Adventures in Africa

Part 2

In an earlier post I shared some of the things about South Africa that make my heart sing. As I sit here listening to the birds sing after an afternoon thunderstorm, I’m reminded of a few more …

I love how cell (mobile) phone towers are disguised to look like giant trees …

Wherever you go in South Africa – from big cities to the country, you’ll see women carrying loads on their heads. Little girls learn this skill from the tie they take their first steps, and old women carry things in this way until the end of their lives. The grace and poise with which they do this, is one of the things I love about this place.

And while on the subject of women carrying loads … Seeing a woman carrying the precious load that is her baby (or someone else’s) on her back, always warms my heart.

Much is written about sustainable building materials and methods. In South Africa, sustainable buildings have been constructed for centuries; from mud and reed huts, to traditional Cape Dutch houses. One of the most sustainable materials – and one we happen to love – is thatch. We’re privileged and delighted to live in a thatch roof house, and in our surrounding area, thatching grass grows wild along the road verges and in the fields. People harvest this material and use it to roof their own homes, and trades people use it to build and maintain the roofs of people like us.

All South Africans have a love/hate relationship with the bronze-feathered, hooked-beaked hadeda (Bostrychia hagedash). Personally, I love this 5am flying-over-the-roof alarm clock!

And I love Stephen Francis and Rico Schacherl’s “Madam and Eve”, whose gogo (grandmother) definitely has a hate/hate relationship with our feathered friend!

I’m sitting on the stoep (terrace) of our Kosmos house, drinking in the late afternoon light. While I write, the loeries are having their customary before bed bath.

Much has happened over the past fortnight, and the man and I lurch from elation to exhaustion as we drive back and forth between Johannesburg and Kosmos. Joburg days are spent working (yes, we do need to earn a crust), and then spending the money we earn as we acquire all the necessities of a new life.

When we’re in Kosmos, it’s to work. We engaged ace tiler, Edwin, to tackle the job of replacing the hard floors, and carpeters will soon transform the bedrooms, but we’ve been constantly busy cleaning, fixing things, sorting out stuff, etc. We also spend loads of time waiting for deliveries and tradies to quote on things like reclaiming the pool from the mud bath that turned it into a cesspit.

We’re really thrilled with the tiles. What was a tacky vinyl wood floor is now slate-like tiles, made right here in South Africa! Edwin did an amazing job of finding the one straight wall in the house and then following that line from one end of the property to the other.

The finished product …

Of course, it hasn’t just been floors! We took ownership of our second car …

We’ve spent precious time with family and friends …

We’ve eaten fabulous meals …

We have a new appreciation for African sunsets …

And we’ve acquired beds, appliances and a TV! Before we know it, we’ll be living in Kosmos fulltime!

Part 1

Since making public our decision to return to South Africa, the question “Why?” has been asked by almost every person we encountered. Our reasons, of course, are manifold and our own, and we feel no need to justify our decision. There are, however, so many things about this complex, challenging land that make it the land of my heart. In the coming days, weeks and months, I’ll share some of these.

As I write this, I’m listening to Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, which featured a panoply of South African musicians. And that brings me to one of the things I love most about this place: the music! Music is everywhere in South Africa; people sing when they’re happy, they sing when they’re sad, they sing to mark great occasions, and day-to-day ones. Here, people even protest in song. (Hello, toyi toyi!) From truly remarkable professional musicians to ordinary people, the music is exceptional.

As one drives around Johannesburg, it’s impossible not to see the “Reclaimers“, pulling their heavy carts through the traffic. Since there is no official sorting of rubbish into general waste and recyclables in this city, these self-appointed recyclers sift through rubbish bins and sort out all the recyclable plastic, which they then trade for cash. It’s tough, thankless work, but it’s a living. And these (mostly) men help to control plastic waste in the city. Want to know more, watch this short doco: https://youtu.be/9jiFwq0kEN0?si=PUlxKQhbnNfkuQw8

As autumn settles in over the South African countryside, the cosmos blooms along roadsides and in fields across the country. Since I was a very small child, I’ve loved these delicate pink and white blooms that wilt as soon as they’re picked. I know this, because I always made my mother stop to pick me bunches, only to have them sad and limp by the time we got back to the car. I loved them then, and I love them now. And they’re in bloom everywhere right now!

A ubiquitous scene (and sound) in Johannesburg is that of the mielie (ears of corn)ladies, plying their wares from street to street, sometimes carried in baskets and bags on their heads, and sometimes in shopping trolleys. And all the while they cry, “Green mielies! Sweet green mielies!” This is the sound of my childhood, and my (now) adulthood. These women inspire awe through their sheer dedication to earning a basic living, often for decades on end in a particular suburb.

More to come …!

We arrived in a city in the throes of that old thorn in everyone’s side – loadshedding! That should have prepared us for the days and weeks to come, but we rather naively thought we’d more easily navigate the challenges of beginning again in the land of our birth. Of course, just like the magnificent Joburg thunderstorms that raged in our first days, our initial interactions were a bit stormier.

What does it take to build a life in a new country? In South Africa it starts with a great deal of standing in queues and sitting in banking halls. And hours on the phone.

We still haven’t had much luck with Home Affairs, so identity documents are not yet forthcoming, but we have managed to open bank accounts, get insurance, and get local mobile numbers. We’ve also learned lessons in patience, humility and gratitude – patience with systems that are painfully beaurocratic, humbled by people who try hard with little support, and gratitude for getting even the smallest win. Oh, and I didn’t physically attack even one person!

We bought two vehicles (one of which is still to be delivered).

And – with great excitement – we got the keys to our new home, an experience we shared with our dear friend Derrich. Incidentally, we’re also staying in Derrich’s apartment while our house is being renovated and our containers are on the water.

Initially we thought we might have to wait until as late as end May to gain access to our house, since it was tenanted until then. (For those who don’t know, in South Africa, tenancy trumps purchase or, “huur gaat voor koop”.) From end May we got a commitment to vacate on 15 March, so we were thrilled when our tenant actually vacated on 28 February, allowing us to start renovations much sooner.

When we made the decision to move to South Africa, we were adamant that the home we live in should be distinctly African, and we believe our Kosmos home meets that requirement. This house can be nowhere else!

We’re looking forward to entertaining loads of friends and family in this home in the weeks, months and years to come. And hopefully our loved ones from Australia will visit. The guest suite is waiting ..!

We were born in South Africa. We lived in South Africa until our early 30s. 28 years in Australia and these African Aussies are having to learn about Africa all over again!

We very quickly learned some valuable, albeit frustrating, lessons: the Department of Home Affairs is not your friend, banks maintain a policy of “take a ticket” and you better have a packed lunch, restaurants and cafes – even with one waiter for every table – offer painfully slow service.

And then there are the mysterious, unwritten rules that somehow keep things moving … Traffic lights hardly ever work, and when they do, most people ignore them. However, four-way (or three-way, or six-way) stops are honoured by everyone, even mini-bus taxi drivers. And self-appointed traffic directors who have absolutely no authority, are obeyed by everyone!

Not had time to do your shopping? Not a problem – you can buy literally anything at a (working or non-working) traffic light! From goods to services like having your tyres changed – it’s all on offer.

Visiting a hardware store delivers a wealth of expertise, with every kind of tradie available right there in the parking lot!

Joburg, what a treasure you are!

Months of preparation, planning and contemplation culminated in our Melbourne home being packed up and readied for shipment to South Africa. There’s something gut-wrenching about seeing a life reduced to one 40ft container (+ a second 20ft, as it turned out).

We waved our earthly possessions farewell on 07 February, and then officially became homeless.

Our temporary home quickly dispelled all thoughts of being anchorless because we found ourselves in the tranquil surrounds of Research, where dear friend, Dewetia, (and Zara the dog) made our transition as smooth as possible.

Packing up a life is physically tough, but farewelling those dear to us was emotionally devastating. Logically we knew that we would in all probability see our Australian friends and family again, but logic rarely applies in these situations. In our final days in Melbourne we spent hours talking to the people we care about, we drank many glasses of wine, laughed a great deal, and – in the words of the song – we also shed some salty tears.

24 February 2025 – we boarded that proverbial jet plane and winged our way to Johannesburg. Sadness was tempered by sheer relief that we were finally on our way. Excitement would come later …

And on the afternoon of the same day – a tad the worse for wear – we were met at O.R. Tambo International by cousins Harry and Margie. (A huge surprise!) Our African life was about to begin.