Private Edition Issue 51 Sothebys Realty

ISSUE 51

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CONTENTS I SS UE

51

2021

52 COVER

46 8

E D I TOR ’ S

L E T T E R

Thoughts from the editor PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY STOCK

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T H E

BR I E F I N G

The latest news from the world of luxury and investment

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C H OOS E

H OPE

Covetable luxury timepieces go under the hammer at the ninth Only Watch charity auction in Geneva

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T H E

WOM A N

BE H I N D

T H E

L E N S

Meet the women whose artistic expression from behind the camera is garnering global acclaim

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C H E E RS

TO

T H E

OL D

L A DY

The Winchester will re-emerge in spring after her centenary makeover

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D RE A M I N G

OF

H E AVE N

A new era of travel will see commercial flights to the edge of space become available to a lucky few

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62 38

28 T H E

S HA PE

O F

TH I N G S

Daring creations from the world’s foremost design disruptors

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N ATU R E ’ S

R E S E R VE

A mountainside coastal retreat offers the perfect repose

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T H E

YO U NG E ST

C HE F

Braam Beyers has earned his place as Tintswalo Atlantic’s head chef

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T H E

C L A S S I Q U E

EXPE R I E N C E

Raise a glass to South Africa’s Méthode Cap Classique tradition

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FA M I LY

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F I R ST

A visit to Manyeleti Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park provides the perfect antidote to isolation in the city

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T H E G R E AT S O UT H JAG UA R C HA S E

A F R I CA N

Mark Eveleigh takes to the Cape Fold Belt in one of the world’s most advanced SUVs

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FROM THE EDITOR I S S UE

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202 1 EDITOR SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE snewham@tppsa.co.za

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HE WORLD’S AFFLUENT are now drinking more champagne and buying more designer handbags than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic. This according to new financial results from luxe conglomerate LVMH whose brands include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany. Meanwhile, shares in Richemont, the luxury goods company chaired by Johann Rupert, have exploded by 76 percent on the JSE in the past year according to Financial Mail.

While upturns have happened quicker than anticipated, this is perhaps testimony to the fact that those who spend are weathering the pandemic with their purchasing power very much intact.

This is good news for the luxury sector.

In ‘Cheers to the old lady’ (page 28), Richard Holmes chats to the new owners of the iconic Winchester Mansions on the Sea Point promenade whose R90-million upgrade illustrates the confidence Newmark’s CEO Neil Markovitz has in the recovery of luxury travel.

Very recently, Sir Richard Branson’s short but bold catapult into space marks the beginning of a new era of space travel. In ‘Dreaming of Heaven’ (page 32), we take a look at who else is developing offerings in tourism and where to next.

Tintswalo Group has also demonstrated its confidence with the opening of Chef’s Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic headed by chef Braam Beyers. In ‘The youngest chef’ (page 52), we meet the man behind the unique culinary creations on offer at this extraordinary venue.

Finally, we raise a glass to the Methode Cap Classique industry that was born 50 years ago from the pioneering decision by Simonsig’s late winemaker Frans Malan to make South Africa’s own champagne-style wine. Read ‘Classique experience’ (page 58) to enjoy South Africa’s favourite MCC offerings.

Cheers to that!

CREATIVE DIRECTOR TARYN RHODA ART DIRECTOR SUE-MAÉ EASTON SENIOR DESIGNER BETTINA REDDELL 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

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

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PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE EDITOR

C EO’ S

LEW GEFFEN CHAIRMAN

LET TER

YAEL GEFFEN CEO

I N T E R N AT I O N A L LY A F F I L I AT E D AGENCIES ESSENTIAL IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE THE ADVENT OF THE DIGITAL AGE HAS TRANSFORMED MOST INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING REAL ESTATE, WHICH HAS SEEN MORE CHANGE IN THE PAST DECADE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS 50 YEARS.

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LOBALLY, COVID-19 has precipitated significant changes in home and lifestyle priorities with a universal move to properties that will more easily accommodate the needs of housebound families and also allow one to work from home.

And in countries like South Africa, where the economic and social repercussions have been more severe, there has been a spike in emigration and offshore investment enquiries and the desire to have a firm plan B in place.

This is where an established agency with an international affiliation is invaluable.

It affords clients access to a vast global network and offers considerable advantages, from established relationships with a worldwide community of professionals to wide-ranging marketing reach. In other words, a turnkey solution.

From selling a home in South Africa to buying a new property in the country to which they are moving or investing in, along with residency to establish their plan B, dealing with an agency is the best way for clients to conclude international transactions as seamlessly as possible.

South Africans can get a very respectable bang for their buck as well as foreign residency in countries like Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Malta and Mauritius, all of which are fast-emerging as leading destinations for property investments that deliver returns. We already have established relationships in place to assist.

And with international investors looking to make their money go further, they’re finding additional exchange discounting in the luxury end of the local market right now – up to 8% less than they would have paid just a month ago.

Not only are property prices lower than they have been in many years, people are getting zero return on money in banks overseas, so savvy investors are putting their money to work in markets where they’ll get the best value.

A number of sales have already been concluded digitally by agents around the country, with most properties being bought sight unseen by buyers hailing mainly from Africa, the UK, Canada and Germany.

Our company’s international affiliation and being able to market properties on a globally recognised platform are invaluable in this price band, and many buyers have found their way to us through these channels.

And whilst Covid-19 has certainly had an impact on incoming investors, it has not notably slowed foreign buyer interest, with South Africa having one of the most accessible property markets, coupled with a slow price growth environment and favourable exchange rate.

Real estate has always been perceived as a safe harbour for investors in turbulent times and the current global recessionary conditions and uncertainty precipitated by the pandemic have created unique opportunities in this market, especially the luxury sector. 

YAEL GEFFEN CEO

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BIG BANG INTEGRAL Grey ceramic case with integrated bracelet.

In-house UNICO chronograph movement.

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

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THE

BRIEFING

TASTINGS

Maintaining the value in vintage wine FOR SERIOUS WINE COLLECTORS, PROVENANCE AND STORAGE ARE PARAMOUNT. As interest in fine wine from South African collectors, connoisseurs and consumers grows, the importancce of wine storage and provenance is greater than ever before. James Pietersen, CEO of fine-wine merchants Wine Cellar, offers tips for optimal wine storage.

WINE MUST BE STORED AT A CONSTANT 13-16ºC

Wine needs to be maintained at the ideal temperature band of 13-16ºC. To do so, you’ll require a cooling unit.

If you intend to store wines privately with the purpose of reselling or realising value from your collection, then recording temperatures with a simple temperature data recorder is essential for provenance.

OPTIMAL HUMIDITY FALLS BETWEEN 65-75%

For perfect cellaring conditions, it’s important that the air is not too dry as it may result in corks drying out, which allows more oxygen into the bottle causing premature oxidation. On the other hand, a damp and wet environment can lead to mould and moistureridden bottles and capsules. The ideal humidity level for wine storage falls between 65-75%.

LIGHT MUST BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM

Your cellar should only have essential lighting. Excess light will deteriorate the wine quality over time. The wines should also be kept in their cases to ensure a dark environment for each bottle.

ART

Weaving into life

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED, GETTY IMAGES

A NEW EXHIBITION OF SOUTH AFRICAN TAPESTRY ART OPENS AT LA MOTTE. In a world where disembodied virtual experiences have become the order of the day, Threads of Synergy – a new exhibition of South African large-scale tapestry art in the La Motte Museum – offers a tactile encounter that allows audiences to regain a sensitivity towards surfaces and reawaken their sense of touch.

The exhibition presents a selection of tapestries woven by the Stephens Tapestry Studio and includes South African artists Robert Hodgins, William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa, Cecily Sash and Cecil Skotnes. By extending traditional boundaries between art and craft, tapestry reveals the very essence of creative collaboration between artists, designers and weavers.

Threads of Synergy adds another sensory experience to La Motte’s acclaimed art offering, which includes the estate’s famed Pierneef exhibition, a wealth of sculptures, classical music concerts, the culinary arts and, of course, the art of winemaking. The exhibition will run until winter 2022. la-motte.com

ISSUE 51

STORE WINES ON THEIR SIDE

The traditional way of storing wines horizontally results in healthy, elastic corks.

If a home cellar is not an option, there are wine storage specialists, like Wine Cellar, that store wine on behalf of hundreds of South Africa’s most avid fine-wine collectors. winecellar.co.za

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THE

BRIEFING

ART

For the love of art BRINGING TOGETHER GALLERIES, ARTISTS AND CURATORS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, THE TURBINE ART FAIR OFFERS CULTURAL STIMULATION IN A TIME OF CREATIVE DROUGHT.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

The 9th edition of Turbine Art Fair, a new hybrid fair of online viewing rooms and exhibition space, will take place in Illovo from 30 September to 3 0ctober 2021.

This popular art fair is aimed at small-scale and emerging galleries as well as emerging artists and collectors working towards growing the market for South African contemporary art.

Glynis Hyslop, who founded the art fair in 2013, says, ‘The past year and a half has been one we will never forget. We’ve all been so isolated from each other and the amazing experiences normally on offer throughout the year. We believe art needs to be viewed and enjoyed in person. As a result, we’ve moved TAF to October in the hope that South Africans of all age groups have been vaccinated. TAF is not just an art fair but a lifestyle experience and we hope we will be able to bring a much-needed cultural experience to Jozi.’

The 2021 programme, themed Evergreen, will showcase a selection of art exhibitions by Southern African galleries, collectives, art dealers, creative project spaces and designers, in addition to specially curated exhibitions. turbineartfair.co.za

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THE

BRIEFING

DEPARTURES

Sanctuary Mandela SPEND A NIGHT OF QUIET LUXURY AT MADIBA’S FORMER PRESIDENTIAL HOME. Nelson Mandela’s home in Houghton, Johannesburg, opened its doors as a 5-star boutique hotel called Sanctuary Mandela in August. Paying homage to Madiba’s depth of character and contemplative spirit, the luxe hotel is surrounded by lush gardens and retreat spaces filled with perfectly curated exhibits that pay tribute to the human rights activist. The home where Madiba hosted the likes of Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton offers nine individually appointed rooms, a fine-dining restaurant where you can sample dishes known to be among Mandela’s favourites, a beautifully appointed bar, meeting rooms and a swimming pool.

Every corner of the hotel is envisaged to provide the perfect combination of tranquillity, heritage and mindful experience. Time spent at Sanctuary Mandela promises healing and reflection. sanctuarymandela.com

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THE

BRIEFING

TASTINGS

The Hollywood of champers SOUTH AFRICANS CAN NOW SIP ON THE SAME BUBBLY ENJOYED

BY HOLLYWOOD’S STARS. Henry Tayler & Ries recently welcomed Piper Heidsieck champagne, including the limited-edition Cinema Edition Brut, to its portfolio. Piper Heidsieck traces its origins back to 1785 and, today, is the most awarded champagne house worldwide.

The Cinema Edition Brut aptly celebrates Piper Heidsieck’s movie theatre track record since 1933 when a bottle of champagne made its debut on the silver screen. For more than 20 years it has been the Cannes Film Festival’s champagne of choice. In the last six years Piper Heidsieck appeared in more than 50 movies and was the official celebratory drink at the most recent Academy Awards.

Available in major liquor outlets, the signature Cuvée Brut, consisting of 50-55% Pinot Noir, 30-35% Meunier and 15-20% Chardonnay, can now be enjoyed

by South Africans. Ideal for those who prefer bubbles with a little more heft and volume, the champagne asserts bold flavours but is still easy to drink. piper-heidsieck.com

DÉCOR

Lightness of being A COLLECTOR’S PIECE BRINGING LIGHT TO YOUR HOME.

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PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

South African furniture and décor artisans Palmy Living, in collaboration with illustrator Maria Magdalena Atelier and ceramic artist Corinne de Haas, has launched two striking AfriScandi-inspired sculptural lamps. The lamps debut as part of Palmy’s new Day in Africa collection, adding African textures, shapes and soft light as features that complement a modern home.

With their carefully crafted organic lines and neutral hues, these lamps invite nature into your home. The lamps feature a delicately hand-carved textured ceramic base with Vietnamese-inspired lampshades through which the poetry of light plays out. The Sculptural Baobab Lamp features a textured base reminiscent of the African baobab tree, while the Sculptural River Lamp captures the soft meandering movement of African rivers. With only a limited production run, one of these proudly South African collector’s pieces will add a subtle touch of the African bush to your home. palmyliving.com

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T H E

B R I E F I N G

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

A time for bravery CREATED IN HONOUR OF LOUIS VUITTON’S BICENTENARY, BRAVERY IS A HIGH-JEWELLERY COLLECTION INSPIRED BY A POWERFUL HERITAGE. An expression of renewed elegance, Louis Vuitton’s Bravery collection, underpinned by virtuoso savoir-faire, interprets the Maison’s signatures in gemstones and precious metals to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of a man who has become a legend.

Born in 1821, Louis Vuitton was barely a teenager when he decided to leave home and try his luck in Paris. This initiatory journey on foot across France inspired him to become a trunk maker and packer. Having met with instant success, his trunks paved the way for modern luxury.

Bravery is a collection of 90 emblematic pieces that celebrate and retrace the extraordinary path of Louis Vuitton in a dreamlike, metaphorical manner. From the birth of travel to modern times, the Maison continues to reinvent itself, drawing inspiration from the universal appeal of its founder.

Bravery is the third high-jewellery collection designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for watches and jewellery. She says, ‘Driven by his curiosity about the world, Louis Vuitton embarked on that incredible journey across France. That’s why we have named this collection Bravery. It’s a word not often used in high jewellery, yet these notions of determination and adventure are intrinsic to Louis Vuitton, and we wanted to express them through this collection.’

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THE

BRIEFING

INVESTMENT

Time to consider offshore wealth creation CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, THE NET WEALTH OF CERTAIN HOUSEHOLDS INCREASED MASSIVELY FOLLOWING THE INITIAL SHARP DOWNTURN CAUSED BY THE FIRST COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA. With similar positive trends being seen across the world, now is the time to look offshore for growth opportunities, with guidance from expert advisers.

Based on the increase in household net wealth, households can further enhance this gain by increasing their exposure to offshore investments.

Although South Africa constitutes less than 0.5% of the global economy and less than 1% of investable opportunities, affluent South Africans have between 66% and 80% of their wealth tied up locally.

As high net-worth individuals increasingly look offshore for growth opportunities, households wanting to protect their wealth and to grow with the rest of the world must also invest with a global perspective. For those households that have emerged stronger since the pandemic, consideration should be given to diversifying more globally and working with suitably equipped advisers such as Old Mutual Wealth. oldmutual.co.za/wealth

TIMING

Keeping Olympic time

Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, and served for the 29th time at the prestigious event in Japan earlier this year.

Honouring this year’s event, Omega launched the new Seamaster Aqua Terra watches, offered in 38mm or 41mm sizes. Presented on blue leather straps, the watches are notable for their polished, blue ceramic dials, which have been laserengraved with a pattern inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games emblem.

Appropriately, one of the first people to wear this new watch on their wrist was Michael Phelps – the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals. Phelps has been part of the Omega brand family since 2004. omega.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

IN TRIBUTE TO THE ULTIMATE SPORTING PRIZE, A GOLD MEDAL, OMEGA HAS CRAFTED TWO UNIQUE TIMEPIECES, EACH MADE FROM 18K YELLOW GOLD AND DEDICATED TO THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES.

www.

.com

TIMING

CHOOSE

HOPE

Highly covetable one-of-a-kind luxury watches go under the hammer at the ninth Only Watch charity auction in Geneva in November.

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WORDS DEBBIE HATHWAY

HOW MUCH WILL be raised this year at the much-anticipated Only Watch biennial charity auction in Geneva on 6 November is anybody’s guess. So far, the support offered by watchmakers, collectors, philanthropists and partners in raising funds for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy totals €70 million.

The event is the initiative of Luc Pettavino, president of Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies, and is held under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II. Luc pays tribute, as usual, to the person who inspired the event – the ‘courageous, admirable, handsome, funny and kind Paul Pettavino. His light hovers over Only Watch.’

This year more than 50 brands have offered a magnificent unique timepiece for the auction – collectors’ items par excellence. ‘Thanks to the generosity of all involved, this group is creating incredible momentum in the watch industry once again. Have a look at the pieces and you will agree with me,’ says Luc. Take the Fabergé piece, for example, which is inspired by the idea of ‘wishing on a star’. The rose-gold dial features the words ‘Choose hope’, hand engraved to further emphasise the Only Watch cause, and ruby-set shooting stars. Rubies are associated with passion, prosperity and protection.

Some of the brands are offering more than the timepiece for the occasion. The proud owner of the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 flyback chronograph will be offered an exclusive visit to the ateliers of the Breguet Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland.

Here, watchmakers combine avant-garde processes with closely guarded traditional techniques to produce masterpieces like this. The Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 faithfully reproduces the visual and mechanical codes of the legendary Breguet pilot watch with flyback chronograph.

Meanwhile the HM10 Panda by MB&F comes with a series of illustrations by multidisciplinary designer Lee Yuen-Rapati. When MB&F watched Lee draw their HM10 Bulldog during a Zoom session with watch enthusiasts RedBar, they landed on the idea for this special collaboration for Only Watch.

Proceeds from the auction have enabled researchers to prepare for their first clinical trial in 2022, with the reasonable hope of changing the lives of thousands of people and families. With support from

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FROM ABOVE The Fabergé Dalliance ‘Choose Hope’ features a mother-of-pearl dial and red alligator strap.

The Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 is a flyback chronograph.

MB&F has transformed its HM10 Bulldog into a panda bear for Only Watch

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TIMING

LEFT Krayon’s Anywhere watch features a metiers d’arts dial inspired by Claude Monet’s ‘Impression, Sunrise’. The mechanism can be set to calculate sunrise and sunset times, wherever the wearer is in the world

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

BELOW Boucheron’s Ajourée Masy le Caméléon is paved with round diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites and rubies.

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Only Watch sports a Swiss granite dial

the Association since 2005, scientists have been able to accelerate their investigation into genetic diseases and their associated dysfunctions, and develop pioneering techniques towards the therapies required for the lengthy correction process.

‘Our motto is “Create beauty to do good”. We do this with a gentle human touch, a clear goal to progress with patience and determination towards therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and an ethical and identical approach to each member of the Only Watch community. Administrative costs are capped at 2% maximum of the result,’ says Luc. He notes that acts of altruism, compassion and empathy seem to have accelerated since the pandemic hit. ‘They are a reason for optimism. They speak to humanity’s enduring emotional intelligence, have the power to positively shape our lives, and can be applied in a sustainable way to help each other and the planet,’ says Luc. Watches to be auctioned this year will be presented to the public, media and horological enthusiasts on a promotional tour starting at the Monaco Yacht Show in Monaco on 22 September.

Follow @onlywatch_official for updates.

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ART

THIS PAGE Jo Ractliffe’s ‘Man Maintaining the Lawn of Monumento de Agostinho Neto’ (2007)

THE

WOMAN BEHIND THE

LENS A group of South African women are capturing international attention, and many awards, in the world of photography.

T PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND STEVENSON, CAPE TOWN

WORDS SEAN O’TOOLE

ISSUE 51

THE PAST FEW YEARS have been a time of reform and reinvention in the art world.

In South Africa, a multigenerational group of women photographers have been captivating audiences and garnering plaudits.

Enigmatic Zanele Muholi and Jo Ractliffe, two respected mid-career photographers, have both had their work surveyed by prominent museums in London and Chicago respectively. Young photographers like Phumzile Khanyile and Lebohang Kganye have also been making headlines, this after clinching important early-career awards and showing up in all the right places.

While their work ranges in style from gritty documentary to experimental studio-based pieces, the four photographers share a common connection to The Market Photo Workshop, a photography school, gallery and project space, founded in 1989 by David Goldblatt. ‘It never ceased to excite me,’ Goldblatt told me of the work he saw produced by the workshop’s graduates.

Increasingly his excitement is being shared and experienced by a wider public.

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ART

JO

R ACTLIFFE

A pioneer of experimentation in photography, Jo Ractliffe (b. 1961) started out producing black-and-white photos.

The landscapes of her native Cape Town featured prominently. In the late 1980s, she began experimenting with photomontage, a shift that proved liberating. ‘I could reconfigure my photographs, assembling various elements from different pictures to create an image that retained something of photographic veracity but that could also speak metaphorically to what felt like an apocalyptic time in South Africa,’ she said.

Heralded by the influential NigerianAmerican curator Okwui Enwezor as ‘one of the most accomplished and underrated photographers of her generation’, Ractliffe’s photos and lesserknown videos are currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago in the US. The exhibition, the first-ever international survey of her work, charts Ractliffe’s development from wandering modernist observer of Cape Town’s shabby urban periphery to innovative recorder of Johannesburg’s post-apartheid flux. After a period working in colour, Ractliffe returned to black and white in 2007 for a project documenting contemporary Angola. She has produced two further bodies of work exploring the aftermath of South Africa’s long and ruinous war with Angola.

‘My interest is not in the immediacy of the moment and the thing in front of me,’ Ractliffe, once told me. ‘It is always the stuff that circulates around it, the felt experience.’

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ZANELE

MU HOL I

Unquestionably South Africa’s most renowned contemporary photographer, Durban-born Zanele Muholi (b. 1972) initially studied PR before enrolling at the Photo Workshop in 2001. A year later, Muholi, who uses the gender pronouns ‘they/their’, co-founded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, the first black lesbian rights organisation in South Africa. These two events – the decision to study photography and mobilise against homophobic abuses – have deeply influenced Muholi’s subsequent career.

‘In the face of all the challenges our community encounters daily, I embarked on a journey of visual activism to ensure that there is black queer visibility,’ Muholi has said, yielding the descriptor they are most known by: ‘visual activist’.

Muholi’s earliest work was largely documentary in nature, addressing the reality of homophobic hate crimes, but included hints of the lyricism and autobiography of their later work. After graduating from the Photo Workshop, Muholi drafted Goldblatt to be their mentor. He later paid for Muholi’s postgraduate studies at Ryerson University in Toronto.

‘Some of us grew up without fathers,’ Muholi once told me of Goldblatt. ‘He filled that role, in a way. I could be me, and I had no reservations. Every criticism made me produce quality work.’

Muholi first achieved international prominence with their project Faces and Phases (2006-ongoing), individual portraits of black lesbians exhibited in large groupings. Muholi’s current widespread acclaim is built on their self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail, the Dark Lioness). Started in 2012 in Cape Town, and made on the fly in cities globally, the self-portraits feature props (wooden pegs, pool pipes, bicycle tyres, straws) and employ heightened contrast. ‘By exaggerating the darkness of my skin tone, I’m reclaiming my blackness,’ Muholi said.

‘I think that the things Muholi deals with in relation to race and representation, queer histories and creating counter archives, is really important and speaks to a particular moment that has touched a lot of people,’ says curator Sarah Allen, who co-organised a recent survey of Muholi’s work at London’s Tate Modern. ‘The self-portrait series is just incredibly strong as well.’ Acclaimed Johannesburg photographer Jodi Bieber, known equally for her gritty assignment work and ennobling portraits of women, is effusive: ‘I absolutely love and adore Zanele’s self-portraits. They are so visually striking and dynamic.’

PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND STEVENSON, CAPE TOWN

ABOVE Jo Ractliffe’s ‘Nadir’ (1986-88), from a series of 16 screen-printed photographic lithographs

ART

THIS PAGE Zanele Muholi’s ‘Somnyama in Lafayette’, a self-portrait from the series Somnyama Ngonyama (meaning Hail, the Dark Lioness)

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ART

L E BO H A NG

KGA N YE

Ekurhuleni-born Lebohang Kganye (b. 1990) wanted to be a writer, not a photographer. When her application to study journalism at Wits University was rejected, she enrolled in a photojournalism course at the Photo Workshop in 2009, the idea being that she would later reapply for journalism. One year turned into two, then three, and, well, journalism’s loss has been photography’s gain. A rising star in international photography, Kganye has bagged

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a slew of awards, including the Camera Austria Award for Contemporary Photography in 2019, and the 2020/21 Grand Prix Images Vevey, a prestigious European photography prize with a R650 000 purse.

‘Kganye has a practice deeply informed by the concerns and techniques of master artists from South Africa including William Kentridge, David Goldblatt, Sam Nhlengethwa, and Zanele Muholi,’ remarked the Images Vevey jury in reference to her imaginative practice, which draws photography into conversation with printmaking, sculpture, video and performance.

For all its cross-disciplinary wandering, Kganye’s practice remains rooted in photography, in particular archival photos from personal family albums.

In 2012, two years after her mother’s death, Kganye was awarded a Tierney Fellowship, a mentorship award administered by the Photo Workshop. It enabled her to travel and meet with scattered members of the Kganye family, as well as

work with artist Mary Sibande and curator Nontobeko Ntombela as mentors. This intensive process culminated in her 2013 exhibition Ke Lefa Laka (It’s my inheritance), which featured two highly original photographic projects.

The series Ke Lefa Laka: Heir-story (2013) shows Kganye wearing her grandfather’s oversized suit, re-enacting family stories in an artificial cityscape. Ke Lefa Laka: Her-story (2013) presents Kganye superimposed into old family snapshots depicting her mother, mimicking poses while dressed in her mother’s clothes.

Influential German photography collector Artur Walther acquired a full edition of the latter series.

Kganye’s method of inhabiting and animating family photos remains the basis of her much-admired practice. She also remains wed to literature. Her new work for Images Vevey, a large-scale theatrical installation using archival photos, will be launched in late 2022 and references Malawian writer Muthi Nhlema.

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PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY COURTESY OF OF THE THE ARTIST, ARTIST, AFRONOVA AFRONOVA GALLERY, GALLERY, JOHANNESBURG, JOHANNESBURG, AND AND IMAGES IMAGES VEVEY, VEVEY, SWITZERLAND SWITZERLAND

Lebohang Kganye’s prototype for her ‘Staging Memories’ installation (2021)

ART

‘MY GRANDMOTHER NEVER UNDERSTOOD PHOTOGRAPHY, SO I WOULD PHOTOGRAPH IN SECRET WHENEVER SHE WAS AT CHURCH OR ASLEEP.’

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND AFRONOVA GALLERY, JOHANNESBURG

PH UM Z I L E

K H A N YI L E

The youngest of the pick here, Soweto-born Phumzile Khanyile (b. 1991) has been winning awards and influential fans for a 2016 body of work made in her grandmother’s home. ‘Being raised by my grandmother, who had stereotypical ideas of what it means to be a woman, often left me feeling suffocated,’ says Khanyile, adding that photography became a way to negotiate her ageing caretaker’s haranguing.

‘My grandmother never understood photography, so I would photograph in secret whenever she was at church or asleep.’ First exhibited at the Photo Workshop in 2017, Khanyile’s photos in her Plastic Crowns series mingle autobiography with a playfulness usually only seen in fashion photography.

Presented again earlier this year at prominent French photo festival Rencontres d’Arles, Plastic Crowns includes two self-portraits of Khanyile with Nicki Minaj-like blonde hair. The politics of black hair is a recurring interest.

Plastic Crowns also includes a photograph of Khanyile wearing a red shoe belonging to her mother; only her left leg appears in the frame.

New York curator Antwaun Sargent, author of The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion (2019), is a fan. He included Khanyile in a group show in Arles this year.

Fashion offers just one lens for appreciating Khanyile’s work, which is resonant with generational and gender strife. 

Phumzile Khanyile’s ‘Untitled’ from the series Plastic Crowns (2016)

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CHEERS TO THE

OLD LADY To mark 100 years since it first opened its doors in 1921, Winchester Mansions has undergone a colossal makeover and will re-emerge this spring newly invigorated as The Winchester.

WORDS RICHARD HOLMES

ASK A CAPETONIAN for their pick of the city’s gracious grande-dame hotels, and chances are that Winchester Mansions in Sea Point is near the top of the list. During the past century this graceful hotel has looked out over the city’s iconic seafront promenade, across the Atlantic Ocean to Robben Island, framed by the timeless backdrop of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.

But hotels aren’t timeless. While their charms may grow, even the best of them age, however gracefully. And the brave new world in which we find ourselves is nothing if not a time for renewal. Which is why this spring will see a newly invigorated hotel throw open its doors – subtly rebranded as The Winchester and reimagined for a 21stcentury traveller thanks to a R90-million revamp.

The Winchester was first built in 1921, originally as a residential apartment block.

In fact, the central courtyard, which has in recent years become famous for hosting the hotel’s jazz brunches, was originally the parking lot. Much needed to change, and the building’s centenary called for a major overhaul of plumbing and essential infrastructure. So, while much of the refurbishment is hidden from view, the comprehensive modernisation was key to transforming the property.

‘The redesign started from a very functional point of view, but that gave us the opportunity to reinvent and elevate the guest experience,’ explains Mardré Meyer,

ARCHI TECTURE

creative director at SOURCE Interior Architecture, the imaginative force behind the refurbishment and rebranding.

In conceptualising how to reinvigorate the property, ‘our first principle was to reference, not simply restore’, adds Meyer. ‘We wanted to respect the architecture, and deliver on the level of expectation set by architecture, but this is not a museum. It’s a contemporary building for contemporary travellers.’

That is perhaps most evident in the glorious new bathrooms that offer a subtle celebration of both vintage glamour and contemporary flair. Taps and fittings are finished in an alluring champagne lustre that alludes to, without mimicking, classical brass touches. Baths are freestanding, yet not roll-top, and throughout the property subtle aesthetic cues hint at the golden age of travel, thoroughly updated for the present.

While many elements of the revamp are under wraps until reopening, the room décor and the public spaces are set to evoke a similar sentiment, with a bold black-and-white colour scheme married with playful wallpapers celebrating the hotel’s rich history.

‘It’s about blending the old and the new, without losing a sense of nostalgia,’ adds Neil Markovitz, CEO of Newmark Hotels, Reserves, Lodges and Residences, which will operate the refurbished hotel.

‘It’s just such an iconic property in so many ways,’ adds Markovitz. ‘The historical significance of the hotel is

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ABOVE A well-know facade on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Bathroom interiors create an aesthetic where vintage glamour meets contemporary flair Each room blends subdued hues with simple, sophisticated décor to introduce a sense of old-world travel Black-and-white schemes lend an atmosphere of nostalgia, befitting a century-old grande dame such as The Winchester

enormous, and there’s incredible reputational value that it has enjoyed throughout the years. There aren’t many properties around with that sort of nostalgia, and the experience is all about genuine hospitality, which is what we aspire to. There’s a real focus on personalised service.’

When it opens its doors this October, The Winchester joins Newmark’s extensive portfolio of hotels, residences, reserves and lodges in South Africa, East Africa, Mauritius and – most recently – Portugal.

While the portfolio is wide-ranging, individual character and charm is key, says Markovitz. ‘We have worked hard not to become a brand that dominates the individual character of each hotel. Our properties stand proud; they are part of this collection, but there’s a component of independence to each.’

Those unique elements look set to continue in the reimagined property, with perennial favourites, including the jazz brunches and

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‘COUNTRIES ARE STARTING TO OPEN UP AND A NUMBER OF HOTEL OPERATORS ARE ACHIEVING PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS’

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cocktail terrace, dovetailing with a memorable new food and beverage offering.

‘We don’t just create generic dining-room experiences,’ says Markovitz. ‘We want an offering that really fits within the property, that can complement the hotel, but equally stand on its own.’

Yet given the turmoil in the world of travel over the past 18 months, one has to wonder why any hotelier would consider adding yet another property to their portfolio at such a time?

With his decades of experience in the industry, Markovitz remains optimistic.

‘I’m bullish, because I believe we have realistic targets about what we see going forward. We’ve really engaged with the domestic market, and we see it remaining a large percentage of our customer base,’ adds Markovitz. ‘Having just returned from Portugal, where we operate 14 hotels, we are starting to see what a return looks like. Countries are starting to open up, and a number of hotel operators are achieving pre-pandemic numbers.’

After so many months of gloom, that is reason enough to celebrate. And there are few better places to raise a glass of bubbly this spring, than on the revamped terrace of The Winchester, scheduled to reopen on 1 November 2021. 

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O

N 11 JULY, bokbaard billionaire Sir Richard Branson pioneered the ultimate daytrip aboard his Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo spaceplane, VSS Unity. He soared to the edge of space in the first commercial private flight, propelling space tourism past prototype development to what seems set to be the new normal. (In honour of the occasion, R&B singer Khalid performed his track ‘New Normal’ at the glitzy launch in the New Mexico desert.)

The flight took just 90 minutes.

A twin-fuselage aircraft carried Unity to 13km, where the silver spaceplane detached, fired its rocket engine and hit Mach 3 (3 700km/h, three times the sound barrier), piercing the envelope of space at some 85km. Then it touched back down on the runway at Virgin’s futuristic Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

Branson, fists pumping ecstatically, ran to his family on the tarmac and scooped up his grandchildren. The space part

FORWARD

of his flight had lasted barely 15 minutes, the same time as Alan Shepard’s first US space flight 60 years ago. But it provided three to four minutes of weightlessness and a view of the curve of our blue planet – the perfect commercial for a new age of space travel.

Nine days later, on 20 July, Branson’s Amazon billionaire buddy Jeff Bezos blasted off vertically in his Blue Origin capsule atop an unmanned New Shepard reusable rocket from his launch site in Texas.

Unlike Virgin’s Unity, it had no crew and flew autonomously. With Bezos were his brother, Mark, in an added endorsement of confidence, along with two history-making passengers, Mary ‘Wally’ Wallace Funk and Oliver Daemen.

At 82, one-time flight instructor Funk became the oldest person to fly in space, 60 years after she underwent gruelling medical tests to show that

women could qualify for NASA’s Mercury astronaut corps, but was denied the chance because of her gender. And at just 18, rocket-mad Daemen became the youngest person in space, scoring a place when his billionaire businessman dad outbid others in a Blue Origin auction.

When the reusable capsule drifted back to Earth beneath three blue parachutes 10 minutes later, commercial space travel was officially open for all – provided you’ve got the bucks and the balls.

THE BUCKS Unless you’re a Mark Shuttleworth, best start saving now – though costs have dropped dramatically since 2002, when the Welkom-born boytjie became the first South African in space and

DREAMING OF

HEAVEN Forget holidays in hell at PJ O’Rourke-inspired hotspots.

The sexy new adventure tourist destination is space, with entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and, soon, Elon Musk blasting the way.

WORDS GLYNIS HORNING

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second-ever self-funded space tourist, paying $20 million to ride on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station for eight days.

Branson’s Virgin Galactic launched its bookings at an average price of $250 000 (about R3.6 million), and by March this year some 600 had been snapped up, with $80 million paid in deposits by future space tourists, among them Tom Hanks, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. Global financial services firm UBS estimates the ticket price

The curve of our blue planet – experienced in weightlessness – from Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo spaceplane

FORWARD

will rise to $300 000 or $400 000, before coming back nearer to Earth as operations scale up. Flights start in earnest next year, and will ramp up to 400 annually.

Bezos has still to announce prices or sell tickets for Blue Origin trips. Bids for the place on his maiden flight opened at $4.8 million and passed $20 million in minutes. The cost is more than Virgin’s, but you fly up to 15km higher, with the rush of a classic rocket ascent, pushing you back in your recliner-style seat with three

times the normal force of gravity. You also get the biggest windows of any spacecraft to date, for unimpeded views of Earth, and some three minutes of zero gravity.

Time enough, as Bezos and his passengers showed, to turn somersaults and catch Skittles in your mouth.

Afterwards Bezos told reporters: ‘We’re approaching $100 million in private sales already and the demand is very, very high.’

UBS estimates space tourism could generate $4 billion a year by 2030.

THE BALLS It undoubtedly takes guts as well as bucks to tackle the frontier of space, less hospitable than the most desolate, desperate and dangerous PJ O’Rourke holiday-in-hell destination.

And the journey itself, while thrilling, can turn chilling.

When NASA started taking ordinary people into space, the selection from 11 000 applicants to fly on Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 was schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

Challenger’s booster exploded, killing her and six fellow astronauts, grounding the shuttle for two years and ending the dream for many.

But the private sector kept chasing it, and in 2004 Stratolaunch Systems, backed by Microsoft billionaire co-founder Paul Allen, flew the first private craft to the edge of space.

On one expedition the navigation system failed, leaving the pilot to fly blind; on another, the craft started spinning like a top. Afraid someone could die, Allen sold the technology rights to Branson, who developed the bigger, sturdier SpaceShipTwo. He too has had hitches. In 2007 a rocket motor test left three workers dead, and in 2014 a rocket plane broke apart on a test flight, killing one pilot and badly injuring the other.

Space travel is not for sissies – but for many that’s part of the lure.

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BELOW FROM LEFT Virgin Galactic’s VP01-2 glides home; VSS Unity in space over New Mexico; Sir Richard Branson’s smile says it all

PHOTOGRAPHY VIRGIN GALACTIC

THE FUTURE Until now, commercial focus has been on sub-orbital flights, but orbital ones will follow, with Virgin planning trips to the International Space Station. According to NASA, staying there would cost $35 000 a night, and it will now permit private citizens to fly there. There are also plans to create and fly to new human outposts.

NASA is developing the Boeing Starliner capsule as part of its Commercial Crew Program, and the deal allows Boeing to sell seats for space tourists. South African-born billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is already flying astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA in its Crew Dragon space capsule atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket, and is designing a new Starship to reach the moon, Mars and beyond. Meanwhile he plans to give space tourists a chance to orbit the Earth for several days, pioneering ‘orbital tourism’.

Musk’s first private flight is set for September, although he will not be on it. A ‘charity mission’, it’s been funded by tech businessman and pilot Jared Isaacman to raise funds for a children’s hospital through a sweepstake that drew 72 000 applications. It aims to take him and the three chosen to 540km – 120km higher than the International Space Station, on

The future of travel looks like this – Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane cabin Interior

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Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule drifts back down to Earth beneath three blue parachutes

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a level with the Hubble Space Telescope. They will spend up to five days in the capsule, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes. Long term, Musk envisions flying people around the moon, eventually landing there, and starting to establish cities on Mars.

Commercial space stays will grow longer soon. Bigelow Aerospace is planning to launch an expandable habitation module with 330m³ of interior space on a Vulcan rocket by the end of next year, taking the module to low lunar orbit and paving the way for space hotels, establishing tourism on a new level.

While critics contend that space tourism is elitist, pandering to a wealthy few, and that the money should be spent elsewhere, advocates note that the billionaires behind it are established philanthropists, as are many of those signing up to fly.

Critics also charge that space tourism will contribute to climate change. Advocates believe it can counter it long term, through the development of newer, cleaner technologies. Branson and Musk are already at the forefront of developing ways to cut pollution both on flights and on Earth, through ventures such as Musk’s pioneering Tesla electric cars, and Branson’s Carbon War Room that brings together business leaders to find market-driven solutions for climate change.

But above all, advocates speak of the inspiration space tourism offers to preserve the fragile beauty of Earth.

As Bezos said after his trip: ‘Everybody who’s been up into space, says this: that it changes them; they look at it and they’re kind of amazed and awestruck by the Earth and its beauty, but also by its fragility. It’s one thing to recognise that intellectually, it’s another thing to actually see with your own eyes how fragile it really is. And that was amazing.’ 

FORWARD

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Blue Origin’s inaugural flight launch; the interior of the New Shepard crew capsule; Blue Origin flight crew touch down

For updates or to sign up for flights, visit virgingalactic.com, blueorigin.com and spacex.com

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IN G S

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OF T H

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Constantly pushing the boundaries of form, the world’s most creative designers are at the forefront of daring design. Their forms deliberately break from convention, border on the bizarre and upset the status quo of what is traditionally acceptable.

WORDS MARTIN JACOBS

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DESIGN

The Maximalist KOSTAS L AMBRIDIS GRE ECE

THE DESIGNER Following a diploma in Design Engineering, Athens-based Kostas Lambridis spent eight years working for artist Nacho Carbonell in his Eindhoven studio. Carbonell says, ‘Kostas’s work is both brutal and refined whilst being intelligently crafted. He is someone who will help to open new horizons in the field of creativity.’ During this time, Lambridis pursued further studies at Design Academy Eindhoven, graduating cum laude in 2017. Earlier this year, Lambridis held his first solo exhibition at Paris’s Carpenters Workshop Gallery.

THE WORKS Lambridis looks to the past to shape the future.

He caught the design world’s attention by reconstructing iconic pieces – most notably the famous Baroque Badminton Cabinet – that he assembles from handmade and mixed materials and found objects. ‘My Elemental cabinet, daybed and chandelier are archetypes of furniture that became representative of the baroque era.

To me they communicate the wealth, elitism and aristocracy of that time,’ he explains. ‘I borrow their forms and cast a mixture of valuable and valueless materials inside them, including bronze, ceramics, embroidery and melted old plastic chairs.’ Trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort has praised Lambridis. ‘In his mind there is no hierarchy in these choices; each found material is

venerated for its own role in the past, present and future,’ she says. ‘One could say that he devours high and low, valuable and worthless, cultural and kitsch.’

SHAPING TOMORROW At first glance, the assembly of Lambridis’s furniture appears chaotically mismatched. But on closer inspection his combinations of various materials reflect consideration, with horizontal or vertical material groupings.

In his Elemental cabinet, Lambridis uses materials in historical order, with stone at the bottom and plastic on top. Of his daybed he explains, ‘The materials here are organised in layers like an onion, with harder ones on the outside and softer ones towards the core.’ Commenting further on his work, Edelkoort says, ‘His unbridled and overindulgent passion for materials collides with his rapturous curiosity of history and brings to life chaotic works of contemporary design, an anarchistic act of cultural rebellion.’ kostaslambridis.com

PHOTOGRAPHY EDOUARD CAUPEIL (PORTRAIT), COURTESY OF CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY

THIS PAGE AND LEFT Lambridis’s Her daybed and Jupiter pendant light are contemporary explorations – in materials at both ends of the value spectrum – of Baroque furniture pieces

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DESIGN

Inspired by floral arrangements, Wood’s Bon Bon lamps in pastel yellows, greens and purples are wall-mounted in groupings reminiscent of gathered stems of flowers

THE DESIGNER Multidisciplinary artist Bethan Laura Wood, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, is intrigued by the connections people make with everyday objects, and more so with what compels us to treasure one object over another. Since the launch of her studio in 2009 she has collaborated with luxury brands including Hermès, Tory Burch, Rosenthal and Perrier-Jouët, and has numerous awards under her colourful and patterned belt.

Wood’s projects include site-specific installations, set design and scenography as well as jewellery, tableware, furniture and rugs.

ON HER NEWEST COLLECTION ‘I conceived the Bon Bon wall lamps during the lockdown period, when touches of nature in the home became a special treat. The lamps reference the arrangements of flowers used to add colour to the home,’ she says, reflecting on England’s highly restrictive lockdown of the past year.

The lighting collection, launched at Milan’s famed Nilufar Gallery, is manufactured from hand-blown Pyrex glass, lead, brass and brushed steel, and was developed with specialist Pyrex artisan

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Pietro Viero. Referring to these works as a ‘sickly-sweet collection of flowers’, Wood explains, ‘The individual blooms are shaped referencing the bubbly curves of bon-bon jars and dishes to reflect the pastel milky glass.’

SHAPING TOMORROW Bon Bon expands on Wood’s explorations into the shape of glass that characterise both her earlier lighting collections, 2013’s Criss Cross and 2017’s Trellis, the latter intentionally displaying the armatures and framework traditionally concealed within lighting. Of greater significance, and what makes the work more daring, is that all three collections eschew the ongoing trend towards clean-lined, minimalist lighting. Drawing inspiration from visits to Mexico and Japan, Wood instead favours Art Deco and ’70’s aesthetics in her playful designs, with glass shapes reminiscent not just of flowers and jars, but also – in the earlier collections – of Japanese kites, swimming caps, costume jewellery and Mexican lollipops. bethanlaurawood.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NILUFAR GALLERY (PORTRAIT), EMANUELE TORTORA

The Colourist

B ETHAN L AU RA WOOD E NGL AND

DESIGN

The Neo-Cubist PAU L HEIJ NEN THE NE THE RL ANDS

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PAUL HEIJNEN

THE DESIGNER Paul Heijnen considers his work to be an intricate combination of industrial design, architecture, craft and sculpture. The Dutch designer, whose studio is now in its 12th year, takes a conceptual approach to his work. ‘When I start playing with concepts and techniques, new designs sprout from the ground in an organic way, as if the object was already there; it only has to be made to be able to fulfil a certain function.’

THE WORKS Like the architecture of Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano’s Pompidou Centre, Heijnen’s wooden cabinets (constructed from combinations of oak, cedar, beech and Douglas pine) champion the conventionally hidden mechanisms of his exoskeletonlike structures. In his Cnstr Cabinet the hinges and frames traditionally concealed within the frame become exterior adornment, questioning the boundaries between interior and exterior.

SHAPING TOMORROW Heijnen’s constantly evolving forms stem from his belief that by probing the edges of what’s seemingly

possible, designers can permanently change the artistic landscape. ‘Because life only starts when you decide to get out of your comfort zone, I’m trying to push myself to the limits of what is doable. Pushing boundaries of form is often a way for me to be able to create things I would never be able to otherwise come up with.’

ON HIS EARLIEST DESIGN MEMORIES ‘At the age of six I built my first set of chairs and a dining table in a huge cornfield behind the farm where I grew up. After cutting a maze through the corn that led to a central “room”, I used the plant cuttings to weave and construct the furniture in the middle of the clearing,’ he says. ‘My dad reminded me of this story when I was graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m actually doing the same thing today as I did as a six-year-old.’ paulheijnen.com

Standing considerably taller than human height, Heijnen’s Cnstr Cabinet upends expectations of carpentry design by displaying traditionally concealed hinges on its exterior

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DESIGN

The Storyteller THE DESIGNER ‘I feel that I needed to study engineering in order to be the type of designer that I am,’ says engineer turned furniture designer Mpho Vackier of her career path. ‘I am first and foremost always problem-solving, approaching my work from both a technical as well as creative direction.’ Vackier founded her product and furniture studio, The Urbanative, in 2017. Within the short space of two years her work was nominated for Design Indaba’s Most Beautiful Object in SA Award, and she was awarded 100% Design SA’s Designer of the Year. This year she serves as a judge for the Dezeen Awards.

ON HER NEWEST COLLECTION ‘I believe that by taking successful details from previous works and including them in new ideas, the resulting pieces are multi-layered with a wider appeal,’

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says Vackier of Homecoming, a collection born during 2020’s hard lockdown, and one that builds on the African storytelling of prior ranges like 2018’s African Crowns collection (which referenced the forms and textures of continent-wide traditional African hairstyles). Collaborating with creatives including Jan Ernst, Wolkberg Casting Studios and The Mill Fabrics, Vackier conceptualised a range of homeware – from innovative lighting to a partially woven table – that draws inspiration from the vernacular architecture of Nigeria, Mali, Cameroon and Niger.

THE THINKING BEHIND HOMECOMING Vackier hopes that the collection – through colour and form – will evoke the idea of home not as a physical place but rather as feelings of warmth, comfort and peace.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE URBANATIVE (PORTRAIT), AART VERRIPS

MPHO VAC KIER SOUTH AFRICA

DESIGN

SHAPING TOMORROW ‘I start designing pieces mostly through drawings of shapes and forms, and how these interact with each other. I am in constant exploration of how well-known forms can be experienced anew, be it through functionality, materials or the inclusion of craft,’ explains Vackier of her drive to extend the parameters of what defines South African design. Craft, like the woven detail on the Hlutha table, replaces conventional metalwork adornment, with similar repetitive motifs echoed in pieces including the Mudziira floor lamp. ‘I am obsessed with tension, and with juxtaposing abstracted African-heritage inspiration with the functionality of modern silhouettes.’ theurbanative.com

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Vackier’s Homecoming collection – a collaboration with a number of local design brands – turns to the vernacular architecture of North Africa’s Niger, Mali, Cameroon and Nigeria for inspiration

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DESIGN

The Daydreamer

The cut-out forms and collage-like assembly of Van Eijk’s 3D Collage Table Blue result in it straddling the boundaries between conceptual sketch and final artwork

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THE DESIGNER ‘Whenever Kiki feels like a child in a candy store, the best things arise,’ says Joost van Bleiswijk, designer Kiki van Eik’s life and design partner. His description is fitting of someone who herself has said, ‘Imagination may be the most important treasure we have in life.’ This childlike sense of wonder is a recurring characteristic in the whimsical works of the Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, be they collaborations with mega-brands like Google, Hermès and Häagen-Dazs and for institutions like the Rijksmuseum, or personal explorations on paper or in ceramic.

FROM DOODLE TO DESIGN Van Eik values the importance of sketching and collage in her artistic processes for the spontaneity and innovation they afford. Three recent collections: 3D Collage Tables, Ceramic Wall Stories and Ceramic Coiffeuses, owe their daringness in shape to their blurring of boundaries between the freedom of a sketch and the final piece. All are projects based on her colourful cardboard collages. ‘I’m playfully building with clay pieces. I cut the clay by hand and I glaze it with a brush,’ she says of the unique handmade works constructed from combinations of stoneware, handcoloured wax crayon, mirror and glaze, and which question two and three dimensions (most noticeably in the Ceramic Coiffeuses).

SHAPING TOMORROW ‘I push the boundaries of shape because this is the trigger of the imagination. It makes you wonder,’ she explains. ‘I’m extremely specific in both form and colour. I always choose shapes and colours that are just a little off, the ones that are less obvious at first. It’s in my DNA to choose and make these kinds of shapes.’

ON STUDIO LIFE ‘When the weather is sunny we play jeu de boules during lunch breaks and when it rains, table tennis. It’s a very joyful space,’ van Eijk says of the playful approach to work that’s underpinned life in her studio for more than 20 years. ‘I think it’s very important to take things seriously but, at the same time, not to take yourself too seriously.’ kikiandjoost.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHYLIEKE LIEKEVROOMEN VROOMEN(PORTRAIT), (PORTRAIT),COURTESY COURTESYOF OFKIKI KIKIAND ANDJOOST JOOST

KIKI VAN EIJ K THE NE THE RL A N D S

DESIGN

The Retro-Futurist KHALED EL MAYS LE BANON

PHOTOGRAPHY TAREK MOUKADDEM (PORTRAIT), DANIELE IODICE

THE DESIGNER Trained as an architect at the American University of Beirut, with a subsequent MFA from New York’s Pratt Institute, Khaled El Mays attributes the initial development of his visual skills to his mother, an artist and interior design enthusiast. On returning to Beirut, he founded a multidisciplinary studio and also teaches design at Lebanese universities.

THE PHILOSOPHY El Mays advocates for the power of the human hand in design, and prioritises craft in his work. His Palmea collection of 2018 exemplifies this approach. In the collection, he radically modernises wicker – a Middle Eastern tradition – by working with local craftsmen to fashion furniture that combines colourful bamboo, rattan and a compelling interrogation of form. ‘I believe a good shape speaks directly to the heart,’ he explains. ‘Therefore I’m always pushing the boundaries by repeating the

same exercise until I reach that moment of balance. Form is always dictated by an idea backed up with lots of visual data, and that form keeps on mutating until a balance is reached between form, function and perception.’

SHAPING TOMORROW Mutation is explored in El Mays’s 2021 retro-futurist collection, Transformers. Inspired by the popculture franchise, this collection comprises seating, the forms for which appear caught in acts of transmutation. ‘This collection was built up by morphing, editing, joining and sculpting a pool of elements regarding the subject matter,’ he says. Shapes are bulbous and excessively stuffed, meeting at acute angles and suggesting the limbs of figures about to unfurl. Balance is deliberately upset, with pieces seemingly leaning forward.

ON THE TRANSFORMERS COLLECTION ‘For me, the idea of the robot represents a glimpse of the future of humanity.

By intentionally interpreting this in something very humble and static also presents a way to bring simplicity to the future,’ he said in a Dezeen interview. ‘Not everything needs to be fully engineered and mechanised to serve us.’ @khaledelmays 

Seemingly about to unfurl, El Mays’s Transformers armchair – inspired by the pop franchise – interrogates the aesthetics of bulk and balance

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NATURE’S

RESERVE Making the most of its mountainside coastal setting, this weekend retreat allows a busy Cape Town couple to switch off and immerse themselves in nature.

WORDS TRACY LYNN CHEMALY

The dining area offers sweeping views over the Atlantic, showing off how Misty Cliffs got its name. ‘It’s very magical,’ say the owners

By building an additional, sunken deck, the couple almost doubled their deck size. The built-in bench, which also serves as storage, has welcomed many full days of sun lounging at this mountainside beach retreat

PHOTOGRAPHY GREG COX/BUREAUX STYLING SVEN ALBERDING

RIGHT The home’s rocky terraces and balau decking blend into their mountainside enclosure. The large glass panes ensure that every bit of nature can be enjoyed

A

A CAPETONIAN COUPLE lounges poolside at their seaside home in Misty Cliffs, a conservation village 45 minutes away from the Mother City. Soaking in the sun on a deck tucked neatly into a patch of the Cape’s indigenous fynbos, the split-level balau perch is suspended from a cliff face overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It’s summertime and the two make the most of their weekend getaway, immersing themselves in this tranquil coastal sanctuary – a far cry from their more frenetic week life in Cape Town.

The home, set on three levels, has two bedrooms on the lowest level, and another tucked into the loft, under the A-frame reed-lined ceiling fitted with latch windows.

‘When these windows are all open, it feels like you’re on a cruise ship,’ they laugh, pointing to the ever-evolving oceanic scene outside, where Misty Cliffs’ surroundings are regularly engulfed in a mystical fog. Painted in a shade of green aptly named Cape Moss, the interior vacillates between fern, olive and pistachio hues, depending on the time of day.

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The bold decision to paint all the walls and even much of the ceiling green was one of the only changes made to the original home when the couple took over. ‘It was like an old vintage Mercedes in your grandmother’s garage, with the cover still on,’ they recall of the discovery. The colour was suggested by close friend and furniture designer Gregor Jenkin. ‘He said the green would make the original yellow beechwood floors look considered,’ they explain, impressed that this turned out to be the case. Gregor, whose dining table and Quaker chairs make a geometric statement in the open-plan dining area, also created the innovative patinated and slatted steel shield that hangs from the fireplace mantel in the lounge.

Although a mix of vintage finds and local and international contemporary design pieces by the likes of Misha Kahn and Wiid Design, the style of the home is extremely considered, revealing itself as a contemporary take on a ’70’s bungalow, complete with fireside Falcon chair. The couple’s affinity for art is obvious, too.

In one bedroom a pencil drawing by Paul Edmunds hangs on the wall; in another you’ll find two Morné Visagie colour-testing

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OPPOSITE The living room makes for cool summers and warm winters, its bay window looking on to the rockery in the back garden, where plants such as clivias and Cape saltbush complement the green tonality of the home RIGHT A loft lies under the reed-lined A-frame ceiling, above the kitchen and dining area BELOW Perched above a clever storage cupboard, a macaw from one of the owners’ extensive taxidermy collection overlooks the open-plan living space. This staircase leads to two more bedrooms

THE HOME’S GARDEN MIRRORS ITS SETTING AND IS FILLED WITH INDIGENOUS FAVOURITES paper collages. Additional visual artistic cues are dotted throughout, such as a glass-cast sculpture by Rowan Smith, resembling a broken brick, which stands atop a book in the loft, creating a rainbow of reflection across a rug made entirely of silk saris.

Situated a stone’s throw away from Cape Point, the home’s garden mirrors its setting, filled with indigenous favourites such as clivias, Cape saltbush and various species of fynbos. Gardening has become a favourite pastime for the couple, tending to the plant life that stretches across this double plot of land, all the way down to the beach. ‘It’s quite wild,’ they admit, pointing to the natural-stone pathway that leads to the ocean. Halfway down, they’ve built another deck, this one completely hidden from view under carefully preserved trees but offering uninterrupted views of the wild waves. ‘It’s like being submerged in the mountainside,’ they say, speaking of plans to build a hot tub here, the antithesis of the icy Atlantic in which the couple is currently learning to surf. ‘We engage with the ocean more than the beach,’ they admit.

Together with their dogs, they enjoy the ocean vista provided by hikes in this coastal mountain range.

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No matter the day’s activity, every weekend results in some form of kitchen experiment, often shared with an intimate group of friends.

‘The house is small, but it opens up very well,’ they say, gesturing toward the decks and balconies that protrude from every bedroom. Sunday brunch is a favourite for such gatherings, serving produce fresh from Saturday’s morning market or Foragers Deli in Scarborough.

It’s the simple life that makes this home come alive: fire-making, sunlounging, garden-pruning. ‘Home feels like a nature reserve,’ they state. ‘It’s our retreat.’ 

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LEFT The loft bedroom, housed under a reedand-glass ceiling, elicits heightened appreciation for the setting ABOVE This bedroom’s en-suite bathroom offers a darker green encasement

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THE

YOUNGEST CHEF Braam Beyers is head chef of one of the hottest restaurant brands in Cape Town. At only 25 his success is all about passion and focus.

HEFS WAREHOUSE, whether at Beau Constantia, Bree Street, in Cape Town’s city centre or Maison in Franschhoek, promises diners an exceptional experience of tapas to share. At Tintswalo Atlantic, at the foot of Chapman’s Peak, 25-year-old head chef Braam Beyers’s vision and creativity is made that much more remarkable by his age.

To have come so far so soon can be accredited to Beyers’s single-minded focus on achieving his goals.

‘I knew I wanted to become a chef at a very young age,’ he says. ‘I was cooking for myself every day when I was at school.

I fell in love with it. There were days when I’d sit at home and

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PHOTOGRAPHY CLAIRE GUNN PHOTOGRAPHY

C

WORDS BIANCA COLEMAN

PRIVATE EDITION

TA ST I N GS

OPPOSITE Chef Braam Beyers is realising a lifelong dream THIS PAGE A Chefs Warehouse tapas for two to share always includes eight dishes served over several courses

TASTINGS

THIS PAGE The hands-on kitchen experience that Braam Beyers craved while training has led him to exceptional heights in creativity on the plate OPPOSITE Oysters are a suitably luxurious way to begin the Chefs Warehouse journey of culinary discovery

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eat what I cooked and, no matter how basic it was, I was like, “Oh, this is really good”, and I started getting frustrated because I was the only one eating and I wanted to share.’

Beyers, who sizzles with energy and enthusiasm and excitedly shares his stories, says his adolescent dream to be a chef, a restaurateur and a businessman got to the point where he’d lie awake in bed all night, unable to sleep because he’d be thinking about concepts and ideas - and that has never changed.

‘It’s something that is quite interesting to me. I’m quite a spiritual person and I always think about how the mind and body work - and why. I’m only 25 so, realistically, there have been only so many years I’ve been able to work in a professional kitchen; the work does the talking. I do what I do, what I believe in, and what I enjoy.’

After high school, Beyers enrolled for a three-year hospitality and management chef course at The Hurst Campus in Paarl near Cape Town. He admits he was a rebellious student. ‘I wasn’t a good student at school either - bad at

PRIVATE EDITION

‘THE WORK DOES THE TALKING. I DO WHAT I DO, WHAT I BELIEVE IN, AND WHAT I ENJOY.’

THIS PAGE When Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo Atlantic launched in October 2020, the entire dining area changed to accommodate a new level of fine dining at the boutique hotel OPPOSITE Meticulous plating tantalises all the senses simultaneously

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sport, bad at academics - but just a young kid trying. I was trying really hard.’

During his studies there were work placements and Beyers grew frustrated with more time in the classroom and less in a kitchen. He took matters into his own hands and approached Ivor Jones, who was working at The Test Kitchen at the time. It didn’t work out, but he did get weekend work at The Tasting Room with Margot Janse.

‘Because I was so hungry for experience they gave me a lot of responsibility; it wasn’t because I was good - I wasn’t but I was eager. I was like a little boy, a puppy.’

In his third year at Hurst, Beyers found his groove when he was given the opportunity to go to Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, as part of an alliance programme. ‘That’s when everything changed for me,’ he says. ‘It’s extensive training, where 50 chefs and students from 14 countries come together and stay in the residence. You do one month poultry, then fish, then meat, then you run a restaurant.

‘That flipped the switch for me. All the thinking my brain had done adapted very quickly because I was being shown how to do it.’

While he was in France, Beyers saw an Instagram post by Jones about the restaurant he was opening. He immediately

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messaged him, saying he’d been turned down once; it wasn’t going to happen again. ‘Send your CV,’ said Jones.

In the midst of exams and graduation, Beyers was interviewed by Jones, who hired him as a demi chef. ‘The next day I moved to Cape Town, and the day after that I started work at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia,’ he says.

Beyers worked his way up through the ranks - demi, chef de partie, senior chef de partie, junior sous, senior sous. ‘If you think about it, it’s not that impressive. It’s perfecting one position a year,’ he says.

‘But when I’m standing in the kitchen and I’m giving my team a hard time, it’s because I’m allowed to. I’ve been there and I know what their responsibilities are. It’s relatable.’

As Chefs Warehouse founder Liam Tomlin did with Ivor Jones at Beau Constantia and Dave Schneider at Maison, he appointed Beyers as head chef - and partner - at Tintswalo Atlantic in October 2020, and after Jones provided him some initial guidance and mentoring, Tomlin handed him the reins.

‘On my third day here I changed eight dishes,’ Beyers laughs.

Says Tomlin: ‘He’s a very young, ambitious, driven, focused and determined chef. It’s wonderful to see him achieve so much at such a young age.’ 

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THE CLASSIQUE

EXPERIENCE

It’s been 50 years since the pioneering decision was made to produce South Africa’s first bottle of Champagne-style sparkling wine.

I

WORDS RICHARD HOLMES

F THERE’S ONE THING to celebrate this summer, it surely has to be the groundbreaking decision by the late Simonsig winemaker Frans Malan to start producing South Africa’s very own champagne-style wine.

Unlike the carbonated bubblies of the time, Malan used the time-honoured Méthode Champenoise – with a second inbottle fermentation – in crafting his groundbreaking Kaapse Vonkel.

When it launched 50 years ago, it was the most expensive wine in South Africa, at R3 a bottle.

Ignoring the sceptics of the time, Malan carved Simonsig’s name into the history books, and set the stage for 50 years of innovation in what would later become known as Méthode Cap Classique, or MCC. This year we pay tribute to just a few of those who’ve followed in his path. Salut!

OPPOSITE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Simonsig’s innovator Frans Malan; Silverthorn offers interactive wine tastings; Tokara owes its richness and complexity to a seven-year maturation process

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PI ONE E R

A half-century after the first Kaapse Vonkel was released, Simonsig continues the family tradition of innovation under cellarmaster Johan Malan, Frans’s son.

While the early Kaapse Vonkel was made from Chenin Blanc, a grape widely available at the time, in 1987 Johan turned to the classic Champagne cultivars of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When Pinot Meunier was added to the blend a decade later, it became the first Cap Classique to use all three of the iconic grape varieties.

And while Kaapse Vonkel has traditionally been a dry wine, in 2016 Malan recognised a new niche in the market, launching Kaapse Vonkel Demi Sec, with the Kaapse Vonkel Satin Nectar Rosé following in 2019.

‘The recent growth in the popularity of Demi Sec styles has opened up the market for people who love a slightly sweeter Kaapse Vonkel, and our two Satin Nectar Demi Secs have shown wonderful growth,’ says Malan, the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year in 2020 for his Kaapse Vonkel 2015.

It’s a range of wines best discovered at the Stellenbosch estate, where visitors can look forward to a choice of sparkling-inspired experiences.

‘You can do a Cap Classique focused tour of the Kaapse Vonkel cellar, and learn how Kaapse Vonkel is made,’ explains Malan. ‘You can see the pupitres, or riddling racks, and the degorgement process. This tour is followed by a tasting of all five of our Cap Classiques, and you can finish your tour in spectacular fashion by doing a sabrage of your own bottle!’

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

WHEN IT LAUNCHED, KAAPSE VONKEL WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE IN SOUTH AFRICA

simonsig.co.za

T HE SPECI A L I ST A growing number of cellars are establishing themselves as Cap Classique specialists, with a singular focus that delivers some of the Cape’s most beguiling bubblies.

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A fine example is Silverthorn, from winemaker John Loubser. A member of the esteemed Cape Winemakers Guild, John – together with wife Karen – began dabbling in producing his own MCC using grapes from the 10-hectare family farm in the Robertson Wine Valley in 2004. They named it Silverthorn, for the Acacia karroo trees that thrive on the property.

Today their range is widely acclaimed, from The Green Man blanc de blancs to The Genie, an intriguing rosé-style bubbly made from Shiraz.

But the flagship is The Jewel Box, a classic 70/30 blend of barrel-fermented Chardonnay and unwooded Pinot Noir.

With a second fermentation of nearly four years on the gross lees, it balances richness and complexity with bright fruit character.

And character is what Loubser is after; seeking a non-oxidative style to channel elegance and terroir, with a particular focus on the innate quality of old vineyards.

For wine lovers making the journey, the family offers cellar tours and interactive tastings personally presented by the owners. silverthornwines.co.za

THE SOPHISTICATE One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in the case of Tokara’s MCC the striking bottle simply begs for attention, lending a sense of gravitas and sophistication to this timeless drink of celebration.

And as you’d expect from this award-winning cellar on the Helshoogte Pass above Stellenbosch, the bottle is merely the beginning of a bubbly adventure. The current release is the 2013 vintage, crafted entirely from Chardonnay grapes grown on Tokara’s vineyards in the cool Elgin Valley.

After eight months in barrel, the Chardonnay was matured on the lees for a remarkable seven years to develop richness and complexity.

‘The palate is a wonderful interplay between silky fluidity, crystalline acidity and fine mousse. It is incredibly more-ish and will leave you yearning for another sip,’ says winemaker Stuart Botha. tokara.com

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VICTOR

Quoin Rock Wine Estate flew the nation’s flag high at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London. The Stellenbosch-based farm took home the platinum medal for its 2014 Black Series MCC. Considered to be the world’s largest and most influential international wine competition, the DWWA is known for its unrivalled global reach. Quoin Rock Wine Estate was one of only nine South African producers to earn the coveted platinum medal with platinum wines being tasted a minimum of four times by expert judges. This year only 0.99% of the wines tasted were bestowed with the prestigious medal.

Schalk Opperman, the estate’s winemaker, believes it is the magnificent terroir Quoin Rock calls home that helps him to create quality wine.

Schalk describes the platinum award winner as a classic Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A rare-vintage release increasingly sought by connoisseurs, this bottle of bubbles is made from handpicked grapes that have been whole-bunch pressed and stored in French oak barrels.

Opperman says this award shows ‘we’re serious about our MCC, that it can compete with the best of Champagne’. quoinrock.co.za

I N NOVATOR

Cradled within the Franschhoek Valley, Le Lude has a string of accolades to its name, and no shortage of acolytes for its elegant portfolio of refined Méthode Cap Classiques.

Curious MCC lovers will also be intrigued to discover it is the first cellar in South Africa to produce MCC using the Agrafé method, with the second fermentation under natural cork instead of metal crown cap. Its tradition continues today in Champagne by the likes of Bollinger and Krug, and is said to deliver a more complex flavour profile. Tastings and cellar tours are offered daily.

THE

FRANCO PHIL E

Though Champagne dominates the limelight when it comes to French sparkling wines, the regional crémants offer enormous diversity in their own interpretations of bottle-fermented sparkling wine.

And it was the Crémant de Loire – underpinned by the region’s famous Chenin Blanc – that inspired Delaire Graff winemaker Morné Vrey to create the unique Sunrise MCC non-vintage. On a foundation of Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc, Vrey incorporates Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc to create a mesmerising MCC of freshness, finesse and intensity. A beguiling choice for the curious.  delaire.co.za

lelude.co.za

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PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

T H E

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

DEPARTU RES

DEPARTU RES

FAMILY FIRST Sometimes all the family needs is to be booted off their screens and sent into the wild on an adventure of a lifetime.

WORDS SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE

W

WE’D ONLY JUST ARRIVED and were already holding on for dear

life on the back of a safari vehicle hurtling through the bushveld, flattening small acacia and buffalo thorn trees in our wake. In the front row, my middle son sat clinging to me, my oldest and youngest behind us. Our ranger, sitting on the edge of the driver’s seat grinning, had earlier introduced himself as the well-seasoned ranger Andre Kruger (AK). His tracker, Ntsako, gesticulated wildly as he steered our path clear through the thick shrub. We were on the hunt for a pride of lions in the area. AK was sure they were there because of the hysterical shouts of a troop of baboons that leapt from branch to branch in the trees above us.

The trip had been a last-minute decision inspired by more than a year of lockdown watching my three children trapped indoors, often friendless, staring blankly at screens, their motivation flagging by the day. The cold wet Cape winter had done nothing to help. I’d had enough.

‘We’re going to the Kruger,’ I told them. ‘No screens for two weeks.’ I ignored their eyes disappearing into the backs of their foreheads and a few weeks later we were in the bush in 35°C heat in the middle of July.

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Our first stop had been the Kruger National Park itself, somewhere I hadn’t been since I was a child. To revisit through the eyes of my own children was delightful – the same hornbills I remembered excited my daughter who yelled ‘banana birds!’ every time she saw one. The huge herds of buffalo we stumbled across made my sons nudge each other and mumble ‘dagga boys’ like they shared some insider knowledge. We’d seen so many elephants that, after a few days, we barely slowed down to look at them. But the beauty and excitement of a few nights in the Kruger did nothing to prepare us for the adventure we were now on at Tintswalo Safari Lodge in Manyeleti Game Reserve bordering the Kruger Park just outside Orpen Gate.

We’d graduated from our hired car to an open 4x4 that treated roads, even the dirt ones, as mere suggestions that could be ignored – as we now found ourselves doing. With the sound of the baboons still filling the air, Ntsako waved his hand in a telling motion and our vehicle slowed to a near stop. AK whispered, ‘Here they are.’ The pride – 12 lions to be exact – stretched out in the bushveld grass napping. A female lifted her head, stared at us, blinked, then rolled over onto her back, legs in the air.

PRIVATE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY TINTSWALO SAFARI LODGE

DEPARTU RES

DEPARTU RES

My children’s immediate and unexpected ability to keep quiet was testimony to their exhilaration. Or maybe it was panic. Later my son would say: ‘Geez, we were so close, you could’ve prodded one of them with a stick and they could’ve hauled you off the back of the vehicle.’

The excitement didn’t end there. The radio crackled and enthusiastic chatter in a language sounding like a mix of Ndebele, Zulu, Afrikaans and English came over the speaker. AK turned to us. ‘Do you want to track down and dart a hyena to remove a snare from its neck?’ I didn’t have to look at my kids’ faces to know the answer. An hour later, after a spectacular sundowner of G&T, and juice and snacks for the kids, we pulled into a clearing next to two other vehicles. The park manager and local vet were crouched next to a huge tree tying a dead impala to its base as bait. And then the fun began. With the sun having set and the moon not yet risen, we sat in the pitch dark as a recording of a distressed buffalo was broadcast across the bushveld. It took less than five minutes before the night was filled with the sound of calling hyenas. A rustling from a bush behind us signalled the arrival of a young male lion who sauntered out sniffing the air.

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OPPOSITE Grant Suite, complete with deck and pool, provides the perfect space for a family of four at Tintswalo Safari Lodge THIS PAGE: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Walkways connect the guest suites to the main lodge Getting up close and personal with an abundance of game is one of the guaranteed joys of Manyeleti Game Reserve Dinner guests at Tintswalo come in all shapes and sizes An elusive leopard take a break from hunting

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DEPARTU RES Al fresco dining under the African night sky OPPOSITE PAGE: FROM TOP A stunning private deck for ultimate relaxation Beautifully appointed guest suites offer supreme luxury

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The lion was not planned, of course. After trying unsuccessfully to frighten him off with a blank dart, the decision was made to work around the lion who had now taken ownership of the impala and was growling at any hyena that tried to join in. The whining, howling and roaring that ensued for over an hour was one of the most dramatic and theatrical events I’ve ever witnessed in the bush, and it was only when my wide-eyed seven-yearold tapped me on the shoulder and whispered ‘Mommy, what’s going on?’ that my attention was interrupted from the unfolding scene.

Moments later the snared hyena was spotted and successfully darted. We watched it stumble, as if drunk, before collapsing in a nearby bush.

The vet and his assistant retrieved the hyena on a stretcher and we stood around her as the nasty snare was successfully removed. With the lion and at least 15 hyenas only metres away, our only protection was the park ranger standing guard in the dark of the night.

When we finally arrived back in camp, we were greeted by mugs of hot chocolate and dinner next to an open fire. It was 11pm. Our first game drive at Tintswalo Safari Lodge had lasted eight hours and had seemingly altered my children. As I kissed them goodnight, all three of them announced they were becoming game rangers when they grew up.

‘Better than just gamers,’ I replied.

Tintswalo Safari Lodge is the original familyowned establishment of the Tintswalo Property Group tucked below towering Jackalberry trees in the 56 000-acre Manyeleti Game Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger. Fenceless borders with the Kruger mean the park is teeming with game, and with a low density of vehicles creates the perfect safari experience.

Luxury suites positioned far apart along a river leave you feeling like you’re truly alone in the bush.

We regularly saw elephant walking past as we sat on the deck. There are two options for families on offer. Grant Suite sleeps four in two magnificent bedrooms both looking onto a deck and private pool and into the bush beyond. For a real treat and a larger extended family, The Manor House, set apart from the main lodge, accommodates between six and 10 guests and is a spectacular, self-sufficient villa with its own boma, pool, bar, private chef, butler and private ranger. Definitely on the bucket list.

Tintswalos’s pay-off line, ‘Arrive a guest, leave as family’, was true for us. The experience of the wild coupled with the care taken by the attentive staff at Tintswalo shifted us out of the pandemic-driven rut we’d gotten into and opened my children to a world of nature, conservation in action, and the joy of life beyond the glare of their screens. If a holiday can be a life-altering experience, then this was definitely one of them. 

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‘WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED BACK IN CAMP, WE WERE GREETED BY MUGS OF HOT CHOCOLATE AND DINNER NEXT TO AN OPEN FIRE’

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ACC ELERATE

THE GREAT SOUTH AFRICAN

JAGUAR CHASE The future of driving is here. MARK EVELEIGH takes to Africa’s first plastic road in one of the world’s most advanced SUVs for an insight into what our road trips might look like when cars drive themselves.

A

s a Brit it’s always struck me as strangely futuristic that South Africans refer to their ‘traffic lights’ as robots. That feeling is emphasized this morning as the ‘robots’ change to red and the space-age SUV I’m driving eases to a halt, without me even touching the brake, and automatically silences its engine.

The lights change again, the engine starts and, with just a dab at the accelerator, my vehicle moves away, pacing itself with the flow of the traffic moving downhill towards the world-famous surf beach in Jeffreys Bay. I’m now on Woltemade Street so I dial in ‘Park Assist’ mode on the ‘InControl’ touchscreen, allowing the car’s sensors to start searching for a space and giving the vehicle permission to figure out the manoeuvre for itself.

I’m at the controls of the most futuristic car I’ve ever driven and, at this moment, I’m parked on the first plastic road on the African continent. I step out of the car onto a gently sloping road that, apart from the lack of potholes, looks no different to many others along the 800km route I’ve driven from Cape Town. Yet this section of new-era blacktop represents a revolution in the field of engineering: Scottish company MacRebur estimates that around 54 000 single-use waste plastic bags were used for every 100 metres of this road.

‘The benefits of plastic waste in road-building are multiple,’ MacRebur’s co-founder Gordon Reid explained when the road was unveiled in Jeffreys Bay in October 2019. ‘Both non-degradable plastic and bitumen – a vital component of the asphalt mix – are produced from petroleum. One tonne of MacRebur mix contains the equivalent of 80 000 plastic bottles and a waste plastic road is more flexible, meaning that it can cope better with contraction and expansion resulting in less maintenance.’

Hennie Botes, the Jeffreys Bay engineer who worked on the project said: ‘From the moment we blended the product, we could see that the better elasticity could only benefit the resistance against cracking and potholes.’

Since 2016 MacRebur has built roads in 15 countries and it’s hoped that before long we’ll be spending a lot more time driving on waste plastic.

To the uninformed eye there’s nothing obviously different about the surface and, while Kouga Municipality deserves kudos for their obvious commitment to infrastructure and the environment, Woltemade Street is unlikely to become one of the Eastern Cape’s prime tourist attractions.

So, after a short stroll along Africa’s first plastic road to take some snaps, I make my way back to the car. The Jaguar E-PACE is one of the most advanced luxury SUVs on the

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

TOP GEAR DECLARED THE E-PACE ‘THE BEST-LOOKING, BEST-HANDLING SMALL CROSSOVER IN THE WORLD’

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ACC ELERATE

54 000 single-use plastic bags were used for every 100 metres of woltemade road in Jeffreys Bay

market. It’s so cool that, had I taken the time to download the Jaguar app, I could have turned on the aircon to pre-chill it.

Instead, I contented myself with brazenly kicking the E-PACE on the rear end, which automatically raised the tailgate so that I could drop my camera bag inside.

Jaguar had lent me the vehicle to review during a road trip from Cape Town. I’d taken a detour via the Cederberg, the Little Karoo and the Garden Route and my respect for this growling cat was growing with every mile. Britain’s Top Gear declared the E-PACE ‘the best-looking, best-handling small crossover in the world’. But that’s in a country where 4x4s get their roughest use at a village fete. I’d been keen to test drive it across rugged African roads and I knew the Cederberg and open spaces of the Little Karoo would offer that opportunity.

I’d been rounding Chapman’s Peak when I already realised that I was sitting in what might be the sportiest small SUV on the road. I switched to Dynamic mode and the dials changed from cool blue to glowing red. The overall adrenalin level in the car seemed to surge another notch when I pressed the accelerator and the 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine growled like a real jaguar. As a control freak, I soon had my fingers dabbing at the alloy paddles behind the steeringwheel; it didn’t take long to realise, however, that the ninespeed automatic gearbox actually seemed to anticipate the demands of the road better than I could. I’d never imagined that an SUV could be so much fun to drive on the road – without access to a racetrack (how long will it be before we start seeing plastic roads on the F1 circuit?) – and I was still a long way from testing the full potential of a 300bhp 4x4 that can see off 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds.

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The E-PACE’s bigger sister (the F-PACE) has outsold all the manufacturer’s other models and there is now an all-electric version (the I-PACE) on the market in South Africa.

Among the E-PACE’s other accolades, it holds the world record for the longest barrel-roll stunt in a production vehicle. It’s a sign of Jaguar’s confidence that the sportscar company chose to break that record in a 2 400kg SUV. It’s not a stunt you might want to replicate but it has a bearing on even the most cautious of drivers. ‘The vehicle is almost totally indestructible,’ said stunt driver Terry Grant.

In terms of safety, Jaguar seems to have thought of everything: the E-PACE has ‘Blind Spot Assist’, automatic ‘High-speed Emergency Braking’ (with pedestrian sensing) and even a ‘Driver Condition Monitor’ with a little icon that lights up to tempt you with an image of a steaming cup of coffee.

I found one irritating niggle: the car’s ‘Lane Keep Assist’ control allows the steering to give you a gentle nudge when it senses you drifting over a lane. It’s a very smart and safe system if you’re spending drowsy hours on boring British motorways but on the sweeping curves of the Cape Fold Belt it’s fun to be able to straighten on the bends slightly. I was already on the home stretch towards Pietermaritzburg when I finally pulled over to scour the 250-page instruction manual for the override setting.

This is clearly a car that turns heads as easily as it turns corners. When I stopped to get the dust rinsed off, the owner of the wash centre insisted on moving it into the bay herself. In her enthusiasm she refused to charge me the full price: ‘One of the best things about my business,’ she said, ‘is an opportunity to drive cars like this.’

‘Mine too,’ I smiled. 

PRIVATE EDITION

BALLITO, KWAZULU-NATAL Asking R27 million | 6 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 2 garages "The Jewel in the Crown". Situated in an elevated position, featuring breath-taking sea views and high end finishes throughout. Smart Eco-friendly features provide an off-the-grid lifestyle, with a viewing deck. Triple volume entrance unveils an entertainers delight paired with elegance and sophistication. Off shutter concrete ceilings and exposed timber rafters gives it an Industrial Vintage Aesthetic. Boasting views from the Durban harbour to the Tugela Mouth lighthouse. An office, and one can easily add 5 extra bedrooms and a large gym. Staff acc or 6th bedroom, double garages plus undercover parking for 6 cars. Lift to the roof top deck and tennis court. Has the potential of being a 11 bedroom home, with a gym/studio of 80m² with sauna or bathroom as the plumbing and electrics are already there.

Own only the Best in Ballito. Sabrina Errico 082 414 8955 Office 032 946 1818 Web ref: H1374

BOARDWALK MEANDER ESTATE, PRETORIA

DAINFERN VALLEY, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R8.8 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R28 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Once-in-a-lifetime property situated in the sought-after Boardwalk Meander Estate. This incredible home is well designed with contemporary architectural design elements including an industrial look and feel which is complimented with various features such as wide open spaces, loads of natural light flowing into rooms as well as structural and textural features that artfully create ambiances while enticing all your senses. The garden and landscaping form part of the wonder of the home which created a hideaway, tranquil paradise. Juanita du Plessis 082 322 307 Office 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4492267

This 1082m² residence sits on a 1415m² stand, one of the most remarkable home sites in the prestigious Dainfern Valley Estate, an effortless continuum of home, greenbelt and river. This flawless trophy residence is undeniably spectacular with a sophistication of understated luxury. The perfect floorplan flows with grace, capturing your imagination along the way and filling you with wonder as you move from room-to-room with breathtaking, expansive living areas, works of art, nature inspired interior, innovative lighting and a sweeping dual glass staircase.

Carol Sneag 072 343 8622, Candy Toweel 083 640 9443 Web ref: 4713126

SILVER LAKES ESTATE, PRETORIA

MOOIKLOOF EQUESTRIAN ESTATE, PRETORIA

Asking R26.5 million | 6 bedrooms | 8 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R15 million | 5 bedrooms | 7 bathrooms | 5 garages

Exclusively brought to you by Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, this property is presented to the Connoisseurs of Life who appreciates quality building workmanship. The warmth of the architectural design elements creates a welcoming feel upon arriving within the enclosed entrance courtyard. Attention to detail is evident as one enters through double doors into the entrance hall with double volume ceiling and chandelier hanging over. The open flow to the various reception areas creates a comfortable ambiance, and although fit for kings and queens this home is all about entertainment, comfort, and lifestyle.

Juanita du Plessis 082 322 307 Office 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4721164

A welcoming entrance leads from a walk-over bridge porch with imposing water features and koi ponds leading to a large glass front door. The entrance hall forces one to stop and appreciate the impressive roof design and quality building works. A home to last a lifetime. A formal lounge enjoys a private setting while the offices are set close enough to the main entrance with balconies to enjoy the amazing views. One of the impressive themes of the property is that expansive views are enjoyed from any angle of the property. Juanita du Plessis 082 322 307 Office 012 460 9261 Web ref: 3670933

ELDORAIGNE EXT 3, CENTURION

MIDSTREAM ESTATE, CENTURION

Asking R6.25 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R19 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Exclusive design, striking layout. Looks will definitely impress. Situated on a higher point in Centurion, the very sought after gated community in Eldoraigne, Uitsig Park. This 5 bedroom house with flat, has a prominent design with straight lines, and is situated on a large corner stand of 1743m². Once the heavy pivot door opens, you will find sophistication, yet, also designed for a casual lifestyle.

The bottom of the staircase marks the centre of the house, surrounded by all the entertaining areas and living spaces. Open all the glass sliding doors and have one large entertainment area overlooking the inviting sparkling pool. Not to be missed. Cisca Swanepoel 082 307 2365 Office 012 492 5635 Web ref: 4812588

This magnificent architecturally designed home is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac which offers an enviable lifestyle. A home designed with state of the art functionality, a symphony of clean lines, glass and designed authenticity. The welcoming entrance hall leads to two wings - one side the well designed open plan living areas, while on the other wing of the house contains four sunny bedrooms, all en-suite, large glass framed doors. The house also offers a study or office and a multimedia cinema room. Pool, fire pit, and many more extra features. Jermaine Dick 072 775 9306 Office 012 492 5635 Web ref: 4724784 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

SENDERWOOD, JOHANNESBURG

BRYANSTON, SANDTON

Asking R13.99 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R10 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 3 garages

This home boasts layers of lights, glass in architecture with a blend of wood and genuine stone – exquisitely minimalistic focusing on flowing open plan spaces.

Spacious gourmet kitchen with scullery and walk in fridge. Dining room, formal lounge, family room, study, guest room en-suite. Separate games room or cottage with en-suite with separate entrance. 5 Bedrooms – Main en-suite with dressing room & balcony, 5 bathrooms, cellar under staircase, 4 garages. 2 Bedroom staff acc. Large patio & braai area, timber deck to pool pond & water feature, borehole & reservoir, fibre connected with wifi extenders, integrated home automation, HD entertainment system & many other features. Charlene Leibman 082 448 0440 Robby Castellani 083 717 2365 Web ref: 2525883

Magnificent, exciting contemporary. A property beyond compare set in guarded enclave. The epitome of fine taste & best fittings throughout – skylights, atriums & open-plan ensuring a harmony of light & space. Boasting 4 bedroom suites, the beautiful master suite with lounge area - all bedrooms with stunning picture window views of the superb garden. Magnificent open-plan reception rooms to the most beautiful landscaped, indigenous garden with swimming pool. The kitchen is stunning with top fittings. Housekeeper’s flatlet & 3 garages. Off the grid with generator & borehole. Secluded & secure behind high walls. Manuela Coelho 082 552 7119 7 Office 011 886 8070 Web ref: 4799313

WEST CLIFF, JOHANNESBURG

PARKHURST, JOHANNESBURG

Asking R22 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R4.05 million | 3 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 2 garages

Well known - “Moot House” design by Herbert Baker, on Parktown West Cliff Ridge set on ±5230m² of prize winning gardens with athletic training pool, practice cricket net and glimpses of views above the green belt of the Northern landscape. Al fresco dining, entertaining under ± 80m² of covered character patio.

Open plan, dine in, contemporary kitchen. Concept of glass wall and ceiling has been sourced from Heritage homes abroad, in keeping with the refined style of Baker. 4 Receptions, 2 studies, family room, dine-in kitchen, guest suite, gym, & self contained separate cottage. Double staff acc. 24hr dedicated patrol car with guard - boomed off Valley Rd. Beverley Gurwicz 082 412 0010 Web ref: 4638101

Perfectly set on a desirable corner stand adjacent to Parkhurst’s ever popular Verity Park and Community Centre. Enter the expansive and airy reception area that flows perfectly all the way through to the sunny garden and undercover patio on the northern side. Generous lounge section centred around a wellpositioned fireplace and a massive dining area- both linked to the outdoor entertainment and garden area to the north and to the open plan large designer kitchen to the west. The bedroom wing is perfectly separated from the living rooms. Self contained separate cottage & double garage with storage. Willem Prinsloo 082 442 1497 Cornel Ridgard 082 468 8247 Web ref: 4783444

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

OLIVE CREST ECO ESTATE, ROODEPOORT

BOSKRUIN, RANDBURG

Asking R5.299 million | 3 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R5.3 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 4 garages

A small piece of heaven in Olive Crest Eco Estate. A family home in its simplest form. Characterized by custom made windows that invite light to flood both large and intimate rooms and slides open allowing living spaces and bedrooms to epitomize indoor and outdoor living. The heart of this charming home is the large open plan living, dining area with excellent flow to the open plan gourmet kitchen. 3 Large en-suite guesthouse-style bedrooms with their own patios that have views over the indigenous gardens and sparkling pool. Come and enjoy an active lifestyle for the whole family! Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Web ref: 4728802

A home that will age gracefully..This property is ideal for a growing family who loves to entertain or two families that is looking for luxury, privacy, and security.

A perfect balance to create an integrated indoor-outdoor flow from the entrance hall through to the open plan reception areas. The extra-large undercover patios and pool area bring in the magnificent garden. The well-designed kitchen consists of breakfast area, walk in pantry, separate scullery, and laundry.

Additional features include 2 king sized master suits with a seated reading/ TV area, with private balconies. The best of family time. Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Web ref: 4751939

ALDARA PARK, RANDBURG

NORTHRIDING, RANDBURG

Asking R4.95 million | 7 bedrooms | 7 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R2.65 million | 3 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 2 garages

A brilliant Michael Sutton original, featuring his signature compound living space concept of multifunctional interior sections organically interconnected with gardens, courtyards, atriums, and patios creating an aesthetically dynamic residence with space for large/extended family, work from home or substantial rental income options. The open plan lounge, family room, dining and kitchen areas effortlessly continue to verdant outdoors with entertainment patio and pool. The 5-bedroom main house is complemented with 2 luxury cottages accessed via separate walkways and with private outdoor areas. Melinda Odendaal 083 399 4113, Maria Minik 083 380 2939 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4693916

This modern masterpiece epitomizes everything you would expect from uncompromising quality and top end finishes. A large bright living space with open kitchen, dining area and living room make it a superlative setting for sophisticated living and entertaining. The immaculate eat-in kitchen with state-of-the-art Smeg appliances “All Inclusive”. The home comprises of 3 bedrooms, 2,5 bathrooms and a study area. A covered patio overlooks the easy maintainable garden with added extras. Double automated garage (direct access), gas geyser, fibre, 24 Hr security, invertors and plumed water system.

Tania Fourie 082 331 6948 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4692564 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

CAMPS BAY, CAPE TOWN

CAMPS BAY, CAPE TOWN

Asking R22 million | 6 bedrooms | 7½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R65 million | 8 bedrooms | 8½ bathrooms | 4 garages

This residence offers gracious and contemporary seclusion with varied entertainment spaces indoors & out including an immaculate dining room, lounge with enclosed wood burning fireplace, sun splashed deck, TV room, study & sophisticated kitchen featuring sleek cabinetry, coffee station & walk in pantry with separate scullery. A games room & bar flowing out to the pool creates a wonderful break away space. This home boasts 4 bedrooms(3 en-suite) with a further 2 bedroom flatlet with own entrance, lounge, kitchenette & balcony. The luxurious main bedroom en-suite enjoys magnificent views, wrap around balcony, dressing area & sublime bathroom en-suite. Andrea Glew 079 893 9197 Web ref: RL94254

Magnificently elevated 5 level residence boasts panoramic views of both the Atlantic Ocean as well as The Twelve Apostles & Table Mountain Nature Reserve as its backdrop. Accessed by an elevator the home offers grand proportions for both indoor & outdoor entertainment with lounge & dining flowing out to ocean & mountain view terraces with firepit, rimflow pool, jacuzzi & built-in BBQ with expansive lounging spaces. Sophisticated kitchen & home cinema for stylish entertaining plus eight bedroom suites. The opulent master suite taking up the top level includes pajama lounge, yoga studio, sauna and steam room. High tech security and garaging for 4 cars. Andrea Glew 079 893 9197 Web ref: RL94367

SEA POINT, CAPE TOWN

BANTRY BAY, CAPE TOWN

Asking R9.75 million | 3 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 2 parkings

Asking R16.995 million | 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 parkings

Set on the upper slopes of Signal Hill, and built around Africa's largest cannon mountings, namely, Alpha One. This unique feature which once guarded Table Bay from enemy ships during the Anglo-Russian conflict has now been preserved below and transformed into a historic site with integrated wine cellar and tasting room. This apartment features European oak flooring, custom wooden joinery and cupboards as well as integrated Smeg appliances. An entertainers open plan layout consisting of lounge, bar unit and dining areas all feed out through glass sliding doors onto the large balcony with sweeping sea views.

Grant Bailey 083 444 5171, Jessica Maybery 084 645 2358 Web ref: RL92015

Positioned on the top floor of this Bantry Bay boutique apartment complex, this 211m², three bedroom, three bathroom masterpiece comes to market. Views have been the focal point of the design, with all three bedrooms, lounge, dining and kitchen areas enjoying the magnificent views of the Atlantic. A neutral palette of light colours dresses the entire apartment which creates an inviting living space, where one can enjoy the spectacular seascape either from indoors, the patio, or even from the martini seat in the plunge pool. An apartment that you really needs to be viewed to appreciate a remarkable offering. Grant Bailey 083 444 5171, Jessica Maybery 084 645 2358 Web ref: RL93948

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

SILWERSTEEN ESTATE, CAPE TOWN

RONDEBOSCH VILLAGE, CAPE TOWN

Asking R12.75 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R5.1 million | 5 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Secure, private and exclusive this fine home offers exceptional views and a layout which lends itself to elegant relaxed living. The feeling is “country living” yet only minutes from all amenities including wine farms, shops of every description, restaurant, medical facilities and outdoor pursuits. David Burger 083 458 3333, Steve Thomas 084 471 4722 Web ref: 4609845

A versatile home in convenient location. With dual living potential, this home offers many options. Good condition, with easy flow from the receptions to the sunny garden and pool. Jane Stirton 083 613 7863, Bridget Proudfoot 083 635 8088 Web ref: 4816070

UPPER CLAREMONT, CAPE TOWN

CONSTANTIA HILLS, CAPE TOWN

Asking R12.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R10.75 million | 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 3 garages

Exuding style and warmth this north-facing, 4 bedroomed home, is perfectly positioned in a quiet cul-de-sac in the heart of Upper Claremont. All the living areas open out onto the pretty garden with well-established trees & beautiful mountain views ensuring privacy. The entrance hall draws you in to the formal lounge and gracious dining area on the one side and spacious family room open plan to a magnificent cordon bleu kitchen on the other. All perfect for indoor or outdoor entertaining. The magnificent loft apartment is completely selfcontained with a separate entrance – perfect for guests or Air B&B venture.

Ruth Leach 082 323 7550, Marc Plastow 084 598 5285

Set on a 5500m² plot in Sweet Valley Vineyard Estate with direct access to beautiful riding and hiking trails in the Tokai Forest. Reception rooms: lounge, dining room, and fitted bar, open onto the enclosed patio/entertainment room with uninterrupted views. Separate large lounge with a projector. The bedroom wing has 3 bedrooms - Master suite with full en-suite bathroom and steam room, BIC, underfloor heating, and sliding doors onto the pool. 2 Further bathrooms. Farm-style eat-in kitchen. One-bedroom self-contained flatlet, staff accommodation, and triple garages. Matthew Raubach 072 382 7949, Eileen Mc Kirby 082 410 7204 Web ref: 4278878 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

TOKAI, CAPE TOWN Asking R6.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages This North facing private, spacious and impeccable ultramodern designed executive residence on two levels in prime location, offers an incomparable lifestyle. From the street level entrance a covered walkway leads you to the double volume entrance hall. Gracious double volume open plan reception areas flow seamlessly to the covered patio, pool and garden. Fully fitted kitchen with separate scullery. A study or fourth bedroom completes the ground level accommodation. 3 Double volume bedrooms on the second level are all en-suite and the master bedroom has uninterrupted mountain views and a separate dressing area. Herculene Visser 083 658 2686 Web ref: 4774377

CONSTANTIA UPPER, CAPE TOWN Asking R29 million | 7 bedrooms | 8 bathrooms | 3 garages Share our excitement with this absolutely captivating and original Constantia homestead. Built in 1937 this home is solid but stylish with a harmonious blend of modern day fittings and yesteryear charm. You will not be disappointed as on arrival your first view is a feature carved front door leading to the living rooms with beautiful woods featured throughout the property. Offering 7 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, large living rooms with high ceilings plus a separate 2 bedroom cottage, 3 garages and staff quarters all tucked away in a secure estate.

Rouvaun McKirby 071 671 0821, Jacques Fourie 072 304 7957, Jo Thomas 084 404 4120 Office: 021 701 2446 Web ref: 3921190

NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN

CLAREMONT UPPER, CAPE TOWN

Asking R9 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R15.95 million | 5 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 2 garages

The grace and charm of yesteryear. Built in 1850, Oak Villa is a classic example of early Cape architecture. The very high ceilings and large sash windows with external wooden shutters give the home a feeling of grandeur. A wonderful opportunity to own this historical homestead in Newlands offering 4 bedrooms, study, 3 bathrooms, staff accommodation, double garage and swimming pool.

Brandon Challis 084 491 0906 Office: 021 701 2446

Beautiful & immaculate, gorgeous 4 bedroomed North-facing home, with versatile accommodation for families with children of all ages, plus a large self-contained guest suite. Reception areas include formal living & dining rooms, a sleek fitted chef's kitchen & informal living & dining areas for the family. Additional features include a large, superbly fitted study, a partially covered entertainment terrace for Sunday lunches & sundowners, landscaped garden with borehole & saltwater pool. The double garage has direct access, and also provides additional storage.

Comprehensive security includes alarm system, exterior beams, electric fencing and camera security. Barbara Manning 083 407 3656 Web ref: 3991385

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

DE ZALZE WINELANDS GOLF ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

VAL DE VIE ESTATE, WINELANDS

Asking R14.9 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R18.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 3 garages

If space, views, privacy and security are on your wish list, then look no further.

Situated in a private enclave of only four homes on a quiet area of the estate, the property has uninterrupted, north-facing views over the Stellenbosch mountains and a fynbos area with a small dam. Chris Cilliers 082 576 4962 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4812550

This unique and highly exclusive property inspires a modern lifestyle combined with a sense of freedom away from the city and yet has easy access to it. A property of unparalleled luxury and magnificence. Tucked behind the gates of the esteemed Val de Vie Luxury Estate, the home tells the story of a love for travel, artistry and entertainment. Marli Scheppel 083 988 5691 Office 021 770 0230 Web ref: 4463483

VAL DE VIE EVERGREEN, WESTERN CAPE

BOSCHENMEER GOLF & COUNTRY ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

Asking R3.75 million | 2 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 1 garages

Asking R8.8 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 garages

Recently voted The Best Leisure Development in the World by The International Property Awards, this retirement community at Val de Vie Evergreen is an idyllic place to spend your retirement years. With views extending over the Cape Winelands and just a short drive to all the popular Wineland's towns with a massive selection of restaurants, arts and culture and historic wine farms there can be no better place to retire. Chris Cilliers 082 568 1122 Web ref: 4574193

A spectacular home, located in an established part of the exclusive Boschenmeer Golf and Country Estate. Immaculately maintained, attention to detail and with incredible mountain and fairview views creates an impression of an outstanding and unique property. Grand open spaces, with an easy flow to the outside entertaining area overlooking a sparkling pool and patio.

Marilize Breytenbach 083 241 1580, Marinda de Jongh 082 573 2204 Office 021 870 1011 Web ref: 4728243

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

PARADYSKLOOF, STELLENBOSCH

BEL’ AIRE, SOMERSET WEST

Asking R7.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R8.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Property in a prime location close to the historic Blaauwklippen and the historic Vriesenhof vineyards and wine cellars, offers an excellent investment opportunity.

This exceptional residence is one of only five properties, arranged around a paved courtyard, and located in an exclusive gated security complex, aptly called Fleur du Mont (mountain flower) due to its position at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain and edging on the Eden forest. Gert Bezuidenhout 082 441 6494 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4626282

Architectural designed, north facing, dual living with unsurpassed ocean and mountain views. Designed for breath taking views from almost every room, easy living, low maintenance and ideal for lock up an go. Chantal Botes 083 702 5460 Office 021 851 4450 Web ref: 4806982

STELLENBOSCH LIFESTYLE FARM

ROZENDAL, STELLENBOSCH

Asking R28.5 million | 7 bedrooms | 7 bathrooms

Asking R19.5 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 2 garages

A well planned 25 hectare farm, developed according to modern and sustainable agriculture principles. The choice of orchards, vineyards and rosemary plantations were carefully done, according to the specific micro climate conditions. The farm borders the Berg River - the source of the 10ha of water use rights. Soon this immaculate farm will reach full production. A top agricultural consultant keeps an eye and manages the farming program: Almonds, Wine grapes, Nectarines, Olives, Oats and Rosemary. Detlef Struck 079 597 1727 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4738758

Magnificent property with grand proportions and uninterrupted views. Bespoke high quality finishes throughout with attention to detail and clean lines are part and partial of this masterpiece. Situated in a tranquil setting at the edge of a quiet residential area in Stellenbosch this property offers a perfect synthesis of indoor / outdoor living. Marelise Visagie 072 776 2645 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4765151

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

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R5.95 | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 1 garage

Asking R40 million | 9 bedrooms | 8 bathrooms | 6 garages

Take the time to see this stunning, well-presented, perfectly-positioned beachyfied 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom home in Seaside Longships. If you want north-facing, easy outdoor living, close to the beach with the atmospheric feel of a tropical island, don't look any further, this is your dream home. Accommodation is 4 bedrooms and a self-catering flat with own entrance. The living areas flow onto a covered terrace with pool and deck. Single garage and a carport big enough for a boat. Two fireplaces ensure cozy winter evenings and the established garden will keep you cool in summer. Paul Jordaan 082 876 0577 Office 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4752372

A beautifully designed, north-facing, eco-friendly property with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean, Tsitsikamma Mountains & extensive river frontage on the Bitou River on 3.867ha. A unique property that must be seen to be believed.

Features include (but definitely not limited to): incredible 4 en-suite bedroom main house with double-volume spaces, solid timber flooring, double -glazing throughout, library, study, 6 garages, carports, pool, separate self-contained apartment, two cottages with a further 5 bedrooms, stable block, paddocks, lunge ring, fenced on 3 sides, cameras, motion detection, etc. Designed by leading eco architect, Ian van der Westhuizen, to function off-grid. Hein Pretorius 083 701 3159 Office 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4679374

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R7.5 million | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R6.99 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Spacious 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom double storey family home in Whale Rock Ridge gated estate (consistently rated in top 10 in SA). The guest bedroom is on the ground floor and the other 4 bedrooms are on the upper level. The double volume entrance hall opens out to the lounge, dining area, tv room and an enclosed patio - perfect for entertaining. The kitchen is open plan with a separate scullery/laundry. Double garage with direct access and ample parking.

An expansive deck area (pool covered over) with stunning sea views from both levels. Views, security and space - a comfortable home. Carrie Maclean 082 566 1881 Office 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4749228

A ±275m² very comfortable, beautifully renovated, north-facing 4 en-suite bedroom apartment at the end of Beachy Head in The Sanctuary. Sunny, light and warm.

Beautiful sea and mountain views, close to the sought-after Blue Flag Robberg Beach. Open plan living, granite tops with centre island in kitchen, generous patio via frameless glass doors, high ceilings, quality laminated wooden floors and generally high-end finishes add to a fresh look all round, upstairs open study / loft area, some underfloor heating and large wood fire place, drying courtyard, 2 garages, and storage. Some furniture included with balance negotiable.

Elbie Pama 082 569 2588 Office 044 533 2529 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

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