding, a spectacular 5 bedroom family home with direct access to Groot Constantia vineyards. Set on 2 acres, a Cape Vernacular style home in total harmony with the Constantia landscape. Offering a series of 15 individual pavilions all cleverly linked by board walk style passages, high ceilings with open plan barn style livings spaces, 2 studies, outside entertainment, staff accommodation, triple garages, high tech security - peace & tranquility.

Jo Thomas 084 404 4120, Rouvaun McKirby 071 671 0821 Office: 021 701 2446

This striking, contemporary home combined European industrial chic with African ambience. Designed to make the most of the elevated position with majestic views of Table Mountain, there is something special in every area of the house.

High ceilings, slide away doors, enormous double-glazed windows, magnificent French oak flooring great use of wrought iron elements and plenty of bespoke fittings – it really needs to be viewed to appreciate how wonderful this home is.

4 bedrooms, a spacious work from home office/study, 4 bathrooms, and wellappointed staff quarters with a separate entrance. Dave Burger 083 458 3333

BISHOPS COURT, CAPE TOWN

ZWAANSWYK, CAPE TOWN

Asking R39.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 6 garages

Asking R18.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

"Hathaway" - Comfort, romantic thatched charm and one of the finest locations in Bishopscourt. Subdivision approved, diagram available. The house may be sold separately. The timeless charm of thatch. . .built in the late 1940s, and extended over several generations, this beautiful and versatile home offers a gloriously appointed master suite, three further bedrooms (all en-suite) and fabulous flow throughout ground floor to covered terrace and landscaped garden. Numerous additional features include large borehole, floodlit tennis court, extensive garaging, and a spacious and characterful guest cottage or work from home. Barbara Manning 083 407 3656 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 4994567

Master-built entertainer's dream home in sylvan setting, surrounded by sweeping mountain views. Open plan reception rooms and stylish kitchen. Easy indoor / outdoor lifestyle. Patio doors open to a sparkling pool and lovely garden with mature trees. Separate family / TV room provides a Cinema room experience.

The exquisite main bedroom, leading to an elevated veranda with views of the garden and paddocks, features a walk-in dressing room and elegant en-suite bathroom. Three further spacious bedrooms and a large loft/games room provide an enviable lifestyle for a family of four or more. High end finishes throughout. Full equestrian facilities, excellent security and more! Dawn Bloch 072 496 9458 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 5036491 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

KENILWORTH UPPER, CAPE TOWN Asking R9.75 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 4 garages

RONDEBOSCH, CAPE TOWN Asking R8 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 3 garages

It’s beautiful, it’s immaculate, it’s everything you want in a family home.

Magnificent open-plan kitchen and scullery with state-of-the-art appliances and finishes, cosy TV room, open-plan dining room and lounge with morso fireplace and doors leading to a huge undercover patio, private garden and pool, large office/extra bedroom upstairs, guest toilet and staff accommodation. Positioned in a quiet street in Upper Kenilworth. Close to all leading schools and shopping areas, central and convenient. Excellent security & fibre. Ruth Leach 082 323 7550 Elaine Dobson 082 413 7369 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 5127376

Beautifully appointed, double storey home, in prestigious location for top schools.

Light and bright, West facing home in excellent condition. Seamless flow from stylish, sleek kitchen to open plan dining and lounge (with double sided fireplace) out onto the covered patio and sparkling pool, with lovely mountain views. All bedrooms are en-suite. The fourth bedroom is a full guest suite with seating area, kitchenette and gorgeous, sun drenched and private herb garden. Three garages with direct access to the courtyard and into the kitchen. Landscaped garden, good security and charming street appeal. Jane Stirton 083 613 7863

MUIZENBERG, CAPE TOWN

KOMMETJIE, CAPE TOWN

Asking R7.9 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 4 car parking

Price on application | 5 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages

This majestic heritage home from 1930s is a rare example of unspoiled Art Deco architecture and design throughout. Every aspect of the house has been carefully thought, from the oak parquet flooring, the Italian finishes on the walls to integrated picture frames that still contain their original etchings or a magnificent sweeping stairway with its curved Teak banister and art deco wrought iron baluster. Each of the reception areas flow seamlessly from one to the other with impressive views over the Zandvlei Estuary and the Muizenberg Mountains.

Jonathan Alexander 082 570 9007 Paula Giusti 082 770 7705 Web ref 5092696

This fabulous North facing family home, situated on a corner double stand in the heart of Kommetjie. Airy and light offering generous accommodation & double volume kitchen & living area opening to undercover wrap around veranda with built in braai. All rooms have outdoor access. The ground floor has a school room / study, TV lounge & guest suite. The second level offers sensational mountain views, family bathroom, 3 double bedrooms & a luxurious master en-suite. The double garage is larger than usual with extra height & direct access into the home & garden. Natalie Cooper 083 630 0911 Office 021 783 8260 Web Ref: 4285507

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DIE BOORD, STELLENBOSCH

BRANDWACHT, STELLENBOSCH

Asking R20 million | 8 bedrooms | 9½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R12 million | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Luxurious living with timeless appeal. Master-built entertainer's dream house bordering the Eerste River and surrounded by sweeping mountain views. Style is the hallmark of this gorgeous family home. This elegant and timeless home is the epitome of luxurious living in Stellenbosch. Leonie Nell 082 773 0655 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 5129167

Dream home with Contemporary design. The view from this property's balconies and light flooded dining / living area looks over a beautiful park-like garden with its mature trees and bushes. Maggie Smit 083 712 5716 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4781318

FRANSCHHOEK, WESTERN CAPE

DE ZALZE, WINELANDS GOLF ESTATE

Asking R7.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 5 carports

Price on request | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Perfectly positioned family home or AirBNB in Franschhoek. Combining a central but tranquil position in Cabriere Street, this 4/5 bedroom home is operating as a 4-star guest establishment. It can become your family home with optional short term letting income. Eddie Van Pachtenbeke 071 003 0363 Office 021 876 8480 Web ref: 5169218

Gorgeous Golf Estate grandeur. With expansive views over vines, golf course and the Stellenbosch mountains, there can be no better place to call home. Built around a central courtyard with sheltered pool, and with comfortable entertainment rooms. Chris Cilliers 082 568 1122 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 5171905

To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

BOSCHENMEER GOLF & COUNTRY ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

FAIRHAVEN COUNTRY ESTATE, SOMERSET WEST

Asking R7.950 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R7.695 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Excellent location within Exclusive Golf Estate. This well-designed, spacious home features panoramic views across the golf course and mountains from the large entertainment lounge, bar, enclosed patio and upstairs pajama lounge.

Marilize Breytenbach 083 241 1580 Marinda de Jongh 082 573 2204 Office 021 863 0266 Web ref: 5065525

Architectural designed home in upmarket estate with beautiful mountain and sea views. This exceptional home is designed with free-flowing spaces and is superbly maintained with quality finishes throughout. Built to take advantage of the natural light from every angle which accents the immaculate finishing touches. Chantal Botes 083 702 5460 Office 021 851 4450 Web ref: 3763278

VAL DE VIE ESTATE, WINELANDS

PEARL VALLEY AT VAL DE VIE, WINELANDS

Asking R10.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R19.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

Boasting an array of clean and elegant finishes, a thoughtful and practical layout, this immaculate four bedroom home is a paradigm of the Val de Vie lifestyle and perfection to those appreciating being close to the lakes and the Main-Gate entrance. Marli Scheppel 083 988 5691 Suritha van Tonder 084 440 4283 Office 021 867 0161 Web ref: 4994514

North facing with panoramic views in Pearl Valley Golf Estate. This incredible spacious and well planned four bedroom family home is a perfect sanctuary for the new age, "work from home" family! With 2 spacious studies/studio's with doors leading to the garden and courtyard. The tranquillity of the surrounding indigenous fynbos and water wise garden bordering onto the award winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, is another added bonus. Desiré Crowther 082 576 4962 Office 021 867 0161 Web ref: 5100018

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CORNWALL HILL, CENTURION Price on application | 5 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms |11 garages

CORNWALL HILL ESTATE, CENTURION Price on application | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 6 garages

Nestled within lush tropical gardens and set on Cornwall Hill’s second most scenic escarpment, sits this newly renovated breath-taking home which boasts stunning panoramic views of the city which is sure to leave you in awe. An absolute masterpiece in fine contemporary excellence; set proudly in an exclusive estate, this magnificent five-bedroom and en-suite home impresses with its innovative design, expansive interiors, integrated home automation system, private wine cellar, and two gorgeous indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Lisa Kelly 082 559 1395 Office 010 510 0000 Web ref: 4849919

This palatial classic whispers of sophisticated elegance in its timeless and free flowing design. An exquisite English manor offering luxurious proportions and superior finishing’s. Set in a prestigious haven of tranquillity and privacy with panoramic views, epitomizes the perfect marriage of architectural magnificence and opulence. Majestic reception rooms fitted with Masport gas fireplaces boast beautiful stacking doors which open onto a sumptuous covered veranda with vistas of the magnificent, manicure garden accentuated by the tranquil water features and cityscapes beyond. Large natural dam / lake with around 60 Koi fish. Lisa Kelly 082 559 1395 Office 012 460 9261

OLIVE CREST ECO ESTATE, RANDBURG

OLIVE CREST ECO ESTATE, RANDBURG

Asking R4.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R5.6 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Exceptional bright and sunny spectacular home in Olive Crest Eco Estate. The culinary gourmet kitchen will be a dream space for the chef in you. It is equipped for entertaining, and the double doors flow onto the oversized under cover entertainment patio with built in gas braai. The double volume entrance leads into the open plan, warm and inviting gracious reception rooms. A private guest suite and guest toilet forms part of the features downstairs. The second level offers three en-suite bedrooms and a family TV room/ study. Upstairs balcony’s provides relaxing outdoor areas. Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Web ref: 4980323

Elegance, exclusivity, and extravagance all capture this unique home. This bright and airy home comprises of an open plan kitchen, dining and living spaces all opening to a dream entertainment area. Living areas all open onto the magnificent under roof entertainment area and heated pool. Spacious upstairs main bedroom.

His/her dressing room with balcony and views. Upstairs family lounge with fireplace. The interior of this home blends seamlessly with the exterior landscape. A further surprise is the full cinema lounge and wine cellar. Staff quarters, double automated garages and loads of off-street parking space.

Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Web ref: 5107259

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BALLITO, KWAZULU NATAL

UMHLANGA ROCKS, KWAZULU-NATAL

Asking R9.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R16.2 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 6 garages

Set on one of the most luxurious streets in Ballito this immaculate home with 180° breaker sea views offers you the ultimate privacy and grand living experience.

A generous lounge with fireplace, and dinning are open plan to the kitchen with feature island. Open plan living with outstanding sea views from wherever you are lead to an outstanding enclosed entertainment area with all the bells and whistles. Built-in gas braai, pizza oven, fire pit, rim flow pool, fully contained large one bedroom flatlet. A place you can relax, in ultimate privacy, comfort and style.

Sabrina Errico 082 414 8955, Kristen Gullan 063 494 1962 Web ref: H1414

Expansive boutique apartment, exclusive design, striking layout and breathtaking sea views. Elements of design creates a welcoming feel on entry.

Entertaining and living areas is extended via full length stackable door and shutter door onto wrap-around balcony with pool, jacuzzi and built-in braai.

Beach access is only 1 minute away. The interior and exterior delivers’ high level of sophistication, the lifestyle and local facilities is immediately accessible.

King Shaka International Airport, Gateway Shopping Centre and Sibiya Cassino are all within easy reach. Desiree Bedhasie 083 4473 584 Web ref: UC063

FOURWAYS GARDENS ESTATE, SANDTON

KINGSWOOD GOLF ESTATE, GEORGE

Asking R4.85 million | 4 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R6.75 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 3 garages

Stylist family home situated in Fourways Gardens Estate. This beautiful home has had renovation giving the home a fresh look, including a private lounge (with fireplace) open-plan kitchen, large centre Island, large pantry, separate scullery.

The kitchen opens onto the dining room & TV family room that flows to a covered patio with views of the manicured garden & pool. Boasting 4 spacious bedrooms with renovated bathrooms. The main bedroom includes a full en-suite bathroom with double vanity and walk in closet. Situated close to the clubhouse and park.

Home complete with double garage, extra parking on driveway. Includes staff acc. Philip Myburgh 079 241 1245 Adam Brown 072 026 4571 Web ref: 5130898

This exquisite home enjoys spectacular views across the fairways, to the mountains beyond. Expansive, interleading living areas flow out to the pool and lush gardens.

The open-plan kitchen is a dream, with pantry, scullery and separate laundry.

Entertain with ease, in the expansive dining and lounging areas, braai and games room. The luxurious main and 2nd bedrooms are en-suite and 2 more bedrooms enjoy doors leading out to the garden. The “pajama” lounge opens out to the balcony and spectacular view. Work remotely, from the comfortable, spacious study. Double garaging & separate golf cart garage. Ronél Thiart 083 627 6806 Office 044 873 2519 Web ref: 5114769 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R25 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R8.6 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

A sough-after property and honestly a rare opportunity to be in the front row in Formosa Street above Look Out Beach! Perfectly north-facing home in one of Plett’s most desirable areas. Magnificent sea views over the bay, lagoon and mountains. Artist renderings and plans provide an impression of what could be done with this home. This older home offers 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a separate 1 bedroom flat, double garage, garden and security. It is an easy walk to Plettenberg Bay incredible beaches as well as to the town centre. Location, location! Werner Harris 084 351 8992 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4654332

Elevated immaculate well-loved multilevel quality family home with fantastic panoramic ocean & mountain views (Robberg Peninsula & Tsitsikamma Mountains), open plan lounge & dining area with a fabulous gourmet kitchen, separate laundry & scullery, sunny extra lounge area, large undercover patio perfect for entertaining, large family room or office, enclosed patio, wine cellar, 2 guest toilets, large playroom with bar, pool, lovely private garden & double garage. Added extras include: underfloor heating in main bedroom, updated irrigation system, small work area in garage, ample parking space with carport adjacent to the garage. Carrie Maclean 082 566 1881 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: RL100626

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R9.45 million | 5 bedrooms | 6½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R7.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 2 garages

North facing spacious luxurious family home in Brackenridge offers fantastic flow, space and light throughout. No expense spared, top of range finishes, fine attention to detail. Comprises 3 en-suite bedrooms, high-ceiling open plan lounge with gas fireplace, dining room and modern kitchen with separate laundry / scullery, 2 flatlets (one completely separate from the main house), large double garage, a private garden courtyard, covered patio with fire pit, pool and study or nursery. Beautiful valley views. The estate offers wonderful nature trails, excellent security – 24 gate guards, personal security patrols and a 6km state-of-the-art electrified perimeter fence. Bea Armstrong 082 940 6616 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: RL98542

Immaculate, modern, warm, welcoming home in Brackenridge. An atmosphere of light, warmth and colour, with absolute attention to detail and quality finishes. The u-shape creates lovely entertainment area with pergola and pool. Private separate main bedroom, guest toilet, study, courtyard with doggy shower, 12 solar panels, double garage with extra storeroom, and ample parking for visitors. Adjacent to greenbelt and overlooks the valley and a pond. Fully fenced garden with large yard for pets. Brackenridge is one of Plett’s most sought after eco and access-controlled estates with 24-hour security. Karin Loretz 082 324 9038 Office: 044 533 2529 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

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