South Africans networking in London!

Everyone knows that South West London is over-run with Saffas and as a result the names Putneyfontein (Putney) and Saffafields (Southfields) have developed. I've dabbled a bit in East Putney and Southfields, the Grid, myself.

This time my relationship lead me North and I currently reside on a lovely little road called Englands Lane which is nestled at the bottom of Primrose Hill. I love the area it's great and when I first moved I was very excited about this new Saffa-free zone of London. I was going to branch out, meet new people of different nationalities and absorb all that is North London. Whislt I defintely take advantage of living in the North (2 tube stops to central, cute coffee shops, quaint little lanes, the infamous Hampstead Heath and of course the hill itself) I find myself missing hearing that familiar twang from home. South West is abundant with little 'ahhh I miss home' reminicents: milo, Chakalaka, the sweet smell of a braai, knick nacks and boerie. Up North I feel like I am million miles away with no familiaries in sight and even though the District Line makes me rage like an authentic London commuter I do enjoy my visits back South.

My most recent trip back Wimbles took me to a South African Womens Networking event. One great thing about London is that there is so many of these networkng events available and you can go and not know half the people there already.

I was so blown away by the dynamic and successful women that I met there and how motivated I felt when I left. It is not often that you find women going out on a limb, taking some risks and starting out on their own, so to end up in a room with 30 odd women who have done just this and been successful was very liberating.

I now have a contact in social media, a blind company, a nutrionist, a personal trainer, an events and PR agency, a magazine editor, an incredible ukelele player and singer and a seriously valuable travel agent.

What impressed me even more was their willingness to support and help each other. Here we are just a few South African women in a kitchen show room in South London just sticking together, the way we should ;)

It's not what you know, it's who knows you!

My sacred retreat - Olifants River Reserve

'Game rangers get paid in sunsets' Kobie Kruger

As you have probably gathered by now, the African bush is a very special place to me. My dad owned a share in a reserve called Olifants River Private Reserve for a number of years and it broke my heart when he decided to sell it in 2011. Between the roads from Hoedspruit to Durban deteriorating and the subsequent road works to try and fix said deterioration the 9 hour drive was getting longer and more uncomfortable every time.

So he purchased a small four seater Cessna plane and flew himself there. This thing terrified me so fortunately I was only a passenger and victim to my fathers flying abilities once and that was before the giraffee ate a piece of the tail wing off.

Cessna

Some great times were had there from special trips with my family to more crazy trips with friends from University, including going swimming in the pool at 3am with no cameras only to come across a pride of seven lions who subsequently killed an impala about three metres from our car and my mums wild bush pig that frequented the house every night (possibly one of the ugliest animals I have ever seen).

Our house

My best flash backs have to be the early morning drives, parked by a dam with the sun rising and a hot chocolate in one hand, Ouma's rusk in the other - pure delight! Followed closely by the nightime braai's around the fire with the clearest skies you have ever seen and not a peep of sound from civilisation. There is something truly euphoric about sitting out there in your deck chair, in the middle of no where with no fences between you and Africa's greatest predators.

This is the proper way to experience the African bush. Five star camps with all the trimmings are amazing as well as being waited on hand and foot but you never quite get the feeling of complete isolation. We had our own game viewing vehicle that we could take whenever we wanted and so weren't restricted to the 5am and 4pm drives.

Our vehicle

As tranquil as the bush is it's sometimes easy to forget that it's not a zoo and there are wild animals roaming around. Unfortunately, there have been a number of incidents at Olifants that have resulted in death, including a school leaver who got drunk and decided to jump in the river and was never seen again, a worker who got taken whilst building a pulley across the river and another worker who stumbled into a breeding herd of elephants and got trampled to death. Even my dad has come a little too close to 'Happiness' (the rogue elephant) when she snuck up on him and some work colleagues having a sun downer by the river. Lucky for the them a massive baobab tree provided a barrier of protection. This is nature I guess and the bad can never take away our appreciation for the beauty and draw of the animal kingdom.

For every bad story there is fifty good ones and if you could sit down with the head ranger at Olifants, a lovely man called Mario Cesare, he could tell you stories that would leave you wanting to quit your boring day job, pack your bags and head to the African bush.

Like most game reserves in South Africa Olifants has been a victim of poaching and more recently rhino poaching. I remember one day the truck came back with the anti poacking team and they unloaded wire traps and snares for Africa (excuse my pun). Their faces were a picture of anger and disheartedness. These men who have dedicated their lives to preserving South Africas wildlife must find it terribly heart breaking to see their fellow man kind destroying it in such a brutal way. I follow the rhino poaching statistics quite closely and it devastates me how out of control the situation has become and that the fate of the rhino population is so close to extinction. The thought that my children could not get to experience these incredible mammals in the wild is very saddening. If you want to know more about the rhino poaching or see how you can help you can visit The San Wild Rhino Sanctuary.

I am blessed that I have been privaledged enough to be able to grow up with places like Olifants on my back door and when I think about it nothing rings more true than this quote my friend Mike sent me.......

Pictures: Richard Langford

Wedding venue wish list

www.litchiorchard.co.za

We are certainly spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting your ideal wedding venue. There is no shortage of beauty or uniqueness if you are planning on getting married in South Africa. The vast terrain means quite simply, there is something for everyone.

From game reserves, farms, vineyards, beaches, countryside, cities to garden venues, take your pick.

The weakness of the Rand to the Sterling also makes it an affordable option for couples based in the UK. You can have your dream ‘holiday destination wedding’ for a third of the price and the warm weather is guaranteed(avoid Cape Town Winters). The only drawback is that the cost of flights could deter some of your guests from making the trip, but maybe that’s a good thing!

Picking a venue in South Africa is a tough job. It’s almost like being let loose into a Vera Wang wedding dress store room filled with hundreds of beautiful, lovely, heavenly (you get the picture) dresses. How can you possibly pick just one? Well some people might get to pick a second or third time but let’s hope that’s not us!

To simplify the process you need to decide: what type of wedding are you looking for?

Always been a lover of the African bush then maybe a Game Reserve is your preference? Home to the infamous Kruger Park there is an abundance of Game reserves located around major cities such as Johannesburg (Kruger) and Durban (Zululand). Depending on the size of your party this will cull down your list on suitable venues. Most Game Lodges can only cater for small numbers of guests. Zulu Nyala Game Lodge in Zululand caters for larger weddings and all guests can be accommodated in either their Game Lodge or Hertiage Safari Lodge, which are 5 minutes apart. This is the venue for my wedding in October and I can say I was very surprised at how reasonable they are in comparison to other lodges. Leopard Mountain is a lovely little lodge and a great venue for a smaller wedding party. The views from the lodge are spectacular and they have a dry river bed location making for a very special ceremony.

www.zulunyalagamelodge.com

Have a bigger budget? The Singita reserves cater for a more upmarket and luxury venue with lodges in Kruger, Sabi Sands, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. I have myself stayed as a guest in the Sabi Sands reserve and have only amazing things to say about it. The game viewing was one of a kind and the level of service far surpasses any other lodge I have visited. I can imagine that if you had to choose this reserve to exchange your vows it would be a truly special and memorable occasion.

www.singita.com

Is your palette a sucker for a bit of vino? Apart from the Med, South Africa has the oldest wine making industry and the Western Cape offers some magnificant Wineland venues. A friend recently got married at Vrede en Lust in Franschhoek and whilst I was unable to attend the photographs made me double think my choice about getting married on a Game Farm (but only for about 5 seconds). Based at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains, if its a speculator backdrop you are looking for, this is the place to hold your ceremony.  Whilst Cape Town is probably the most attractive area of South Africa, with Table Mountain at its centre, it is also the most demanding on your credit card.

www.vnl.co.za

Due to South Africas agriculture sector a whole lot of awesome Farm venues are available. Being the worlds second largest fruit exporter you can pledge your vows amongst lemons or litchis, if you fancy? Sandveld Country Estate is a citrus farm located in the Sandveld just 2 hours outside of Cape Town. They have a free standing barn suitable for a reception and a few cottages available for guests and there is also a country lodge which I have stayed in and highly recommend. The Litchi Orchard just outside of Durban also provides for a beautiful, rustic location. They have a quaint open plan, wooden chapel giving you a true country bumpkin feel.

www.litchiorchard.co.za

Beach bum? With over 2,798 kms of coastline I am sure you could find a good spot to say 'I do'. The Garden Route offers a number of fabulous beach locations that cater for weddings of all sizes. Villa Castollini in Knysna is perfect for a ceremony on the beach followed by a reception with breath taking views. Get Married Garden Route is a great website for scanning wedding venues on the garden route.

Dreaming of a wedding amongst the spectacular Drakensburg mountains? Champagne Castle could be your answer. A dreamy little chapel nestled between rolling mountains and green hills. Another popular venue is the recently refurbished Netherwood Estate located in the midlands meander town of Nottingham Road.

www.netherwood.co.za

So as you can see it is a no brainer, South Africa is the best place to get married, fitting then that the worlds largest diamond weighing in at 3,106.75 carats was found there (even though it currently sits upon our gracious Queens head)!