HIGH-FLYERS SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2026
DISCOVER, EXPERIENCE AND ENJOY A LAND OF ETERNAL STORIES WWW.BUSINESSMEDIAMAGS.CO.ZA WWW.SAHOMEOWNER.CO.ZA
A CENTURY OF WILDNESS
THE STORIES WE CARRY
“THE PLACES AND FLAVOURS THAT REMIND ME OF HOME”
Sun City Resort: Sun International
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EDITORIAL COMMENTARY
THE STORIES WE here is something wonderfully addictive about a place with a story. The old hotel you walk into and immediately wonder who has slept there before you. The dusty Karoo road that seems to lead nowhere – until you discover a railway town, a grand old building or a pub where the locals have been putting the world to rights for generations. The car that turns heads not because it is new, but because it has been around long enough to have a few stories of its own. That is what we set out to explore in this heritage issue of High-Flyers. We begin with a very big birthday: The Kruger National Park is 100 (page 7). A century after it was established, its landscapes remain as captivating as ever, from elephants and lions to those wonderfully unpredictable encounters that make a game drive impossible to replicate anywhere else. Then we take the slow road (page 14). Two historic South African towns invite us to put the brakes on, look around and
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appreciate the railway lines, gold-rush tales and beautifully weathered buildings that have survived the passage of time. Of course, some of our finest heritage is found in places where you can pull up a chair. We check into two historic hotels (page 16) where the past is part of the experience, then we meet the people who keep another kind of heritage moving – classic-car enthusiasts whose prized machines are rolling reminders of another era (page 19).
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And, we ask three familiar South African faces (page 4) where they simply can't stay away. Their answers remind us that sometimes our strongest connections to place are not grand landmarks at all, but a favourite meal, road, view or memory. Heritage isn't just about where we've been. It is about the places and stories that keep calling us back. Happy travels,
Editor
DESIGN Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson Senior Designer: Mfundo Archie Ndzo Cover image: Courtesy of Sun International
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CAN’T STAY Kurt Darren, Siba Mtongana and Siv Ngesi reveal the South African places, flavours and memories that keep calling them back. By ITUMELENG MOGAKI
Kurt Darren and his family enjoying a boat trip in Cape Town.
Musician, performer and road-trip devotee The legendary voice behind the much-loved “Kaptein, Span Die Seile”, Kurt Darren has travelled the world, but says some of his favourite discoveries are closer to home, made on road trips through South Africa’s towns and countryside. “Nothing compares to driving and finding little hidden, homegrown South African shops and unique stores showcasing local brands,” says Darren. Among his favourite destinations are Dullstroom in Mpumalanga and Clarens in the Free State, which he describes as being filled with “hidden gems and amazing restaurants”. He also recommends the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands’ Blueberry Café, known for its farm-style comfort food. “My family and I are big foodies, and we keep returning to Blueberry Café for its amazing beef burgers, blueberry dishes, wood-fired pizzas, local estate wines, craft gin cocktails and local beers.” Darren says no list of favourite South African destinations would be complete without the Kruger National Park, and Kaapsehoop in Mpumalanga, where wild horses roam freely, as well as the famous Garden Route. “If I had to choose the places that feel most like home, Franschhoek would be first and Mbombela second. Both are rich in South African culture, have incredible food and an ambience that takes me back to my younger days,” Kurt Darren with his wife, Dunay, at Darren says.
Siba Mtongana and her family on their way to a fun-filled vacation.
Chef, tv presenter and culinary ambassador Chef Siba Mtongana says she is constantly drawn back to favourite family destinations and memorable food experiences. “As a family, we return to Sun City because it’s our children’s favourite holiday destination, and we often combine it with a visit to the Kruger National Park,” Mtongana says. Mtongana also describes Hermanus as the perfect escape close to Cape Town, and she loves St Francis Bay for its tranquil canals and relaxed coastal charm. For her, both Cape Town and Johannesburg feel like home – Cape
Nkomazi Private Game Reserve.
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Town for the lifestyle and raising her children, and Johannesburg for its sense of family, community and entrepreneurial energy. Food remains central to her every journey. She recommends the market vendors in Limpopo, Greek restaurants in St Francis Bay, traditional braais in Port Alfred and the Peregrine Farm Stall in Grabouw for its fresh bread and local produce. One of her most memorable trips was a family road trip from Cape Town through Knysna, St Francis Bay, Port Alfred and East London, before continuing to Durban, the Kruger region and finally Johannesburg. “That was our longest family adventure and gave our children the opportunity to experience South Africa’s incredible diversity.” For anyone looking to discover the country’s hidden treasures, Mtongana recommends exploring the Eastern Cape, Venda and Tsitsikamma for their landscapes, rich culture and warm hospitality.
Siba Mtongana and her family at their favourite holiday destination, Sun City Resort.
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Siv Ngesi looking over the Klein Drakensberg in Hoedspruit Limpopo.
Actor, comedienne, presenter and avid traveller
experiencing different cultures along the way.” Ngesi also recommends hiking in An avid traveller, Siv Ngesi says he the Drakensberg, enjoying Wagyu has visited 61 countries and counting, burgers in Zuney, visiting Hickville yet believes South Africa remains “the Smokehouse in Grabouw and most beautiful place in the world”. discovering the rural charm of Orania. “Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape Coffee Bay remains one of Ngesi’s is one of the places very close to favourite destinations. “It has everything my heart because of its warm water, from snorkelling, scuba diving and affordability and friendly people.” warm water to locals diving for fresh Some of Ngesi’s earliest travel crayfish and actually cooking them for memories are family road trips to you for as much as R6 per fish. You eMaXhoseni near Mthatha, complete can even see cows on the beach with his mother’s “packed with and ‘Xhosa’ huts scattered across goodies” picnic basket and the hills. It’s one of the most beautiful songs playing in the car as his places that truly feels like home,” father drove. Ngesi says. Among his favourite road Whether it’s mountain villages, trips are travelling the Garden coastal towns, family road trips Route, visiting Tsitsikamma, or unforgettable meals, exploring Makhanda, Knysna these three travellers and the Addo Elephant agree on one thing: National Park. the places that For Ngesi, road feel most like home trips are about far are those where more than the memories are destination. “Road made, people trips are about are welcomed, travelling with your Siv Ngesi at a vineyard and South Africa’s people, stopping to in Stellenbosch. remarkable diversity chat to locals, buying keeps calling home-style food you back they’ve prepared and
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BUSH TELEGRAPH
A CENTURY OF WILDNESS:
KEITH BAIN heads into Kruger’s wild heart, where hyenas laugh, elephants roam and every game drive promises another unforgettable encounter
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The wonder of the bush Soon after checking in, we were back on the 4x4, traversing deeper into the bush. Impala huddled in the shade of thorn trees. Elephants sauntered towards a water hole. Lone buffalo stood lumbering in levees. Giraffe, their eyes staring at us from below long eyelashes, entertained us by locking necks in some gentle game of strength. Kudu turned to show off their majestic horns while, above us, baboons mooned us from the safety of tall trees.
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hrough the nylon mesh windows and canvas walls, a riotous bush symphony filtered into my ears. Hippos guffawed, insects chirruped and buzzed. And, the deep, long hoots of owls made me want to go out and explore the night. Except, there were also the distant roars and not-so-distant hysterical laughter of hyenas. Pleasurable to listen to, but not something to mess with in the dark. Hours later, I unzipped the flaps and stepped onto my porch as the land steadily revealed itself in the pale morning light. Impalas and warthogs were stirring below on a vast grass covered with a soft white layer of mist. All of it so calming, the sense of peace infinite. We’d touched down at Skukuza, arriving in a hot, dusty, bleached-out otherworld. It was dry, the earth parched and brittle like ancient leather crying out for rain. A cracked landscape covered by thorn trees and hot air, Kruger looked as though a digital filter had been applied to bleach out the colours, leaving the strangely beautiful greys and browns and ghostly greens. We piled into the Land Cruiser and squinted in the Lowveld glare. Air – decadently hot – set upon our faces as we set forth towards adventure. It wasn’t long before we veered off one of Kruger’s tar roads and onto a dirt track marked by a little “NO TRESPASSING” sign. We criss-crossed empty rivers and drove along dirt roads until we arrived at a remote-controlled gate; on the other side, folks were waiting to welcome us to our lodge on a concession within Kruger’s southwest.
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BUSH TELEGRAPH We saw steenbok and zebra, mongooses and squirrels. And, a pair of ground hornbills with their blood-red face scarves. We paused to appreciate the bushveld’s underhyped treasures, smaller creatures mingling among larger beasts. A kingfisher flittering above a bushbuck hiding in the reeds, waterbuck standing in the shadows, dwarf mongooses scampering through the undergrowth, a woodpecker banging out a rhythm that reverberated between the trees. We saw a giant eagle-owl that produced a loud honking sound; we assumed there had been a baboon sighting. And, we watched as hundreds of buffalo drifted ghostlike between grey, skeletal trees. We stopped at small pools of water where hippos wallowed imperceptibly below the surface, while crocodiles basked menacingly on the muddy banks. When we found a leopard lazing on a large rock, her cubs poking their snouts curiously in our direction, our guide treated the moment as though it were the most natural thing in the world. As the light softened and the sky turned to melting orange, hyenas whooped in the distance as we paused for requisite sundowners before catching glimpses of scrub hares and tiny bushbabies in the glint of the spotlight as we headed back to the lodge for a feast in the boma. Later still, I found myself on the deck of my tent staring into the blackness of the sky, riveted by the silence, entranced by the stars. You forget, don’t you? The wonder of the bush. The impact that being in it has on you. It is such a rare privilege in this day and age to be able to venture into such still-wild places, to see creatures whose very existence hangs on a knife’s edge.
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Overwhelming size and much biodiversity In an age when so many of the world’s great ecosystems have been reduced to small remnants, Kruger National Park remains gloriously, wondrously intact. Covering almost 20 000km2 – roughly the size of Wales – it’s a symbol of
Kruger National Park remains gloriously, wondrously intact. Covering almost 20 000km22 – roughly the size of Wales – it’s a symbol of conservation and wildlife tourism that remains one of South Africa’s most important calling cards.
conservation and wildlife tourism that remains one of South Africa’s most important calling cards. While this year Kruger celebrates its centenary, its origins predate the park’s official inauguration. In 1898, Paul Kruger, cognisant of the impact on wildlife posed by hunting and human settlement, established the Sabie Game Reserve. In 1902, James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed its first warden and, over four decades, he transformed it into a functioning wildlife and nature sanctuary, implementing conservation policies, ridding it of poachers, curtailing hunting and establishing protocols to protect the land and its wild inhabitants. In 1926, when it was officially proclaimed Kruger National Park, it
was already a model of conservation’s possibilities, and among the first of its scale in the world. A century on, its biodiversity continues to enthral, drawing almost two million visitors each year. It is among Africa’s biggest reserves and today forms part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which straddles the borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Stretching for roughly 360km from the Crocodile River in the south to the Limpopo River in the north, and 65km east to west, it encompasses 16 different ecosystems and an array of habitats. From mopane woodlands in the north to mixed thornveld and granite hills in the south, its terrain includes vast open savannahs, dense riverine forests, baobab stands and fever tree wetlands.
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Easy access to sightings and activities Kruger is, of course, synonymous with Big Five sightings and with the tremendous ease of access it provides to see not only these high-profile animals, but hundreds more. Thanks to its road network and accessibility of SANParks-operated rest camps, an incredible diversity of life can be explored from the comfort and safety of a private vehicle or on a game drive undertaken by skilled rangers. For the more intrepid nature enthusiast, there are guided bush walks and so-called primitive trails that take participants into undeveloped, untouched parts of the park, enabling full immersion in a kind of “land before time” reality, where encounters with nature are raw and altogether more full-on. On such adventures, you overnight in the wild, sleep under the
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stars and take turns keeping watch by the fire. All supplies are carried on your back, and the true meaning of “leave no trace” exploration is experienced first-hand – it’s an immersive, multisensory experience that’s a far cry from observing nature virtually by flipping on the National Geographic channel. Or, you can forgo the effort of hiking and sleep in the finest luxury at any number of the spiffiest safari lodges in Southern Africa. Balule rest camp Some of these lodges are within private concessions within Kruger, while many more are situated within various private reserves that abut Kruger and form part of the Greater Kruger National Park, a venture involving more than 20 private reserves.
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Nine perennial rivers traverse the park, supporting some 147 mammal species, over 110 reptiles, 50 species of freshwater fish and thousands of plant varieties. Plus, more than 500 bird species, enough to keep twitchers endlessly satisfied with its seasonal migrations and healthy populations of raptors, kingfishers, hornbills and bee-eaters.
the park offers. Skukuza, which is also the park’s administrative HQ, not only has a variety of comfortable lodgings, but also restaurants and museums – and easy access to the wilderness you’ve come to explore. Each of SANParks’ camps has its own uniqueness, be it the panoramic setting of Lower Sabie, which overlooks the Sabie River, where elephant, hippo and crocodile activity means you can skip a day of game drives and watch from your terrace, or Satara camp, which is good if you’re keen to see predators. Or Olifants, which enjoys a fantastic high-vantage view over the Olifants River where elephants legendarily congregate in their multitudinous splendour. The really striking thing about Kruger, though, is that each time you visit, there is some twist in the tale. Whether it’s a seasonal transformation affecting the colours, a momentous mood swing or a geological shift altering the wider picture, there will always be new details to observe, and unforgettable adventures to enjoy.
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A century on, its biodiversity continues to enthral, drawing almost two million visitors each year.
A choice of places to lay your head Between primitive walks and ultra-luxury, there are SANParks’ rest camps, dutifully reflecting the park’s democratic ethos with its good-value accommodations and immediate access to all the riches
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DUSTY ROADS,
DAYS
Two historic South African towns where trains still rumble, gold-rush stories linger and the landscape invites you to stay a little longer. By RAINA JULIES
DID YOU KNOW?
There is something wonderfully odd about arriving in Matjiesfontein. One minute you’re powering along the N1, the Karoo stretching towards the horizon; the next you’re in a tiny Victorian village where the railway station still stands proudly and the pace of life seems to have been set to slow. First comes the silence. Then the heat. Then the architecture: white-painted buildings, old-fashioned lampposts and the grand Lord Milner Hotel sitting improbably amid the dry, scrubby Karoo. Children can roam, grandparents can wander, and nobody seems to be in much of a hurry. This is a place made for strolling rather than scheduling. Wander down the main street, browse the museum, visit the old railway station and watch the occasional train thunder through. The original station opened
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in 1878, helping connect the Cape to the interior as the railway pushed north. However, Matjiesfontein’s story stretches much further back. The town’s name itself is linked to the Khoekhoen, who used the local sedge to make mats for their huts. Across the wider Karoo, rock art and archaeological evidence point to a much older human history than the start of the 1884 settlement, when the Victorian chapter arrived. Scottish railwayman James Douglas Logan established the settlement. Its dry climate helped turn it into a fashionable health retreat, while the railway brought travellers, trade and opportunity. The Lord Milner Hotel followed in 1899, and the village became a curious outpost of Victorian life in the Karoo.
DID YOU KNOW? James Logan’s Tweedside House, built in 1884, was the first house in South Africa to have a combination of electricity, a flushing toilet and a landline telephone linked to his neighbouring farm, also called Tweedside. *Source: Matjiesfontein.com
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Matjiesfontein, where time takes a breather
Today, Matjiesfontein is wonderfully easy to enjoy. Walk, explore, eat, watch the trains and let the children discover the novelty of having nowhere else to be. Beyond the village, the Karoo stretches into spectacular emptiness; after dark, the enormous sky supplies its own entertainment. The village was declared a National Heritage Site in 1975, preserving its remarkable collection of historic buildings. Come for the history, but stay for the feeling – that rare sensation that the clock has stopped ticking quite so loudly.
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South African writer Olive Schreiner lived in Matjiesfontein in the 1890s, and the Olive Schreiner Cottage remains part of its heritage offering. *Source: Matjiesfontein.com
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If Matjiesfontein invites you to slow down and listen to the silence, Pilgrim’s Rest offers something altogether different. Here, the landscape is greener, the mountains close in and the ghosts of South Africa’s mineral revolution seem to linger around every corrugated-iron veranda. Walk its old streets and you can almost hear the bustle of the gold-rush era: prospectors swapping stories, traders doing business and fortune-seekers arriving with dreams of striking it rich. Today, the preserved buildings and timber verandas give the village an atmospheric, almost cinematic quality, with the dramatic Mpumalanga landscape providing a spectacular backdrop. But gold was not the beginning of the story. Long before the rush, the wider Mpumalanga region was home to communities, including the Bokoni, whose sophisticated farming landscapes featured terracing, stone-walled settlements and livestock routes. Their relationship with the land predates the mining town by centuries.
Then came 1873 and the discovery of alluvial gold. Prospectors flooded into the area, claims were staked, and Pilgrim’s Rest rapidly grew from a remote settlement into a bustling goldfield. By early 1874, about 1 500 prospectors were reportedly working around 4 000 claims. Today, the best way to experience that history is on foot. Wander the old streets, peer into historic buildings and imagine the noise that once filled this now-quieter village. The preserved corrugated-iron architecture, shops and landmarks give Pilgrim’s Rest its distinctive character, while museums and heritage sites help bring the mining story to life. And, behind the romance of the gold rush was a much harder reality. African labour was fundamental to the mining economy, yet the wealth generated by the industry was
DID YOU KNOW? Pilgrim’s Rest was declared a National Monument in 1986. Its historic buildings and streets were preserved as a living museum, allowing visitors to experience the character of the old gold-rush town. *Source: SA History Online
distributed profoundly unequally. That history is less immediately visible than the old mine buildings, but it forms an important part of understanding how the mineral revolution reshaped South Africa. For families, there is plenty to fold into a weekend: explore the historic village, try your hand at gold panning, then head out into the spectacular landscapes of the Panorama region. Pilgrim’s Rest makes an especially good stop on a road trip that takes in waterfalls, mountains and the Lowveld. The gold may have drawn the prospectors here. Today, it’s the combination of history, scenery and old-fashioned wandering that makes Pilgrim’s Rest worth the detour.
DID YOU KNOW? GROBLERDUPREEZ/ISTOCK.COM
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Pilgrims Rest, where gold changed everything
Pilgrim’s Rest once had its own mint. During the South African War, a mint was established in the town and locally mined gold was used to produce the rare Veld Pond coins. *Source: SA History Online
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THE GUEST BOOK
WHERE THE WALLS HAVE
TO TELL
From grand Cape Town glamour to an oceanfront icon, two historic hotels invite travellers to sleep inside South Africa’s living history. By RAINA JULIES Mount Nelson
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The Oyster Box. If the Mount Nelson wears its history with elegant restraint, The Oyster Box wears its story with a little more tropical swagger. Perched IMAGES: SUPPLIED
Mount Nelson. Few South African hotels have a more recognisable calling card than the Mount Nelson. Set beneath Table Mountain in Cape Town’s Gardens, the pink-hued landmark has welcomed guests since 1899 and remains affectionately known as the “Nellie”. Here, history is not displayed behind glass; it is woven into the experience of staying there. Its story began with a garden rather than a hotel. Sir Hamilton Ross acquired the property in 1843 and established an extensive garden. In 1890, shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie bought the property, and, in March 1899, the Mount Nelson opened its doors. More than a century later, arriving still feels like an occasion. Drive through the lush gardens, catch sight of that unmistakable pink facade, wander into the gracious public spaces, and there is an almost theatrical sense of arrival. Yet the hotel never feels stuffy or museum-like. It is elegant, certainly, but also wonderfully relaxed – somewhere you can linger over breakfast, settle into afternoon tea or lose track of time over a drink. Its guest book reads like a roll call of the 20th century. Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle stayed in 1928, while John Lennon reportedly stayed under the pseudonym Mr Greenwood. Nelson Mandela was a frequent visitor, and the Dalai Lama addressed a gathering in the ballroom in 1999. Then there is the pleasure of simply being there. The gardens are made for wandering, the old cottages have an appealing sense of privacy, and the hotel's restaurants, bars and spa give you plenty of reasons not to leave. Rooms and suites blend the character of the historic property with the polished comforts expected of a modern luxury hotel. However, the real charm of the Mount Nelson is that you don’t merely observe its history; you become part of its long, wonderfully colourful guest list, if only for a night or two. Stay: Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel
beside Umhlanga’s famous red-and-white lighthouse, with the Indian Ocean stretching out in front of it, this much-loved hotel has one of those settings that makes arriving feel like the start of a holiday. Its story reaches back to 1863 when a beach cottage stood on the site. Its reflective roof was used as a navigational beacon for ships approaching the area’s rocky coastline. By the middle of the 20th century, the site had become a hotel, and The Oyster Box began building its reputation for the gracious hospitality, lush gardens and spectacular sea views it enjoys today. There is something wonderfully nostalgic about the place. Sit on a terrace with the ocean rolling below, watch the lighthouse standing sentinel beside the hotel, listen to the waves breaking along the shore, and it is remarkably easy to forget that the modern world is only a few steps away. That old-world atmosphere is perhaps the hotel's greatest strength. It feels polished without being precious, luxurious without losing its sense of fun. The tropical gardens invite a leisurely wander, the terraces are made for long lunches and sundowners and the ocean is an ever-present backdrop. However, The Oyster Box has not been frozen in time. An extensive refurbishment before its reopening in 2009 as part of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, retained the property's distinctive character while introducing contemporary facilities and comforts. Today, its 86 rooms are complemented by a spa, swimming pools, restaurants and bars. Stay: The Oyster Box
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CHROME & CHARACTER
DRIVING MISS Some cars provide more than a way to get from A to B; they are moving pieces of history. And, as it turns out, South Africa is absolutely rolling with classic cars, along with the people who love them. By ANTHONY SHARPE aul Koski, president of the Southern African Veteran and Vintage Association, says South Africans have always been crazy about cars, but at the moment the ‘70s are experiencing their renaissance motoring moment. “People are getting into Alpha GTs, and the prices for early Porsches have gone through the roof.” In fact, Koski reckons it’s the most popular classic car brand in the country, followed by Mercedes-Benz. “You can find parts for these cars easily, and they’re reliable. If you want to take one from Johannesburg to Durban, it’ll get you there.”
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A long and bumpy road If you’re interested in restoring an old car, says Koski, you’d best strap yourself in for a long and bumpy journey. “My first advice is to buy a car and get the restoration for free. The process can be very difficult, time-consuming and full of disappointments. I find that most noncar enthusiasts who get excited about restoring a car tend to sell it as soon as the restoration is complete and it’s at the peak of its value.” Koski, who says he always has a restoration on the go, says that there is nevertheless a great sense of satisfaction in taking a piece of junk, restoring it and finally taking it out for a drive. “It’s very fulfilling – but hugely expensive these
days, largely because of the labour. Count on a thousand to two thousand hours to do a proper job, so you can easily end up spending two to three times the car’s worth on restoration.”
Labour of love The labour in question is only becoming more valuable, in fact. Spare parts are actually the thing to manage when it comes to maintaining older cars, says Colin Greyvensteyn of Historic Adventures, which runs tours in vintage and classic cars. “Just Google the part number, order, and you’ll have it in a couple of weeks. Where we’re struggling is in fitting those parts and repairing parts that can’t be replaced.” Specialist car mechanics are swamped with work, says Greyvensteyn, who also runs a garage that maintains these vehicles. “The biggest thing we’re dealing with is botched jobs – not necessarily dishonest work, but work by mechanics who tried their best but lack the necessary expertise. There’s a massive shortage of people who really know what they’re doing and are willing to restore cars to what they should be. Moreover, with older mechanics retiring, we aren’t necessarily seeing a skills transfer.” Koski agrees: “There’s no apprenticeship model for mechanics any more. These days if you go to work for BMW, you’re a computer technician.” This burgeoning computer complexity of modern cars is a major reason Koski believes the era of restorable cars ends in the ‘90s.
Round and round This begs the question of what will happen down the line when people who grew up idolising slightly more modern cars finally have the time and money to start playing around with what, to them, are classics. “Classic cars have never been a young person’s game,” says Greyvensteyn. “You’re looking at folks whose kids have gone to university – they’re buying the cars that were icons when they were in their 20s or 30s. Cars, like fashion, date. Something is popular, then it becomes ugly, then, as you get a bit older, it starts to gain appeal again.” Koski believes older cars will remain enduringly popular because of their purely mechanical nature. Ironically, however, most of these restored cars are more reliable now than they were originally. “That’s because of upgraded parts, braking systems, oil filters and steering wheels. There’s a lot you can do to an old car to make it drive better while still retaining the original appeal.”
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