Franschhoek Tatler - March 2026

Mont reux Meets Af rica : Ar tist Line-up An nounced

Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek (MJFSA), presented by Nedbank (27 – 29 March 2026), has confirmed an exceptional programme across its two core performance hubs - The Arches Main Stage (at the monument) and the intimate Jazz Village housed at Franschhoek’s historic Dutch Reformed Church

Robert Glasper, Bilal, Ezra Collective, Eddie Henderson, Javon Jackson, Donald Harrison, George Colligan, Buster Williams and Lenny White, Thandiswa Mazwai, Róisín Murphy, Stacey Kent, Wet Wet Wet and other global icons, African legends and rising stars will converge in Franschhoek for the first African edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Blending global heavyweights, pioneering African voices, genre-defying innovators and rising talent, the newly announced line-up reinforces MJFSA’s positioning as a boutique, hospitality-led festival rooted in deep listening, cultural exchange and world-class artistry.

Mark Goedvolk, Founder of MJFSA: “Bringing the Montreux Jazz Festival to Africa has never been about replication – it has been about re-imagining what this legendary platform can become when rooted in African creativity, excellence and storytelling. Franschhoek also provides the perfect canvas to share something that is intimate, meaningful and globally resonant.

“It is against this backdrop that this exceptional programme will be delivered, and I am grateful to our team, our partners and to all who have walked this path with us, and who continue to inspire what we are building.

The Arches Main Stage – Friday Already announced is The Kesivan amaBig Band Experience, led by South African drummer and composer Kesivan Naidoo. Joining this opening night are:

• Brother Kujenga (SA) - a powerful collaboration between The Brother Moves On and Kujenga, fusing Afro-futurism, soul, spoken word and experimental rock into a politically and spiritually charged live experience.

• Wet Wet Wet (UK) - iconic Scottish pop band behind global hits such as Love Is All Around, delivering timeless, melody-driven pop anthems.

• Róisín Murphy (Ireland) - acclaimed Irish electronic and art-pop innovator known for her bold stagecraft, avantgarde style and genre-defying sound.

Continuedonp1...

La Motte invites you to experience its beautiful Franschhoek Valley setting with a reimagined far m experience.

Explore new and thoughtfully curated spaces, from a war m and inviting tasting room to a family-friendly brasserie, an artisanal bakery, a reimagined far m shop, and an Ateljee, a creative hub showcasing art as well as the craftsmanship of local artisans.

Montreux Meets Africa: Artist Line-up

Announced

...Continuedfromp1

The Arches Main Stage – Saturday

Saturday opens with The Ploemies and Friends (SA), a joyous, groove-led collective rooted in Cape jazz traditions, community spirit and improvisation, before continuing with already announced:

Billy Monama’s Guitar Convergence, Mandisi Dyantyis and Salif Keita and welcoming: Thandiswa Mazwai (SA) - cultural icon and genre-crossing artist whose work fuses Afrosoul, Xhosa tradition, funk and electronic textures.

Ezra Collective (UK) - Mercury Prize-winning UK jazz phenomenon known for explosive live energy and Afro-diasporic groove, and, Robert Glasper with special guest, Bilal (US)two architects of modern jazz and neo-soul in a landmark collaboration, closing the night in spectacular fashion.

Jazz Village – Friday

Friday at the Jazz Village features:

Madala Kunene & Sibusisle Xaba (SA)

Kesivan & The Lights ft Swiss Africa Horns & special guest BONJ – presenting a distinctly different repertoire to the big band, revealing Kesivan Naidoo’s depth and versatility as a composer and bandleader (SA/Europe)

Stacey Kent (US) - Grammy-nominated vocalist celebrated for her elegant phrasing and timeless interpretations of jazz and chanson.

Ramon Alexander Trio featuring Buddy Wells (SA) - Stellenbosch-based pianist and composer whose work bridges classic jazz vocabulary

and modern expression, joined by acclaimed saxophonist Buddy Wells, known for his warm tone, melodic sensibility and deep roots in South African jazz.

“Every artist on this programme has been chosen for their ability to move audiences –emotionally, spiritually and musically,” says music and programming curator, Lindsay Rhoda. “We wanted to honour jazz’s legacy while also showcasing where the music is going, particularly through African voices shaping the future. From deeply intimate Jazz Village performances to powerful moments on The Arches stage, this line-up offers discovery, celebration and connection.”

Jazz Village – Saturday

Saturday continues with:

Kwanti Leeh!

Home at Last: A Tribute to Bheki Mseleku, presented by Gareth Lockrane and Bokani Dyer (SA) - a moving homage to the late South African jazz visionary.

“A Kind of Blue” (US) – a Miles Davis centenary celebration featuring Eddie Henderson, Javon Jackson, Donald Harrison, George Colligan, Buster Williams and Lenny White, honouring the legacy of Miles Davis and one of the most influential albums in jazz history.

Msaki presents ENTROPY: The Heart as an Echo Chamber ft Jesse Clegg (SA) - an intimate, soul-stirring collaboration exploring love, vulnerability and renewal. and;

The Kyle Shepherd Trio (SA) - Cape Town pianist Kyle Shepherd’s deeply lyrical trio (Benjamin Jephta, Jono Sweetman join him for this performance), exploring modern jazz, minimalism and African resonance.

A Presidential Performance

Young musicians from the Uncorked Music Academy recently put on a very special performance for some very important people. They were invited to perform at the Presidential Charity Golf Challenge’s awards dinner on 13 February 2026.

This annual event takes place on the day after the President delivers his State of the Nation Address to Parliament. The event was hosted at the Atlantic Beach Golf Club.

On 29 March, the three-day festival concludes with a Sunday Slowdown, taking place along the Montreux Mile – Huguenot Street. While The Arches and Jazz Village Church stages will not be active, the festival spirit continues with a series of un-ticketed music performances across the town. The Jazz Village precinct will remain a vibrant hub, featuring public bars, food vendors, and a ‘wine down’ supported by some of the Valley’s most notable vignerons (small surcharge). This is a day to truly experience all that Franschhoek is celebrated for.

Buli Ndlovu, Executive Head of Personal and Private Banking Marketing, Nedbank, remarked that: “Nedbank is proud to be part of this inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek and to support a platform that places African artistry at the centre of a global cultural conversation.

“Music has the power to unite, inspire and uplift, and this festival reflects our commitment to investing in initiatives that create shared value for artists, audiences and communities.”

For tickets, visit: Ticketmaster.co.za

Text & Images: Supplied

Wiesenhof Ondersteun SAAI

Ontbytgangers by Wiesenhof Lifestyle Franschhoek kon verskoon word as hulle op Vrydag 20 Februarie gedink het dat hulle per ongeluk by ‘n vergadering van die plaaslike landbouvereeniging ingestap het. Inderwaarheid was die geleentheid die oorhandiging van ‘n tjek vanaf die Wiesenhof/Café Dulcé groep aan SAAI (Suider-Afrika Agri Inisiatief) – ‘n landboubelangenetwerk vir familieboere.

Kobus Wiese, stigter van Wiesenhof, het die aanwesiges – insluitende verteenwoordigers van SAAI, plaaslike boere en landboubelanghebbendes – verwelkom. In sy opmerkings het hy uitgewys hoe belangrik die landbousektor is; nie net vir voedsel- en landelike sekuriteit nie, maar vir vele ander sektore is, insluitende die gasvryheidsbedryf waarvan Wiesenhof en Café Dulcé deel vorm. Dis om hierdie rede, het hy gesê, dat die groep ‘n persentasie van die prys van elke cappuccino wat verkoop word aan SAAI skenk.

Wiese het ‘n tjek vir R500,000 aan SAAI se raadsvoorsitter, Dr Theo de Jager, oorhandig.

Kobus Wiese oorhandig die donasie aan Theo de Jager

Not only did they do themselves and the Academy proud, meeting the President is sure to go down as a highlight in their young lives. Proof that music can take you many places!

In addition to performing several numbers from their repertoire for the assembled dignitaries, the Academy’s marimba band also had the honour of providing the accompaniment for the singing of the national anthem at the start of the awards dinner.

Text & Image: Editorial Desk

In sy bedankingsrede, het De Jager, gesê dat sy groep díe skenking gaan gebruik om ander sakelui te probeer oorreed om ook bydraes te maak om boere wat op hulle knieë gedwing is deur bek en klouseer by te staan. Hy het ‘n somber prentjie geskets van wat melk-, vleis- en wildsboere in die gesig staar. In baie gevalle in melkerye moet alle geïnfekteerde diere vankant gemaak word en al die oorblywende diere moet ingeent word. Geen diere mag ook oor die grense van geaffekteerde gebiede vervoer word nie. In SA moet 14 miljoen beeste ingeent moet word om die uitbraak onder beheer te bring. Beheer van die siekte word grootliks belemmer

deur die ineenstorting van staatsbeheerprogramme, die staat se weiering om boere toe te laat om self hul kuddes in te ent en ‘n nypende tekort aan entstof. Na die formaliteite afgehandel was, het die aanwesiges weggelê aan ‘n heerlike Wiesenhof ontbyt, wat gratis voorgesit is, en die geleentheid gebruik om met die SAAI afvaardiging en ander aanwesiges te netwerk.

Teks & Foto: Redaksie

When did you and your wife, Raffaella, come to Franschhoek and how long have you been living in the village?

When Raffaella and I first looked at a home in Franschhoek, now a little more than eight years ago, we were told “people don’t just decide to move to Franschhoek... you receive a calling to come and meet Franschhoek.”

Franschhoek is truly unique… a place like no other in South Africa, and probably the world. We are always inspired by the breathtaking beauty and energy of our mountains and natural surroundings. And equally so, the uniquely interesting stories and backgrounds of Franschhoekers. We found a caring and community-minded “dorpie”, where the wine & food industry is world class and creativity is thriving. Over the years, Franschhoek has become a place we care deeply about – not only as residents, but as custodians of something very special – a place where we would like to be a part of leaving a legacy. You are the MD of an international engineering company. Now you are making headlines as the founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek (MJFSA) — the first ever African edition of the iconic Swiss music festival. How did it all happen?

Music has always been a constant companion in my life. I’ve been fortunate to work and travel extensively internationally and experienced many of the world’s great cultural events. One of those was being introduced to the Montreux Jazz Festival on the shores of the Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Through conversations, relationships and a shared belief in what music can do for societies, the idea emerged: why not Africa, and why not South Africa… and then of course Franschhoek? From there, it became a journey of articulating a vision for a festival that honours Montreux’s 60 years’ musical legacy while giving it a distinctly African soul. Franschhoek, with its global reputation for hospitality and intimate scale, felt like the right place to anchor that vision from the beginning. Not to mention the iconic setting and the creative arts that

are an essential part of the fabric of each Montreux experience, which Franschhoek has in abundance. It must be an incredible task to organise such a prestigious event of this scale. Can you elaborate on your team of skilled and professional curators, advisors, organisers and marketers who have been working on this event?

No festival of this size and nature is built by one person. We have assembled an exceptional team across programming, production, operations, marketing, partnerships and hospitality. This includes highly respected South African curators and producers, international advisors with deep Montreux experience, and specialist teams who understand large-scale event delivery.

Equally important are our partners, including Franschhoek Wine Valley who were the first to step up when the opportunity presented itself, and our presenting partner, Nedbank, who have been invaluable from the beginning – not only in enabling the festival to happen, but in fostering the cultural, economic and creative value of establishing a world-class music platform in Africa.

All our partners, including our media sponsors Arena Holdings and SABC, Heineken as well as our entire team, share our long-term and local vision for what MJFSA can achieve for our Franschhoek community, our local businesses, our world-class wine producers, and of course, South Africa as a whole. This was of critical importance to Raffaella and me from day one.

There must have been a few challenges and obstacles along the way. Can you share a few?

Launching a first African edition of a global brand inevitably comes with complexity – from aligning international standards with local realities, to navigating infrastructure, logistics and timing. We are building a festival that brings together a wide variety of audiences, while showcasing the marriage between Franschhoek’s unique hospitality and the global musical legacy of Montreux – that is easier said than done.

One of the biggest challenges has been managing expectations: building something meaningful in a relatively short space of time, while prioritising long-term sustainability rather than trying to

do everything in year one. We have been very deliberate about starting with a strong, carefully curated foundation and growing responsibly.

While the Montreux and Franschhoek brands are a natural fit, we have been equally mindful to create a festival that, while appealing to national and international audiences, is rooted in our valley and involves as much of the local community and business ecosystem as possible.

Montreux is unlike any other festival in South Africa, and with that comes a necessary period of audience development. As people experience our distinctive way of presenting musical artistry, we believe what is already familiar to international Montreux audiences will become increasingly familiar – and embraced – by South African audiences too.

There is an impressive line-up of award-winning and world-class musicians from across the African. How difficult was it to select and secure the artists?

Africa is overflowing with extraordinary talent, which makes the process both exciting and challenging. The focus has been on artists who are not only excellent musicians, but storytellers – artists whose work carries cultural depth, innovation and emotional honesty. We worked closely with curators to shape a

programme that reflects different genres, regions, generations and musical languages, while still feeling cohesive. It’s about quality, not quantity. The Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation in Switzerland was born to foster global talent exchange, and we hope this Festival proves to be a platform for our stars, as well as our emerging artists.

You must obviously have a passion for music and jazz. Do you have a specific instrument or jazz genre that is your favourite?

I’m drawn to all music that tells a story and conveys emotions, regardless of genre. That said, I have a particular love for soul, funk, afro jazz (as in our Queen Sade) and for projects that blend powerful musical collabs – as it will am sure be noted in our inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival this month!

How many visitors do you expect, locally and internationally, and how many tickets will be available for the weekend?

As a boutique, hospitality-led festival, we are intentionally capping capacity to preserve intimacy and quality of experience. We anticipate a balanced mix of local, national and international visitors, with strong interest from Europe, the US and the broader African continent.

My Relationship with My Fridge at Midnight

I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Not the gentle, “Oh I woke up once or twice” kind of not sleeping. I mean the full, wide-eyed, staring-at-the-ceiling, negotiating-with-my-ownthoughts-at-2:47AM kind of not sleeping.

You know the sort. The brain suddenly decides this is the perfect time to become deeply unhelpful. It replays conversations from 2003. It asks important questions like: Did you reply to that email? Should you repaint the guest bathroom?

It questions my life choices. And then, in what feels like a very mature and sensible move, I decide: I’ll make tea.

Tea feels responsible. Tea feels like the sort of

thing people who “manage stress well” do in the middle of the night. So I shuffle to the kitchen, trying not to wake the household, convinced that this is a calm, restorative decision.

The kettle boils with theatrical enthusiasm, as if announcing to the entire valley that I am awake again. I place the teabag in the cup. I pour the water. I feel composed.

And then I remember the milk.

Now, I could drink it black. Many strong, admirable people do. But at 3AM, I am not strong or admirable. I want comfort. I want milk.

So I open the fridge. And that’s when the trouble starts.

Because the fridge at midnight is not the same fridge you meet at noon. During the day, the fridge and I have a perfectly respectable understanding. I open it with purpose. I know what I’m looking

for. It’s all very adult and efficient. At midnight, however, things change. At midnight the fridge becomes a glowing, humming accomplice. It’s as if it’s been waiting for me. “Oh good,” it seems to say. “You’re back.” I reach in for the milk. That’s all I need. Just the milk. But while I’m there, I notice things. Cheese. Half a lemon. A heroic-looking container of leftovers I was very excited about at lunchtime. A jar of something that might once have been

Industry Honours Local Wine Icon

On Thursday, 5 February 2026, the annual Wine Harvest Commemorative Event at Groot Constantia once again celebrated five esteemed role players in the South African wine industry who have paved the way forward by setting standards of commendable excellence. Among the honourees was Franschhoek’s Pieter Ferreira – known to many as ‘Mr Bubbles’.

This prestigious event also blessed the season’s new grape harvest while commemorating the birth of the South African wine industry 367 years ago in 1659. South Africa is unique in this regard as it is able to identify the exact origin of its wine industry by a diary entry dated 2 February 1659: “Today, praise be to God, wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes.”

The 2026 honourees are: the Retief family of Van Loveren Wine Estate with the 1659 Award for Visionary Leadership; Denzel Swarts in the Growing Inclusivity category; Pieter Ferreira in the Wine Advancement category; Charl Theron in the Viti- and Viniculture category; and Wilfred Fortuin

in the Wine Agri-Worker category.

Ferreira was honoured for his unwavering dedication and passion for bottle-fermented sparkling wine, which have been instrumental in elevating the Cap Classique category to worldclass status.

Ferreira joined Graham Beck in 1990 and has been pivotal in building the producer into a global leader in Cap Classique. His tireless efforts to promote Cap Classique on the world stage have almost single-handedly opened international doors for the category.

Known for his inclusive approach, Ferreira generously shares his knowledge and passion

with current and prospective producers. He has been instrumental in initiating numerous events that have improved the collective quality of Cap Classique, such as the annual Base Wine Tasting and the Technical Seminar that brings together global industry leaders and researchers.

Ferreira’s expertise and commitment to excellence have played a crucial role in establishing South African sparkling wine as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage, making him an admirable recipient of this honour.

pesto but is now more of a concept.

The real problem, of course, is the cheese. Cheese has a way of whispering. It doesn’t shout like chocolate. It murmurs. Calmly. Reasonably.

“It’s protein,” it says.

“It’s basically a health decision.”

“Also, you haven’t slept. You deserve this.”

And before I know it, I’m standing in the kitchen in my slippers, holding a small piece of cheddar like it’s a very private reward.

The next morning, of course, the evidence is there. The slightly crooked cheese edge. The fork left in the sink. The fridge light that now feels less like a friend and more like a witness.

But perhaps the fridge is not the problem. Perhaps it is just a silent companion for those of us who find ourselves awake when we shouldn’t be. It asks no questions. It offers no advice. It simply hums like a loyal companion who keeps your secrets.

There is something oddly comforting about that.

So until sleep returns properly, I suspect the fridge and I will continue our late-night meetings. Quiet, respectful, slightly suspicious of one another.

The 2026 Wine Harvest Commemorative Event was made possible through the generous support of Groot Constantia, and premium financial partner Standard Bank, alongside partners Air

Text: Editorial Desk | Image:

Hilux: Why

Fix What Ain’t Broke

Taking a legendary road trip to bid farewell to a Legend

Am I the only one who laughs out loud every time I read or hear how some latest new bakkie brand that nobody has ever heard of, is going to come and give the Hilux and its established market a run for its money? Really?

Toyota’s established rivals know why not to do that. It’s called egg on the face. Anyway, of all the new bakkie launches of late, and there have been many, most of which names we’d otherwise take as a detergent or a boy band, this is the only one that actually counts. Long in the tooth, the Toyota Hilux legend 55 may very well be. But it remains far and away South Africa’s favourite bakkie.

Month in, month out, year after year, decade to decade, the good old Hilux goes unbeaten. In September again, they sold 3639 Hiluxes. That’s more than any of the Chinese brands with all their badges combined, sold. Toyota, by the way, sold almost fifteen thousand cars in South Africa last month. So remember that next time you read some crap about some unknown taking on the best!

55 celebrates a significant Toyota Legend

Anyway, the Legend 55. Simply put, this bakkie celebrates 55 years of Toyota Hilux sales in South Africa. That in itself is a clue why not to worry too much about Johnny-Chen Come-Lately. By far South Africa’s best-selling bakkie of all time, the first, humble Toyota Hilux was launched in 1969. To celebrate 35 years of that, Toyota released the Legend 35 in 2004.

Against all expectation, the 35 sold a bomb. So five years later, Toyota did it again and the Legend 40 was a sell-out success too. Same for the Legend 45 in 2014, and the Legend 50 in 2019. Each edition carried the Hilux story forward, celebrating its proven toughness with extra kit that perfectly reflected the needs of South African drivers of the time.

Since then, the straight Legend did service as the range topper, but now, 55 years down the line, you guessed it, cue the ‘all new’ Toyota Hilux Legend

55. This latest specialedition line-up replaces that Legend and will be available until 2026. Read into that, what you may!

Available in Xtra or Double Cab and packing s few latest Legend design and convenience tweaks, this is the range-topping .8 GD-6 4×4 Double Cab AT.

55 adds robust and refined touches.

To that exceptionally well proven and most popular basic Hilux Legend, the 55 adds what Toyota calls some robust and refined touches. Such as exclusive badging, chrome-branded bash and scuff plates, logo puddle lighting and a sharkfin antenna. Limited edition, they tell us. Without ever compromising that practical, hard-wearing Hilux nature.

Step aboard to sport seats with embroidered headrests and heavy-duty rubber floormats.

The regular CarPlay and Auto endowed 8-inch touchscreen multimedia is boosted by 9-speaker premium JBL audio, and don’t forget the load bay.

This is the best bakkie, after all. This Legend 55 gets a rubberised load box under a secure lockable roller shutter, a branded styling bar, detachable tow bar, and even roof ornament.

Powered by Toyota’s trusted 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel rather than the GR and some other models’ high output version, the trusty 150 kW 500 Nm unit is paired to that refined 6-speed automatic transmission. Toyota is selling Hilux Legend 55 in ten different colours including Dark Green Mica Metallic and hearing aid beige. But they gave us a white one! So there’s plenty freedom of choice.

You know what you will get from a Hilux

There’s not much new to write home about driving the venerable Hilux. Quack-quack and it opens up to a familiar scenario. The premium perforated leather upholstered and piano black trimmed cabin with bespoke interior accents and panels under a black ceiling with cool blue mood lighting, set it apart.

Finger the button and the healthy 150 kW and 500 Nm GD6 fires up in familiar tone, clacking quietly away. It may not be the GR, but this basic engine was

THE LEGENDARY E-TYPE

The Jaguar E-Type rates as one of post-war motoring’s most iconic models. Based on the company’s triple Le Mans-winning D-Type, the E-Type was manufactured from 1961 to 1974. Introduced as a rear-wheel-drive grand tourer in two-seater coupé and convertible form, its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, high performance and competitive pricing set a new benchmark in the automotive world. It featured a largely unitary body construction with a front subframe carrying the engine, suspension and front bodywork bolted directly to the body tub. Other design highlights included front and rear independent suspension, power-assisted disc brakes (mounted inboard at the rear), and rackand-pinion steering, which was quite radical at the time.

The first series of cars were fitted with a 3,8-litre version of Jaguar’s already famed XK six-cylinder engine. With a claimed top speed of 240 km/h and a sub-7-second 0-60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time, it set a new standard for mass-production sports cars. In 1965 the motor was stretched to 4,2 litres and mated with a now fully-synchromesh gearbox. In this guise and fed by triple SU carburettors, it delivered 198 kW at 5 400 r/min and 384 N.m of torque at 4 000. Following the Series 1 there was a transitional series of cars built in 1967-68 as model year 1968 cars, unofficially called Series 1½. Twin cooling fans to overcome heating problems, and adjustable seat backs were fitted. Due to American ‘safety measure’ pressure, the headlight cowls were removed and, inside, black rocker switches replaced the original toggle switches. The winged knock-off wheel nut was also outlawed.

FMM’s 1968 fixed-head coupé is one of the rare ‘transitional’ Series 1½ models. Long and low, it’s actually not easy to get in and out of. The door opening is narrow, the sills are very deep so it’s a case of head down, step in and drop down into

the firm seat. The thinly wood-rimmed steering wheel with drilled aluminium spokes is large, and the four-speed gear lever sits atop a small console, comfortably close to hand. On the move, the E-Type conveys all the classic period sports car traits of performance, noise, response, ride and handling. It soon becomes clear why the E-Type made such an impression in its day. It was relatively advanced and offered outstanding performance – at an affordable price.

Series 2 E-Types were built from 1968-1971 and were essentially tweaked versions of the earlier model designed to appease the lucrative American market. Air-con and power steering were available as factory options. The Series 3 was introduced in 1971, with a new 5,3-litre V12 engine, uprated brakes and standard power steering.

The E-Type bowed out in 1974 by which time it had become a legend in motoring history. Along the way, some slight design differences and an increased wheelbase to essentially allow for the introduction of a 2+2 Coupé took place, but the purpose of the E-Type was never lost – affordable performance motoring.

FMM’s 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1½ is currently on display in Hall C.

indeed given 30 extra kilowatts and 80 more Newtonmetres a few years back. The larger turbocharger and improved common rail injection mated to Hilux’s improved ratios in the familiar six-speed automatic gearbox still deliver a truly laid back and easy drive.

We’ve always liked how a Hilux rides, holds the road and handles too, so nothing new there either. Continuous development and upgrades have kept this chassis surprisingly well sorted. Steering feel is positive, quick and responsive and the brakes, also often improved over this Hilux version’s life, are sharp and effective too.

Simple infotainment works a treat in Legend 55

Legend 55’s 8-inch infotainment is on the small side, but still its far better by its simplicity than most of its idiot rivals ever will ever be. Buttons and knobs look after the main functions, leaving touch to take care of more arbitrary interface needs. As it should be. It packs CarPlay, which works a treat, and Auto, Bluetooth with a USB and Google Maps. But we still miss wireless charging. Come on, Toyota!

The radio still has good old AM. Bravo! All controllable via the multifunction wheel to play on Legend’s fine JBL 9-speaker sound. Complete with frisbee-like dash-top speakers to add a bit more zing. The dials are bright and easy to read, but the quite effective multifunction tilt-able steering wheel however remains way short on length adjustment.

So yes, there’s good reason to laugh out loud every time you read or hear some wet behind the ears PR and journalism that the next weirdo bakkie is going to teach the Hilux how. In 50 years we’ve seen them all come. And go. Yet there’s still just one King of Bakkies, and here it is. See, Hilux keeps on dominating the top spot in local new car sales

month in, month out, because Toyota still has that recipe spot on. It’s been like that since day dot. It may not be the newest or the best bakkie out there. But that peerless and rock solid foundation of Quality, Durability and Reliability just keeps Hilux right on the button. That’s

*CatchallMichele&GiordanoLupini’smotoring adventuresonhttps://theautopage

MARCH NEWS

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a … cabin scooter! And it does not take a superman to drive it. But there is a link to the skies. The KR200 is a bubble car – the KR stands for ‘kabinroller’, effectively a scooter with a cabin – designed by aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced by Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.

Based on Fend’s ‘Flitzer’ invalid carriage, the KR175 is a cross between a scooter and an aircraft fuselage. The design appeared in 1953 and featured tandem seating accessed by a hatch that opened upward and to the right. The KR175 was powered by an air-cooled 174cc Fichtel & Sachs single-cylinder, two-stroke engine mounted in front of the rear wheel. The KR175 had a twistgrip accelerator and gears were selected with a hand clutch. All three wheels had cable-operated brakes actuated by the single pedal. A handbrake was provided.

helped improve top speed to anything up to 105 km/h. The gearbox is a sequential nonsynchro four speed.

FMM’s KR200 is a 1957 model, so is fairly civilised in terms of controls. Steering is by a simple, ivory aircraft-like handlebar that swiveled the steering column about its axis from the horizontal (straight-ahead) position.

In 1955 the KR200 appeared that boasted an engine capacity increase to 191cc. Power was increased to 7,6 kW at 6 000 r/min, which

VISITING FMM

Production of the KR ceased in 1964 after some 40 000 had been sold. In its time, the ‘kabinroller’ successfully answered a need. FMM’s example is now on display in Hall B.

FMM’s opening times are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 18h00 (last admittance 17h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00). Entry fees: R90 adults, R70 pensioners and motor club members (with membership ID), R50 children (ages 3-12). Visitors are encouraged to pay via debit/credit card/SnapScan to avoid handling cash. Guided tours are available upon request at no charge. The famed FMM Pitstop Deli is open throughout the visiting hours, offering refreshments, sandwiches, snacks and light meals. There are also counters offering exciting estate products and souvenirs.  A selection of wines produced by Anthonij Rupert Wyne is also available. For booking tickets and any other information as well as signing on for a free monthly newsletter, logon to www.fmm.co.za or phone 021 874 9000 or e-mail fmm@fmm.co.za

March is always a magical month in the Cape. Nowhere in the country does autumn arrive with such a suddenness than in our winter rainfall climate. After a hot, dry and windy summer, the cooler mornings and shorter days bring welcome relief to the gardener and garden alike. Most welltended gardens are bursting with colour while our deciduous trees seem to change from green to bronze almost overnight. March also holds the promise of desperately needed early rains. While Easter weekend traditionally rings in our rainy season, we can always expect some early showers around the solstice. And will those showers be welcome this year. Our drinking water levels have dropped to worrying levels and our mountains are still scorched from the recent wildfires. It was a hard summer; let’s all pray that rain will come soon. The gardener can’t afford to sit and wait for the season to change, however; there is plenty to do as the work put in now will pay off well next season. March is a big feeding month. You want to get about half of your yearly fertiliser requirements onto vines and summer fruit trees now. Keep an eye on the weather report and wait for a cool and rainy day to apply a few spadesful of kraal manure and a cup of fertiliser around every tree. Look for a balanced fertiliser like 2:3:2 and always go for the organic options, especially in the food garden. Your lawn will love some fertiliser. It is especially important to look at higher phosphorous feeding to ensure proper root development during winter. Camelias and Azaleas can do with some high potash feeding to ensure that they hang on to their flowers in spring. Get a load of manure delivered and apply to all beds. As soon as we have had the first proper rain, this can be covered by a thick layer of your preferred mulch. Prune summer flowering shrubs and deadhead regularly. All summer flowering perennials can be lifted and divided now. This is a great way to increase your planting area and share with friends. You can also take cuttings of most evergreen shrubs and trees. Start to plant your winter bulbs – the Western Cape has a wealth of indigenous bulbous plants – explore some new

varieties to experiment with this year.

March usually brings the best rose flush of the season. If you had access to water this should be a good rose year. Deadhead regularly and carry on feeding the bushes with a balanced fertiliser. You will need to keep an eye on possible red spider mite infestations and spray preventatively against black spot and mildew. Top up the mulch around the bushes; you can also apply some well matured manure or compost. Note which roses perform best and mark the ones you want to move later. Autumn is harvest time in the food garden. Diligent gardeners should have a glut of tomatoes, eggplant, green peppers and green beans now. Share, preserve and eat as much as you can. But do not leave them hanging on the bushes for too long. Rotting fruit lying around the garden is a sure recipe for insect infestations that will only be apparent next season. If you have some chickens roaming around, it is always good to allow them into the garden post-harvest. They love all the fruit fly larvae, aphids, caterpillars and will even clean up most of the fallen fruit.

That glut from the garden should keep your kitchen cooking. Blanching and freezing are easy ways to preserve the summer goodness for winter soups and stews. Summer fruits and berries are in abundance; find new creative ways to serve and preserve this treasure we are spoiled with in the Western Cape.

Happy gardening

Ansche’s People

ANSCHE LÖTTER

Lourens Hugo

It is that time of the month again, where we pause to recognise one of the people who quietly shape Franschhoek through their work and willingness to serve. This month, we turn the spotlight on Lourens Hugo – a sixth-generation farmer, born and bred in the valley he still calls home. For Lourens, farming was never a career choice; it was an inheritance of responsibility. The Hugo family farm has been part of Franschhoek since 1820, and from a young age he knew the land would one day be his to steward. He speaks of his childhood with deep gratitude – riding his bicycle from the farm to kindergarten and later to school, taping a torch to his bike after evening wrestling practice so he could find his way home on dark farm roads. It was a time when the town gathered around the church and the school, when Saturdays meant sport and Sundays meant full pews. Much has changed since then. Franschhoek has grown and evolved, and while Lourens acknowledges that fewer multi-generational farmers remain, he has seen how quickly the

Fleur de Lis News

ANITA GOUWS

Fleur de Lis is weer in rep en roer nadat dinge oor die Feestyd bietjie stiller was. Al die gereelde aktiwiteite is weer volstoom aan die gang: Maandae se oefeninge, Dinsdae se tee en bingo, Woensdae en Donderdae se bidure.

Benewens hierdie gebruiklike aktiwiteite was daar ook ‘n spesiale dae soos ‘n vrugtefees, wafels en roomys en ‘n heerlike Valentynsdagviering. Hierdie maand se groot nuus is egter dat Lé-Adri Havinga vanaf 1 Februarie aangestel is as bestuurder. Laastens laat weet ons graag die dorp dat ons weer ‘n Amakierie-Kierie sportdag op beplan op 18 Maart. Soos laasjaar sal dit in die boompark voor die pastorie plaasvind. Toeskouers is welkom!

Our 20th anniversary fundraiser was highly successfully held at a packed-out Mon Amour restaurant on 5 February. The event was greatly enjoyed by the 80 guests who attended it. Music was provided by Caleb Dlamini & his Awaken Jazz Project Trio before dinner and later by jazz singer Francesca Biancoli and her Trio. Caleb who has been financially supported by FRANCO throughout his musical and academic education for the past 8 years, plays in the National Youth Jazz Band school and will perform as young local talent at the forthcoming local inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival on the big stage “The Arches” in the same line-up with international and local artists and bands. Francesca is an Italian vocalist based in Cape Town and a prominent and well-loved figure in the local jazz scene.

Tribute at the function was paid to our inspirational founder Ron Whytock, with the announcement of his becoming our first ever Honorary Life President. Also in his honour, a full scholarship in his name was specially created by FRANCO, and was granted to Denecha Lukas to study for 14 months at the Sky Aviation academy to become an air hostess. This award is particularly appropriate and dear to the Founder’s heart, as

community still unites in times of crisis. The recent fires were proof of that. In typical fashion, Lourens chose to assist others, believing his own bee hives were safe. By the time the flames were contained, he had lost 70 hives. “Ek help graag,” he says simply. Helping comes naturally to him –even when it costs him dearly.

His love for bees started in childhood, watching his grandfather work among hives marked with the initials “LH” – the same initials Lourens carries today. When the farm was divided between his father and uncle in 1993, five hives came with their portion. What began as necessity for pollination slowly became a passion. Over time he built enough hives not only for their own orchards but to assist other farmers too. The recent loss has forced him to rebuild almost from scratch, yet he speaks more about continuing to serve others than about what he has lost.

After matriculating at Labori High School, Lourens studied Farm Management at Worcester College, travelling between campus and the farm to assist his father. He stepped naturally into managing the farm, adapting to modern challenges such as audits and regulations that were unheard of in his grandfather’s time. Farming, he says, is no longer only about the soil; it requires resilience and adaptability. His investment in Franschhoek stretches beyond agriculture. Many will recognise the illuminated

Ron was an airline pilot.

We are very grateful to the many people and organizations generously providing us with immeasurable support, starting with Mark and Saira from Mon Amour who so generously and gracefully hosted us, to Antonij Rupert Wines who sponsored most of the wine and MCC for the event, Hendrick’s gin who delighted us with their exquisite “gin tea” and French 75 welcome cocktails, and all those who donated auction and raffle prizes helping us raise fund and contributing to the fun and success of the event. Our auctioneer, Nick Sadlier conducted the auction deftly, with aplomb.

For those interested in helping us to help others in the community, please contact our chief operating officer, Tzilka Watson on 0603740353 or via email on info@francosa.co.za More information about FRANCO will be found on our website: www.francosa.co.za and social media: Instagram #npofranco and Facebook: Franco Franschhoek.

cross on Dassenberg Mountain during Lent. Years ago, Lourens and a group of friends initiated the project after a Bible study discussion. What started as lights fastened to a pine tree and powered by a generator has since become a ninemetre steel structure supported by solar power. After the recent fires, the cross stood untouched – a symbol many in the valley found comforting. Equally close to his heart is the Franschhoek sign on the mountain. His great-grandfather helped pack out the original letters, and as a young boy Lourens accompanied his grandfather to repaint them with lime. Today, together with other community members, he continues the tradition, clearing vegetation and maintaining the landmark every second year. For him, it is about preserving heritage and ensuring that the town’s history remains visible to future generations.

When he needs perspective after a long day, Lourens turns to the mountains on his bicycle. Cycling offers him space to breathe and reflect. Yet even there, his thoughts return to the same driving force: making a difference where he can.

He believes Franschhoek’s strength lies in its size and its agricultural roots. In the local farming community, titles matter less than shared purpose. “Here, everyone stands on the same level,” he explains.

If there is one lesson he is still learning, it is how to say no. Helping others is both his greatest

Franschhoek Hospice has introduced a new carer list system to help families access reliable, compassionate home-based care when it is needed most. This initiative has been developed to support community members who require assistance at home and to make the process of finding a suitable carer simpler and more transparent. All carers included on the list have been carefully reviewed and approved by Franschhoek Hospice’s professional nursing staff, ensuring they meet the hospice’s standards of care and professionalism. Families who require assistance can submit their care needs directly to the Hospice nursing team by

strength and his greatest challenge. After the fires, when his diff lock and bakkie sakkie were damaged, it was Ludwig Malherbe who came up with the idea to ask friends and locals to help with donations to buy him a brand new bakkie sakkie. Lourens did not expect the gesture, as he never helps with the intention of receiving anything in return. He speaks with gratitude about the support, seeing it as encouragement to continue serving the community he loves.

For Lourens Hugo, Franschhoek is not just where he farms – it is where he serves, remembers, rebuilds, and continues to believe in the power of community.

contacting 082 423 1844. When making contact, families are asked to provide the age of the patient, specific care needs, the responsibilities expected of the carer, and the amount they are willing to pay, whether for set hours or shifts worked.

Once this information is received, the request is shared with the hospice’s carer group, and the contact details of available carers are then provided to the family. Should families wish to review a carer’s background, they are welcome to visit the Franschhoek Hospice office to view carers’ CVs in person. For confidentiality and protection of both carers and families, CVs will not be sent out electronically.

Through this new system, Franschhoek Hospice aims to ensure families can access trusted, carers while maintaining high standards of care, dignity, and support within the community.

WhatsApp - 082 423 1844

Email - fhkpatientcare@gmail.com

Wordsworth Books Supports Literacy at FHS

Staff and young learners of Franschhoek High School said a warm “Thank You” to Belinda Coetzee of Wordsworth Books for their generous donation to the school library.

Deputy Head of FHS, Mrs Marina van Heerden, was delighted with the donation stating “Your investment is not just a gift, it is an investment in hope, growth and opportunity.”

When our local community comes together to support our children, amazing things happen — and these beautiful books will make a real difference in helping our young readers grow in confidence and skills.

Belinda Coetzee at Wordsworth Books is passionate about encouraging children to learn to love books and told the group “Books open doors to worlds children never knew existed – and help them to believe in their own”.

Franschhoek High School is Building Back Better following past challenges. With new leadership and renewed energy, the school welcomes members of the Franschhoek community and invites them to build on this demonstration of support for the school (business donations can be tax deductible) and come together to invest in the future of the valley’s children.

Skop 2026 Af!

Ons het die leesjaar begin met die immergroen ‘Raaiselkind’ van Annelie Botes. Op 12 Februarie het Karin Roux, ’n gewaardeerde lid van die Leeskring, ’n insiggewende en boeiende bespreking van hierdie aangrypende roman aangebied.

Op 12 Maart verwelkom ons die geliefde Suid-Afrikaanse skrywer en

akademikus Daniël Lötter. Hy stel sy eerste roman, ‘Waar die lammers nie suip nie’, bekend – ’n geleentheid wat jy nie wil misloop nie! Besoekers is welkom. RSVP teen 10 Maart; Koste: R50 (verversings ingesluit).

Die Franschhoek Leeskring bespreek jaarliks 9 boeke in ’n intieme, stimulerende atmosfeer waar gesprek en denke floreer. Lidmaatskap: R550 per jaar. Kontak Hester: 084 900 9060

Contact: fhsjollyphonics@gmail.com

Text & Image: Juliet Watson

The SHARF Steriefund

Sterilisation is the biggest necessity in stopping uncontrolled breeding and the vast amounts of dogs and cats ending up in abusive circumstances of neglect, torture and brutality.

Over the last 2 years Angelika Yakovchuk, has singlehandedly sponsored R200,000+ to SHARF, for the sterilisation of dogs. Lately we opened the Angelika Sterie Fund at our Vets enabling us to sterilise 16 dogs every month. (our cats are being done by another vet & sponsor). But Angelika cannot do it alone. We need sustainability and more donors coming onboard to help.

With a list of over 255 dogs already signed up, waiting to be sterilised, we need as much funding as possible. These females all go into heat while waiting, producing

one litter of between 7-13 pups on the other. Males fight to mate, leaving a trail of severe injuries also causing the number of TVT cases (sexuly transmitted cancer), due to contaminated males, to spread rapidly, causing severe suffering to untreated & infected animals.

Safe Hands Animal Rescue Franschhoek humbly request donations toward the sterilisation of our constantly signed up animals.

1 dog welfare sterilisation = R800

To sponsor a sterilisation or two kindly donate into the following account as we then pay it over into the Steriefund: Safe Hands Animal Rescue Franschhoek FNB; 62836203076; Ref: Sharf Sterie

Siegfried Schäfer

Dear Readers,

’ in the gold bakkie pic.

Those of you who have been reading my letters for a while will know that I hate heat. It follows that February is not my favourite month… Thankfully it’s the shortest one in the year, and will be over by the time you read this!

Water has been much in the news of late. Too much of it in the northern parts of the country, and not enough in most of the rest! The ironic thing is that most of the places experiencing water supply problems are not experiencing them because of a lack of water. Joburg, for example, has had no shortage of rain and the Vaal Dam supplying it is brimful. Yet, many parts of the city are without water for days at a time. The problem is mismanagement of infrastructure, not lack of water.

Closer to home, in Knysna, a similar situation exists. In its case the mismanagement (50% of water in the system is lost before it gets to where it should) is compounded by low dam levels as a result of drought conditions affecting much of the Western Cape. To make matters worse, water tanker mafias are suspected of sabotaging the water network to protect their profits…

Even closer to home, a rather disjointed report in The Cape Independent on 5 February – quickly denied by Stellenbosch Municipality –claimed that parts of Stellenbosch (thankfully not including the Franschhoek Valley) only have a month’s water supply left. The report points to several issues as contributing to the alleged imminent Day Zero-scenario including lack of funding for critical water infrastructure projects and appointments – despite requests long-standing requests from the water department – and failure to fill reservoirs during the rainy season.

Most damning though is that more than a dozen

technical positions in the water department are vacant and the last water system engineer left the municipality last year – allegedly because he was forced out/constructively dismissed for being a white male. (Readers may recall the video that surfaced last year of the municipal HR Manager referring to white staff as being “part of the problem.” A subsequent disciplinary investigation seems to be going nowhere and the HR Manager was even temporarily ‘promoted’ to Acting Director for Corporate Services.)

Notably, the municipality’s denial of The Cape Independent’s report is only that; a denial. It provides no factual substantiation for what is said and instead relies on vague assurances. Couple that with the fact that ex-municipal employees won’t speak to the media because they are forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, and I start smelling a rat... I cannot think of any municipal

functions that are of such a sensitive nature that employees leaving the organisation would need to sign an NDA. Unless, of course, all is not well in the organisation…

As I said earlier, the alleged problems with the water supply system, don’t affect the Franschhoek Valley but that may not be the case forever. Also, before we think we’re safe for now, the same engineers who have left the municipality were responsible for overseeing multi-million Rand upgrades at the Wemmershoek Waste Water Treatment Works, which processes waste water from Franschhoek, Bosbou and Wemmershoek. (This plant discharges treated effluent into the Berg River for downstream agricultural use.) It would appear that the days that we can take working infrastructure for granted in the Western Cape are running out – just like Knysna’s water. Until next month!

Are Our Meter Maids Anti-Franschhoek?

While there’s nothing at all wrong with the concept of paying for main street parking in Franschhoek, how we’re doing it, raises many questions. If anything, the entire modus operandi of our recently installed parking wardens can be taken as categorically anti-Franschhoek.

First and foremost, there’s a desperate need for employment and the upliftment of our communities of Groendal, Dalubuhle and Bosbou, et al. But our parking wardens are shipped in from Stellenbosch every weekday. Why don’t we draw from our local Franschhoek population to fulfil this task?

Then there’s the small matter of their working hours. Our wardens rock up weekday mornings around eight-thirty and disappear around three in the afternoon. There’s no sign of them in the evenings or at dinnertime, over weekends, or public holidays. So they’re only here and operating when tourists and hire cars are least likely to be about.

In other words, our parking wardens primarily target Franschhoek locals. They do not work when the tourists are out, when the Wine Tram closes or visitors drive into the village for a meal. Nor do they operate over weekends, when the throng generally

visits. Yip, tourists and visitors mostly park for free. It’s also why the village appears deserted on weekdays ‘til three. Us locals are wise to it and park elsewhere. And then our alien wardens leave before the traffic that will happily pay for parking, as it is internationally accepted to do, arrives. So not only is it anti-resident, but the whole catastrophe is also a flop. It completely misses the target.

Most tourist cities or villages around the world charge royally for visitor parking. But locals have permits and are exempt or pay a fraction, only if they park longer. Our foreign parking wardens not only take their pittance out of the Franschhoek village economy, but they also target locals, instead of the tourists they should.

Time for a meter maid rethink, perhaps…?

Michele Lupini

Successful Artist in Management Workshop

The Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace, in partnership with Nedbank, NEMISA, DCAS (Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport), and the Peace Centre, successfully hosted an Artist in Management Workshop on 7 February 2026 at the NEMISA Training Centre in Franschhoek.

The workshop, which had a theoretical and practical component brought together 20 artists from the Franschhoek Valley, Mfuleni and Khayelitsha for a full day empowering capacitybuilding session focused on strengthening the business side of their creative careers.

In collaboration with Nedbank and Nemisa, the workshop was designed to equip artists with essential management skills, and covered key focus areas including financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and contractual guidance and training. Participants received practical tools on budgeting, income management, digital marketing, brand positioning, and understanding artist rights and contracts.

Rotary News

Chanè Scheepers

From Franschhoek to Paarl: Rotary’s Rhythm is Changing Young Lives

It started with a single saxophone… and a broken heart. When a local music teacher shared that one of her brightest saxophone stars had withdrawn from lessons because his parents could no longer afford instrument hire and tuition, the community felt it. A simple appeal went out for a “redundant” saxophone. Within days, one was donated. The young musician and his parents were overcome with emotion. He was back in class. The music played on.

But that wasn’t the end of the story. It was just the beginning. Another call for ‘redundant’ instruments resulted in over 20 instruments desperate to be played by someone! What began as one rescued instrument grew into something far more powerful. The Mbekweni Community Music Academy (MCMA), proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Franschhoek and Drakenstein Valley in partnership with Hope Through Action.

From its heart in Franschhoek, Rotary’s impact now resonates well beyond the village reaching into the vibrant Mbekweni community.

Strong Positive Feedback from Participants

The post-workshop evaluation reflected overwhelming satisfaction. All 20 completed evaluation forms indicated that the workshop met participants’ expectations.

On a personal level, participants shared that the workshop motivated them to pursue their dreams, increased awareness of their rights as artists, helped them understand the importance of contracts, shifted their mindset in navigating a digital world and reinforced the importance of acknowledging their own skills and talents.

Professionally, attendees reported gaining new management and entrepreneurial skills, greater confidence in signing and analysing contracts,

A studio space was secured inside the Mbekweni Community Sports Centre adjacent to schools within walking distance of more than 4,000 learners. For many of these children, this is the only accessible music facility in the Cape Winelands.

And they came. In their dozens!

Within the first week of opening in May 2022, over 50 learners enrolled and were assessed. Today, the Academy has grown into a thriving hub of sound, structure and self-belief.

From recorders to guitars, keyboards, drums, trumpets, trombones and saxophones, many donated, lovingly restored and loaned out to students, the instrument “bank” continues to grow thanks to generous benefactors across Franschhoek, Paarl, Val de Vie and beyond.

Fast forward to the close of 2025 and there are 35 senior learners, 15 enthusiastic juniors and a band that now performs at social functions, wine farms and events. Performances have lit up venues including Grande Provence, Diemersfontein, Boschendal and Val de Vie Evergreen.

Two students reached the finals of the Paarl Talent Contest in 2024. Twenty learners attended the South African National Music Awards finals at Stellenbosch University, a first glimpse into the world of professional possibility.

And perhaps the most moving note of all?

One of the Academy’s original students, Someleze Mazolwana, has progressed from beginner to tutor, now teaching keyboards, guitar and drums to the next generation. A full-circle moment

improved understanding of financial planning and artist protection, and networking skills and preparation for unexpected challenges in the creative industry.

Importantly, almost all participants expressed an interest in attending future Artist in Management workshops, with requested topics including digital marketing, entrepreneurship, financing and budgeting, writing, poetry, gender-based violence awareness, and further creative development.

Taking Learning into the Community

During the afternoon session, participants were exposed to the local Franschhoek Village Market to be able to engage directly with established artists. The practical field exercise allowed them to interview working creatives on how they stabilise and sustain their businesses in a competitive environment. This hands-on approach reinforced the workshop’s emphasis on longevity over shortterm exposure.

of sustainability that says everything about what this initiative truly achieves. In addition, 3 students have now started formal music studies at Stellenbosch University, 2 of them with bursaries provided from Rotary MCMA funds. Running a dream takes discipline.

Operating costs have naturally grown in line with the evolution of the Academy, increasing the challenge within Rotary to identify and partner with new benefactors. The majority of the budget funds professional music tutors (around 75%), with the balance covering instruments, maintenance and transport to performances. All funds are managed under Rotary’s strict governance protocols and Section 18A certification is now in place, ensuring accountability and transparency. But more instruments are needed. More transport support. More sound equipment for performances. More hands. Because the waiting list is growing.

Onvergeetlike maand

Vergun my as inwoner van Fleur de Lis ons innige dank aan al die dapper mense wat tydens die brande in die voorste linie geveg het. Ons hier by die Ouetehuis kon met angs toekyk hoe ons pragtige berge vernietig word. Ons was magteloos maar nooit moedeloos want hier het n samehorigheid in ons mooi dorp ontstaan van hulp en bystand. Ek salueer elke helikopter vlieenier, die spotters in die vliegtuie wat die sterk wind moes trotseer. Dankie aan elke brandslaner, elke donateur, elke gebed. Ons salueer julle en ons sal nooit Januarie 2026 vergeet, maar met dankbaarheid terugkyk na elke held of heldin se bydrae dat ons veilig kon voel. Baie dankie weereens.

Tannie Marita Falck

Building Sustainable Creative Careers

The Artist in Management Workshop forms part of a broader commitment by the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace and its partners to strengthen local creative industries. By equipping artists with practical financial, legal, and entrepreneurial tools, the initiative aims to ensure that creative talent in the Franschhoek Valley is not only discovered — but sustained and protected. As the creative economy continues to evolve, initiatives like this remain essential in preparing artists to navigate both opportunity and risk with confidence and professionalism.

A heartfelt thank you to DCAS, Nedbank, Allora, Nemisa, La Vie, Masande, Elvis and Herman and our amazing volunteers for making this workshop this successful and impactful!

For further information about upcoming workshops, community members can contact: Henrietta Du Preez, Cell: 063 949 91450, Email: henriettadupreez1@gmail.com

wine estates and townships linked by melody. Of community leaders who understood that talent is universal, opportunity is not.

The Academy welcomes donations of instruments, funding pledges, mentorship, teaching time or simply your belief in what’s possible.

For more information about supporting the Mbekweni Community Music Academy, you can contact David Anderson at David@MCMA.co.za or 060 961 8092.

This is the magic of the Rotary International spirit in action: local heart, global ethos. What began in Franschhoek now echoes in Paarl. It’s a story of a village that didn’t stop at its borders. Of

And if this story has struck a chord and you’d like to get involved with Rotary itself, we’d love to hear from you. Contact info@franschhoekrotary.com to speak to Gwyn Bassingthwaighte and discover how you can be part of a movement that’s turning generosity into harmony, from Franschhoek to Paarl and beyond.

Love And The Law: Cohabiting? Get Your House In Order Now

“All you need is love… and a good lawyer.” (Anonymous)

February, with its Valentine’s Day should be a month for romance, not legal niceties. But in the real world, love and the law are inextricably linked because any relationship’s structure and consequences are inevitably governed by legal principles.

A recent High Court fight between an estranged couple over their jointly-purchased dream house illustrates this neatly.

The couple’s four-year romantic relationship saw them eventually buying a house together with the idea of making their relationship more permanent.

Unfortunately their relationship ended a month after the property purchase, leaving only one of them to live in the house and to pay all the ongoing costs. In due course they fell out over how to end the co-ownership and how to adjust their respective claims for past and future property costs. Their dispute reached the High Court, which ordered firstly that the co-ownership be terminated. This was necessary, because no coowner can be forced against their will to remain a co-owner where the relationship between the co-owners has deteriorated to such an extent that it can’t continue.

Then, using an old Roman law remedy still in use today (the “actio communi dividundo”) the Court dealt with both the division of the property, and the adjustment of the various financial claims

The Cape Wine Auction 2026 Raises over R10 million

The Cape Wine Auction 2026 once again demonstrated the power of generosity and worldclass wine, raising R10.6 million at a spectacular weekend hosted at Nederburg Wine Estate. This brings the total raised since the inaugural 2014 auction to R152.8 million, reinforcing the event’s status as one of South Africa’s most impactful charitable initiatives.

Cape Wine Auction Trust chairman Paul Clüver described the twelfth edition as “a unique oasis of hope and inspiration for the Cape Winelands,” adding that organisers were humbled by the generosity of donors and bidders.

The weekend combined fine wine, philanthropy and entertainment, with strong participation from the Saturday Barrel Auction through to the main auction and celebration party. Guests enjoyed live performances by Mi Casa and Lloyiso.

Top lots included an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix VIP Experience with Paddock Club™ access, luxury accommodation and exclusive Formula

1® experiences, which sold for R1.3 million; a lifesize bronze sculpture by Anton Smit that fetched R650,000; and three seven-night luxury villa stays from The Hideaways Club, each achieving R600,000.

Other highlights were the Côte du Cap coastal escape (R420,000), a Willamette Valley wine journey (R320,000), a Zambezi River experience at Thorntree River Lodge (R240,000) and the AdVini France Domaine Laroche Chablis experience (R230,000).

Nederburg General Manager Kate Jackson said the estate was proud to host the auction and support its mission of driving meaningful change through education in the Cape Winelands.

Widely regarded as South Africa’s leading international wine charity event, the Cape Wine Auction brings together wine enthusiasts from around the world for exclusive wine, travel and culinary experiences in support of education and social upliftment.

www.thecapewineauction.com

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Supplied

between the parties.

The Court ordered that the ex-partner living in the house has a first option (valid for 60 days) to buy the other’s half share at valuation. If he doesn’t, he must offer it for sale on the open market at a fair and reasonable market-related price. If there’s still been no sale after 6 months, the Sheriff of the High Court becomes a “receiver and liquidator” and has 4 months to auction the house. The bond, costs and parties’ related financial claims will be settled from the proceeds as directed by the Court.

“Co-ownership is the mother of dispute” (“communio est mater rixarum”) is another old Roman law concept mentioned by the Court. It confirms that joint ownership has always, since ancient times, inherently provided fertile ground for instability and dispute.

But that needn’t be so. An upfront agreement between joint owners, whether their arrangement is grounded in a commercial or a personal relationship, can hugely reduce the risks of later uncertainty, disagreement and litigation.

If you are living with your life partner, you should

have a full cohabitation agreement to cover not only your co-ownership arrangement, but also all the other financial and personal aspects of your relationship that would normally be governed by our marriage laws.

Attorneys can help you with such agreement or failing that, with the dissolving of the relationship.

I am writing this column on the day in midFebruary before I leave for a short trip to the UK to visit my ailing brother. Although today has been mercifully damp, recent weather has been very hot, as is typical of the Western Cape at this time of year, with fires raging everywhere. Scary, but somehow quite normal.

Tomorrow, though, I fly out of Cape Town for heavy rain and late winter in London and Newcastle. Very different.

And I find all of this magical. How can it be possible that I, a child of damaged post-WW2 Liverpool, am here in this glorious garden of a country called South Africa? How can it be that I have the privilege of skipping between worlds so unthinkingly?

In a time of obvious threat and confusion, this must surely be worth celebrating. There are poems which, in different ways, do exactly that. Here are two, both by American writers. Amy Gerstler lives and teaches in California.

In Perpetual Spring Gardens are also good places to sulk. You pass beds of spiky voodoo lilies and trip over the roots of a sweet gum tree, in search of medieval plants whose leaves, when they drop off turn into birds if they fall on land, and colored carp if they plop into water.

Suddenly the archetypal human desire for peace with every other species wells up in you. The lion and the lamb cuddling up. The snake and the snail, kissing. Even the prick of the thistle, queen of the weeds, revives your secret belief in perpetual spring, your faith that for every hurt there is a leaf to cure it.

Amy Gerstler from Bitter Angel (North Point Press, 1990)

I love that last assertion that “for every hurt there is a leaf to cure it”. Our recognition even in life’s hardest moments – perhaps especially in those moments – that so much remains to be welcomed is something truly special. Despite what some might think, this is not a naïve or glib assertion, as another American poet, Chase Twitchell, points out. When people ask ‘what’s wrong with you?’ for feeling this way, her answer is simple: Nothing!

What’s Wrong With Me

The end of the world is not what’s wrong with me. Old age, illness, and death are not wrong. They just are.

A stone says, Wake up, exactly this is all there is!

Everything says it –a sick coyote crossing the field, poisoned, injured, rabid, old, the rest of the pack anxious, yipping and howling back and forth across the valley as dusk comes on. What’s wrong with me is that I find their music beautiful. I dwell on it long after it stops and in the silence afterward I write down its words.

Chase Twichell

(from The Georgia Review)

Finally, one of mine to celebrate the sheer magnificence of our former home at Chintsa, on the Wild Coast.

Awesome

Tell me if you really want to every detail of your life on Twitter ply me with as many cute videos as you choose of a puppy dressed like Santa surfing at Malibu or kittens cuddling up with a rottweiler in someone’s kitchen and a clutch of Easter ducklings on the corner of your desk send me missives if you must in praise of the latest TV reality show starring some pneumatic half-dressed blonde and a talentless young oik famous only for his teeth and the extent of his charmless belligerence feel free to praise some boorish President (no, no, too much, too much!) tweet as often as you like then invent verbs from nouns like facebook message, friend, unfriend tell me anything you wish but don’t I beg you pronounce any of these things Awesome! They are not.

But if you’ll drown in darkest-night ocean swell at Chintsa wrapping us in a sky’s immensity sit us up rigid with the shriek of ten thousand crickets’ dying arias stand on the deck as the whole starry firmament ignites, arms aloft before the lightning invite me to share sunrise with the golden weaver as he plaits the frenzied mantra of himself to another nest sting me madly with wasps and whales and moth-flicker admit me to the leaping, laughing school of dolphins a plunging kamikaze of gannets feeding over the water if you’ll let me hear once more the abrupt – now! –silence of no cicadas at all in the heat of a late afternoon then yes, you’re right, you’ve got it at last. That’s awesome.

Harry Owen from Small Stones for Bromley (Lapwing, 2014)

Flesh

David Szalay

Publ: Jonathan Cape. Pages: 349

What does one do with a novel that has very few adverbs and adjectives, has dialogue that consists mostly of phrases like “I dunno”, “I’m okay”, “I guess”, and is written in the present tense?

Well, award it the Booker Prize, and call it “hypnotic”. That is what happened to David Szalay’s (pronounced Sloy) novel called Flesh. I have often been surprised by Booker Prize finalists, and this winner is no exception. It is a difficult book to like, but it is significant enough to warrant a discussion.

The narrative is bare. Istvan, a Hungarian immigrant boy in London, is seduced by an older woman in the same apartment block. When the husband surprises them, a scuffle ensues. The older man falls down the stairs and dies. The court finds the boy guilty and sends him to Reform School. He feels very little and says very little about the incident.

In this he reminds me of Meursault, the main character in Albert Camus’ book “The Stranger.” Famously, that book opens with the words of the main character: “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the Home: Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday”.

This straightforward, impersonal declaration shows Meursault as a character that lives in time - just as much removed from the present as he is from the past.

In the preface to the book, Camus describes Meursault as someone who refuses to lie, play games, or conform to society’s expected emotional rituals. He embodies a sincere existence in a world that prefers comfortable hypocrisy over uncomfortable honesty.

Istvan is no Meursault, although their actions appear to be similar. He is profoundly detached, emotionally indifferent and lives in the present. He is pulled along by events that he does not choose. Throughout his life he is buffeted by forces beyond his control - the sexual and material wishes of those who surround him, the social and political changes of the times. He remains a consistently phlegmatic and passive participant.

There is a spell in the army, where, through all the brutality, he manages to retain his curious naiveté and indifferent acceptance of life. He moves from job to job, becomes a bouncer and then a chauffeur to a very rich man.

He has an affair with his boss’s wife and, when she is widowed, marries her. His sudden wealth is experienced with the same indifference as his prison sentence was. The only small signs of emotion are shown in his attachment to his son and his hatred for his stepson.

Halfway through the novel, one realizes that everything happens in the present tense. The dialogue and the action are described as they happen. This means that there is little room left for reflection and understanding. The fact that here are very few adverbs and adjectives, strips the language of its emotional power.

The novel has been praised for its “masculinity”, its stripping away of its emotional rhythms, its depiction of raw flesh in business, war and marriage. In the end, we wonder what we have learned about life in this novel.

Istvan is silent about the meaning of his life. He just exists – without comment, regret or happiness. It feels as if he is leading a dreary, boring life. And yet, this is not a boring book. However indifferent Istvan might be to the world around him, we still feel connected. He may not be likeable, but we keep on reading, in the faint hope he will find some kind of resolution, some purpose, even some sense of fulfillment.

La Motte Easter Classical Music Concert

This special programme of voice and piano takes audiences on a journey through the Easter season’s central themes - from sacrifice and suffering to contemplation, hope and joy.

Told through the voices of composers across centuries, the concert features beloved works by Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Franck, and Fauré, among others.

Join soprano Siphamandla Moyake, tenor Lukhanyo Moyake and pianist Esthea Kruger for an evening that begins in introspection and culminates in the joyful message of Easter.

Thursday, 28 March, R350 per person.

The programme will include: Passion

Bach-Busoni: Ich rufe zu dir, Jesu Christ / BachSiloti: Prelude in B minor – Piano (03:00)

Barber: Crucifixion – Soprano and Piano (02:00)

Wolf: Wunden trägst du, mein Geliebter –

Soprano, Tenor and Piano (05:00)

Bach: Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren

– Soprano and Piano (06:00)

Grief

Mascagni: Intermezzo – Piano (03:00)

Mascagni: Ave Maria – Soprano and Piano (04:00)

Dvorak: Slyš o Bože! Slyš modlitbu mou – Tenor and Piano (03:00)

Contemplation/Hope

Fauré: Pie Jesu – Soprano and Piano (03:30)

Franck: Panis Angelicus – Tenor and Piano (04:00)

Handel: I know that my Redeemer liveth –Soprano and Piano (06:00)

Verdi: Ingemisco – Tenor and Piano (04:00)

Hofmeyr: Die Here is my Herder – Soprano and Piano (05:00)

Mozart: Alleluia – Soprano and Piano (02:30)

Mendelssohn: Then shall the righteous shine forth –Tenor and Piano (03:00)

Bach: Mein gläubiges Herze – Soprano and Piano (03:30)

Traditional: Were you there when they crucified my Lord? – Soprano, Tenor and Piano (03:30)

Traditional: He’s got the whole world in his hands – Soprano, Tenor and Piano (04:00)

Guests are welcome to enjoy a glass of wine and some light refreshments in the estate gardens between 17:00 and 18:00. The La Motte Ateljee will also be open to view the latest art exhibition. The concert is presented from La Motte’s renovated Parshuis or Historic Red Wine Cellar and starts promptly at 18:00. Please note that seating is not reserved.

Make the most of your visit to the Franschhoek Valley and stay for dinner at the estate’s L’Ami Family Brasserie, a short stroll away from the concert venue. A special concert and dinner package is available at R945 and entails a concert ticket as well as a three-course menu with a glass of wine from the La Motte Classic Collection. (Other drinks and gratuity excluded).

Bookings can be made via Dineplan. Bookings to the Easter Classical Music Concert can be made on the La Motte website.

www.la-motte.com

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Supplied

Upcoming Talks:

Ancient Egypt in the Digital and Imaginative Age

Two forthcoming lectures at the Franschhoek Theatre will explore how Ancient Egypt continues to shape both cutting-edge scholarship and contemporary cultural imagination.

Courses include: Front of House, Food & Beverage Service, Housekeeping, Cooking, Wine Service, Introduction to Wine, Barista and the Art of Coffee making, ILO Partnered Entrepreneurship Course: Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Life Skills, Lobster Ink e-learning, How to Ace An Interview. 4 months compulsory internship, International Pathway for 2 students on a fully funded bursary to study at the ITM (International Institute of Tourism & Management) in Austria. Evening courses available for industry professionals or those who wish to upskill.

9 YEARS SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED. 96% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FULLY EMPLOYED WITHIN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ABROAD.

On Thursday, 19 March at 18h30, Egyptologist and papyrologist Professor Franziska Naether (Leipzig University and Stellenbosch University) will present ‘The Digital Rosetta Stone Project’. The original Rosetta Stone famously enabled the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs in 1822. Today, researchers are applying advanced 3D scanning and digital technologies to preserve, analyse, and reinterpret the Stone with unprecedented precision. Prof. Naether will discuss the international effort to digitise this iconic artefact and the new insights emerging from the project.

The following week, on Wednesday 25 March at 18h30, Professor Rita Lucarelli will present ‘Afrofuturism and Ancient Egypt’. This lecture examines how Ancient Egypt is reimagined through Afrofuturism – a cultural movement that blends history, science fiction, art, and

C ontact : shaneill@fhalc.co.za www.fhalc.co.za ONE YEAR PROGRAM WITH EXPOSURE TO INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS & REAL WORLD EXAMPLES passionate about coffee

performance. From the cosmic philosophy of jazz musician Sun Ra to contemporary experimental art, Lucarelli explores how ancient religion and symbolism are reclaimed as tools for creativity, resistance, and new visions of the future. Together, the talks highlight the enduring influence of Egypt’s ancient civilisation, both as a subject of rigorous scholarly inquiry and as a powerful source of modern artistic inspiration. Both lectures form part of the SmallTalX® series. Booking is essential and can also be made at www.franschhoektheatre.com or via WhatsApp at 073 421 8879. Tickets are R250 per lecture and include a glass of wine, snacks, and a Q&A session with the speaker.

SpecialOffer:Ifyouwishtoattendbothlectures, you can purchase a combined ticket for R350 (Save R150). To take up the special offer, email smalltalx.info@gmail.com.

LIFESTYLE FRANSCHHOEK

A PERFECT EASTER OUTING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY | 46 APRIL 2026

Join us for a festive Easter Market featuring a variety of stalls, delicious food, and handcrafted finds.

Enjoy live entertainment throughout the weekend and bring the kids along for a fun Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, 5 April.

Franschhoek’s Specialist Paint Shop

We stock a full range of Midas, environmentally friendly paints (water and oil based) and Earthcote specialised, textured trowel-on and brushon products for wall and floor surfaces (300 colours to choose from) and a full range of Paint Brushes, Rollers and Accessories

We also stock waterproofing products, Weatherprufe, Elastocryl and Weatherklad, Rolls of torch-on (3mm & 4mm) and various sizes of waterproofing membrane. Plascon water and oil-based paints.

We also stock a full range of Woodoc ‘food for wood’ in various colours and a full range of Duram products, including Duram Roof paints in various colours and Duram Showfloor Polyurethane floor paint, also in assorted colours. We can also supply twin pack epoxy paints for specialised applications.

All textures and colours are on show in our showroom. Pop in and have a coffee with us, whilst leisurely selecting your paints and colours. For FREE technical advice, paint specifications and quotations contact Paul 082 567 6162

When the flames moved across the Berg River landscape, it was impossible not to feel the weight of it - the smoke veiling the mountains, the embers drifting like fiery constellations, the ground rendered black and quiet where life had so recently pulsed. From ARC of Franschhoek, we watched as the fire swept through portions of the surrounding land, an elemental force far older than any structure, any plan, any vision we had laid upon it

In those hours, it was easy to see only loss: charred trees, stripped hillsides, a landscape reduced to ash. Yet standing there, I was struck by something else - a profound sense that we were witnessing not an ending, but a threshold. In this place, fire is not merely a force of destruction. It is a sculptor of possibility

The land around ARC was never meant to be static It is part of a living, breathing system shaped by wind, water, and fire over millennia. In many ways, the blaze mirrored what we have always sought to do through ARC itself: clear the clutter, challenge the status quo, and make space for something more meaningful to emerge.

Where the fire stripped away old growth, we saw not emptiness, but potential - a clean slate upon which nature, architecture, and community could reimagine themselves together

At ARC, our structures were conceived not to dominate the land, but to listen to it - to move with its rhythms rather than

against them. The recent fire deepened that relationship It challenged us to think beyond design as form and toward design as stewardship

Just as fynbos depends on fire to renew itself communities and spaces depend on disruption to grow Comfort can make us complacent; fire forces us to reimagine.

Soon, green shoots will pierce through the ash. Grasses will soften the scorched contours of the hills. Fynbos will return with a

by

d to threaten it And in parallel, ARC will continue to evolve as a place of gathering, movement, reflection, and connection.

This is the deeper metaphor of ARC of Franschhoek: a space born from the understanding that destruction and creation are inter twined; that renewal is not only natural but n

courage, patience, and faith

Fire does not ask permission. It arrives, reshapes, and moves on.

But what we choose to do after the fire - that is where vision lives

At ARC, we choose to see the burned land not as a scar, but as a canvas. Not as a setback, but as a catalyst Not as loss, but as an invitation to build differently - more consciously, more collaboratively, more in harmony with the wild systems that sustain us.

The flames have passed.

Community Events

SPORT

FRANSCHHOEKTENNISCLUB:Socialtennisisplayed at the club on Fridays, Sunda, and Public Holidays from 08h30. For more information contact Nicky. 082 455 6411

CHURCH SERVICES

METHODIST CHURCH: Sunday service 10h00. Rev Russell Norman. 021 872 3580 or 082 662 4509. NG KERK Sondagdienste 09h30. Geen aanddiens. Dr. Ryno Els 083 610 1641. Besoekers welkom.New Apostolic Church: Le Roux Street, Groendal. Sunda, 09h00, Wednesdays 19h30. Rector: Charles Leibrandt.

ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH: Groot Drakenstein. Sunday Services: Holy Communion @ 10H00. Our Church is also a wedding venue. Contact Parish Warden Florence Phillips on 081 428 7064 or secretaryatstgeorge@gmail.com.

SHOFAR CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Services

- 09h00 & 18h00 English services at 7 Lambrechts Street. Pastor Richard Wade. 083 225 8529. All welcome! UNITING REFORMED

CHURCH: Sunday service 09h30. Dr Shaun Burrow. 021 876 2632. Visitors welcome.

GENERAL

Alcoholics Anonymous: WED evenings 19:00, Groendal Community Centre, Contact David +27 83 305 5159

Useful Numbers

ACCOUNTANTS

Tax Shop 021 876 2676

ATTORNEYS

Susan Charlesworth 021 876 2592/072 402 9469

AUDIOLOGISTS

Heidi Allan 021 876 4622

BURGLAR ALARMS

Pepler Alarms 021 876 3308

CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS

Boland Bridge Club 021 876 3031

Franschhoek Tennis Club 078 278 4843

FHK Heritage & Ratepayers Ass. 083 441 8280

Groot Drakenstein Games Club 021 874 1906

- Craig Mc Naught: Captain 080 845 1014

- Lejean Pieterse, Hiring 082 490 0405

Lions 021 876 3775

Stb Masonic Lodge (Chris) 072 211 9991

Franschhoek Rotary Club 082 891 4613

Franschhoek Probus Club 021 876 3179

Wemmershoek Community 074 367 6469

ELECTRICAL

Franschhoek Electric 074 313 7829/021 876 3640

Rensburg Electrical 021 876 2120/083 309 2923

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Franschhoek Pharmacy 021 876 2261

Franschhoek Health Club 021 876 3310

Karen Protheroe (Dietician) 082 925 0931

HOUSE & GARDEN

Clock Repairs 028 840 1716

Lighting & Accessories 021 876 3640

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

Sue’s Gardens 083 321 3442

Valley Garden Service 071 591 0342

OPTOMETRIST

Marelise Bester 021 872 3530

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Fhk Physiotherapy Assoc. 021 876 4234 (office) 074 325 5555 (Bronwen) 076 842 6052 (Maans)

PLUMBERS

Franschhoek Plumbing 021 876 3759

PSYCHOLOGIST

Danielle Smith 082 812 1476

PUBLIC SERVICES

Hospice 021 876 3085

Library 021 808 8406

Post Office 021 876 2342

Welfare (ACVV) 021 876 2670

SPCA 083 745 5344

SHARF 076 327 4939

SCHOOLS

Bridge House School 021 874 8100

Franschhoek High School 021 876 2079

Groendal Primary School 021 876 2448

Groendal Secondary School 021 876 2211

Wes-Eind Primary School 021 876 2360

Dalubuhle Primary School 021 876 3957

STORAGE

Franschhoek Storage 021 876 2174

TOURIST INFORMATION & SERVICES

Info Office 066 224 6360 / 073 688 9894

Huguenot Memorial Museum 021 876 2532

VETERINARY

Fhk Animal Clinic (plus surgery) 021 876 2504

Emergencies / Weekends 021 863 3187 / 082 8089

100

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Stb Fire Dept. (Buildings) 021 808 8888

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

Police 10111/021 876 8061

Eskom 086 003 7566

Omnipage Farm Watch 021 852 3318

Plaaswag 021 876 2346

N1. N2 & R300 Emergency number: 021 946 1646

DENTISTS

Dr Schalk du Plessis 021 876 3070

DOCTORS

Dr Karin Eksteen 021 876 4622

Dr Alexander Heywood 021 876 2474

Dr Hannes Van der Merwe 066 100 6429

Dr Nicolas Els 021 876 2561

Dr Bernard Fisher 021 876 4622

AUDIOLOGIST

Audiologist Tracy-Ann Morris 084 264 0000

EMERCENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE

Franschhoek local Doukas (Duke) Coulbanis is currently available for full-time remote work as an Agile Project Manager and Vibe Coder. With 3 decades of experience, transitioning from heavyduty Java development to the cutting-edge world of Python and AI-driven Vibe Coding, Duke bridges the gap between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.

What Duke brings to your "Releast Train":

Ÿ Agile Mastery: Expert-level Scrum, Kanban and RTE experience to streamline iterative delivery and boost team morale.

Ÿ Technical Excellence: A deep understanding of modern API Libraries and automation to ensure your systems work with absolute efficiency

The "Vibe" Advantage: Leveraging the latest AI tools to build and iterate faster than traditional methods allow

Professional Integrity: A commitment to continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence in every iteration.

Whether you need a leader to remove obstacles for your development teams or a tech-savvy architect for your future-oriented solutions, Duke delivers world-class results from his Franschhoek home office.

Let's build something extraordinary!

To discuss how Duke can add value to your organisation, please reach out directly:

Email: dukecoulbanis@gmail.com | Mobile: +27 82 456 2812

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duke-coulbanis/

Long-Overdue Addition to Franschhoek

For many years, Franschhoek has attracted residents who value village life, natural beauty and a strong sense of community. Yet, despite this appeal, suitable full-title retirement living options within the village have remained elusive.

La Luc Retirement Estate was conceived to address this gap. Designed as a full-title development, it allows residents to retain ownership and benefit from long-term capital appreciation— an important consideration for both local residents preparing for retirement and international buyers investing in the Cape Winelands.

The development has reached an important milestone, with all approvals now in place and the pre-sales target successfully achieved. Groundworks are underway, with construction of homes expected to commence towards the end of the year. Occupation is anticipated by mid-2027.

Set against 360-degree mountain views, indigenous fynbos and a central dam attracting aquatic and birdlife, the estate balances natural surroundings with practical peace of mind. An on-site 14-bed frail care facility and shared lifestyle facilities, such as a clubhouse and pook. offer residents the reassurance of future support while maintaining independence.

Developments of this nature are rare in Franschhoek, making La Luc a welcome and timely addition to the village—enabling residents to remain part of the Franschhoek community for years to come.

L a L u c R e t i rem e n t E s

retirement development currently underway, ideally situated within walking distance of the picturesque Franschhoek village.

This thoughtfully planned estate comprises 91 full title stands, offering residents the full benefits of ownership together with the longterm capital appreciation associated with Franschhoek property All stands enjoy 360 degree mountain views and the architectural design will make full use of the Northern sun,

ensuring comfortable year round living.

A centrally positioned dam with abundant

viewpoints will allow residents to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and natural beauty

Property Features:

Ÿ 2 and 3 bedroom homes priced from R7 246 000 to R9 769 000

Ÿ 2 to 3 bathrooms

Ÿ Open-plan living areas with exposed roof trusses and wood-burning fireplace

Ÿ Covered patio with built-in braai

Ÿ Quality finishes throughout, including Oggie hardwood flooring, underfloor

heating, double glazed windows and Smeg appliances

Ÿ Single and double garages

Ÿ Pet-friendly environment

Estate Facilities:

Ÿ Clubhouse with lounge and coffee shop

Ÿ 12-metre lap pool and indoor heated pool

Ÿ Fully equipped gymnasium

Ÿ On-site medical nursing home providing professional medical care

Ÿ Excellent security

W ith the pre-sales target achieved, now is the ideal time to select a prime stand and secure a comfortable, carefree retirement in one of the Cape's most desirable locations.

LUXURY, SECURITY AND VIEWS – THE ESSENCE OF FRANSCHHOEK LIVING

On Sole Mandate. This elegant home combines breath-taking 360 degree views with all the benefits of secure living on the sought after Fransche Hoek Agricultural Estate.

Set on 4,000 square meters, this exquisite 5 bedroom family home with a private tennis court and swimming pool nestles amidst a stunning English country garden.

An open-plan layout invites you in to a lightfilled foyer with generous family lounge to one side - and to the other side - a well-appointed solid wood kitchen, generous dining area and large lounge with wood fireplace. The living areas flow seamlessly out to deep patios overlooking a lap pool with stunning views. The property is single-storey except for one large en-suite loft bedroom. The master

bedroom features a luxurious, well-appointed en-suite bathroom and dressing room and benefits from a private location to one side of the house whilst the other three bedrooms (all en-suite) are positioned together in an accommodation wing to the other side of the central living areas.

Additional features of the property include a double garage with separate staff wc, plenty of parking, guest toilet, large separate scullery, laundry and drying yard and a low maintenance faux turf tennis court offering recreation for the family in an exceptional setting.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R49 995 000

On Sole Mandate. Recently built single storey contemporary 4 bedroom home nestled in a 3.4ha smallholding with mature oak trees and stunning views. Featuring a large semi-open plan north facing living room, kitchen, dining room and media room, with excellent flow to a covered stoep overlooking location for a sparkling pool (to be installed).

Accommodation consists of four bedrooms en-suite, the master with a dressing room and a very spacious en-suite. Two guest bedrooms are located in a separate wing with separate access and private stoeps providing complete privacy, and the other guest bedroom includes a kitchenette.

The living and sleeping areas have access to covered stoeps with aluminium plantation security shutters. Also included are a hallway,

guest loo, second kitchen, three feature passageways, stairs to roof with scope for a roof terrace, solar system, double garage, parking area, domestic quarters pod, and borehole.

Outside the property includes several magnificent mature trees next to the main dwelling, and over three hectares of currently unproductive land, but an ideal blank canvas for various options, including equestrian, small agricultural or residential landscaping. There is also scope to add a second dwelling, subject to the necessary approvals. The property has full security fencing with access controlled gate.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R34 995 000

CONTEMPORARY HOME ON FRANSCHE HOEK ESTATE

This three bedroom en-suite home boasts high end contemporary finishes throughout including wooden floors, high ceilings and high quality aluminium doors and windows. Open plan living/dining/ kitchen areas with stunning views over the Franschhoek valley. Compact walled garden with plunge pool and large double garage. Beautiful setting and excellent design and finishes.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R11 950 000

4 BEDROOM VILLAGE HOME AND COTTAGE

On Sole Mandate. Charming French Provencal-style home in a quiet Franschhoek corner with mountain views. Features doublevolume living areas, dining room, country kitchen, and adaptable fourth bedroom. The vine-covered terrace overlooks a lush garden and pool. Upstairs offers a master en-suite and two bedrooms. Includes double garage, borehole, solar system, and separate 76m² guest cottage with private entrance.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R15 995 000

SPACIOUS 3 BEDROOM VILLAGE HOME

Perfectly positioned on a quiet, tree-lined street with mountain views, this double-storey home offers exceptional potential to modernise in one of Franschhoek’s most sought-after areas. Spacious living areas flow to a private pool terrace. Features include three bedrooms, study, double garage with workshop, wood-burning stove, air-conditioning, solar power, inverter, batteries, borehole, and security system. Erf size 962m2.

Tom Clode 079 955 3114

Terry-Lee George 082 650 9194 R13 995 000