Private Edition Issue 49

ISSUE 49

Where To Next?

A NEW BREED OF CONSCIOUS TRAVELLER CRAFTING BEAUTY FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S TRASH ART IN A DIGITAL AGE

VAL DE VIE EVERGREEN FACILITIES: 56 HOMES | 24-HOUR MEDICAL CARE | PRIVATE CLUB HOUSE | CONTEMPORARY LIBRARY | LANDSCAPED GROUNDS | GAMES AND CINEMA ROOM | BISTRO AND LOUNGE DINING AREA | BOWLS PRACTISE LAWN | PETANQUE VAL DE VIE ESTATE FACILITIES: STATE-OF-THE-ART SECURITY WITH 24-HOUR RESPONSE TEAMS | PRISTINE POLO FIELDS & STABLES | EQUESTRIAN DISCIPLINES | 1000m² WELLNESS CENTRE | REUBEN’S & CO CAFÉ POLO CLUB RESTAURANT | L’HUGUENOT WINE CELLAR | PEARL VALLEY GOLF CLUB | THE VALLEY RESTAURANT | AWARD WINNING JACK NICKLAUS SIGNATURE GOLF COURSE | RESORT-STYLE POOL | FITNESS CENTRES | 25M INDOOR POOL | 50M OUTDOOR POOL | SQUASH COURTS | FLOODLIT TENNIS COURTS | SOCCER FIELD | CRICKET NETS | CAMELOT SPA | FLEET COFFEE ROASTERY | DOG PARK | DELI | BASKETBALL HALF-COURT | PADEL TENNIS COURT | RUGBY FIELD | BIKE PARK

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CONTENTS ISSUE

49

2021

52 COVE R

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38 EDITOR’ S

LET TER

Thoughts from the editor PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY STOCK/ TRUNK IMAGES

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BRIEFING

The latest news from the world of luxury and investment

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ART

IN

A

DIGITAL

AGE

The art world has gone online with suprisingly optimistic results

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WHEN

FITNESS

BECOMES

FIXATIO N

There’s a fine line between training hard for health’s sake and it turning into an addiction

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C RAF TING

BEAUTY

FROM

TRASH

Meet the architects, organisations and artisans who recycle and upcycle as a way to heal the world

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DU NE

RIDER

We go inside a Cape West Coast home that brings outdoor living indoors with breathtaking beauty

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11 4 6

58 CR E AT IVE

L I CE NCE

Richard Webb delves into the world of the bespoke motor car

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P OP - UP

CHE FS

Clever chefs are reinventing their offerings and the way they deliver them

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STA R - ST R UCK

SOM M ELIER

South African Gareth Ferreira raises a glass to the success of Core in Notting Hill where he is head sommelier

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WHE R E

TO

N EXT ?

From self-imposed isolation at island retreats to exclusive-use villas, we explore the options for future travel

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S O M EWH E R E OL D, SOMEWHERE NEW Discover the gem that is Breedekloof, situated in the Cape Winelands region

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FROM THE EDITOR I S S UE

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202 1

’VE NEVER BEEN much of a homebody. In fact, I left home at the age of 1 7, and after completing a university degree, spent the next seven years roaming the globe. In Thailand I taught English to Buddhist monks in a monastery; I planted rows of onion bulbs in 40° heat in Israel’s Negev Desert; I managed a small Greek clothing boutique in an alleyway in Mykonos; and on a cobbled street in Notting Hill, I worked in a Spanish restaurant where two parrots squawked greetings to surprised patrons. I spent six months hitchhiking from Cape Town to Kenya and as many months travelling across Europe, often only being able to afford to sleep in a tent. All this on a South African passport, and long before being grounded by a global pandemic was even thinkable.

In Alain de Botton’s book The New Art of Travel, he writes: ‘We hang on to the idea that certain parts of the world possess a power to address complaints of our psyches and bring about some sort of change in us in a way that wouldn’t be possible if we remained in our bedrooms. There are places that, by virtue of their remoteness, vastness, climate, chaotic energy, haunting melancholy or sheer difference from our homelands, can exert a capacity to salve the wounded parts of us.’

What a loss then this past year has been for all of us, although, like me, you may have found other ways to fulfil the longing for novelty, adventure and different lands. Local travel done safely has been a much-needed outlet and salve these past few months. We explore the breathtaking Breedekloof in the Western Cape, often overlooked as an exciting wine route destination (page 66). Virtual safaris, such as Tintswalo’s ‘On the Beat’ – where you can enjoy live game drives hosted by seasoned game rangers from the comfort of your couch - have really taken off during the last few months (page 16).

There is no doubt that the world will be ours to roam once more, to what extent is explored in ‘Where to next?’ where we look at the future of travel (page 58). While we’re already seeing contactless check-ins and a more cautious approach to chosen destinations, trends show the emergence of a new breed of conscious traveller looking for more meaningful travel experiences. The good news is there’s myriad places on offer for this new traveller both locally and abroad.

Travel, either virtually or physically, is not the only way to explore the world.

There are those who prefer to travel inward, and if nothing else, the pandemic has certainly afforded more time to think and reflect. In this issue we hope to help transport you along your journey wherever that may lead. .

EDITOR SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE snewham@tppsa.co.za CREATIVE DIRECTOR TARYN RHODA COPY EDITOR WENDY MARITZ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER CARMEN CLEGG cclegg@tppsa.co.za 071 499 8338 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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Private Edition is published by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, 9th Floor, Tarquin House, 81 Loop Street, Cape Town 8001. Copyright: The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd 2021. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from The Publishing Partnership or the authors. The publishers are not responsible for any unsolicited material.

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

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

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PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

SUSAN NEWHAM-BLAKE EDITOR

BIG BANG INTEGRAL Titanium case with integrated bracelet.

In-house UNICO chronograph movement.

The digital luxury guide

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

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

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

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

THE BRIEFING COLLECTABLES | OBJETS D’ART | MOTORING |

DESIGN | DEPARTURES | TASTINGS

For the love of lockdown IN WHAT IS SET TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF ITS SUMMER 2021 CALENDAR, HOFA GALLERY, LONDON, WILL HOST ‘CORONATION’, A SOLO EXHIBITION

BY RENOWNED SURREALIST PAINTER LORIBELLE SPIROVSKI, FROM 2 TO 16 JUNE THIS YEAR.

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HE UPCOMING EXHIBITION, comprised entirely of new artworks created during the 2020 lockdown, delves into the effects of recent international epoch-making events on private life as distilled through the lens of the artist’s mind.

‘Coronation’ builds on many of the themes and motifs audiences have seen in her past critically acclaimed collections like ‘Hommes’ and ‘Memento Mori’. It is also a potent play on words whose double meaning points to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the political power shifts and significant moments occurring simultaneously that continue to exert mammoth influences on the external and internal lives of people everywhere. The exhibition opens at HOFA Gallery, London on 2 June 2021 and runs for two weeks.

For those stuck here at home, a parallel virtual show will also be accessible to all online via a secure weblink. thehouseoffineart.com

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WATCHES

First in class WE CAN THINK OF MANY REASONS FOR A ROLEX TO BE IN A PRIZED WATCH COLLECTION BUT IF YOU’VE GOT YOUR EYE ON THIS BEAUTY, YOU’VE PROBABLY GOT A THING FOR FIRSTS.

TASTINGS

Templehoff and beyond PETER TEMPELHOFF’S CAREER IS SIGNPOSTED WITH COURAGEOUS CULINARY STATEMENTS AND AWARD-WINNING VENUES. BUT, IN A CHANGE OF PACE, HE COMES BACK FULL CIRCLE TO A SIMPLER MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACH.

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The new concept, beyond, at Buitenverwachting wine farm, comes with the dual challenge of offering something fresh, while acknowledging the estate’s centuriesold history. The answer is a light touch and uncompromising standards as far as ingredients go (a Tempelhoff trademark). ‘If I could choose a quote to sum up the philosophy behind the food at beyond,’ Tempelhoff says, ‘it would be something Marco Pierre White said: “Mother nature is the artist, we are just cooks.”’

Sustainable and seasonal produce and a respect for provenance informs the menu, and Tempelhoff and his team craft seasonally significant flavours into a memorable culinary experience. He’s joined in this exciting new episode by core members of his team at FYN, group executive chef Ashley Moss and head chef Julia du Toit, who will now serve as head chef at beyond. Du Toit’s vision for this new venue includes a paring back, a stripping down of food to its essence.

A contemporary and casual, but refined space, conceived by Tristan du Plessis, the setting is as timeless as the menu and echoes the elegance of the dishes. Wine too, will tip its hat to history, and Jennifer Hugé, longtime colleague of Tempelhoff (and general manager at FYN) cites the Constantia Valley as inspiration for the masterful selection. beyondrestaurant.co.za

This Oyster Perpetual SkyDweller in 18ct yellow gold is the first in the Classic category to be paired with the innovative high-performance elastomer Oysterflex bracelet. It is fitted with an Oysterclasp and features the Rolex Glidelock extension system for extra comfort. The Oyster Perpetual SkyDweller features a bright black dial with sunburst finish, 18ct yellow-gold hands and indexes, the fluted rotating bezel specific to the line, and 42mm Oyster case. This version is equipped with caliber 9001, at the forefront of watchmaking technology. rolex.com

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DEPARTURES

The best of family time

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IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A HOME AWAY FROM HOME, BEAUTY AND PRIVACY, THE NEWLY OPENED PERIVOLI LAGOON HOUSE OUTSIDE STANFORD CAN BE BOOKED ON AN EXCLUSIVEUSE BASIS FOR UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE. Nestled on 140 hectares of private nature reserve, Perivoli is a hideaway of wide-open spaces and breathtaking views. It is the perfect backdrop for quality time spent with family and friends where children of all ages are welcome. Guests at Perivoli have access to a speedboat to make full use of the unique lakeside location, which lends itself to water activities such as water-skiing and tubing, as well as fishing. More relaxing pursuits include yoga baskets, in-room massages and lounging around the heated infinity swimming pool.

The house, with four double en-suite bedrooms with private terraces, invites complete relaxation with deep sofas and shaded views of the breathtaking lagoon. Geared to year-round comfort, Perivoli is equipped with a wood-burning fireplace and efficient eco-friendly pellet stoves, as well as ceiling fans and insect screens.

Perivoli offers flexible booking options that include a housekeeping service, as well as a choice of an all-inclusive offering with a private chef or self-catering. perivoliafrica.com

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COLLECTABLES

Wine collectors’ treasure chest 85 000 BOTTLES OF WINE, 5 500 LABELS: RESTAURANT MOSAIC’S WINE COLLECTION IS HARD TO COMPREHEND AND IT’S UP FOR SALE.

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Imagine discovering the door to a cave of hidden riches. Wines acquired directly from the most admired estates in France: vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti stretching over three decades, or aged Bordeaux from the likes of Château Petrus, Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château d’Yquem. Port from houses dating to the 1960s. Brandies such as Armagnac and Calvados. Champagne blue chips such as Salon, Krug or Cristal alongside the very best smaller growers.

In addition to the French selection, the cellar also holds celebrated South African wines in equal measure, ranging from Klein Constantia’s iconic Vin de Constance (in excess of 25 vintages) to the delights of the country’s most sought-after wine farm, The Sadie Family Wines. Syrahs from Boekenhoutskloof and Mullineux; Chris Alheit’s ultra-rare Radio Lazarus; the famous Lanzerac 1968 Pinotage; Tim Atkin’s 100-pointer 2015 Kanonkop Paul Sauer, as well as vintages of the same wine fromthe early 1990s.

And the list goes on ...

Chef Chantal Dartnall, cellar master Cobus du Plessis and sommelier Moses Magwaza are pleased to announce that the contents of this extraordinary cellar will be available for purchase from 29 March 2021.

This astonishing collection has evolved over many years thanks to the expertise of Du Plessis, resulting in dozens of prizes, including 2019’s La Liste Award for the Best Wine List in the World and a prestigious Grand Award from Wine Spectator in 2020 (the fourth year in a row).

While Restaurant Mosaic closed its doors at the end of March 2021, the bitter news for patrons is paired with some sweetness, as it brings with it this opportunity: the sale of Mosaic’s incomparable wine collection. mosaic@greatdomaines.co.za

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TASTINGS

The Chanel No. 5 of olive oil AWARD-WINNING /LAMBDA/ IS HIGHLY REGARDED AS THE MOST LUXURIOUS OLIVE OIL IN THE WORLD. Produced by Speiron, the pioneering Greek luxury food and beverage company established in 2007, /lambda/ is regarded as the world’s first luxury olive oil.

From some of the oldest centenarian olive trees of Greece, the finest olives are handpicked and pressed with utmost care.

The ultra-low acidity liquid is then bottled and labelled entirely by hand, resulting in this limited-production, award-winning ultra-premium olive oil.

While it is not stocked at retailers in South Africa, private orders are accepted and delivered to clients on request. Go on, you know you want to…

Available online from speironcompany.com

WATCHES

Ultimate special edition

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OMEGA HAS INTRODUCED THE SEAMASTER DIVER 300M ‘BEIJING 2022’ SPECIAL EDITION ONE YEAR AHEAD OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS IN CHINA. To commemorate the occasion, for which it is official timekeeper, OMEGA has included five special minute-markers in the colours of the Olympic rings at 2H, 4H, 8H, 10H and 12H. Turn the watch over and you’ll see a stamped ‘Beijing 2022’ Olympic logo on the caseback. The timepiece features a 42mm case crafted from stainless steel and a grade 5 titanium bezel ring with a 60-minute diving scale in positive relief. The sun-brushed blue ceramic [ZrO2] dial is decorated with laser-engraved waves and offsets the rhodium-plated indexes and hands filled with Super-LumiNova.

The watch is powered by the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 and has passed all eight tests set by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) that guarantee the highest standards of precision, performance and magnetic resistance. Presented in a special box, the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘Beijing 2022’ is set on a polished and brushed stainless steel bracelet including OMEGA’s patented extendable foldover rack-and-pusher with an extra diver extension. The 2022 Winter Olympics will see OMEGA take up its position as official timekeeper for the 30th year. OMEGA first performed this role at the Olympic Games in 1932. omegawatches.com

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The year of virtual safaris TINTSWALO SAFARI LODGE HAS RECEIVED WIDE ACCLAIM FOR ITS EXCITING VIRTUAL SAFARIS THAT HAVE BEEN VIEWED ONLINE OVER THE PAST YEAR BY MILLIONS OF FANS LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY.

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Time and again WATCHES & WONDERS GENEVA PRESENTS A WEEKLONG DIGITAL FORUM TO CELEBRATE WATCHMAKING EXCELLENCE. BY DEBBIE HATHWAY In April, watch collectors, retailers and media from around the globe will gaze longingly at passports and empty suitcases as the pandemic forces us into a second digital showcase of new timepieces at Watches and Wonders Geneva.

Thirty-eight leading brands take centre stage from 7 to 13 April with presentations designed to dazzle us with daring and craft. Broadly speaking, there are those who favour innovation in materials and complications, highlight metiers d’arts, celebrate their jewellery arts or indulge their heritage. And there are others who simply do it all.

For the first time, though, many of the world’s most prestigious watchmaking brands will unite in presenting this exclusive online event for retail and media professionals as well as brands’ VIP customers, who will be invited to preview this year’s new releases. These include Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hermès, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Bvlgari, Carl F. Bucherer, Hublot, Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer and Zenith.

It’s virtually impossible to pick a favourite when these are revealed, but we can get really carried away by the passion, craftsmanship, excellence, stories and history.

Whether this dates back decades or centuries, the

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When Level 5 hard lockdown first kicked in and its lodges were deserted, Tintswalo acted swiftly to find a creative way to continue communicating with loyal guests.

In the African bush nature played out as it always has unaware of any pandemic, and the guides of Tintswalo Safari Lodge continued their early morning game drives to monitor animal activity and conservation within the reserve. Getting up at the crack of dawn, they started filming what became known as the ‘On the Beat in the Manyeleti’ virtual game drives, which were broadcast on social media around the globe.

The first virtual safari went live on 25 March 2020 with 41 092 views. A year and 178 episodes later, Tintswalo’s Virtual Safaris have received an astonishing 7,4 million views from followers all over the world.

Regional general manager of Tintswalo’s Safari Operations Alistair Leuner says, ‘During lockdown social media became a lifeline for many people as a way to connect to the world out there. People were looking to escape boredom and isolation and were searching for interesting and meaningful content. It was a great opportunity for Tintswalo to not only bring the bush right into their living rooms, wherever they were, but also to inform and educate the public about various important conservation issues.’

As in real life, each virtual safari brings new adventures to the screen. From tracking the day-to-day movements of a herd of elephants and exhilarating sightings of wild dogs passing, to following the Manyeleti’s magnificent Mbiri pride and finding a lion cub in a tree, Tintswalo’s ‘On the Beat’ virtual safaris are still continuing and are ‘reality TV’ at is authentic best. tintswalo.com/safari/virtual-safaris/

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LEFT Roger Dubuis has reinvented its signature double tourbillon to create the Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon, limited to eight pieces in white or pink gold ABOVE The Ballon Bleu de Cartier in 18k pink gold features a crown set with a sapphire cabochon and an interchangeable 18k pink-gold bracelet

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RIGHT The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Silver Chronograph features a unique case and dial made in silver, revisiting the brand’s roots and history in pilot watches

watchmakers’ path to immersion in this world of miniatures is endlessly fascinating.

Not being able to touch and feel the new creations in person is tough for all of us, but we are biding our time until we can travel again and attend these events in person. Salon organiser Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie recognises the need for a large-scale event to bring watchmaking experts and key stakeholders together in one place, not just to ensure business continuity but also to connect brands, retailers and international media.

This year, Watches and Wonders Geneva will be followed by the second edition of Watches and Wonders Shanghai at West Bund Art & Design in China. Those lucky enough to get there can indeed experience a physical Salon, where 15 exhibiting brands will present their latest timepieces.

Meanwhile, to facilitate interaction and enable visitors worldwide to enjoy the full Watches and Wonders experience, the watchesandwonders.com platform now offers extra features. There will be more interaction, more functionality and a greater focus on services, communication and networking. Expect product launches and major brand partnership announcements, live chats and streams, a live Morning Show bringing daily analysis of what’s new at the Salon plus panel discussions and talks led by key industry figures and influential personalities. watchesandwonders.com

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‘Many of the world’s most prestigious watchmaking brands will unite in presenting this exclusive online event for retail and media professionals’ 17

ART

SA-born Paris-based artist and DJ Mo Laudi’s ‘Movement (Mayibuye)’, 2020, is a 15-minute audio-visual installation exploring ideas of access and exclusion. It premiered at last year’s OORtreders Festival in Belgium

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ART IN A DIGITAL AGE

The world of art, once abuzz with tightly packed humans at art fairs and gallery events, has understandably gone online. The results are surprisingly optimistic.

WORDS SEAN O’TOOLE

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OR MORE THAN a decade now, Tegan Bristow, a Johannesburg-based digital media expert, has been exploring the relationships Africans have with technology. How, she found herself asking, can we innovate, not just with new tools but also by developing our relationship with technology? It’s an important question, one that Bristow is finding answers to in the digital arts, a broad category of creative practices made possible by innovations in digital computing. Think photography, illustration, animation, motion graphics and 3D, to name a few speciality areas. As part of her research and activism, Bristow produced a doctoral thesis focusing on African cultures of technology and established a festival.

Founded in 2014, the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival aims to narrow the gap between African cultural practices and technology. Fak’ugesi (‘put on the electricity’ in Zulu) has staged workshops, hackathons, game jams, exhibitions and sober-minded talks. So how did the pandemic impact a cultural festival pitched at digital natives? A lot and a little, says Bristow, who also teaches interactive digital media at The Wits School of Arts. ‘We were able to present and output work with artists without too much trouble due to its digital nature,’ says Bristow of the 2020 festival. At the same time, the festival, which has a big youth following and strong developmental focus, had to migrate its community-orientated approaches online.

In a time when digital hook-ups are the norm, and overload has cultivated selective online interaction, Fak’ugesi managed to attract roughly 5 000 unique users. This is remarkable, especially

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given the niche category the digital arts still represent in Africa.

Its five online exhibitions drew the largest viewership. The invited curators included Xopher Wallace, a local augmented reality (AR) artist, and Elisabeth Efua Sutherland. Like her grandmother, the prominent Ghanaian playwright Efua Theodora Sutherland, Elisabeth began her career in drama but pivoted to contemporary art and performance in the mid-2010s. Represented by dealer Marwan Zakhem’s Gallery 1957, which is based out of Accra and London, Sutherland has collaborated with the renowned fantasy coffin maker and artist Paa Joe, among others.

Bristow met Sutherland virtually when she signed up for Fak’ugesi’s curator bootcamp. ‘We had a very large list of applicants from across the continent and selected 30 to participate,’ says Bristow. ‘The process was astounding for us, not only in terms of being able to work with artists like Elisabeth, but in seeing the real interest and urgency from across the continent to produce and publish digitally in a supported structure.’ The exhibitions conceived by the invited curators not only attracted viewers but

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The unique referential style of digital collage is apparent in Johannesburgbased artist Puleng Mongale’s ‘Heaven on Earth’, 2021, presented

by Latitudes

also landed some participants with industry work. Wallace, for instance, was commissioned by fair organiser Art Joburg to collaboratively produce all the AR content featured on their Instagram feed.

Art fairs, which are convivial affairs where people were once tightly packed into a congested space, have suffered the most as a result of the pandemic. Revenues from floor rentals have bombed. Latitudes, a rival to Art Joburg, has responded by pitching itself as an all-year digital event. In February it partnered with dealership Doyle Wham to present a solo exhibition of digital collages and self-portraits by Soweto-born

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‘Art fairs, which are convivial affairs where people were once tightly packed into a congested space, have suffered the most as a result of the pandemic’

ART

LEFT The sculpture and photo by Kenyan-born artist Mũchiri Njenga is based on a character in his 2011 dystopian sci-fi film Kichwateli (Swahili for ‘TV-head’), and appeared at Tegan Bristow’s 2015 Goodman Gallery exhibition ‘Post African Futures’ BELOW Dineo Seshee Bopape’s digital video ‘I am sky’, 2013, was also part of ‘Post African Futures’

‘South South was conceived by galleries for galleries to create an environment that responded to their needs, to broaden audiences and find commonality’ Puleng Mongale. Retail galleries, which have come to rely heavily on fairs, have also been forced to innovate. In a year of massive sales decline (36% on average globally in the first half of 2020), online trading has emerged as a growth category (rising from 10% of total sales in 2019 to 37% in the first half of 2020) and a beacon of hope.

Recognising this, Liza Essers of Goodman Gallery has introduced a new online sales platform, South South, to bring together 50 international galleries focused on art from the Global South.

The logic of this online marketplace is not unfamiliar to collectors as it combines aspects of how art fairs and auctions work, bringing together a variety of traders interested in pitching work to digital bidders. But it’s more than that, says Goodman Gallery’s head of communications Robin Scher: ‘South South was conceived by galleries for galleries to create an environment that responded to their needs, to broaden audiences, find commonality, share histories and bring communities together.’ For her part, Bristow has been impressed by how Latitudes, a physical art fair launched in 2019, quickly and successfully pivoted to an online format.

Ecommerce websites are, however, an increasingly static way to drum up business. One social media platform has emerged as an important ‘discovery tool’ for serious collectors. ‘Instagram provides a way for art-hungry millennials to get an art education and make that emotional connection with individual artists,’ noted Forbes in 2016. It has also allowed younger collectors to bypass the snobbishness of an industry that has relied on greying wealth.

Artists have also recognised this.

In February 2019, when Nelson Makamo’s portrait of his 11-year-old cousin, Mapule Motaung, appeared on the cover

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LEFT Mia Thom’s ‘Idée Fixe’, 2020, features cello music emanating from an empty cello case BELOW Elisabeth Efua Sutherland’s ‘Sui Generis’, performed at the Chale Wote Street Art Festival, in Accra, Ghana OPPOSITE FrancoCanadian artist Kapwani Kiwanga’s ‘Ifa Organ’, 2013, at ‘Post African Futures’

‘[Instagram] has been a particularly valuable tool during lockdown as physical exhibitions and other opportunities were postponed or cancelled’

of Time magazine, the accompanying article flagged his use of Instagram to connect with audiences globally. ‘That’s one of the exciting developments I’ve seen in the art world since I started,’ Makamo was quoted. ‘There’s no longer really that line between the South American Artist, the European Artist, the African Artist.’

The pandemic has amplified Instagram’s utility. Mia Thom, a Cape Town artist fascinated with synaesthesia (‘sensorial crosswiring’ as she defines it), has found the platform useful for connecting with new audiences. ‘It’s been a particularly valuable tool during lockdown as physical exhibitions and other opportunities were postponed or cancelled,’ says Thom, who recently exhibited two sound sculptures (music instrument cases accompanied by an original score) at Everard Read Circa, Cape Town. The invitation to show started with Thom sharing a post along with an invite to her Woodstock studio on Instagram with the gallery’s curator, Lena Sulik.

Digital promotion is now a recognised skillset being taught at art schools. ‘Websites have become a core part of our teaching lately as we realise students must be able to sidestep galleries to get their work out there, to be noticed and to be taken seriously,’ says University of Pretoria art lecturer Johan Thom (no relation to Mia Thom). He says Instagram is a useful tool to organically bolster visibility, but cautions against confusing what are

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essentially promotional activities typical of the wider digital economy with art itself.

Thom, who completed his doctoral studies in London and was previously involved in computer arts festivals in Slovenia, adds that it is important to distinguish between computer and digital art.

‘Digital, I would argue, is often misleading as almost all photographers use digital means these days, as do video artists,’ he says.

‘Computer, as clumsy as that is, is a bit clearer and points towards some workable definition: someone who actually uses the computer as primary means to create art.’

This definition tends to exclude many of the artists included in Bristow’s 2015 Goodman Gallery exhibition ‘Post African Futures’, among them Müchiri Njenga, Dineo Seshee Bopape and Kapwani Kiwanga. It also excludes many of the artists suggested by curator Chloë Reid, among them Puleng Mongale, Natalie Paneng and Abri de Swardt. Johannesburg-based Reid has produced six exhibitions in an annexe of printmakers Fiona Pole and Didier Presse’s studio at 44 Stanley. She points to a lack of money and support for experimental work using new digital media as a stumbling block.

‘It’s a struggle even to get video work into the gallery,’ says Reid. ‘I beg and borrow AV equipment for each show.’

The fragile ecology for digital arts in SA has prompted some artists to pursue careers abroad. Johannesburg-born Bogosi Sekhukhuni, who participated in Bristow’s 2015 Goodman Gallery show as well as the controversial tech-minded 2016 Berlin Biennale, has found increasing favour in New York. His 2018 debut in that city included his breakthrough work, ‘Consciousness Engine 2: absentblackfatherbot’, 2013, which presents disembodied heads on a screen narrating a series of Facebook chats between Sekhukhuni and his estranged father.

The cross-over video-animation work was previously shown at Goodman Gallery in 2014.

The future for the digital arts in Africa is nonetheless positive.

The global uptake of digital tools during the pandemic has, says Bristow, positively impacted perceptions of digital art in SA. ‘The value of digital creatives is suddenly much more evident to everyone across sectors.’ 

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‘The global uptake of digital tools during the pandemic has positively impacted perceptions of digital art in SA’

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SPORT

fixation WHEN FITNESS BECOMES

Whether it’s gym workouts, a brisk daily walk or playing group sports, exercise is great for longevity, staying in shape and managing stress. But there’s a fine line between a healthy training regimen and a dangerous obsession.

WORDS KATHY MALHERBE

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EXERCISE ADDICTION AFFECTS about 3% of the population.

This may be hard for people to understand, especially those of us who wish we could drop our bodies off at the gym and pick them up when the session is over. Exercise addiction manifests as an unhealthy obsession with exercise and physical fitness, and can result from poor body image or eating disorders. The DSM–5* (which provides a framework for classifying disorders and defining diagnostic criteria for these disorders) classifies excessive exercise under ‘behavioural addiction.’ The result is the person’s behaviour becomes obsessive, compulsive and/or causes dysfunction in their life, making it similar to other addictions, like gambling or substance abuse.

Dr Kirsten van Heerden, a sports and performance psychologist at Newton Sports Agency in Durban, and a former South African swimmer, explains that there is a scientific reason for this. ‘During exercise, neurotransmitters (our body’s feel-good chemical messengers), such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, interact with the receptors in our brain that reduce our perception of pain, and trigger a positive feeling in the body. Just like morphine.’

‘Sometimes there is an arbitrary line between being officially diagnosed or not. People are complex and don’t fit into nice neat boxes’

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Think of it as jolt to the brain’s reward centre, one which helps you anticipate pleasure, feel motivated and maintain hope.

So, when you stop exercising, the activity of these neurotransmitters is reduced significantly. In order to trigger their release again, an addict has to exercise more and more frequently.

Compulsive exercising can be loosely divided into primary exercise addiction, which is less about getting leaner and more about being addicted to the feeling and a particular appearance.

With secondary exercise addiction or anorexia athletica, the addiction is primarily about weight loss.

Dr Van Heerden says, ‘Although diagnostic criteria are useful, sometimes there is an arbitrary line between being “officially” diagnosed or not. People are complex and don’t often fit into nice neat boxes.’

So, who is more likely to become an addict? Dr Karen Vieira, who has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Florida College of Medicine says, ‘Rates of exercise addiction are shown to be higher among those who use technology to aid in their related sport or exercise programme. Fitness technology in the form of various apps, trackers and social media platforms are used frequently by the general population and athletes.’

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‘The prevalence of exercise addiction in competitive athletes and gym goers is around 10%. Triathletes have the highest percentage at 52%, marathon runners 50%, endurance athletes 14.2% and gym goers 8.2%’

However, when the motivation for exercise addiction is evaluated, it is often present alongside other mental health conditions, such as: • Anorexia and bulimia (with 39–48% of those with an eating disorder engaging in compulsive exercise) • Muscle dysmorphia • Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Exercise addiction is also more commonly seen in people who exhibit certain personality traits, such as perfectionism, neuroticism and narcissism.

We are all encouraged to keep fit and exercise for our mental and physical wellbeing, so what are the signs when that fine line has been crossed? According to Dr Van Heerden, ‘As with all addictions, it’s when the person’s social and work life become

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affected in a negative way.’ In fact, the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 includes the following: ‘Causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.’

‘If a person is skipping seeing their friends to work out (not just once in a while, but is constantly choosing exercises over socialising), or they are not getting work done because they leave early to get to the gym, it is a problem. But, it’s often the people around the “addict” who notice the negative impact first. It’s important to hear what family and friends have to say when dealing with any addiction,’ she adds.

What about competitive athletes who have to work out excessively to excel?

‘Interestingly, many elite athletes are terrible at resting and slowing down,’ says Dr Van Heerden. ‘They need to be told by a

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Getting hooked

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coach or a doctor to take a break and when to come back after injury. When diagnosing any mental health issue, you have to take context into account. The obsessive focus and training of elite athletes is completely out of the norm and could be seen as excessive and problematic. But within the elite sports world it’s perfectly normal and what’s necessary to succeed.’

Dr Vieira agrees, saying ‘the prevalence of exercise addiction in competitive athletes and gym goers is around 10%’. She identifies triathletes as having the highest percentage at 52%, marathon runners at 50%, endurance athletes 14.2% and gym goers 8.2% The following symptoms of exercise addiction have been adapted from the DSM-5’s criteria for substance dependence: • Tolerance: Increasing the amount of exercise in order to feel the desired effect.

• Withdrawal: In the absence of exercise the person experiences negative effects such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness and sleep problems.

• Lack of control: Unsuccessful at attempts to reduce exercise levels or cease exercising.

• Intention effects: Exceeding the amount of time devoted to exercise or consistently going beyond the intended amount.

• Time: Excessive time is spent preparing for, engaging in and recovering from exercise.

• Reduction in other activities: Social, occupational and/or recreational activities occur less often or are stopped.

• Continuance: Continuing to exercise despite knowing that this activity is creating or exacerbating physical, psychological and/or interpersonal problems.

How do you treat exercise addiction? Dr Van Heerden says, ‘If the person has an eating disorder, you would need to treat this first as the exercise is simply an extension of the eating disorder.

Often there is a comorbid mental health issue, most commonly depression or anxiety, and this would need to be treated as well.’

As with any addiction, relapse rates are high so a good team of people around you and a real desire to beat the addiction is crucial.  *The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)

Bodybuilder Brian Smith* (28) says his journey to exercise addiction began when his brother gave him a flier offering free workouts.

‘On my first day, one of the trainers told me I would have killer biceps and a six-pack by the end of the year,’ Brian explains. ‘I was hooked. The release of endorphins, combined with low self-esteem and the need to belong became the perfect cocktail, the ideal escape.

‘As I built muscle, the other bodybuilders in the gym kept the validation glass overflowing and soon I was using whey as a muscle supplement. I wasn’t a skinny guy anymore. Hearing someone in the gym say ‘nice lats’ is the greatest validation a bodybuilder can get. It’s almost as if you’re being sucked into a cult – a cult that is separate from those weak “outsiders” and gives you a greater purpose in life.’

Brian spent more and more time at the gym, adding weights and lifts. He convinced himself that building muscle would make everything better – one more set and he’d finally have his father’s approval.

Intervention for this addiction is slow. While you’re gradually turning into a sculpted Greek god, concern and pity is scarce. Even when he was fired for being late (because of a gym workout), Brian did not realise he had a problem.

It’s not unusual for exercise addicts to be fired.

Home and work fall by the wayside as ‘users’ spiral out of control. Jobs can become all but impossible to find because of the insistence that they not interfere with the training schedule.

Eventually Brian found a new job but admits most of his salary went towards buying supplements.

Obsessive training soon meant he was late for work too many times and, once again, he was fired.

Finally, five years after his addiction started, those close to Brian recognised he had a problem. His parents insisted he see a psychologist who determined he had muscle dysmorphia – the root of his exercise addiction. ‘It doesn’t matter who you are,’ Brian says, ‘Your mind is programmed to hate what you see in the mirror. It’s a prison from which you can’t escape and it takes a while to realise that gorilla arms do not make your life better.

‘As with most addicts, the biggest challenge was giving up my social group because many of those people facilitated my addiction because they too were addicted.’

It takes time to overcome the addiction and Brian is no different. He is still recovering and his muscles are down to a reasonable size. Withdrawal from continuous compliments from fellow bodybuilders and accepting his new body have been difficult. But he is on the road to recovery. *Name has been changed.

is the official manual of the American Psychiatric Association.

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From discarded fridges to single-use straws, plastic waste’s creative reinvention is on the rise globally. We share our favourite designers, architects, organisations and artisans who recycle and upcycle as a way to heal the world.

WORDS MARTIN JACOBS

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’D FEEL MORE comfortable writing this piece while sitting on a chair made entirely from materials recycled from a fridge. The chair in question is one of Dutch designer Dirk Vander Kooij’s Chubby chairs, otherwise found in the permanent collections of both the British and Vitra Design Museums. Never having sat on one, I cannot attest to whether it’s more ergonomically comfy than my current seat but, conceptually, I’m confident it would put my mind at ease, considering the content of this feature. Made entirely from the plastic materials from a standard discarded fridge – chipped, melted and extruded by a 3D-printing robot – the Chubby chair was designed almost a decade ago, and was incredibly forward thinking for its time.

Its origins in the early Twenty-teens precede the darker days of the decade’s conclusion, a time marked by unchecked pollution, a climate in crisis and the subsequent, muchneeded global awareness of the dangers of single-use (or virgin) plastics. The Chubby chair’s pioneering use of waste material has inspired a generation’s worth of creativity, an eco-army of design warriors intent on tackling global environmental concerns.

Today, the creative reimagining of waste material is commonplace, as designers, both emerging and established, and corporations intent on remaining relevant look to the recycling and upcycling of plastic waste as a way to heal the world. More than a year into a new decade, the Covid-19 pandemic has us rethinking our lifestyles both within and outside our homes. We’re more concerned than ever by the environmental impact single-use plastics will have on the natural world, from landfills populated by microplastics to that blight in our oceans, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated to be three times the size of France.

‘Designers and corporations intent on remaining relevant look to recycling and upcycling as a way to heal the world’

Dirk Vander Kooij’s Chubby chairs range, manufactured from recycled fridge materials

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‘Many companies are cautious about recycled plastic, first prototyping pop-up or flagship stores to see if it is feasible’ tailored to inspire other creators to build objects that last. It is also a denouncement of thermal recycling, a process of waste incineration that results in carbon emission. Dingemans recently partnered with eyewear brand Ace & Tate on the design of their Antwerp store. He says of the project, ‘There is a major shift going on in retail design at the moment. But many companies are cautious about recycled plastic, first prototyping pop-up or flagship stores to see if it is feasible. I hope that retail brands don’t just use it as a way of convincing customers that they are sustainable while in the background the fashion industry remains one of the most polluting industries.’

Like Plasticiet, The Good Plastic Company is a mission-driven organisation that creates recycled plastic sheets with a low ecological footprint.

It has equally adopted the power of suggestion, with a range that includes names like Juicy Lollipop (made from

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SECOND LIFE Ever the champion of innovative design, Orlandi’s exhibition is just one component of her Ro GuiltlessPlastic initiative. The Ro Plastic Prize, now entering its third year, is another. Emerging German designer Alexander Schul won the design prize in its inaugural year for his Substantial furniture line. He believes that the most efficient way to recycle plastic trash is by pressing sheet material from it. Schul’s milky-toned tabletop lamp and chair are not only covetable examples of sheet material’s malleability, but also won him the €10 000 prize.

Pressed sheet plastic is also a burgeoning material in interior design and architecture. Rotterdam-based designer Joost Dingemans co-founded Plasticiet, a company that manufactures sheet plastics. With product names like Blizzard and Chocolate Factory, their visual appeal, which references the beauty of natural stone, has been

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OPPOSITE TOP The striking interior of eyewear brand Ace & Tate’s Antwerp store, designed by Joost Dingemans of Plasticiet, is made from recycled sheet plastic BOTTOM LEFT Alexander Schul won the Ro Plastic Prize for his Substantial furniture line LEFT Recycled plastic waste was used to create and furnish the lobby of The Student Hotel Delft

‘The collaborators believe that a 60m2 Livo house could be produced from as much as eight tonnes of reycled plastic’ single-use cutlery) and Dark Knight (manufactured from household electronic goods), the latter used by British designer Tom Robinson for his flat-pack Evolve chair.

Late in 2020, a custom material made from a combination of recycled refrigerators and cutlery was used

by The Good Plastic Comapany in conjunction with two likeminded

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organisations to create a striking installation in the lobby of The Student Hotel Delft.

The starting point for Danish architect Julien de Smedt’s collaboration with Norwegian start-up Othalo was asking the question: ‘What if we use one of our most pressing problems, the world’s plastic pollution, to solve another, the shortage of quality

affordable housing?’ Together they’ve conceptualised a system for building modular houses largely from compacted recycled plastic. ‘Just as cities are formed by buildings of wood, concrete, clay or steel, they could very well contain buildings constructed from plastic waste, as long as it’s done in a safe and sustainable manner,’ says De Smedt of the project, which is called Livo. Focussing on Sub-Saharan Africa as a starting point, the collaborators believe that a 60m2 Livo house could be produced from as much as eight tonnes of reycled plastic; meaning that with the sheer volume of today’s waste, de Smedt calculates that upwards of one billion houses could be built.

Social and environmental reform is not only the concern of independent designers and architects, or small companies and non-profits. Iconic furniture manufacturers Vitra and Magis, both arguably still producing an overabundance of plastic ranges, have each in the past year rereleased a bestseller in recycled polypropylene. Vitra’s relaunch of studio Barber Osgerby’s Tip Ton chair, rebranded as Tip Ton RE, is manufactured from German waste material that is gathered, sorted, shredded, cleaned and processed as granules. Similarly, Magis has rereleased Konstantin Grcic’s monobloc Bell chair using waste from its own factories, really driving home the concept of a circular economy.

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THIS PAGE Italian brand Magis launched its Bell Chair, a lightweight, low-cost stackable monobloc chair made from recycled polypropylene OPPOSITE TOP TO BOTTOM Studio Swine’s creations are inspired by scrimshaw and made from plastic recovered from an ocean gyre

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BOTTOM RIGHT Non-profit The Ocean Cleanup is using all proceeds from the sale of its sunglasses range for further clean-ups of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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SEA CHANGE An understanding of the escalating threat that discarded virgin plastics pose, particularly to our oceans, has been a slow-burn of the Twenty-teens. In 2015, London-based Studio Swine launched Gyrecraft – five jewel-like objet, inspired by scrimshaw and crafted from plastic collected from a particular ocean’s gyre (a circular current that occurs worldwide on either side of the equator). At the centre of these gyres, plastic mountains amass. ‘Ocean plastic is a totally global problem and it’s a totally global material. It can be treated in a very vernacular way,’ says Alexander Groves, one half of Swine’s design duo.

Across the city, not much more than a year later, advertising creatives Michael Hughes and Dal Evans de Almeida, in collaboration with non-profit The Plastic Oceans Foundation, submitted a proposal titled ‘The Trash Isles’ to the United Nations. It motivates for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to be recognised by the intergovernmental organisation as an official country. ‘We created everything an official country needs, and worked with designer Mario Kerkstra to design a passport, money, stamps and a flag,’ says Hughes of the project’s visually poignant creative.

Another non-profit organisation, The Ocean Cleanup, has also turned to design to extend the perimeters of its reach. Founded in 2013 by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat, only 18 at the time, the charity last year collaborated with designer Yves Béhar. Together they launched the Ocean Cleanup’s first product, sunglasses, made from

‘Ocean plastic is a totally global problem and it’s a totally global material. It can be treated in a very vernacular way’ plastics reclaimed in 2019 by the foundation from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Retailing at €199 per pair, all proceeds from sales are reinvested in further clean-up missions. Slat is confident the sale of a single pair allows for the clean up of an area the size of 24 football fields. He hopes to stop short at nothing less than 500 000 fields.

The iridescence of the sunglasses frames is noticeably different in appearance to Australian designer Brodie Neill’s Ocean Terrazzo.

Working closely with engineers, scientists and manufacturers, Neill has pioneered a terrazzo-like composite that brings a jewel-like glamour to recycled ocean plastics. This is most evident in his Flotsam table, exhibited as part of esteemed Italian gallerist Rossana Orlandi’s Ro Plastic-Master’s Pieces, an exhibition that brings together global works produced from recycled plastic.

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HANDMADE BRIGADE While international corporations fine-tune their industrial processes to include recycling plastic, many designers focus on the visual rewards that the artisanal and handmade upcycling of discarded plastics can bring. In 2016, Capetonian Heath Nash, an award winner for his creative reworking of domestic waste into desirable homeware, launched Our Workshop. A free-to-use and muchshared NGO space, Our Workshop

is based in Langa, Cape Town, and is a studio where, as Nash puts it, ‘you can turn other people’s trash into money’. Invited by Platform’s creative director Cathy O’Clery to participate in the 2019 and 2020 V&A Waterfront’s festive season installations conceptualised by Platform, Nash and the Our Workshop team created large-scale installations for the Watershed. The more impactful of these was the Colour Extravaganza chandelier, a kaleidoscopic floral hanging comprising upcycled household detergent bottles that had been cleaned and hand-cut.

Equally socially enterprising is Hungarian designer Katalin Huszár’s Notjustuseless project. Dismayed while on holiday at how littered the streets of Portugal’s Bairro Alto neighbourhood were with single-use plastic straws, she went home intent on doing something with what’s likely the worlds most hated plastic item.

Huszár launched an experimental eco-design initiative to collect and reuse straws, and in so doing generate awareness of excessive consumer waste. She collected discarded straws at dedicated locations, fused them into a collection of experimental fabrics, and then returned to the same locations to exhibit her work, inviting consumers to see how their not-souseless waste had been transformed.

Handmade fabric from disposed-

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‘Many designers focus on the visual rewards that the artisanal and handmade upcycling of discarded plastics can bring’

of plastic also forms the basis of Egyptian multi-award-winning Reform Studio’s creative offering. Helmed by founders Mariam Hazem and Hend Riad, the studio has invented Plastex, a material comprising cotton or polyester threads interwoven with strands of discarded plastic bags.

Plastex is eco-friendly and water-resistant. Seeking not just to upcycle but also to revive the near-lost tradition of Egyptian loom weaving, the duo has empowered communities of men to weave the studio’s fabrics.

These are then fashioned into accessories that include clutch bags, fanny packs, totes (one designed in collaboration with IKEA for the retailers Överallt collection) and footwear and homeware ranges.

Empowering communities is a focus for Cape Town-based The Joinery too. Founders Natalie and Kim Ellis believe in ethical design, and ‘outsource’ the handiwork of their luxury office and travel accessories to local sewing co-operatives operating from informal settlements.

These seamstresses work with Future Felt, a material woven from nationally sourced, recycled plastic bottles. ‘We do what we do in part to positively contribute to furthering innovation in the textile economy,’ say the sisters of a fabric industry that’s increasingly undergoing sustainability reform.

With such global innovation from companies large and small, and good intention from designers, architects and craftspeople, one would think it would be tough to find critics of the rise of recycled plastics in design. Not so. One such critic argues that recycling is merely another branch of the powerful plastics industry, and that this explains its hold on the media and design worlds.

Belgian educator and curator of the 2018 Istanbul Design Biennial, Jan Boelen, in conversation with Marcus Fairs, editor-in-chief of Dezeen, pronounced the trend as ‘bullshit’. ‘It’s not changing the fundamental problem we have,’ said Boelen, ‘A lot of partners have a big interest in it; it’s business. It’s easy, it relieves our guilt.’ He advocates instead for a systemic change, and encourages designers to look to bioplastics as an alternative. But bioplastics are the subject of another design feature, and I’m yet to find my seat for that. 

OPPOSITE The Colour Extravaganza was created by Our Workshop for a series of installations commissioned

by Platform for the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront ABOVE Katalin Huszár’s Notjustuseless project turns plastic straws into fabric FAR LEFT AND LEFT Studio Reform weaves Plastex, a material comprising cotton or polyester threads and strands of discarded plastic bags, into furnishings and accessories

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ADVERTORIAL

Hazendal’s Cape Dutch homestead, which dates back to 1790, has been sensitively restored and now offers elegant winelands accommodation

Step into another era at Hazendal’s The Homestead, an exclusive-use guesthouse for discerning patrons.

GRACIOUS LIVING AT

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T’S THE SWEET SMELL of thatch that greets you as you step into the airy voorkamer of The Homestead at Hazendal in the Stellenbosch winelands. Let your gaze wander upwards and it will come to rest on original yellowwood beams, while across the room ‘Ndebele Man’ by Vladimir Tretchikoff graces the walls.

It’s one of two pieces by the celebrated artist that are featured here, together with works by Pierneef and a dazzling collection of contemporary African artists. The art is also framed using handselected pieces of period furniture, each carefully chosen to celebrate the rich history of both Hazendal and The Homestead.

It is, in many ways, a step back in time to 1792 – the date on the striking baroque gable – when Hazendal was one of the most prosperous farms in the Bottelary Hills. Today, after a major revamp and rejuvenation, the farm is flourishing once more, and the estate’s new boutique accommodation blends rich history with contemporary five-star luxury.

As an exclusive-use guesthouse, The Homestead offers five opulent en-suite bedrooms, each named for one of the visionary families that have owned the estate since it was founded in 1699. Upstairs an intimate lounge-cum-library offers a quiet space to delve into the history of the farm, while the cosy bar and spacious dining room are perfect for longoverdue family gatherings and celebratory dinners. Your personal butler is always on hand to take care of any and all requests.

It’s the versatility of The Homestead that has made it so soughtafter within months of opening. Bridal parties love it for wedding accommodation, yet it is also in demand by multi-generational travellers looking for a characterful winelands escape with a host of five-star services.

It’s the perfect destination for exploring the scenic Stellenbosch winelands, although, given the diversity of activities and adventures on the estate, you’ll hardly need to leave.

Under executive chef Michélle Theron, Hazendal has become a culinary tour de force in recent years. The Russian Tea Ceremony serves an array of classic Russian delicacies in an elegant space next to the wine cellar. For families, the charming Babushka Deli offers both picnic hampers and al fresco dining, with a dedicated kids’ menu to keep young ones well fed, while the Pivnushka Beer Garden is popular for its delicious flame-grilled fare and craft beers.

Hazendal is also one of the oldest wine estates in the region, and under winemaker Clarise Sciocatti-Langeveldt the estate produces an exciting portfolio of handcrafted terroir-driven wines. Tutored tastings and in-depth cellar tours are an ideal way to discover the vinous heritage of the estate. Then there’s Russian and South African art to discover in the Marvol Gallery, the impressive Classic Car Collection, as well as the wonderful world of Wonderdal, the innovative edutainment centre for kids. There are also indigenous gardens to explore and, mid-2021, a new 18-hole mashie course to have a swing on. It’s a world of winelands discovery in one beautiful estate. 

RIGHT (TOP TO BOTTOM) The Homestead at Hazendal offers five opulent bedrooms and presents the ideal accommodation for wedding parties or hosting inter-generational families; the beautifully restored dining area is an ode to heritage and art; simplicity and space characterise the artfully appointed en-suite bedrooms

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The sounds of the surf, unspoilt ocean views and an endless play of light are the must-haves for a couple who’ve built their ultimate seaside home on Cape Town’s West Coast.

TEXT AND STYLING MARTIN JACOBS

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LEFT While the home faces away from Table Mountain to maximise shelter from the wind, the iconic view is still present.

The beach façade offers thresholds that blur the boundaries between interior and outdoor spaces RIGHT ‘We spend most of our time here,’ say the homeowners of their favourite and most-used space, the braai room.

Its glass walls fold open completely to allow the family to enjoy the room all year round

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PHOTGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

FOR A LOCAL couple returning to Cape Town after

ABOVE On entering the home, a narrow timber pergola and granite walkway draw the eye immediately out towards the entertainment deck and unspoilt views beyond

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living in Canada for two decades, building a home that would celebrate the outdoors was non-negotiable. ‘After 20 years of utterly dreadful winters – cold and dark and spent entirely indoors, cloistered away from nature – we wanted to enjoy the outdoors even when inside,’ they explain. Looking out from the entertainment deck of their Melkbosstrand home at the ocean, where they regularly kitesurf or where their children and dogs play along the shoreline, the couple knows that life couldn’t be more different to what it was like a few years ago, when they purchased the plot while still abroad. ‘Planning the home from Canada, our most important objective was to feel like we were outside even when indoors. This was the appeal of Renato’s architecture. When I looked at his body of work, I noticed homes harmonious with their natural surrounds.’

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ARC HITECTU RE

RIGHT Glass walls in the open-plan living space slide open to create an al fresco-like dining experience, and sliding slatted cedar screens offer protection from the harsh afternoon sun BELOW The kitchen is raised slightly from the living space. While most of the storage is concealed, the open shelves create a focal point and allow the homeowners to display tableware and greenery

Renato Graca, founder of GSQUARED Architects and lead architect on the project, is equally complimentary of the couple’s brief, one that was relayed to him largely via long-distance calls. ‘We had several telephonic conversations, and I designed the residence before ever having met them,’ he says. ‘But they were clear in what they wanted – a family home that, in its simplest form, would be open, light-filled and have unobstructed views. Oh, and with wind-free outdoor living spaces.’

Anyone familiar with Cape Town’s West Coast and its year-round windy climate will appreciate the challenge that lay ahead. Fortunately for Graca and his team, the site is located at the end of a cul-de-sac, with winds coming from the street side. This proved beneficial in more ways than one. The homeowners had expressed a desire for maximum privacy in their new home. This, coupled with a need for shelter from the wind, allowed Graca to design a street-side façade that he describes as ‘a hard, urban private edge’, and which responds to the clients’ desires.

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PHOTGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

‘The owners were clear in what they wanted – a family home that, in its simplest form, would be open, light-filled and have unobstructed views’

A low-slung, custom-made sofa and a swivel armchair accentuate the doublevolume height of the living space. African-print cushions and a patterned throw introduce warmth and character

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A R C THRI T AE VC E TL U R E

Walls of glass in the master bedroom slide open completely. ‘We love sleeping with the doors open, hearing and smelling the ocean,’ says the homeowner. The soft furnishings subtly echo the colours of dune foliage OPPOSITE A freestanding tub in the master bathroom maximises views towards Table Mountain as well as out to sea

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‘It’s only at the glass front door, concealed from street view, that the magnificence of the site’s position is revealed, with dunes, beach and ocean’

PHOTGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

The façade is characterised by natural stone-clad walls, solid architectural planes and an entrance passageway comprising concrete stepping stones and timber screens.

There’s little indication that sand, sea and surf are metres away. It’s only at the glass front door, concealed from street view, that the magnificence of the site’s position is revealed, with dunes, beach and ocean framed by a cantilevered pergola and granite walkway that beckons one out.

Perhaps surprisingly, the immediate view is not one of iconic Table Mountain flanked by Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. This is because the mountain is exactly the direction from which the wind comes. But Renato was quick to make a few changes to optimise the mountain view. One of these was the inclusion of a floor-to-ceiling picture window in an informal TV lounge.

Walls of glass play a key role elsewhere in the home too. They invite light to flood both large and intimate

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rooms, and slide open, allowing living spaces and bedrooms to epitomise indoor-out barefoot living. Sliding timber screens factor here too, this time offering respite from the extreme northwesterly sun. In stark contrast to the solidity of the street façade, the presence of moveable glass along the beach façade creates an ethereal threshold between indoor and outdoor spaces.

As the sun’s trajectory moves from east to west daily, so too does light stream in through an array of windows and skylights, dancing along the double-volume white walls of the entrance and primary living areas. These rooms, with their low-slung neutral furnishings that accentuate their volume, remain deliberately uncluttered to draw attention to Graca’s material palette. His use of raw finishes including concrete soffits and oak cabinetry, as well as a combination of natural stone, polished concrete and timber floors, is a contemporary nod to a traditional West Coast vernacular.

‘My use of materials is about simplicity. I have designed a home that will age gracefully and not shout for attention,’ says Graca, ‘It should feel effortless for my clients, and encourage them to enjoy life in their sheltering oasis both indoors and out.’ Watching her family and dogs return home from the ocean’s edge through the property’s seaside gate, this homeowner couldn’t agree more. 

‘My use of materials is about simplicity. I have designed a home that will age gracefully and not shout for attention’

OPPOSITE The home’s streetfacing façade was designed to offer both privacy and shelter from the wind. Described by Graca as ‘a hard, urban private edge’, it comprises a series of wooden, stone and plastered horizontal and vertical planes that offer little indication of the arresting views beyond PHOTGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

ABOVE The lofty white walls of the entrance accentuate Graca’s material palette, drawing attention to floors in timber, granite and polished concrete, a wooden screen separating the front door from the kitchen, and an impressive floating staircase LEFT Renato Graca, founder of GSQUARED Architects

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Modern luxury is about so much more than simply the value of an object.

Rather, it is a complex sum of many elements – timelessness, rarity, the serendipitous and experiential. Richard Webb delves into the world of the bespoke motor car.

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OSSESSING SOMETHING TAILORMADE – a car that nobody else

in the world owns – is one of the ultimate expressions of individual luxury. Yet drawing on the skills of a team of master craftsmen alongside peerless levels of service is not just the domain of luxury car makers.

Swiss brand Andersen Genève was founded in the 1970s thanks to a single bespoke order. Svend Andersen, a watchmaker at Patek Philippe, was commissioned by a German collector to create a bespoke timepiece. His atelier has since completed more than 100 unique commissions.

Bespoke bicycles are also receiving special treatment. Bottega Conticelli, run by an Umbrian father and son, applies leather accents to old-school bicycles and scooters – like the Vespa GtS Conticelli, yours for R255 000. Their Creme Caferacer Uno is a three-gear bike (from R36 000) that can be specified with leather around the frame, handlebars, mudguards and even the brake cables – all hand-stitched in place and topped with tailored accessories.

The art of coachbuilding was the norm in the first half of the 20th century where companies would ‘coachbuild’ on to car makers’ chassis. But almost all modern cars are engineered where the body is the structure, broadly ending the tradition.

Many luxury brands have recently amplified their bespoke offerings, collaborating directly with customers to deliver highly individualised products. For the super-rich, the appeal seems to be centred around dreaming up the ultimate vehicle that captures their personality and

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The Rolls Royce Ghost is described as a motor car for ‘those who recognise beauty in restraint’

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LEFT TO RIGHT A collaboration between patron and artisan results in a truly singular creation of coach-built legacy, craft and inspiration

then drawing on the expertise of master craftsmen to make it happen. There have been some highly imaginative and artistic interpretations.

Ansar Ali, managing director at McLaren Special Operations calls it the ‘art of the possible’. ‘It’s a creative process that pushes the limits – like the McLaren GT, inspired by Britain’s globally envied talent for great buildings,’ Ali explains.

‘The car is a riot of inspiration, drawing on cues from modernist buildings, including our own McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, UK, which was designed

by Sir Norman Foster.’

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Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur in Zuffenhausen now offers direct printing onto new 911s, allowing clients to specify personalised design based on their own fingerprint. Individualisation and Classic vice president Alexander Fabig reckons no design can be more personal than your own fingerprint.

‘The customer’s biometric data is processed to make sure it cannot be used for an unauthorised purpose,’ he says.

You’d expect custom creations by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke team to be utterly unique – and you’d be right.

From more than 1 000 hand-woven fibre optic lights and hand-set diamonds to a paint finish infused with fine-glass particles, signature models feature delightfully unexpected twists.

Marek Letowt, general manager for Rolls-Royce in South Africa believes bespoke, ‘one-of-one’ cars elevate the brand away from ‘merely automotive’ and into the

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It helps to have a desire to challenge the established order.

The McLaren GT is the Grand Tourer reimagined: much more refined, yet as engaging as a McLaren should be

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Porsche 911 customers can have their bonnet personalised with a design based on their own fingerprint, with more customer-specific designs due soon

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world of high-end luxury. ‘Our service is all about listening to exactly what the client wants and then working with them to transform that into reality,’ Letowt says. ‘Sometimes it’s a case of matching the colour of a car to a childhood memory, other times it means starting from scratch.’

In a delightful local twist, I caught up with South African entrepreneur and inspired collector Selwyn Chatz – the man who worked with Rolls-Royce and the globally celebrated local artist Dr Esther Mahlangu to create a unique work of art for his freshly delivered ‘Mahlangu Phantom’.

‘This one-off is a striking expression of contemporary African art and cultural heritage,’ Chatz tells me, as he reels off several of the world’s most desirable collector’s cars that call his garage home. We’re talking F12 TDF, a track-ready V12 Ferrari and a one-off Pagani Huayra BC in Blue Carbon among many others.

‘I see my collections as being a form of expression, sure,

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Youngsters push the boundaries BERNARD SHAW WAS ASKED WHAT, IN HIS OPINION, IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THIS WORLD. ‘YOUTH,’ HE REPLIED, ‘IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THIS WORLD – AND WHAT A PITY THAT IT HAS TO BE WASTED ON THE YOUNG!’

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‘Our service is all about listening to exactly what the client wants and then working with them to transform that into reality’ but as an investment, they have been spectacular. My cars are not static displays – I also drive these cars fast, just as they should be,’ he chuckles.

For collectors the world over like Chatz, it’s more about a desire to curate and collect. ‘Legacy matters, and commissioning a one-off car is no different to commissioning an architecturally interesting house or curating an art collection,’ he says.

All this goes to make a R50 million Bugatti Chiron – the world’s most expensive production car – a wee bit common and... a little arriviste, even. 

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Many luxury automotive brands would beg to differ, because it’s the younger generation that’s emerging as the primary engine of business growth. Millennial customers have been steady buyers of luxury, accounting for 35% of consumption last year.

But it’s the blooming Generation Zs that are about to reshape the industry. By 2035 they could be responsible for up to 40% of luxury purchases, up from around 4% today. Millennials and Generation Zs combined will represent about 55% of the 2025 luxury market and will contribute 130% of market growth between now and then, offsetting a decline in spending by older consumers.

The nature of luxury customers is evolving fast, and Gen Z customers are the new frontier of tomorrow’s luxury market. They already represent a growing portion of luxury consumption in South Africa.

They see themselves as critical actors in the creativity and conversations with luxury brands that truly connect and engage emotionally with them as they look for ‘what money cannot buy’.

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While the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit, the Covid-19 fallout has seen clever chefs shifting gear with surprising results. Usher in the era of the pop-up chef…

WORDS RICHARD HOLMES

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F YOU’D TOLD me last year that we’d be selling burgers, I would have laughed my head off,’ says Luke Dale Roberts, owner-chef at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill precinct.

For the past decade Dale Roberts has set the bar for fine dining in South Africa, winning acclaim and awards at home and abroad. Tables were secured months in advance, and degustation menus cost thousands per head. Then Covid-19 hit.

Bookings vanished as tourism ground to a halt and curfews kept locals away.

But Dale Roberts isn’t one to sit on his hands.

In the first wave of lockdown he launched gourmet hampers for delivery. When restrictions eased he rebranded as The Test Kitchen Origins with a pared-down four-course menu. But with nearly 100 staff on salary the numbers still weren’t adding up.

‘If you’d told me last year that we’d be selling burgers, I would have laughed my head off’

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT For Luke Dale Roberts, owner-chef at The Test Kitchen, surviving the Covid-19 storm meant being adaptable and agile, and reinventing his menu

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‘We need to make R25 000 to R30 000 a day to break even. So we had to think hard about what to do to make it,’ says Dale Roberts.

The answer, in January this year, was burgers.

R110 each. Loaded fries an optional extra.

‘I’ll do absolutely anything to make sure my staff get paid. If that entails making burgers, I’ll make burgers. But they’re made with the same level of thought and care that we bring to The Test Kitchen,’ explains Dale Roberts. ‘On the first day of service we sold eight burgers. On the next, 160.’

It’s a perfect example of how South African chefs are reinventing their offering. Another innercity pop-up was similarly born out of the catering industry.

When four chefs lost their jobs with the closure of Janse & Co, they decided to set up shop in a small space off Wale Street, Cape Town. Oxalis – named for the indigenous wood sorrel that flowers in spring – opened offering simple snacks on plates, evolving to a concise menu of small plates for sharing.

‘The pop-up was an opportunity to see where our industry is going, and what it will look like post Covid-19,’ explains co-founder Liezl Odendaal.

‘What is people’s spending power? What are the

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‘The pop-up was an opportunity to see where our industry is going, and what it will look like post Covid-19’ trends? What is the feasibility of a restaurant?

We’ve really seen that the character of the inner city is changing.’

Although Oxalis closed in March when the lease ended, it owes its success to a collaborative effort.

City chefs pitched in with gear and advice, while the team worked closely with Honest Chocolate and The Gin Bar downstairs.

Partnerships have long been key for Johannesburg chef Nick Scott who, with partner Caroline Olavarrieta, turned pop-ups into a permanent roadshow. Since launching Glory in 2016 with a menu of Asian-style chicken, it’s become more of a nomadic restaurant than a pop-up, roaming from a house in Westdene to a stint at Rosebank’s Brik Café, delivering the small-plate Asian-inspired food Scott has become famous for. In Autumn 2021 they’re in Norwood with ‘The Secret Garden’, which sounds just right for these socially-distanced times.

Regardless of the location, the dining experience feels comfortably familiar to the legions of hungry locals who book out tables as soon as they become available. The offering evolves each week and is built on a set menu of small plates, most of them pescatarian.

‘By removing choice, we let people relax,’ says Scott. ‘They relax, we feed them.’

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Small-plate fare from Oxalis and Glory; Siba Mtongana’s take on fine dining is proving popular

Covid-19 also delivered an opportunity for popular celebrity chef and author Siba Mtongana, whose pop-up restaurant at The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront quickly earned a loyal following.

With a menu promising a uniquely ‘Sibalicious’ take on fine dining, the menu at Siba The Restaurant deftly folds African flavours into a selection of contemporary plates.

Mtongana’s four-course tasting menu begins with reimagined dombolo (steamed bread), and continues with dishes that range from beef carpaccio with creamy chakalaka aioli to Asian duck leg served with a samp risotto of wild mushrooms.

And, never one to shy away from a trend, Mtongana also offers vegetarian and fully vegan versions of the menu.

With a savvy eye for cooking that is proudly African, yet accessible to a diverse set of diners, Mtongana is also rumoured to be extending the pop-up into a permanent outpost of her culinary empire.

It’s a prime example of chefs changing lanes to greet a fast-changing environment, such as the one Covid-19 has thrown at them. Adaptability – and a hunger to succeed – is everything.

‘You can look at your business as it was – in the context you designed it in – or you can look at what it is tomorrow or the next day,’ says Scott.

‘You see the situation in front of you and adapt.

Whatever we have to do to make a sale is the direction that we go in.’ 

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STAR-STRUCK SOMMELIER South African Gareth Ferreira, head sommelier at Core in Notting Hill, raises a glass to the restaurant’s third Michelin star.

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WORDS RICHARD HOLMES

TOP LEFT TO RIGHT The wine list carries around 800 labels from a cellar 3 500 strong; a trendy Notting Hill address; Core

by Clare Smyth goes beyond the concept of fine dining ABOVE Head sommelier Gareth Ferreira

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WHEN CLARE SMYTH celebrated receiving her third Michelin star in January – one of just two female chefs in the United Kingdom to claim the accolade in 2021 – Gareth Ferreira was making a toast of his own.

As head sommelier of Core by Clare Smyth, which opened in London’s trendy Notting Hill in 2017, South African-born Ferreira was seeing three years of hard work come to fruition. While the meticulous Michelin inspectors focus largely on the skill and creativity on the plates leaving the pass, the overall experience plays a huge role in a restaurant winning stars.

‘It really is a team effort,’ says Ferreira. ‘Of course, the chef plays the main role, but the service, setting, atmosphere – and the wine – are all part of it.’

Ferreira brings vast experience to the table at Core.

From The Ritz-Carlton in Florida to the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, from Johannesburg’s Saxon Hotel to London’s exclusive wine-focused private members’ club of 67 Pall Mall,

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Ferreira has honed his palate and service ethic in some of the most demanding restaurant settings in the world.

But joining Core in July 2017 was the most challenging of the lot, says Ferreira: ‘From day one there was huge pressure on the whole team. But it’s also a lot easier to do things as an independent restaurant, because there’s no red tape.

If something needs to be done, you get it done.’

That started with defining the wine service ethos at Core, a style Ferreira says is all about bringing personality to the table.

‘The traditional sense of fine dining has gone out of fashion. What we want to provide is a higher standard of service, with all the details, but in an approachable and unintimidating way, where guests feel comfortable.’

Part of the sommelier’s skill is making a complex and multifaceted wine offering both exciting and approachable for connoisseurs and wine novices alike. At Core, it also involves subtly highlighting the breadth of detail on a wine list running into the hundreds.

Core by Clare Smyth attracts a discerning, older, clientele and so Ferreira has guided the wine list to focus on classic wine-producing regions: the icons of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône, alongside leading European producers. However, there’s remarkable diversity on a list that carries around 800 labels at any one time, drawing from a cellar containing more than 3 500 bottles.

‘We cover everything from the US to Australia and, of course, South African wines, along with wines from lesserknown regions. If someone wants to drink a wine from Tenerife, we have it,’ says Ferreira.

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‘What we want to provide is a higher standard of service, with all the details, but in an approachable and unintimidating way...’

But the wine list at Core isn’t cast in stone; it’s an organic creation that’s constantly evolving. In a six-month period Ferreira could work with 3 000 different wines, casting a spotlight on different producers and vintages.

This flexibility allows Ferreira to tap into subtle shifts in what diners are ordering. Right now, there’s a move towards wines with lower extraction and which are lighter in alcohol.

English wines are also growing in both popularity and stature, including sparkling wines – the likes of Rathfinny in Sussex, and Kent’s Gusbourne Estate – giving non-vintage champagne a run for its money.

This shift in perception also applies to South African wines, which are garnering as much praise for their quality as their value. On the wine list at Core, Ferreira stocks more than 50 different references of South African wine, ranging from iconic winemakers like Alheit Vineyards and The Sadie Family Wines to boutique cellars such as Thorne & Daughters.

‘South African winemakers really do an amazing job of marketing their wines here. In fact, I think I see more South African winemakers here in London than I ever did in Johannesburg!’ says Ferreira. 

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The pandemic hasn’t just prompted a practical and logistical revolution of how we get from A to B around the globe. It’s also compelled us to reevaluate our travel priorities on a much deeper level. So what does the future of travel look like?

WORDS JULIA FREEMANTLE

WHERE TO NEXT?

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HE PAST YEAR has turned travel on its head, quite literally. With the industry coming to a grinding halt across the globe for much of 2020, travellers began to wonder what the landscape might look like in the new reality of a pandemic-altered 2021.

The current travel trends point to what our newly reassessed priorities are, and go well beyond the practical measures we now expect – from contactless check-ins and hygiene policies to the heart of why we travel at all, and what we want that experience to entail.

And so, a new breed of traveller is emerging. Conscious rather than consumptive. In search of meaningful experiences, as well as peace of mind. Living for the moment but also exercising caution and so, approaching travel, somewhat contradictorily, in a considered but spontaneous fashion. We look at a few ways that travel has shifted, and where you can best tap into these trends.

GROUNDED IN NATURE Nature is a healing force. Studies have shown this, and even without proof, we know it in our gut. Time spent in the wilderness feels restorative and grounding. Singita Sabora in the Singita Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania is the ultimate getaway-from-it-all destination. The newly reimagined lodge relaunched last year with a visionary interpretation of the quintessential elements of traditional tented camps, and combines the sense of romance safari travellers long for with a contemporary new feel. Private meditation decks and an outdoor sala with daybeds constantly connect you to the landscape, even when you’re not on a game drive. And when you are, expect to be transported by the iconic Tanzanian landscape and a front-row seat to the Great Migration. Closer to home, private luxury game lodges that house no more than 10 guests at a time allow restoration and peace of mind. Makweti Safari Lodge in Welgevonden Game Reserve in Limpopo offers exclusive game drives, meals and your own private plunge pool, so you only really have to interact with the Big Five.

PAOLA PIVI, It’s not fair, 2013, 248 x 60 x 114 cm.

At the Arken, Coppenhagen, Denmark.

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Singita Sabora Tented Camp suites offer unparalleled luxury, views, peace and, importantly, privacy

PRIVATE AVIATION For obvious reasons, many people are hesitant to travel by plane. Close quarters, no air flow and too many touchable surfaces feel like a risk right now. For those who can, private air travel sidesteps these obstacles, and an increase in private charters is proof that people still want to travel, just on their own terms. Hotel group Aman has neatly answered this need with its Aman Private Jet service. Catering for up to 12 guests in consummate comfort, with a step-on, step-off service, smooth check-in and easy clearance through customs, it removes any opportunity for proximity to crowds of people and reduces risk immeasurably. The fully staffed private jets travel not only between Aman properties, but to any other destination, with every detail handled by the Aman Private Jet concierges.

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Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island offers a truly immersive experience BOTTOM LEFT Kalesma Mykonos – an ode to Cycladic architecture BOTTOM RIGHT Botswana’s Xigera Safari Lodge is a showcase of local craftsmanship

CREATING CONTEXT A knock-on effect of the move towards more meaningful travel experiences is travellers hoping to share in and enjoy a real sense of place – in terms of design, cuisine and culture.

Resorts and hotels are increasingly looking to local craftspeople and vernacular architecture, as well as the heritage of their locations for inspiration in order to create spaces that are appropriate to, and resonate with, their surroundings. Kalesma Mykonos, a 25-suite, two-villa Mykonian ‘village’ on a slope down to Ornos Bay, was inspired by Cycladic architecture and combines traditional building with contemporary elements and interiors that largely feature locally sourced materials. Likewise, Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago off the coast of Mozambique was designed in such a way as to ensure it is integrated, culturally and environmentally, with Mozambique, using the local vernacular and techniques, and making the best and most sustainable use of local materials and craftsmanship. Xigera Safari Lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta too, looked to local and regional artisans and artists to offer a visual journey appropriate to the lodge’s location, and in collaboration with Southern Guild has created the world’s largest collection of Southern African art and design – in essence giving guests the experience of staying in a living gallery.

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T “Ferum unti as eos dentur, cupta volorest volore qui blatur sunt pel id quos de maios apelesectur, sunt od minimus inci a con restotatur, sam dolorporum dit et”

PHOTOGRAPHY OKU KOS IMAGES: GEORG ROSKE

THIS PAGE AND BELOW OKU Kos in Marmari, Greece, offers the ultimate spa getaway experience

HEALTH IS WEALTH The global health crisis of Covid-19 shone a spotlight on wellness in general, prompting a wave of renewed interest in healing retreats and treatments while on holiday. Hotels like Ellerman House in Cape Town were ahead of the curve here, with their suites and workshops designed to optimise sleep (proven to be crucial in overall health). And others have followed with increased wellness offerings, or a more holistic overall approach. The newly launched OKU Kos, an adults-only, village-style beach escape on the shores of the Aegean has paid heed to the demand for facilities and treatments that restore and revitalise. With a heated indoor swimming pool, relaxation area and hammam, and a spa menu offering treatments that blend traditional and modern techniques, as well as ancient Greek practices using all-natural products, it’s a true refuge. There’s also a carefully curated movement programme (group fitness classes and open-air beachside yoga).

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The Aven in Cape Town allows ample personal space

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PERSONAL SPACE With travellers staying at their destinations longer and a shift towards the importance of personal space, exclusive-use villas make a lot of sense as a travel option. You can control your environment and ensure that only those close to you enter, while enjoying the privacy and freedom to set your own schedule. The Aven in Cape Town is a minimal, spacious 16-sleeper haven overlooking the ocean. Executed in calming and textured neutral tones with a pool deck and loads of room, it’s the ultimate sanctuary within a city. Further afield, the bucolic masterpiece Masseria Moroseta – a modern country house in Ostuni, designed by Andrew Trotter and inspired by the ‘masserie’ (farmhouses) of the area - and its spin-off properties, the Moroseta Villas, are dotted among centuries-old olive groves in Puglia in the Italian countryside, and tick the laidback country-haven box perfectly.

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The Newt in Somerset sets the tone for countryside charm

COUNTRY LIVING A yearning for a slower, more peaceful pace, fresh air and healthy homegrown fare is driving people into the countryside in droves as they look for nourishing and wholesome experiences.

In the UK, The Newt in Somerset, created by Karen Roos and Koos Bekker of Babylonstoren fame, is just that. Built on a farm-to-table, source-locally and celebrate-your-location philosophy, it’s a culmination of all the things you’d associate with good old-fashioned country living. Plus a large dose of luxury and style.

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SELF (IMPOSED) ISOLATION For some, bustling cities and busy venues now feel slightly too close for comfort. The current necessity of social distancing has reinforced the luxury of personal space, and remote destinations are now associated with safety and sanctuary. Private island resorts like Time + Tide Miavana on Nosy Ankao island off Madagascar’s northeastern coast, and Amangiri in a 600-acre sanctuary in the Utah Desert start to feel more like safe havens than ever before, with the wild and abundant island coastline, and stillness of the desert answering a need for both breathing room and a sense of peace. 

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Safety and santuary at Time + Tide Miavana on Nosy Ankao island off Madagascar

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ADVERTORIAL

Transform your living space with the Samsung Frame TV.

FRAME YOUR GREATEST DESIGN IDEAS

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HE FRAME TV forms part of Samsung’s 2020 Lifestyle category and is elevating living spaces in a way few TVs can. It combines innovative design with stunning QLED picture quality and Smart TV features to deliver a seamless intuitive TV experience. Popular presenter and entrepreneur Maps Maponyane shared his views on the elegant 4K UHD Smart TV that transforms into a gallery-like art display.

‘I want my home to be a reflection of me. After all, that is my sanctuary, away from the world. I never expected to be able to transform my living space with a TV, but The Frame gives you a premium entertainment experience combined with an aesthetically-pleasing design. As an art lover, it’s opened up a new world of possibilities for me,’ says Maps Maps’ personal tastes span classic art to contemporary African art. Fortunately, The Frame TV comes preloaded with artworks from world-renowned artists and 1 000 pieces of art that are easily available from Samsung online. This creates the possibility to change the tone and mood of a living space effortlessly. Maps believes in a minimalist approach to décor with

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striking and personalised highlights, and The Frame TV fits in perfectly with this concept. Also important to Maps is the idea that you can choose to move away from the art theme and reflect a more personalised touch with your own photos and memories, uploaded via a mobile device or USB drive.

Maps adds: ‘We live in a world filled with inspiration, which means our tastes evolve, so I enjoy being able to go from an art gallery filled with my current favourites to appreciation of a new genre, while still retaining the sophistication of my living space.’

For Maps, The Frame TV had to also embrace an important factor in design – the merging of form and function. Fortunately, The Frame TV has four times more pixels than Full HD for stunning viewing. Essentially, it’s an immersive viewing experience captured in cinematic clarity. Care has also been taken in the details, such as the No-Gap wall mount.

‘Every detail has been considered, I have access to a world of art or the option of displaying my own images. It’s a really great TV, with bright, rich colours, giving you the finest viewing experience in any light. My living room has been transformed and I love it,’ concludes Maps. 

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BREEDE

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PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD HOLMES

It doesn’t get better than this – a view of the majestic Slanghoek mountains from Opstal Estate

The breathtaking Breedekloof in the Cape is often overlooked as a wine-route destination. Richard Holmes travels the open roads and discovers there’s more than one good reason to get excited about this region.

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Opstal offers accommodation nestled between mountain and valley BELOW Stanley, Ria, Attie and Zak Louw are your hosts BOTTOM Soak in the views from the wood-fired hot tub

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THERE ARE, I’D WAGER, few better places to admire a winelands sunset than from the deck of Lang Jan, a country cottage set on the mountain slopes of the Slanghoek Valley. On the deck a braai fire crackles, the wood-fired hot tub steams, and the sun throws a coppery glow over the patchwork of vineyard and orchards.

Not heard of Slanghoek? Don’t be surprised; it’s part of the broader Breedekloof Wine Valley. Drawing a blank on that too?

You could be forgiven. While Breedekloof is one of South Africa’s largest wine-growing regions and little more than an hour from Cape Town, just beyond the Du Toitskloof Mountains, it’s often overlooked by tourists flocking to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

‘The Breedekloof Makers have brought a new energy to the region, trumping handcrafted quality over the mass-market quantity the valley had a reputation for’ But that has begun to change, with an energetic crop of young winemakers working to put the area in the spotlight.

In tandem, chic overnight options are sprouting from the mountainsides. The Pod Houses at Trouthaven, famous for its riverside campsites, are all Scandi-chic amid the fynbos. At Bosjes Estate, the Liam Mooney-designed interiors balance

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PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD HOLMES & SUPPLIED

DIVING IN RAJA is likely to reveal giant manta rays, fire coral, endless fish species and an immediate sense of calm

contemporary style with the long history of the property. Over at Opstal Stay, where you may still find me admiring that sunset, the five spacious self-catering units deliver remarkable valley views and no shortage of creature comforts. That the kitchen comes stocked with a selection of wines from the cellar of winemaker Attie Louw is an added bonus.

Louw is the seventh generation of his family to farm Opstal Estate, and one of the dynamic winemakers driving the ‘Breedekloof Makers’ initiative that launched in 2014. A collaboration between a number of the valley’s leading cellarmasters, the Makers have brought a new energy to the region, trumping handcrafted quality over the mass-market quantity the valley has, or rather had, a reputation for.

At Opstal, Louw’s Carl Everson Chenin Blanc is setting the bar high for the valley’s flagship cultivar, while The Barber Sémillon is a real treasure, a stunning example of a variety too-seldom bottled on its own.

With its long viticultural history, Breedekloof is also home to more than 160 hectares of vineyards certified by the Old Vine Project, confirming they are older than 35 years. Daschbosch winemaker WS Visagie is particularly passionate about seeking out unique parcels of vineyard that have escaped the plough’s disc over the decades. ‘Even though their acidity is often low, these old vineyards deliver wonderful complexity, and a perception of freshness on the palate,’ he explains.

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ABOVE The Pod Houses at Trouthaven create a real sense of hygge, inside and out

We’re standing on Avon Farm, where Visagie has revived one of the country’s few vineyards of Clairette Blanche. Planted in 1977, these gnarled bush vines have survived 43 searing Breedekloof summers, and today produce just a few barrels of an utterly unique wine. Across the valley Visagie is also restoring the vigour of the three-hectare Mossiesdrift vineyard, a block of Chenin Blanc planted in 1962. You can discover both at the Daschbosch tasting room, just outside the farming hub of Rawsonville.

It’s a low-key town, apt for a valley where nobody takes themselves too seriously. Airs and graces are few, and a sense of authentic country hospitality prevails. And that certainly applies when it comes to finding a spot for lunch.

At Ou Meul Bakkery, the best choices are the simple ones:

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generous sandwiches on sourdough and pizzas fresh from the wood-fired oven. The rustic wooden tables on the terrace lend themselves to convivial lunches stretching into late afternoon.

Ou Meul is a firm favourite with road-trippers, but it’s also getting some competition from the new kid on the block.

A few kilometres down the R101, you’ll find Ou Stokery Restaurant, established primarily to create employment for workers on the Stof berg family farm. That it comes in the guise of a family-friendly eatery, where vineyard views and wide lawns meet country-chic cooking is lucky for us.

Here, look to the tapas plates that run from crunchy bitterballen to chilli-poppers stuffed with cream cheese, or flamegrilled pork riblets smoked right there on site.

To drink? This is also the home of Le Belle Rebelle, the wine brand from vintner Mariëtte Stof berg Coetzee. The Stof berg family tree has deep roots in these vineyards, but Mariëtte is also one of the next-generation makers carving a new niche with her compact range of boutique wines.

FROM LEFT The Gravel & Grape MTB events are becoming popular at Slanghoek; cast a fly at Holsloot River near Rawsonville; there’s plenty to see on the hiking trail beyond Jason’s Hill Private Cellar

‘That Ou Stokery Restaurant comes in the guise of a family-friendly eatery, where vineyard views and wide lawns meet country-chic cooking is lucky for us’ While her Le Belle range is focused on estate grapes, showcasing the terroir of the Breedekloof and the soils of the Stof berg family farm, it’s complemented by the Rebelle selection, a portfolio of innovative wines tapping into unique parcels and global winemaking traditions. Both are worth discovering.

But it’s not only food and wine that draw visitors to the valley.

If you feel the need to work off a few calories before indulging, you’re spoilt for choice here. The well-marked hiking trail beyond Jason’s Hill Private Cellar takes walkers on a six kilometre

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meander into the mountains. It’s raining on my visit so I head for Bergsig Estate, where winemaker De Wet Lategan ensures there are more hectares under conservation than cultivation. The estate’s easy-to-follow trail leads through vineyards and fynbos to the Breede River. Twitchers will be happy here too: more than 150 species of birds have been recorded on the estate.

If you’re a cyclist, Slanghoek Cellar offers MTB trails of up to 20 kilometres, while on previous trips I’ve found the crystalline waters of the Holsloot River a fine place to cast a fly in search of wily wild trout. If you’re simply looking for something to throw on the grill, , the Du Kloof Lodge on the N1 offers well-stocked trout ponds where your dinner is more likely to take the bait.

It’s as good a reason as any to make your way to the valley this autumn. And while most winelands tourists fill up the pavement cafés of towns across the mountain, savvy road-trippers will be out here, soaking up the wide-open spaces of the Breedekloof.  FIND OUT MORE breedekloof.com

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UPPER CONSTANTIA, CAPE TOWN

CONSTANTIA, CAPE TOWN

Asking R18.9 million | 5 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R9.95 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

A large and unique modern home set amongst ±2600m² of manicured gardens.

This large family home offers an abundance of light with the large double volume entrance and large imported double glazed ceiling to floor windows and doors in the main rooms. There are a further 4 bedrooms upstairs, a galleried landing and a pajama lounge or gym. The bedrooms all lead out onto the balcony which overlooks the mature and landscaped gardens with pool and large lawn.

Jo Thomas 084 404 4120, Rouvaun McKirby 071 671 0821, Jacques Fourie 072 304 7957 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 4381560

Spacious double volume family room and diningroom with a closed combustion fireplace, sliding doors lead to large sunny patio overlooking the pool. The formal lounge has a gas fireplace. The kitchen is bright and open-plan. 4 Bedrooms the king size master suite has a seated reading/tv area, and dressing room.

There are 3 other bedrooms – 2 with en-suite bathrooms and a separate family bathroom. The separate loft area above the double auto garage makes an ideal work from home/teen pad. Extra features include, off the grid Inverters, borehole, 5000 ltr Jojo tank, auto irrigation system and solar heated pool. Eileen O’Sullivan 082 410 7204, Matthew Raubach 072 382 7949 Web ref: 4289626

BISHOPSCOURT, CAPE TOWN

ZWAANSWYK, CONSTANTIA VALLEY, CAPE TOWN

Asking R24.95million | 5 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 3 garages

Asking R49.95 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 3 garages

Offering fantastic open-plan flow from designer fitted kitchen, living and dining areas to barbecue terrace and pool, a children's playroom, fitted office and a large TV room with customised shelving. Accommodation comprises a luxuriously appointed main bedroom suite with dressing room, large bathroom and private balcony, plus three further double bedrooms, all with views, and a smaller fourth bedroom or study. Additional features include a magical garden with treehouse and jungle gym, a large pool with automated pool cover and large pool house or gym. There is a borehole with 2x 50,000L tanks, garaging for three cars and double staff accommodation. Energy saving panels save 25 / 30% on electricity.

Barbara Manning 083 407 3656 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 4267224

Beyond Paradise. This exclusive residence is “The Jewel in the Crown” of Zwaanswyk. Exquisite attention to every detail has been applied by the creative team assigned with the task of designing this magnificent property. Situated in an elevated position, featuring breathtaking False Bay & mountain views. High-end finishes throughout. 3 Reception rooms, gourmet kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 2 of which are contained within 2 full guest suites, study, cellar, gym, 25m lap pool, magical children’s playground, landscaped garden, orange & olive groves, tranquil water features, vegetable and herb garden. Smart, eco-friendly features provide an off-the-grid lifestyle. Dawn Bloch 072 496 9458 Web ref: 4406417 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

SILVERTREE ESTATE, CAPE TOWN

RONDEBOSCH, CAPE TOWN

Asking R8.75 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R7.45 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

This most appealing family home in immaculate condition is perfectly positioned on the estate, offering privacy and good views. A vine covered sheltered patio leads to a sparkling pool set in a beautiful garden. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms are complimented by open-plan living and a sheltered patio leading to the pool. Numerous features include borehole water supply, air conditioning, heated towel rail, garden shed, solar heated pool solar geyser etc.

Furniture could be included by negotiation. Steve Thomas 084 471 4722, David Burger 083 458 3333 Office 021 701 2446 Web ref: 4549738

This much-loved, north facing family home set in a beautiful landscaped garden, is on the doorstep of many leading schools. There is excellent indoor/outdoor flow from the reception rooms to the sunny patio, garden and pool. This spacious home is also in a perfect location for doctors and all medical professionals as it is in close proximity to Red Cross hospital, Groote Schuur and the Rondebosch Medical Center. There is garaging, ample secure parking and excellent security. Jane Stirton 083 613 7863, Bridget Proudfoot 083 635 8088 Web ref: 4243490

CONSTANTIA NEK, CAPE TOWN

CLAREMONT UPPER, CAPE TOWN

Asking R36 million | 9 bedrooms | 8 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R12.995 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 3 garages

A sublime Shaun Altendorff designer home on 2+ acre plot surrounded by landscaped gardens, tranquil mountain views. The double volume entry unveils an entertainer’s delight paired with elegance and sophistication. A turn-key home, offering Gaggenau and Siemens appliances, granite countertops. A grand staircase leads to an opulent master bedroom with en-suite, walk-in dressing room, 4 additional bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, meditation room, and wine cellar.

Additional: 2-bedroom apartment, 2 staff apartments, laundry, gym, borehole, pool, water filtration system, Paradox alarm system, solar panels, parking for 10 vehicles. Terri Steyn 082 777 0748, Bibi Best 083 388 7255 Web ref: 4587834

Exuding style and warmth this north-facing, 4 bedroomed home, is perfectly positioned in a quiet cul-de-sac. All the living areas open out onto the pretty garden with well-established trees and 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 self-contained with a separate entrance and boasts exposed rafters – perfect for guests or Air B&B venture.

Anne Goddard 082 777 7107 Ruth Leach 082 323 7550 Web ref: 4584642

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FAIRHAVEN COUNTRY ESTATE, SOMERSET WEST

WELLINGTON, WESTERN CAPE

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

Asking R9.25 million

This boutique home with 360° views are embraced through the masterful use of varying levels. Exquisite positioning with great privacy, European design and tranquility. An elegantly designed triple level home with expansive glass windows, sliding doors and strategically places balconies creating a natural flow from interior to the exterior. Chantal Botes 083 702 5460 Office 021 851 4450 Web ref: 3602831

This elegant 6.5 ha lifestyle property is situated in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Cape Winelands. A peaceful rural property in a scenic setting close to town centre. The botanical and historical environment adds to the ambiance of this smallholding. More than enough water allocated to this land - farm borders a mountain stream. Producing Guava orchard, Chenin Blanc and Shiraz vineyards. Danie Hauptfleisch 083 627 2148 Office 021 873 0260 Web ref: 3340361

STELLENBOSCH, WESTERN CAPE

STELLENBOSCH, WESTERN CAPE

Asking R6.4 million | 4 bedrooms | 3½ bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R14.7 million | 6 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

If you want to live the ideal Stellenbosch lifestyle, then this exceptionally private home is for you. Located in a secure and quiet cul-de-sac on a spacious stand this home features two living areas, dining room, open plan kitchen, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, flat let and double garage. Marelise Visagie 072 776 2645 Office 021 809 2760 Web ref: 4560352

One of the most exclusive residential areas in the Winelands town of Stellenbosch is Mont Blanc, a security estate of only 14 upmarket residences on the outskirts of town, of which one of these notable properties has come onto the market recently. The layout conveys a feeling of unrestrained easy living, and the impeccably finished interiors have been custom-designed to achieve a clear expression of urban luxury in the countryside. Gert Bezuidenhout 082 441 6494 Office 021 809 2760 Web Ref: 4487112

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PEARL VALLEY AT VAL DE VIE, WESTERN CAPE

VAL DE VIE ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

Asking R17 million | 4 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R13 million | 5 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Sophisticated simplicity, a contemporary style 4 bedroomed family home with staff quarters or a 5th bedroom. Ultra-spacious contemporary single-storey home positioned north and bordering a green open space affording unobstructed mountain views. Pearl Valley at Val de Vie Estate is where you will find an exclusive lifestyle, the top-ranking Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, award-winning state-of-the-art security all wrapped up in picturesque mountains. Desiré Crowther 082 576 4962 Office 021 867 0161 Web Ref: 4473449

A small piece of heaven in the ever popular Val de Vie estate. Situated in a private cul-de-sac with North facing living and entertainment areas which opens up onto spectacular views of lakes and mountains, this magnificent family home has everything one could wish for in a home. Val de Vie Estate is a global leader in luxury wellness estates and offers countless ways to enjoy an active and diverse lifestyle for the whole family. Suritha van Tonder 084 440 4283, Marisna Rheeder 073 454 0400 Office 021 770 0230 Web ref: 4525818

VAL DE VIE ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

BOSCHENMEER GOLF & COUNTRY ESTATE, WESTERN CAPE

Asking R5.995 million | 3 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R12.3 million vat inclusive | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 6 garages

This much loved family home is ideally located if you are looking for privacy and tranquillity. It offers bright, sunny rooms filled with character and style. The heart of this charming home is the large open plan living/dining area with excellent flow to the open plan gourmet kitchen, completed with a granite island, prep bowl and 5 burner gas stove. Marli Scheppel 083 988 5691 Office 021 770 0230 Web ref: 4072966

This superbly designed and quality-built dwelling in highly sought-after cul-de-sac and backing onto a beautiful dam features a stately reception flow with partly double volume spaces curved features, multiple entertainers' dream covered patio areas, expansive decks and pool. Marilize Breytenbach 083 241 1580 Marinda de Jongh 082 573 2204 Office 021 870 1011 Web ref: 4487624

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CLIFTON, CAPE TOWN

FRESNAYE, CAPE TOWN

Price on application | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R41.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 3 garages

An awe inspiring contemporary beachfront residence with views of Clifton’s famous premier beaches & the 12 Apostles mountain range. Designed by world renowned architects Stefan Antoni, and interior designers Cecile Boyd this spectacular home is built to the highest of standards and perfectly situated in one of the most sought after wind free positions in Clifton. The home spanning 6 levels, including an independent luxury apartment, boasting multiple open plan living areas expanding onto numerous terraces with idyllic vista views of the Atlantic.

A truly iconic property positioned in one of South Africa’s most luxurious suburbs! Grant Bailey 083 444 5171 www.sothebysrealty.com Ref: D4HZ48

An exclusive Arthur Quinton designed home on Top Road, with premium quality finishes & mesmerizing views of the Atlantic Ocean. Set over 3 levels, with emphasis on natural light filtering through double volume & ceiling height glazing & atriums. A lavish master-suite bedroom plus a further 3 en-suite bedrooms currently completes the accommodation. The solid wood entertainers kitchen includes top of the line appliances with access to the patio & infinity pool. The home has further amenities such as a gym, entertainment level with a plunge pool, 2nd lounge, glass wine cellar, games room & bathroom. Triple garage, guard office, staff acc, generator & borehole. Grant Bailey 083 444 5171 Web ref: RL84893

SUNSET BEACH, CAPE TOWN

V&A WATERFRONT MARINA, CAPE TOWN

Asking R7.5 million | 5 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R49 million | 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Standing in the entrance hall the feeling of grand space and opulence becomes evident. A contemporary staircase leads you up to an atrium overlook on the first floor. From here the view down into the lounge and across the sun drenched courtyard and further afield is a seamless experience, made possible by large bold windows. These windows are found throughout the top floor, letting in natural light and offering views from all corners, including the large en-suite master bedroom and private lounge/study. The ground floor offers a second lounge opening out onto a covered patio, sparkling pool, deck and landscaped garden with feature palms. Richard Burgess 076 423 2940 Web ref: RL90316

LawHill Luxury Penthouse is in the bracket of one of the most sought after penthouses within the V&A Marina. The duplex penthouse boasts 360° views of the harbour, the Atlantic Ocean and the famous Table Mountain. This is a true exclusive penthouse with a secure access controlled lift opening into this spectacular apartment. There are three en-suite bedrooms within this 215m² penthouse. A private pool and massive entertainment areas. The Waterfront Marina is the most expensive real estate price per square meter in South Africa.

She is also one of the most prestigious penthouses to be listed within the V&A Marina. Nikita Wright 074 1331 979 Office 021 401 4338 Web ref: RL92383 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R7.5 million | 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 2 garages

Asking R9.995 million | 6 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 2 garages

A beautiful north-east facing family home with breath-taking views from all three levels surrounded by manicured, established gardens in Bowtie. Spacious and welcoming open-plan living areas with a wood-burning fireplace, large patios, built-in burning braai and pizza oven. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, spacious entertainment room with pub, double garage, rainwater tanks, irrigations system for the garden. Close to shops and a pleasant stroll to the beach, this is a perfect home for the family looking to settle permanently in Plett or someone looking for a holiday home-from-home. Contact: Hein Pretorius 083 701 3159 Office: 044 533 2529.

Situated in the premier Brackenridge Private Estate this masterful 6 bedroom, 6 bathroom home enjoys stunning views of the bay and mountains. No expense has been spared. Top finishes and fine attention to detail are everywhere to be seen. Inviting entrance hall, large open-plan lounge and dining room and functional, stylish kitchen. Covered patio, built-in gas braais, separate laundry / scullery, enclosed drying yard, second lounge, bar area, swimming pool & double garage. Clever design for multiple indoor/outdoor living options. Brackenridge is a highly sought-after estate, don’t delay! Sue Harvey 083 306 7499 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4386056

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

PLETTENBERG BAY, GARDEN ROUTE

Asking R25.75 million | 5 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms

Asking R6.9 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

Rare beachfront 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms home with magnificent, panoramic beach, sea and mountain views and direct beach access to the Wedge and Central Beaches. A proper beach bungalow that will make you reminisce about beach holidays from the “good old days”! Separate laundry or staff accommodation and single garage with extra storage. Fully fenced with electric gate access. A unique opportunity to own beachfront property in one of Plett's most sought-after areas. Contact: Hein Pretorius 083 701 3159 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4553324

Enjoy the elevated views of Robberg Peninsula and the bay from this easy living 5 bedroom, 5 en-suite bathroom home with spacious open-plan living areas. The modern kitchen is open to the lounge and dining room which lead out to the patio and pool area. An enclosed entertainment braai room with a bar is perfect for year-round entertaining. The 5th bedroom is an open plan flat with private entrance. This multilevel family home is situated in a gated estate which has fantastic trails through its large green belt areas. Spacious and private this home offers a lot of value. Contact: Carrie Maclean 082 566 1881 Office: 044 533 2529 Web ref: 4489440

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BALLITO, KWAZULU NATAL

UMHLANGA ROCK, KWAZULU NATAL

Asking R18 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R13.85 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

Exclusive. Exquisite. Extraordinary. That feeling you’ve arrived. One of the suburbs most prestigious, luxurious and well established properties with magnificent sea views as far as the eye can see. Close to all the very best schools, this chic entertainer's paradise offers all the amenities for the entertainer and the tranquility and privacy of a family home. Five double bedroom suites with walk-in closets, numerous reception rooms, study, cellar and a choice of entertainment areas – LIVE Glamorous. Sabrina Errico 082 414 8955 Office 032 946 1818 Web ref: H1359

An effortless life of luxury is a dream location sits this high tech double storey mansion with amazing sea views. This 5 bedroom home presents double volume architecture, combination of wooden and polished concrete flooring, aluminium windows, exquisite lighting and sound system, all controlled from an application on your mobile device. 3 Bedrooms have en-suites and the upstairs area is secured with a roller shutter door. Modern kitchen, fully fitted, open plan to dining room and TV lounge all opening out to the pool. Landscaped garden and a paved driveway leading to the double garage which provides ample parking space. Desiree Bedhasie 083 447 3584 Office 031 648 0049 Web ref: UH104

ELDO PARK ESTATE, ELDORAIGN

SOUTHDOWNS ESTATE, IRENE

Asking R7.7 million | 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 5 garages

Asking R9.45 million | 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 garages

Magnificent Victorian style grandeur in an exclusive location. Nestled at the secure and prime Eldo Park Estate in Centurion, this spectacular five-bedroom home is sure to leave you stunned. Evoking the elegance of Paris and the opulence of the Gulf in an extraordinary style fusion, its sumptuous layout is custom-crafted to enjoy seamless luxury living with a private ten seater theatre and indoor heated pool. An epic kitchen / family zone with a fitted state of the art gas stove, perfect granite top finishes and dining area / room take executive comfort to new heights of grace and grandeur. Shainal Dajee 082 566 8871 Office 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4444325

In the heart of Southdowns Estate, designed and developed new home package available through private owner. This package will include the vacant land, the architectural designs, approved plans, developer will build the home to completion. Transfer costs only on land price. No expense has been spared.

Right now there is still scope to tweak the internal layout with the architect and finishes can be custom select; wall finishes, sanitary, flooring, joinery finishes.

The Scandinavian style of interior designing is all about light, breezy spaces.

Fresh minimalist décor ideas and super clean home layouts for modest sized home interiors. Lisa Kelly 082 559 1395 Office: 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4579077 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za

ZWAVELSKLOOF PRIVATE ESTATE, PRETORIA

FOURWAYS GARDENS LIFESTYLE ESTATE, SANDTON

Asking R21 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R7.95 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 4 garages

The large open flowing reception areas include a lounge, open plan to a banquet size dining room which enjoys easy access to the entertainment room as well as designer, Blu Line Kitchen. All enjoying easy access to various access points of different sections of the landscaped garden. Romantic settings are complemented by water features, gazebo's, fountains, walkways through arches of roses as well as a boma with a seating area outside where one can enjoy the privacy as well as wide, open spaces of the large stand.The gentlemen's reading room with elegant lounge with fireplace and bar is perfect for the avid hunter or traveller. Juanita du Plessis 082 322 3407 Andre Botha 076 030 6840 Berdine White 082 444 4434 Office: 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4059045

A magnificent home for the growing family looking for luxury, privacy & security.

This brilliantly designed residence is set on a corner stand & enjoys rooms of wildly generous proportions. The banquet style reception rooms open to a stunning covered patio with plenty of space for dining & lounging around the outdoor fireplace whilst overlooking the manicured terraced garden. The modern kitchen has a gorgeous, glassed cafe which exudes character. Apart from the extensive accommodation the home has numerous extras that add to its allure & luxury.

High-speed fibre, 5kva generator, air-conditioning, under-floor heating, 4 fireplaces, automated irrigation, surround sound system and a 5000-litre water tank. Philip Myburgh 079 241 1245, Adam Brown 072 026 4571 Web ref: 4278125

SILVER LAKES GOLF ESTATE, PRETORIA

WOODHILL GOLF ESTATE, PRETORIA

Asking R13.4 million | 4 bedrooms | 4½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R7.2 million | 5 bedrooms | 5½ bathrooms | 3 garages

The property is ideal for a family who loves to entertain and it includes elegant settings such as a lounge open plan to the dining room and designer kitchen. The elegant bar with wine tasting dining room enjoys easy access to the open veranda next to the swimming pool with seating areas, lounge areas, jacuzzi as well as the covered patio with lounge and dining room. The covered patio with braai enjoys great views over the garden with boma as well as the greens of the Silver Lakes Golf course. Juanita du Plessis 082 322 3407 Andre Botha 076 030 6840 Berdine White 082 444 4434 Office: 012 460 9261 Web ref: 4460779

Large open flowing reception areas, includes a lounge with a fireplace, elegant wine bar open plan to the dining room and designer kitchen. Large scatter-folding doors open up onto a covered patio, enjoying exquisite views of the landscaped garden with pool as well as the second hole of the Woodhill Golf Course. Private and secluded due to established trees and landscaping this property offers great entertainment with lots of parking space for many visitors as well as 3 garages and a nanny's en-suite room. The property enjoys an easy flow with various levels enhancing the sense of space and privacy to the inhabitants. Juanita du Plessis 082 322 3407 Office: 012 460 9261 Web ref: 3970944

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ROBINDALE, RANDBURG

OLIVE CREST ESTATE, RANDBURG

Asking R4.95 | 6 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 2 garages

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

Entertainers’ luxury villa with extra flat, and breathtaking Northern views! This opulent home with a touch of Georgian architectural splendor is a private refuge with spectacular ambience to enjoy, WFH and relax. The dramatic entrance foyer, elegant, spacious living areas and 4 upstairs bedrooms create a lavish indoors/outdoors setting for any occasion! The patio and infinity pool bring in hazy distant views of the world, fresh air, and soothing sounds of birdlife. With extra 2 room flat, 4 garages, cold room, strong room, staff rooms, extra parking, and top security, this is a wonderful comfortable home for wonderful lifestyle!

Melinda Odendaal 083 399 4113 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4318813

Superb living at its best, an exceptional home! A full one bedroom flat, with its own entrance and garden. The main home has a double volume entrance leading to multiple open-plan spaces. A modern kitchen with scullery and pantry with ample storage space. Stackers doors give you access to rolling lawns, aged trees, pristine pool, and outside entertainment area. A magnificent staircase accesses the second level of this home. The master bedroom has a private balcony, outside shower overlooking the garden, a private gym and study. A pajama lounge services the 3 additional bedrooms, all with their own balconies.

Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4554907

NORTH RIDING, RANDBURG

BOSKRUIN, RANDBURG

Asking R2.37 million | 3 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 4 garages

Asking R4.1 million | 4 bedrooms | 2½ bathrooms | 2 garages

This modern masterpiece epitomises everything you have come to expect from uncompromising style and family living. The design of this home ensures that whether entertaining or enjoying the simple comforts of home, every requirement has been addressed. A perfect balance has been achieved to create a superb, integrated indoor/outdoor flow from the entrance hall, through to the open-plan reception rooms, featuring a lounge with exposed brick walls and warm coloured textures, gas fireplace and an elegant dining area leading into the kitchen with scullery. A covered patio with roller blinds, bar and pool perfectly completing its outdoors. Tania Fourie 082 331 6948 Web ref: 4566403

A premium home in the boomed off area of Boskruin. Magnificent sliding doors create an endless flow from inside to outside. A covered veranda, manicured gardens, and sparkling pool. A second entertainment thatched lapa completes the perfect entertainment setting. The newly renovated designer kitchen overlooks the open plan family and dining areas. The study has built-in cupboards, perfect for working from home. Downstairs has a further formal lounge, inviting entrance and guest loo which completes this picture. Upstairs has 3 bedrooms with luxury finishes and 2 bathrooms and outside patio.

Zona Coetzee 084 626 6119 Office 011 476 8303 Web ref: 4528802 To view these properties visit www.sothebysrealty.co.za